Apr 9, 20223 min read

Heartbreak Symphony Blog Tour

Hi everyone and welcome to my blog tour post for Heartbreak Symphony!

Synopsis

Clap When You Land meets On the Come Up in this heart-gripping story about navigating first love and overcoming grief through the power of music.

Aarón Medrano has been haunted by the onstage persona of his favorite musician ever since his mother passed away. He seems to know all of Aarón’s deepest fears, like that his brain doesn’t work the way it should and that’s why his brother and father seems to be pushing him away. He thinks his ticket out is a scholarship to the prestigious Acadia School of Music. That is, if he can avoid blowing his audition.

Mia Villanueva has a haunting of her own and it’s the only family heirloom her parents left her: doubt. It’s the reason she can’t overcome her stage fright or believe that her music is worth making. Even though her trumpet teacher tells her she has a gift, she’s not sure if she’ll ever figure out how to use it or if she’s even deserving of it in the first place.

When Aarón and Mia cross paths, Aarón sees a chance to get close to the girl he’s had a crush on for years and to finally feel connected to someone since losing his mother. Mia sees a chance to hold herself accountable by making them both face their fears, and hopefully make their dreams come true. But soon they’ll realize there’s something much scarier than getting up on stage—falling in love with a broken heart.

Review

My Rating: 4 stars

This book dealt with important issues in a beautiful and impactful way, with fun scenes mixed in to balance it out.

I loved both the main characters Mia and Aaron and seeing them grow throughout the book. I liked the side characters too, like Mr. Barrero, Andrés, and Nina.

The romance was really sweet in how it felt truly genuine. I felt like in every interaction between them they were really being themselves and that it made it all the more beautiful.

Plot + Story

The moment they made their pact (sealed with a pinky promise of course), set into the course the rest of their friendship and then relationship as well as their journey to finding their why.

The emotions were very real

"'It sounds like you were pretty fearless'

'Temporarily' From the strain on her face, I sense another memory coming to the surface, this one much darker. 'Until I learned to be afraid.'"

and that's what really brought across the feelings of triumph that came with the character's growth.

I loved how this story was about more than just our characters. It was also about community and activism and not giving up and that may have been one of my favorite parts.

The ending was the most perfect ending for this book and I feel that it really was a win for the characters!

This was a great debut novel and I look forward to seeing what else the author has in store!

Favorite Quotes

"The right song sinks its teeth in us and mkaes us feel in places we though were numb. The right song hangs us high above the clouds and makes us dream."

"We were never cowards. We were never broken. We were growing up through weeds, fighting for every inch of oil, grasping at every beat of light. I have been fighting since the day I was born. Through all the fears an doubts, that yearning for something was never extinguished."

"And I realize that falling in love is like writing the perfect song."

About the Author

Laekan Zea Kempis is a writer living in Austin, Texas. Her debut novel, Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet was a 2021 Pura Belpré Honor Recipient. In addition to writing she’s also the creator and host of the Author Pep Talks podcast, as well as a contributor to the Las Musas podcast. She has three objectives when it comes to storytelling: to make people laugh, cry, and crave Mexican food. Herwork celebrates Chicane grit, resilience, creativity, and joy while exploring themes of identity and mental health.

Author Links:

Website: http://www.laekanzeakemp.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LaekanZeaKemp

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laekanzeakemp/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6577467.Laekan_Zea_Kemp