Blog Tour: This is For Tonight - Jessica Patrick

This is For Tonight
Jessica Patrick
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

When Andi attends a music festival with one goal in mind - capture an interview with a famous band so she can pay for college - she gets more than she bargained for in this YA novel about family ties and finding your own way.

Andi Kennedy needs to make money for college, and fast. But her little YouTube crafting channel, while fun, isn't exactly a money maker. So she's heading to the world-famous Cabazon Valley Music and Arts Festival with a goal - film a video that will launch her channel into popularity and turn it into a legit money making venture, even if it means selling out her creative vision.

Instead, she finds obnoxious Jay Bankar, the annoyingly hot host of a popular prank channel who is the actual worst. Andi hates everything Jay stands for, which makes the undeniable connection she feels with him really freaking inconvenient. Soon she finds herself competing with Jay for an interview with the festival's headlining band, which could be the key to turning her little channel directly into college tuition. But she's starting to discover that there is more to Jay than his jerky on-screen persona, and she has to decide what's more important - winning, or giving a second chance to a guy who couldn't be more wrong for her.

REVIEW

Andi always saw herself following in her parents footsteps. She wanted to attend their alma mater along with her brother, but if she was to fulfill this dream, she needed to make some money, and fast. Her grand plan was to attend the Cabazon Valley Music and Arts Festival and create some content that would catapult her channel to the next level. However, she never planned on one of her least favorite online people being there and being full of so many surprises. 

I cannot tell you how exciting it was to be back at a music festival, even if it was a fictional one. Last year was supposed to be my summer of concerts and outdoor musical events, but we all know how 2020 played out. Patrick created a wonderful experience for me and did a fantastic job getting me in the mood to absorb all the good times. She pulled me right into the mix at Cabazon, and I had a great time singing, dancing, and eating lots of pizza. 

Another really great part of this story was the influencer competition. It was a multi-day event, and the winner had an opportunity to interview the festival headliner. I have been known to enjoy competitions, and this one featured some really fun challenges. It did get a bit cutthroat at one point, but it was still a lot fun to watch them duke it out. 

Though this story unraveled in a super fun environment, it had substance. Andi was still working through her grief, while trying to get a handle on her uncertain future. She had to reconcile with the fact that maybe her plans would fall though, and then what? I liked the exploration of a plan B. 

Overall: This was a sweet story of family, forgiveness, second chances, and life changes set against the backdrop of a music festival. It was a wild three days, but it helped Andi work out some of her post high school plans and a whole lot more. She found clarity, direction, and even romance. It's amazing how much one can accomplish in only three days. 

* ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

As I already mentioned, I LOVE music festivals. The energy, the food, and the chance to maybe discover some new music. I always attended live shows, but once my daughter was old enough, I attended a lot more. I had/have tickets (held over since 2020) for Riot Fest. Fingers crossed it actually happens. There are others that happen near me, like Governors Ball and Firefly Festival,  but the dates have yet to work out for me. Below are some of my favorite music festivals. I tried to find some pictures, but unfortunately, many were before the time of cell phone photos, but I did find a few. Some from as far back as 2010 (thanks to the kid). Have you attending any of these?

1. Lilith Fair (1997) - I was excited to attend this female organized, female centered music festival. There were so many incredible artists performing! It was amazing to get to be part of this, and I still have my Julianna Hatfield autograph and drumstick too. 
2. Lollapolooza - I attended this festival several times. I went while pregnant in 1994, because one of my favorite bands, Smashing Pumpkins, were playing, again in 1995, and then with my daughter in 2013. It was fun sharing this festival with my daughter, but it was also cool, because there were so many of "my" bands in the line-up. I was especially excited to see New Order, since I had never seen them live before. 
3. Bamboozle - This is another festival I attended several times. I even did VIP one year, which was cool, because I got to stand on the stage while Say Anything played. I have many fond memories of this festival and am excited it will be back in 2023 for a 20th anniversary celebration. 
4. Warped Tour - Another great tour, which I attended several times. My first was in 1996. I went with friends and was able to meet some members of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. I brought my cousin several years later, and it was so emo with all the Drive-Thru records bands there. AMAZING! 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jessica Patrick runs a high school library by day, writes YA romance novels by night, and pets as many dogs as possible in between. She lives in Southern California with her cute family and she has an MFA from Spalding University, an annual passport to Disneyland, and about 75 tabs open on her internet browser.

Jessica's debut novel Push Girl, co-written with Chelsie Hill, was published on June 3rd, 2014 by St. Martin's Press. In Real Life was published on March 1st, 2016, also by St. Martin's Press. Her third novel, This Is For Tonight, will be released on May 4th, 2021 by Swoon Reads/Macmillan.

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