Book Review
Love Reign o’er Me

LOVE REIGN O’ER ME by Anne-Marie Klein – 70s Rock n Roll

FULL DISCLOSURE — I received Behind Blue Eyes: Love Reign O’er Me free from the author before she was a guest on the Bluebonnets, Bagpipes and Books podcast with myself and author Mark Rice. (Episode 13 –  Rocktober and Roll.)

I guess the best way to describe this book is semi-historical rock fiction. I thoroughly enjoyed the read, going back to a simpler time and being immersed in the music scene of ’70s Toronto. When I was first reading this, I thought to myself, “This is not right…these people are too polite…no one is this polite,” but then I realized that the rudeness and slang of today was not in effect, plus Canada is not America – the land of impatience and ‘now, now, now’.

I found the characters fully formed and easily recognizable from the dialogue. The two main characters are lovers and bandmates, which contributes to the story’s drama, heartbreak and joy. There is enough social commentary of the time to give a glimpse into how things truly were – drugs are mentioned, but alcohol and smoking are the addictions front and foremost, as was the norm for the time period.

Behind Blue Eyes: Love Reign o’er Me is written by a lover of The Who – as some may have guessed from the title. The author also researched meticulously to make sure the facts in the book were correct, even making sure the weather was accurately described right down to meteorological conditions on a specific date. Anne-Marie Klein is an author to look out for.

Recommend?

I recommend this book to anyone who loved the music of the ’70s, who is a rock music fan, or who just wants to escape into a great read.

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Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I was asked to review this book from the author’s publicist, it was read as a Kindle Book.

I was not required to write a positive review. All of the opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”