What do you think?
Rate this book
Julia's Song
Australian music reviewer Julia Moran is assigned to profile American rock singer Samantha Knight. Renowned for her velvety voice, flawless body, and rich, honey-blonde hair, Samantha is one of the few openly lesbian singers to make it to stardom. When Julia signs on to cover the band's entire Australian tour, Samantha finds her reaction to the beautiful reporter exciting. . . and disturbing. If there were one lesson she'd learned from the hard years on the road, it was to stay away from straight women.
198 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
1 person is currently reading
87 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 26, 2021
4 stars
I'd read this 1998 novel many times over the years but hadn't in quite a while. It's very interesting to see how my perspective has changed. This was once one of my very favorites and I think the main draw was the trope - a celeb romance. In this case, a wildly successful and gorgeous out lesbian southern singer from the United States, who meets and falls in love with a straight(?) Australian journalist hired to cover the Australian leg of their tour.
There are still a great many things I like about the book. Both singer Samantha Knight and journalist Julia Moran are very likable characters and their chemistry is off the charts. While Julia has always dated men, they've never done much of anything for her sexually and she just figured that's how it was for her. Until she lays eyes on Samantha, who stirs something in her she's never felt before. Samantha is smitten the moment she sees Julia, and while she tells herself that nothing can come of them pursuing anything due to them living in different parts of the world - even if Julia wasn't straight - she can't help but be drawn to her. It's also a fun behind the scenes look at not only being on tour, but the perspective of the journalist covering it as well.
What I was surprised that I hadn't noticed before was how much alcohol consumption was happening throughout. Wine or champagne flowed practically non-stop and Samantha has a particular fondness for bourbon that through my eyes now seems almost problematic. And there was often a combination of both. A few times I thought if I shared two bottles of wine and also drank hard liquor afterwards, I'd be on the floor. There is a scene in the book where drinking too much leads to a very disturbing event, but that's the only point in which it seems that any of the characters were affected by it.
The romance is definitely fantasy material and while I didn't enjoy it as much as I remember doing so in the past, it was still good to revisit it.
I'd read this 1998 novel many times over the years but hadn't in quite a while. It's very interesting to see how my perspective has changed. This was once one of my very favorites and I think the main draw was the trope - a celeb romance. In this case, a wildly successful and gorgeous out lesbian southern singer from the United States, who meets and falls in love with a straight(?) Australian journalist hired to cover the Australian leg of their tour.
There are still a great many things I like about the book. Both singer Samantha Knight and journalist Julia Moran are very likable characters and their chemistry is off the charts. While Julia has always dated men, they've never done much of anything for her sexually and she just figured that's how it was for her. Until she lays eyes on Samantha, who stirs something in her she's never felt before. Samantha is smitten the moment she sees Julia, and while she tells herself that nothing can come of them pursuing anything due to them living in different parts of the world - even if Julia wasn't straight - she can't help but be drawn to her. It's also a fun behind the scenes look at not only being on tour, but the perspective of the journalist covering it as well.
What I was surprised that I hadn't noticed before was how much alcohol consumption was happening throughout. Wine or champagne flowed practically non-stop and Samantha has a particular fondness for bourbon that through my eyes now seems almost problematic. And there was often a combination of both. A few times I thought if I shared two bottles of wine and also drank hard liquor afterwards, I'd be on the floor. There is a scene in the book where drinking too much leads to a very disturbing event, but that's the only point in which it seems that any of the characters were affected by it.
The romance is definitely fantasy material and while I didn't enjoy it as much as I remember doing so in the past, it was still good to revisit it.
March 27, 2015
This was quite a cute read.
An out and out romance; you won't find action and adventure with this book, or mystery and intricate plot twists, but that's okay because it works pretty near perfect as just a romance. The characters are well defined and likeable. I found the attraction between the two leads believable, interesting and compelling. The chemistry was obvious, written with just enough heat to keep things moving. I found myself quite hooked.
Though Samantha's fame is slightly far fetched - given she's a lesbian singer in a fairly niche band, at a time when being out and proud was a bit more problematic - she had plenty of charm. Julia, as the journalist caught in the revealing headlights of her first attraction to another woman, came across with just the right mix of perplexed and excited.
I was very tempted to give this 5 stars (which for me doesn't happen very often) but there were a few times I found certain things a bit repetitive. In trying to convey the attraction between the two leads, the author tends to use the same phrases, highlight the same bodily reactions. Not a big quibble, but maybe an editor should have suggested mixing things up a bit more to keep things fresh. To give the reader new insights into how such a fierce attraction felt for these women. Also, some dialogue choices stand out as being a bit dated (even for 1998, when I believe the book was first published).
If I could pop on another half star, however, I probably would (side eyes Goodreads), as I certainly enjoyed this well paced romance and will no doubt pick it up again sometime in the future.
(oh, and just a note to add that I actually read the kindle version of the book, but there was no option for that amongst the listed editions. Unless I opted to choose the kindle edition that is listed on it's own, which has very few reviews)
An out and out romance; you won't find action and adventure with this book, or mystery and intricate plot twists, but that's okay because it works pretty near perfect as just a romance. The characters are well defined and likeable. I found the attraction between the two leads believable, interesting and compelling. The chemistry was obvious, written with just enough heat to keep things moving. I found myself quite hooked.
Though Samantha's fame is slightly far fetched - given she's a lesbian singer in a fairly niche band, at a time when being out and proud was a bit more problematic - she had plenty of charm. Julia, as the journalist caught in the revealing headlights of her first attraction to another woman, came across with just the right mix of perplexed and excited.
I was very tempted to give this 5 stars (which for me doesn't happen very often) but there were a few times I found certain things a bit repetitive. In trying to convey the attraction between the two leads, the author tends to use the same phrases, highlight the same bodily reactions. Not a big quibble, but maybe an editor should have suggested mixing things up a bit more to keep things fresh. To give the reader new insights into how such a fierce attraction felt for these women. Also, some dialogue choices stand out as being a bit dated (even for 1998, when I believe the book was first published).
If I could pop on another half star, however, I probably would (side eyes Goodreads), as I certainly enjoyed this well paced romance and will no doubt pick it up again sometime in the future.
(oh, and just a note to add that I actually read the kindle version of the book, but there was no option for that amongst the listed editions. Unless I opted to choose the kindle edition that is listed on it's own, which has very few reviews)
January 22, 2020
An interesting plot but something didn't click for me. Also didn't love the 'honey' and 'baby' inserted in every other dialogue.
May 10, 2014
Samantha Knight, a very popular and successful rock singer, is on a tour with her band around Australia. A well known reporter, Julia Moran has the job of writing up a review of the concert in Melbourne. What she sees, Julia is immensely impressed by the alluring rock singer. After a successful interview, Samantha invites Julia to tag along with the band to write up a feature on the rest of the band tour in Sydney and Brisbane. Julia jumps at the opportunity. There is an instant attraction which both women tries to deny. Julia had a string of unfulfilling relationships with men, something she starts to question herself why in light of her feelings towards Samantha, another woman. Samantha is weary of straight women, particularly someone like Julia who is discovering her sexuality..... she has been burned in the past. Can Julia deny her attraction to Samantha and accept who she really is? Can Samantha give in and accept another chance at love? A romance read, full of music, southern charm and mix of interesting personalities.
March 2, 2014
A beautiful and sweet romance! a nice light story. Useful as a variation on books that are heavier.
December 28, 2024
Bonita sencillamente bonita 😍
August 16, 2017
This book was....well, it was meh. It was a quick read, but during the 198 pages, I can't tell you how many times I got annoyed at the dialogue. How many times does a character - southern or otherwise - need to call someone 'Honey' or 'Sugar' in the same paragraph. I know it's a common term in the American South, but seriously, they don't use it THAT often. And OMG, Samantha needed to get her stubborn head out of her ass. It's been a long time since I've wanted to reach into the pages of a book and smack some freaking sense into a character. Ugh!
December 18, 2021
I really liked the beginning of the story. I thought that it was well fleshed-out and the characters were well-written. However, around 70% of the book, I felt my rating getting lower and lower. Julia and Samantha were suddenly in love with each other after one night of passion and I felt that it was unconvincing. And around that point, they made irrational and impulsive actions and then a lot of crying happened here and there. And I just couldn’t think of wanting to give it a five-star rating. Two stars for the author’s effort.
March 13, 2021
Such a lovely story. Very emotional and sweet.
The leads are very lovable and Julia is particularly special.
Some angst thrown in which I always like.
Loved them in Sydney. I live and work in the city so it was fun to be a part of that.
A beautiful easy love story.
The leads are very lovable and Julia is particularly special.
Some angst thrown in which I always like.
Loved them in Sydney. I live and work in the city so it was fun to be a part of that.
A beautiful easy love story.
September 19, 2023
La verdad es que hacia mucho tiempo que un libro de temática puramente lésbica no me enganchaba tanto. La lectura es ágil, la relación entre ellas es eléctrica y transmite muchísima química. No ha envejecido nada mal contando con la fecha de publicación.
August 17, 2022
Honey...baby... darling....
Bah humbug!
Bah humbug!
April 11, 2015
Actual score: 3.75
A quick, sweet, feel good read. It's funny -- the book has elements that have really irritated me in ither books -- straight girl morphs to comfortably gay in the blink of an eye, protagonists making life changing decisions after knowing each other for two minutes but... It was sweet without being nauseating and, overall, exactly what it tried to be...a feel good romance.
A quick, sweet, feel good read. It's funny -- the book has elements that have really irritated me in ither books -- straight girl morphs to comfortably gay in the blink of an eye, protagonists making life changing decisions after knowing each other for two minutes but... It was sweet without being nauseating and, overall, exactly what it tried to be...a feel good romance.
August 30, 2016
Well if a person can suspend belief that a previously straight woman decides in 5 days she's a lesbian and tells everyone... except like her family and stuff... And several other early huge and gaping plot holes... Well Other than that it's a cute read.
July 21, 2016
HERMOSA. Dulce, melódica, suave y sin grandes pretensiones. De lectura rápida y con un objetivo claro. Recomendada como primera lectura del genero al cien por ciento.
May 2, 2017
me gusto desde el principio porque me pareció muy real, las charlas y las acciones pero las últimas 20 pag decayó mucho
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews