Under the Spotlight
Jamieson Brothers #3
Genre: Young Adult
Release Date:May 5, 2015

After an embarrassing stint on a reality-TV music competition years ago, Riley vowed never to sing again. Now she’s behind the scenes, working at the prestigious Sound Sync recording studio, and life is looking up. But then Garrett Jamieson, the oldest brother in the famous Jamieson brothers band, crashes into her world.

Garrett has hit rock bottom, and he is desperate to reinvent himself. After calling in a few favors, he ends up working at Sound Sync to learn the ropes of record producing from the industry’s best. And he can’t believe his luck when he discovers that Riley has been keeping a secret—she is an amazing singer. By producing her album, he’s sure to top the record charts again. But Garrett is forced to use every trick in his arsenal to persuade the sassy girl to record.

Riley refuses to sing—or even entertain the thought of it—and sparks fly as Garrett finally meets his match. But in the heat of the moment, one stolen kiss changes everything. Will Riley be the first person to finally rein Garrett in, or will Garrett succeed in getting Riley back under the spotlight?

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Under the Spotlight is a sweet Young Adult story that I greatly appreciated. This story does not focus solely on a love story but instead it focuses on two separate journeys and how they intersect. I loved learning about Riley and Garrett’s lives and who they wanted to be. Watching the experience their highs and lows was wonderful and well written.

Riley is a determined young woman who is trying to disentangle herself from her past and find a brighter future. This girl is wise beyond her years in some aspects but also so very naïve. She continues to be pulled into her mother’s drama and cannot seem to find a way out. Garrett is struggling with the band’s decision to break up. Unlike his brothers, the band was his sole passion and life. In trying to find his way, he is determined to find a new path in the music industry and make a new place in the same world. Both Riley and Garrett are full of personality that makes them both feisty and very stubborn- a recipe for a good story!

I loved how there is a bit of a romance in this story but it focuses on things outside of that, things that are relevant to the genre. Riley is learning confidence in who she is and what she wants. She is learning to set up boundaries and do what she loves. Garrett is learning to find his own footing without his brothers and how to relinquish that control that he so desperately clings too.  You watch two young people grow individually, a very valuable theme. So often in books today they have to grow together for change to happen, but these two characters learn who they are through the ups and downs of life, creating a lifestyle and mental change that will change who they are for the better.

Something I loved about this book was the setting of the music industry. I loved being able to see the inner workings of a recording studio and how a track was made. I loved reading about the drama and the hoops that the artists made the interns jump through. I loved seeing the process of finding the perfect song and making it your own. I felt like I learned some hidden gems about this trade and loved seeing Riley and Garrett learn them all as well.

Under the Spotlight is a sweet and transformational story. The two people we meet on page one are very different from the people on the last page. Both Riley and Garrett mature, learning who they want to be and what they will do to get there. They learn to trust, have faith in themselves, and live a life of courage and fun. This story is a clean, sweet, and a lovely tale of choices and dreams! On a side note, I have not read the two previous books in the series and there were no holes- so this book can be read as a standalone. I am curious though about the other two Jamieson brother’s stories now and cannot wait to read them too!

To celebrate the new release and blog tour of Under the Spotlight, Angie Stanton is hosting a giveaway to celebrate! For your chance to win a $25 Amazon Giftcard, enter this RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY! All you need to do is follow the instructions listed to be entered for your chance to win. Don’t miss out. Good luck!

Angie Stanton never planned on writing books—she wanted to be a Rockette. However, growing up in rural America with her brothers’ 4-H pigs as pets, she found that dance didn’t quite work out. Instead, she became an avid daydreamer. After years of perfecting stories in her head, she began to write them down, and the rest is history. When not writing, she loves watching natural disaster movies, going to Broadway musicals, and dipping French fries in chocolate shakes.

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