Book Review: The Last Days of The Midnight Ramblers by Sarah Tomlinson

 GOODREADS SUMMARY:

Three Rock & Roll icons. Two explosive tell-all memoirs. One ghostwriter caught in the middle.

Mari Hawthorn has just landed the biggest job of her ghostwriting career. Anke Berben, the legendary model and style icon, needs someone for her hotly anticipated memoir. In the 1960s, Anke reveled in headline-grabbing romances with three members of the hugely influential rock band The Midnight Ramblers. The band became as famous for their backstage drama as for their music. Outside of the bandmembers themselves, Anke is the only one who fully understands the tangled relationships, betrayals, and suspicions that has elevated the Ramblers to mythological status. That could not be clearer than in the enduring mystery around the death of Mal, the band’s lead singer and Anke’s husband, in 1969.


In the decades that followed, rumors have swirled about Mal’s demise, but Anke and the surviving members of the Ramblers have all kept silent. Until now. As her ghostwriter, Mari must ingratiate herself with Anke, coaxing out the stories she needs to write a memoir worthy of such an important band. Mari is deft at navigating the fatal charms of the rich and famous, having grown up with a narcissistic, alcoholic father. But she soon stumbles upon secrets more explosive than anyone could have imagined. It’s now not just about celebrity tell-alls–this is about redemption.

TEE'S THOUGHTS:

I loved Daisy Jones and The Six. To me as a music lover and former worker in the music business, it was the perfect combination of fantasy and reality in the music world. The way it was formatted, the Buckingham/Nicks feel of the romance ( Big Fleetwood Mac fan here ), I was one of those who praised the book. But just to let you know I am not a fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid, none of her other books have kept my attention.

So The Last Days of The Midnight Ramblers by Sarah Tomlinson seemed the perfect read for me. This review is going to be a hard write, because the entire book just fell flat for me. The biggest reason... there was hardly any music references in the story. These characters are telling their story to a ghost writer after, something like 50 years, and they barely mention albums, singles, concerts etc. At some point in the story something to the effect that the mythical band " The Ramblers " had Beatle like popularity...so wouldn't you think more than a casual mention here and there were to be had?

A little side note...I listened to the audio book, so many opportunities could have been taken. At the very end of the book there was a song played, there was no mention that this was a Ramblers song, but since the book was suppose to be about them, a band , you automatically think it was. I refuse to say I assumed it would be by them, because in this case it surely would make an ass out of me . Regardless, the song did not hold up to a song from a band that had Beatle like popularity. I don't know, maybe that one stupid line blew the entire book for me haha.

I will say this, the narrator, Helen Laser was the shining star of the story for me. Her voice was smooth and easy to listen to, and even if her foreign accent for Anka felt forced, it did not bother me as much as the characters did. I have to say I was not invested in any of them. Not the main ones, or the many smaller ones that were sprinkled throughout. I neither found them relatable or likable.

OK. With all that being said. I went into this book chasing the high I got from Daisy Jones, but there was no music, no sex drugs and rock and roll, but I do feel there is plenty of good in this book for a lot of people. There was plenty of messy relationships, plenty of secrets, and even a small bit of a mystery. So if you are going to read this, don't be like me, don't go into it thinking this is going to be the next Daisy Jones, it isn't, it isn't, but that doesn't make it a bad book. I killed this book myself, with all my preconceived expectations about it. I also learned a big lesson on doing just that.

Enjoy this song about rock and roll by Frank Turner.