Live Out Loud (Toronto Collection)

I love Heather Wardells writing so I jumped at the chance to read her latest novel. I was expecting a character-driven story about a woman trying to balance her dreams, a career, and love and I was not disappointed. Amy has been writing songs for years, and sets a goal for herself to create a CD of her music. She is discovered singing in a local bar in Toronto, and a music career as a bubble gum pop princess soon develops. Amy has trouble finding the balance between writing songs that mean something and writing pop music. She also receives a surprising amount of push-back from her boyfriend Jason. She and Jason start to grow apart as a result of his jealousy over her sudden fame. Amy has to decide whats really important to her: her glamorous life as Misty Will, or starting the support center she and her late friend Giselle always dreamed of. Like Wardells other books, the process of reconciling dreams and the real world is the bulk of the book. I just love that about Wardells writing. I always feel like I can really identify with her characters, and Amy was no exception. Something kept me from really loving this book as much as Ive loved Wardells other books. I think it was that there wasnt quite as much chemistry between the two main characters. By chemistry, I mean a slow build from friends to more than friends. I like reading about a slow-developing relationship---which was the case here; however, something felt missing as far as the attraction went. I love that Wardells womens fiction is not laden with a bunch of bedroom scenes like so many other adult fiction novels. That gets old for me and it cheapens the story (in my opinion). Id rather read about love in action than read bedroom scenes. Overall, I really enjoyed Live Out Loud and would recommend it to fans of womens fiction.

Ah, another Heather Wardell book on the blog. Im happy to announce I have read and reviewed all of her books, and she is at the top of my Favorite Authors list. Live Out Loud captures the story of Amy, hobbyist songwriter with a heavy goal on her mind - honor the memory of her late childhood friend. Amy thinks the way to do this is to start a support center for teenage girls, but when Amy suddenly catapults to fame thanks to a video of her singings blows up the internet, Amy is faced to realize that maybe the center isnt meant to be. Amy - now posing as Misty Will, hit pop star - has fame at her door and teenage girls following her every move. Can Amy really give up being Misty - or is the call of fame too strong for her to ignore? Another book I highly enjoyed from Wardell. Amy is such a confused character, so sure that she knows what she wants just unsure how to reach it, but at the same time - shes hopelessly lost. She knows she wants to honor her friend, but its fairly obvious that she has no idea how to go about the center. I loved the pop culture twist in the book - how to become an overnight sensation with just an uploaded video, the pressures celebrities have on them when their considered to be role models, and the great content that gets delivered in each book from Wardell. There are some hard hitting topics discussed - from teen death to abortions - but the story is very touching and I would definitely recommend Live Out Loud.

First, get a list of her books so you can order them all in a row. I wish I knew where she lives so I could bring her coffee so she can keep writing. Funny and they made me start running again . If you buy you will understand. Five stars.

Excellent read. Fun, entertaining and I would totally recommend. I have now read most of Heathers Books and have not been disappointed in any of them. I even joined her facebook page and she replied back to my posts. I felt really appreciated as a customer, especially getting a personal reply. Love her.

This was a fun read. I enjoyed the characters and I enjoy reading stories about the music industry. I have bought 2 more of Heather Wardells Toronto series books and I am looking forward to reading them also.

Ive been reading a few of Wardells books for some light summer reading and this is my favorite so far. The main characters had depth and developed with the story. The storyline was tight and had something interesting going on most of the time. Mistys internal struggles were believable and made me care what happened to her. The ending was satisfying and was what the story was leading up to all along. There was a surprising amount of depth to this one and addressed some tough issues. Amy/Misty also has her own issues to work through and comes shining through with the help of good friends. It is a positive story of overcoming, of discovering and following your dreams.

As always Heather has written a book that puts you in a position where your life has to stop because you have to know what will happen next... I couldnt put this down and actually read it in one day... I love that her stories never go in the direction you assume but off on a totally different angle... If you are looking for a good read that will make you think what would I do in that situation then make sure you grab this one...

as always I can live vicariously through a great book!

Amy has always been a big dreamer, not just her own dreams, but the dreams of her childhood friend who tragically died. But never in her wildest dreams did she think she would become a singing sensation, yet that is exactly what happens. Amy becomes the pop princess Misty Will. But the biggest question is.... Misty will what? Once again Heather Wardell gives us a winner. Wardell has a way of creating characters and situations to which her readers can relate wholeheartedly. I just love watching Amys character catapult to fame, and to watch her flounder when fame is a little too much for her to handle. I liked that this story has a modern feel to it. Typically, I dislike a lot of pop culture in literature, but in this story it just fits. This is a story that we can imagine happening in todays world of pop music. I could totally imagine a singer like Misty rocketing to fame thanks to youtube. And as a lover of social media, I really enjoy how it factors into Mistys situation. I was a little surprised at some of the more serious themes at work, dealing with abortion, teen death, and teen sexuality. I liked that this story had this meat to it, yet was still able to remain so positive. Well done.

Live Out Loud is not your average girl-turned-superstar story. Amy is a songwriter with dreams of opening a center for teenage girls. It is to honor her deceased best friends memory and to carry out their plan. All she needs is start-up money. Then Amys friend posts a live performance on her blog and suddenly Amy is an internet sensation. She had gone viral. Becoming a pop princess was the perfect, quick solution to raising money for the center. It isnt long before Amy comes to love her music career, Mistys crazy colorful costumes and the media attention. But everything isnt so great off stage. Vague faxes are sent with creepy messages. Her boyfriend seems distant and clearly not supportive of his pop princess girlfriend. And someone from the past exposes her secret through blackmail. Meanwhile, Amy struggles to maintain her true identity, in the midst of Misty stardom. This was my first book read by Heather Wardell, but not the last. Ive already downloaded another one of her eBooks titled Life, Love, and a Polar Bear Tattoo (currently free for Kindle or NOOKbook). Her writing style is clear, organized and easy to read. The main characters situation seemed unrealistic though. I understand how easy it is to get famous after going viral. But getting signed so quickly, releasing new music every week and touring North America and Europe happened a bit too fast. Putting that aside, I enjoyed reading Live Out Loud. The eBook can be purchased for only $.99 so download a copy today. I recommend it for light reading, music industry lovers and those who seek a dream. Amys determination in reaching her ultimate goal and working for her dream is inspiring. Disclaimer: This book was received from the author for review purposes. In no way does it influence my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Literary Marie of Precision Reviews