Heart Strings

By: Andrea Smith, Gina A. Jones

Narrated by: Alexander Cendese, Gina A. Jones

Length: 6 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

Emmett Jackson is a high school drop-out and a rock star wannabe at 20.

He has the looks, the sex appeal, and enough groupies to totally notch out his bedpost. That's his current problem. Poor choices and toxic decisions have splintered his dreams for the future just as the band is gaining momentum.

When a one-night stand that Emmett has no recollection of results in a surprise pregnancy, he's forced to come to terms with the fact that everything his band Wasted has worked for is now at risk.

Torn between obligation and pursuing his dream, Emmett faces some cruel realities in the months ahead. He wants it both ways, and when a female vocalist joins the band, the chemistry of their voices can't be denied.

Neither can the chemistry between them...

This single-daddy rock star romance will tug at your heart, with plenty of surprises in store. Contains adult content.

©2019 Smith & Jones (P)2022 Smith & Jones

love it

Heart Strings, is a wonderful rock star story by Andrea Smith and Gina A. Jones,
It's about the lives of the garage band Wasted. How they rose from a garage band to one that is up and coming. and then a headliner.
Emmett and His best friends, Coop , Wayne , and Ace make up the band. Emmett plays lead guitar and is the lead man of the group.
They wanted a different edge to the group and hired a female vocalist Olivia. there was sparks between Liv and Emmett.
There are personal, complex problems within the band. That they don't have any control over and causes friction within the band.
Alexander Cendese and Gina A. Jones bring this story to life. I was so surprised that actual music was included in the narration. Well done

Suprisingl And Different

This was a great read! It was full of surprises and not what I thought. I highly recommend it!

Wasted

It's poignant and a little gritty, a bit steamy, and plenty of heart when it comes to what really matters. Definitely worth a read or listen!

I'm gonna start with an unlikely person, Stacy. She kinda reminded me of the character of the same name from Wayne's World, only skeevier. I really felt for Emmy.

As for Emmett, I love his reaction to his evening with Stacy and how he took stock of his life choices and did something about it, never ending up in that position again. I also love how Liv came into his life and the hurdles they overcame. And, oh, that ending! Very fitting.

I received an author's copy of the audio book. The narrators are Gina A Jones and Alexander Cendese. I really like both. 👍

Story: 4 stars
Narration: 4 stars
Listening Speed: 1.6x

Perfect!

What a great story! It was so well written and I was kept on my edge of my seat to see how this emotional story played out.
Alexander and Gina were the perfect narrators to bring all the emotions of the characters. Don’t miss this one!

Excellent rock story!

Heart Strings, by Andrea Smith and Gina A. Jones, is a unique take on the rock star trope, with more emphasis placed on the backstage lives of the stars, their relationships with one another, their families and the personal issues they confront in their daily lives. Emmett Jackson has no desire to take the S.A.T. that's sitting on his desk and, during a recess in the test, walks out to do what he really wants for his future, to play music with his garage band, Wasted. His best friends, Coop (bass), Wayne (rhythm guitar,) Slade (drums) and, eventually, Ace (keyboards) make up the band and Emmett plays lead guitar and is the front man of the group. Although Wayne and Cooper write most of the music, Emmett is particularly good at writing songs that reflect the darkness inside him. As they begin to gain momentum as a band, the rock star life follows along and Emmett parties a little too much, a little too often and it catches up with him one night. He has no recollection of anything that happened and, when an unknown woman comes sauntering out from the bedroom, he knows he's crossed a line. Stacie Coulter is a work of art and not in a good way. She's a one-night stand, so he thinks, and a bad penny that always turns up. With her claims, she turns Emmett's world upside down. Trying to be an honorable man, he will support her and, after 9 months, they will go their separate ways. When Olivia Harris joins the band as a vocalist, there is an instant spark between Emmett and Liv, as she calls herself, much to Stacie's chagrin. Nobody is going to take her man away! But Liv has a secret she's kept from everyone, preferring to deal with it by herself. Her mother is suffering from early-onset dementia and it's her responsibility to care for her. Liv is an only child, whose father died long ago, and, as a single mother, Sylvie did the best she could to raise her. They never had much money, but there was so much love in their home. When that Heart Strings' star begins to rise, her mother rants to Olivia that this life is going to ruin her. She falls into a memory from her past, when she was in love with a man named Zak, but he betrayed her. Liv has heard about this Zak person for years and years but has no idea who her mom could be talking about. As she lives more and more in her memories, it becomes clear to Liv that her mother is going to need more help. When she makes an appointment with the doctor for her, she has no idea just how much her mother has been unraveling. The diagnosis is heartbreaking but makes so much sense given her mother's odd behavior all of Liv's life. It's troubling, at best, and she has no idea how much of the truth has been kept from her. All the while, Heart Strings continue to tour and are becoming the main attraction, no longer opening for bigger bands at their gigs. They seem to have made it, but real life has a way of bringing Emmett to his knees. Stacie has been such an unsympathetic character all throughout the book and is even worse as the birth of the baby comes near. She lives in a fantasy world of her own making, and it's uncomfortable as she describes, in detail, her love for Emmett and his for her. Liv can't stand it and feels that she can no longer come between them. Emmett sets her straight and Stacie is forced to see what damage she's done. The birth of the baby brings so many surprises...Stacie's lack of maternal feeling and Emmett's immediate love for his child. The twists regarding Liv's father and the baby, Emmie, provide a sense of relief and happiness, if not closure. A complex story with characters who come alive! 
Alexander Cendese and Gina A. Jones bring this story to life with dynamic and well-modulated voices, giving each character their own personality!

Who doesn’t love a Rock Star Single Daddy?

Heart Strings is a story unlike most of the rockstar romances out there. This garage band from Fort Wayne, Indiana has not hit the big time . . . yet. But they are on their way. The sparks between Liv and Emmett are definitely hot – but the part I like is the struggle along the way. Narrator Alexander Cendese shows his skills with the male characters, and the bits of music he played in the audio-book gave it an extra kudos from me. Co-author Gina A. Jones does an excellent job with voice-acting for the tortured Stacy, and portrays Olivia as the brave heart that she is. I highly recommend.