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Glitter Bats #2
For Our Next Song
Win a free kindle copy of this book!
0 days and 11:10:52
100 copies available
U.S. only
The decade-long friendship between two rock goddesses is thrust into the spotlight after their mutual desire strikes a perfect—and very public—chord.
For Glitter Bats keys player Jane Mercer, writing music helps tune out her self-doubt from a strict upbringing. Composing also distracts from her longtime feelings for her bandmate and best friend, Keeley, who Jane can’t pursue if she wants to keep her bisexuality out of the media. But when an incompetent percussionist quits mid–recording session on one of her major solo projects, there’s only one drummer to call to make the deadline.
Keeley Cunningham is determined to do what’s best for the newly-reunited Glitter Bats—including conceal her incurable attraction to Jane by keeping her distance. Still, when Jane asks for her help in the studio, Keeley drops everything to fill in. They collaborate harmoniously… until their repressed feelings crescendo into a massive argument about the band’s future that leaves them barely speaking.
As music forces Jane and Keeley into increasingly close proximity, the lingering tension finally ignites into the romance they’ve both been craving—and it’s hot, emotional, and fundamentally secret. But after an intimate moment is caught on camera, they’ll have to decide if their duet can survive its debut—both on and off stage.
For Glitter Bats keys player Jane Mercer, writing music helps tune out her self-doubt from a strict upbringing. Composing also distracts from her longtime feelings for her bandmate and best friend, Keeley, who Jane can’t pursue if she wants to keep her bisexuality out of the media. But when an incompetent percussionist quits mid–recording session on one of her major solo projects, there’s only one drummer to call to make the deadline.
Keeley Cunningham is determined to do what’s best for the newly-reunited Glitter Bats—including conceal her incurable attraction to Jane by keeping her distance. Still, when Jane asks for her help in the studio, Keeley drops everything to fill in. They collaborate harmoniously… until their repressed feelings crescendo into a massive argument about the band’s future that leaves them barely speaking.
As music forces Jane and Keeley into increasingly close proximity, the lingering tension finally ignites into the romance they’ve both been craving—and it’s hot, emotional, and fundamentally secret. But after an intimate moment is caught on camera, they’ll have to decide if their duet can survive its debut—both on and off stage.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 13, 2026
14 people are currently reading
6535 people want to read
About the author
Jessica James
2 books158 followersJessica James is a writer who also loves going to concerts, baking new recipes, spending time in local coffee shops, and exploring the Pacific Northwest with her spouse and dogs. In addition to writing, Jessica has a passion for singing. While she’s never been a rock star, she’s a mezzo-soprano with a BA in Music and a healthy Broadway obsession. For One Night Only is her debut novel.
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January 11, 2026Review to come!
August 24, 2025
There was nothing necessarily wrong with For Our Next Song, but I felt like it lacked and that’s why it’s receiving a 3 star.
None of the characters I loved and didn’t get enough from any of them to enjoy reading their POV. Keeley was a bit cheesy and just let Jane walk all over her in a sense, and Jane kind of strung Keeley along for a bit when she literally wanted to be with her the whole time?
I liked that the book went over religious trauma and the difficulties of coming out, but past the relationship between the two MCs there wasn’t much of a plot outside of it. There was really no information on Jane’s workload life which was talked about a lot, and really any big progress with the band itself, just the talk of what they would do.
For two people who have known each other for 10 years, it didn’t feel that way at all between them. I got new friendship/relationship vibes almost the whole time. There just wasn’t enough, of anything.
Overall the story was predictable and just didn’t catch my attention as much as I hoped it would have. There could have been a bit more put into the story itself to keep the engagement higher.
Please note: I received an arc copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for a copy!
None of the characters I loved and didn’t get enough from any of them to enjoy reading their POV. Keeley was a bit cheesy and just let Jane walk all over her in a sense, and Jane kind of strung Keeley along for a bit when she literally wanted to be with her the whole time?
I liked that the book went over religious trauma and the difficulties of coming out, but past the relationship between the two MCs there wasn’t much of a plot outside of it. There was really no information on Jane’s workload life which was talked about a lot, and really any big progress with the band itself, just the talk of what they would do.
For two people who have known each other for 10 years, it didn’t feel that way at all between them. I got new friendship/relationship vibes almost the whole time. There just wasn’t enough, of anything.
Overall the story was predictable and just didn’t catch my attention as much as I hoped it would have. There could have been a bit more put into the story itself to keep the engagement higher.
Please note: I received an arc copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for a copy!
January 14, 2026
a big thank you to Berkley publishing and goodreads for providing me with a physical arc!
this isn’t a bad book at all, but something was really lacking for me. i found myself just wanting to be done with the book rather than enjoying it in full. i understand that Keeley & Jane have been into each other for years prior to the timing of this book- but there wasn’t enough build up for me, or on page yearning that makes sense for them to end up in a relationship so suddenly and decidedly. i also found that i didn’t really care that much about other characters within the band. this could be my own fault, since i didn’t read the first book and i’m still debating whether or not i want to. i’m not sure how much it will change my mind. overall, i still enjoyed it
this isn’t a bad book at all, but something was really lacking for me. i found myself just wanting to be done with the book rather than enjoying it in full. i understand that Keeley & Jane have been into each other for years prior to the timing of this book- but there wasn’t enough build up for me, or on page yearning that makes sense for them to end up in a relationship so suddenly and decidedly. i also found that i didn’t really care that much about other characters within the band. this could be my own fault, since i didn’t read the first book and i’m still debating whether or not i want to. i’m not sure how much it will change my mind. overall, i still enjoyed it
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2025
Rounding up a 3.5!
We're back with the Glitter Bats! This story focused on Jane and Keeley's POV and while I was excited to be back, the first half of this was very dense to get through. Certain parts felt very info dump heavy and the plot was very predictable from the way it was set up. I don't think I would've made it without the Caleb and Val appearances (which were so cute btw!). But once I got to the 50% mark, the book turned around and I felt like I was finally reading the Jessica James-style I fell in love with in Book 1. The romance scenes were so hot and the book really came to life.
I also felt like the book was heavily focused on Jane since she had more conflicts, but I wished I got more of Keeley as well. The thing I appreciated the most (even more than the romance and writing) was the author's stance in her writing and message to others dealing with the stigma. I hope that others could rely on this as a guide for others who will find representation in Jane's story.
Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for an early ARC of this book! I can't wait to hear Riker's story next!
We're back with the Glitter Bats! This story focused on Jane and Keeley's POV and while I was excited to be back, the first half of this was very dense to get through. Certain parts felt very info dump heavy and the plot was very predictable from the way it was set up. I don't think I would've made it without the Caleb and Val appearances (which were so cute btw!). But once I got to the 50% mark, the book turned around and I felt like I was finally reading the Jessica James-style I fell in love with in Book 1. The romance scenes were so hot and the book really came to life.
I also felt like the book was heavily focused on Jane since she had more conflicts, but I wished I got more of Keeley as well. The thing I appreciated the most (even more than the romance and writing) was the author's stance in her writing and message to others dealing with the stigma. I hope that others could rely on this as a guide for others who will find representation in Jane's story.
Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for an early ARC of this book! I can't wait to hear Riker's story next!
December 2, 2025
Devoured this in one sitting. I absolutely love Jane and Keely’s relationship—the tension between them is palpable. You can feel the weight of their decade-long history in every interaction. It’s so obvious sometimes, almost screaming at you from the page, but they’re both just choosing not to see it. And the banter? Crazy good.
Jane’s interactions with her sister was my favourite part of the book. Those scenes caught me off guard in the best way, and I genuinely teared up while reading them. They added so much heart and emotional grounding to the story.
I do think the writing leans a little juvenile at times, and I wish we got to see more of who Jane and Keely are outside of the relationship. There are moments where they feel a bit one-dimensional, especially given how rich their dynamic could be.
But overall? Still such an addictive, emotionally satisfying read.
Jane’s interactions with her sister was my favourite part of the book. Those scenes caught me off guard in the best way, and I genuinely teared up while reading them. They added so much heart and emotional grounding to the story.
I do think the writing leans a little juvenile at times, and I wish we got to see more of who Jane and Keely are outside of the relationship. There are moments where they feel a bit one-dimensional, especially given how rich their dynamic could be.
But overall? Still such an addictive, emotionally satisfying read.
January 13, 2026
I really enjoyed this rockstar romance, especially the bi and pan rep and how it thoughtfully touched on religious trauma and complicated family dynamics. I loved seeing the band support each other through everything (along with their moment of matchmaking), and the pottery scene was one of my favorite moments. I also liked the multimedia storytelling elements throughout the book like forum posts, text messages, and announcements. I did want a bit more chemistry between Jane and Keeley since they’ve known each other for so long. The slow burn took its time, but overall it was still a solid, heartfelt romance that I’m glad I read.
3.5 rounded up
Thank you to Berkley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
3.5 rounded up
Thank you to Berkley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
January 13, 2026
Thank you to Berkley and PRH Audio for the gifted copy!
Synopsis: Glitter Bats keyboardist, Jane, and drummer, Keeley, fight their attraction while working together on a music project.
Thoughts: It was so fun to revisit the Glitter Bats! I love the vibes of this band and these characters. Jane and Keeley’s story is sweet, and their relationship trajectory feels genuine. I love a friends to lovers romance with lots of yearning and pining. I would’ve liked to see a bit more from Keeley’s perspective as the story heavily focused on Jane. There is not a ton of plot outside the romance, but the romance is really well-written and held my attention. If you’re in the mood for a rockstar romance, I definitely recommend this series! A note on the audio: Something about listening to music themed books on audio just hits right. These narrators did a great job, and I really enjoyed this audio production.
Read this if you like:
🎤 rockstar romance
🎤 sapphic romance
🎤 friends to lovers
🎤 found family
🎤 forced proximity
Synopsis: Glitter Bats keyboardist, Jane, and drummer, Keeley, fight their attraction while working together on a music project.
Thoughts: It was so fun to revisit the Glitter Bats! I love the vibes of this band and these characters. Jane and Keeley’s story is sweet, and their relationship trajectory feels genuine. I love a friends to lovers romance with lots of yearning and pining. I would’ve liked to see a bit more from Keeley’s perspective as the story heavily focused on Jane. There is not a ton of plot outside the romance, but the romance is really well-written and held my attention. If you’re in the mood for a rockstar romance, I definitely recommend this series! A note on the audio: Something about listening to music themed books on audio just hits right. These narrators did a great job, and I really enjoyed this audio production.
Read this if you like:
🎤 rockstar romance
🎤 sapphic romance
🎤 friends to lovers
🎤 found family
🎤 forced proximity
November 30, 2025
this was so cute and i absolutely devoured it!! i loved jane and keelys dynamics and watching jane interact with her family and that whole plot line genuinely made me tear up. i felt so seen throughout this book. not to mention the banter was so peak!! i absolutely loved this and will definitely be rereading.
September 30, 2025
Glitter Bats bandmates Jane (keyboard) and Keeley (drums) have had romantic & sexual tension between them since they met over a decade ago-- everyone can see it, except for themselves. A sapphic slow-burn with plenty of music industry drama!
January 7, 2026
Jessica James returns with For Our Next Song, a sapphic rockstar romance that hits some high emotional notes but struggles with its core romantic rhythm. While it is marketed as an interconnected standalone, I’d highly recommend reading book one first, as the frequent references to previous events might leave new readers feeling a bit out of the loop.
The strongest part of the book is easily Jane’s internal journey. Her struggle with coming out and the trauma rooted in her religious background is a raw, empathetic depiction that many will find deeply relatable. It was genuinely rewarding to see her grow as a person, especially during the second-half breakup when she finally begins to come into her own.
However, the chemistry between Jane and Keely didn't quite land for me. Despite being friends for a decade, their interactions felt surprisingly awkward and stilted for the majority of the story. While I love a good pining trope, the first half was a bit of a slog, and it often felt like Jane was stringing Keely along. They didn't seem to have much in common outside of the band, and I found it hard to stay invested in their romance or the predictable plot. Overall, it’s a decent read for the character growth alone, but the lack of stakes and chemistry made it hard to fully root for the couple.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The strongest part of the book is easily Jane’s internal journey. Her struggle with coming out and the trauma rooted in her religious background is a raw, empathetic depiction that many will find deeply relatable. It was genuinely rewarding to see her grow as a person, especially during the second-half breakup when she finally begins to come into her own.
However, the chemistry between Jane and Keely didn't quite land for me. Despite being friends for a decade, their interactions felt surprisingly awkward and stilted for the majority of the story. While I love a good pining trope, the first half was a bit of a slog, and it often felt like Jane was stringing Keely along. They didn't seem to have much in common outside of the band, and I found it hard to stay invested in their romance or the predictable plot. Overall, it’s a decent read for the character growth alone, but the lack of stakes and chemistry made it hard to fully root for the couple.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Gotta love a rockstar romance! [minor vague spoilers, briefly mentioning a part of the romance arc]
I enjoyed my time with this book. The build-up to their relationship was cute with some lovely mutual pining, and Keeley’s love for Jane specifically is very clear in a sweet way. It’s your classic example of two idiots in love not looking at the obvious clues in front of them that the other person feels the same. It’s a classic for a reason. Another strong point in this book for me was Jane’s arc with her religious parents and her sister. It’s not an unfamiliar plot line with queer romances, but I liked the way this was done. Showing that some people are religious extremists and refusing to love their family and friends for who they are, but not everyone who is religious is. I also really liked that it wasn’t the only thing happening in the story. The band was dealing with their own unknown future as well, so the religious parents were a minor antagonist compared to that. I appreciated how this shows that life generally never revolves around just one issue. There are almost always multiple things going on in someone’s life, so though something may be a big impact on their current life and emotional well-being, it’s not the only thing going on. It’s a little thing, but I liked that the antagonists were a bit more multifaceted than just having one major conflict.
My qualms with the book lie in the abrupt shift from “I don’t know if she has feelings for me” to a full relationship being formed insanely fast. I get, objectively based on their history, why they would jump immediately to a relationship, and I appreciate bypassing the classic “this is just casual” route, but as an audience member, it was jarring, a bit of a telling but not showing issue. I feel like even a few brief conversational flashbacks to their friendship over the years would’ve made this more believable, but we didn’t have anything like that. In terms of their feelings for each other, we got some showing in the beginning, and then they got together, and we switched to more telling than showing. I wish that had been more consistent through the last half of the book, though it wasn’t ever only one or the other.
There were also just some small things that didn’t make sense. Keeley mentions to Jane a potential career move that is never discussed again, which felt a bit pointless. The third-act conflict didn’t really make sense. It did sort of, but also not really. I don’t even know if I would call it miscommunication, but I don’t know what else to call it. Keeley did get some lovely, mature, adult advice about it from her family, though, which I liked.
In a turn of events that should shock no one, I read the second book in an interconnected standalone series without reading the first, so I can’t comment on the cameos of the previous couple’s romance, but it seemed cute. There seemed to be some minor, recurring plot points (similar antagonists across the books) that I picked up on, but I didn’t feel it ruined the story for me because I hadn't read the first book. Enough context is provided to give you the picture. You could definitely read this without reading the first book, though it does make you want to read the first one just to get more details on things alluded to.
Overall, a good time was had. Sometimes you have that band-romance itch, and this is the perfect book for that. Pining for a decade? Absolutely. Everyone in the band knows they’ll get together eventually, because the way they feel is so obvious to everyone but them? Sign me up. I probably won’t go out of my way to recommend this to someone unless they’re really into or looking for a band romance or celebrity/music industry romance type situation. If the plot sounds intriguing, you’ll like it.
*Fair warning, if you have religious trauma, especially Christian religious trauma, tread carefully because the mom heavily uses harmful Biblical rhetoric when talking to Jane. As always, read content warnings before starting the book.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4 stars)
🌶️🌶️🌶️(3.5 rounded down, 4.5 scenes, not super long)
Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for the advanced copy! I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
I enjoyed my time with this book. The build-up to their relationship was cute with some lovely mutual pining, and Keeley’s love for Jane specifically is very clear in a sweet way. It’s your classic example of two idiots in love not looking at the obvious clues in front of them that the other person feels the same. It’s a classic for a reason. Another strong point in this book for me was Jane’s arc with her religious parents and her sister. It’s not an unfamiliar plot line with queer romances, but I liked the way this was done. Showing that some people are religious extremists and refusing to love their family and friends for who they are, but not everyone who is religious is. I also really liked that it wasn’t the only thing happening in the story. The band was dealing with their own unknown future as well, so the religious parents were a minor antagonist compared to that. I appreciated how this shows that life generally never revolves around just one issue. There are almost always multiple things going on in someone’s life, so though something may be a big impact on their current life and emotional well-being, it’s not the only thing going on. It’s a little thing, but I liked that the antagonists were a bit more multifaceted than just having one major conflict.
My qualms with the book lie in the abrupt shift from “I don’t know if she has feelings for me” to a full relationship being formed insanely fast. I get, objectively based on their history, why they would jump immediately to a relationship, and I appreciate bypassing the classic “this is just casual” route, but as an audience member, it was jarring, a bit of a telling but not showing issue. I feel like even a few brief conversational flashbacks to their friendship over the years would’ve made this more believable, but we didn’t have anything like that. In terms of their feelings for each other, we got some showing in the beginning, and then they got together, and we switched to more telling than showing. I wish that had been more consistent through the last half of the book, though it wasn’t ever only one or the other.
There were also just some small things that didn’t make sense. Keeley mentions to Jane a potential career move that is never discussed again, which felt a bit pointless. The third-act conflict didn’t really make sense. It did sort of, but also not really. I don’t even know if I would call it miscommunication, but I don’t know what else to call it. Keeley did get some lovely, mature, adult advice about it from her family, though, which I liked.
In a turn of events that should shock no one, I read the second book in an interconnected standalone series without reading the first, so I can’t comment on the cameos of the previous couple’s romance, but it seemed cute. There seemed to be some minor, recurring plot points (similar antagonists across the books) that I picked up on, but I didn’t feel it ruined the story for me because I hadn't read the first book. Enough context is provided to give you the picture. You could definitely read this without reading the first book, though it does make you want to read the first one just to get more details on things alluded to.
Overall, a good time was had. Sometimes you have that band-romance itch, and this is the perfect book for that. Pining for a decade? Absolutely. Everyone in the band knows they’ll get together eventually, because the way they feel is so obvious to everyone but them? Sign me up. I probably won’t go out of my way to recommend this to someone unless they’re really into or looking for a band romance or celebrity/music industry romance type situation. If the plot sounds intriguing, you’ll like it.
*Fair warning, if you have religious trauma, especially Christian religious trauma, tread carefully because the mom heavily uses harmful Biblical rhetoric when talking to Jane. As always, read content warnings before starting the book.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4 stars)
🌶️🌶️🌶️(3.5 rounded down, 4.5 scenes, not super long)
Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for the advanced copy! I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I loved Jessica James's first Glitter Bats romance, For One Night Only, and I’ve been so excited to continue the series. Now the second installment is here: For Our Next Song, starring drummer Keeley Cunningham and keyboardist Jane Mercer.
Now that the band is back together and they’ve released a new album, they’re finally free of their horrendous recording contract. But what is next for the Glitter Bats? And why does it involve yet another battle with their old label? While the group is deciding how to move forward, Keeley and Jane are both grappling with a decade of secretly crushing on each other. Will they reveal their true feelings for each other? And will it make or break the Glitter Bats just as they’re on the brink of more changes?
What I Liked:
- Music! I’ve read numerous music-related romances in the past couple of years, and my favorites are ones like this, in which music is truly woven throughout the whole story. We get to see Jane and Keeley (along with the other three Glitter Bats members) write songs, record in the studio, play together, and discuss songs and artists they love. They deal with the business side of things, from shoddy contracts and copyright laws to attempting to gain ownership of their prior recordings. We even see different facets of music, from being in a Paramore-esque punk rock band to film scoring to being a session or touring musician. As a lifelong music lover (and someone who has a master’s degree in music business), this novel really struck a chord for me… pun intended.
- Jane and Keeley are so cute together! They’ve been friends and bandmates for over a decade, yet of course neither knew about their mutual crush on each other. I loved seeing their friendship slowly give way to something more, through good old fashioned forced proximity and a matchmaking bandmate. Their relationship has a strong foundation, which they’ll need when external forces threaten everything.
- Sexuality and coming out. Keeley has been out as pansexual since she was a teenager, but Jane has kept her own bisexuality a secret (largely due to her religious family). Jane eventually reveals that she’s bi to Keeley, but even after they consider a relationship, Jane still wants to keep it private. I appreciated seeing how sexuality and identity are explored here, and especially seeing Jane’s arc regarding it all.
- Very related: Jane’s religious trauma and standing up to her bigoted parents. Jane’s parents have a very narrow reading of the Bible, and not only do they not approve of Jane’s music career, they would never accept her if they knew about her sexuality. There’s a lot of toxicity in her family, but I did like seeing how Jane’s relationship with her younger sister unfolded. At a certain point, Jane will have to decide if she wants to continue letting her parents control her life… or if she even wants them in her life at all.
- Seeing the other Glitter Bats members. Valerie and Caleb are so happy together. Riker, I see you, and I’m so ready for your HEA!
- Interstitials between some chapters. These included text message exchanges, fan discussions, and especially news articles written by my girl Mary Kate Hampton and the evil Ryan Tate. These extra portions add greatly to the world-building and helped push the narrative forward. I always enjoyed these parts!
Final Thoughts
For Our Next Song was as much of a joy as For One Night Only! It brings back everything I loved about that first book while also introducing new emotional themes. Jane and Keeley’s happily ever after is so deserved. I adore all five members of the Glitter Bats, and I can’t wait to see Riker get his love story next. And there’s a ton of setup here, so I’m anticipating getting to know Mary Kate a lot better soon.
Special thanks to the publicists at Penguin Random House, Berkley, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!
* Please read my full review on my blog, Amanda's Book Corner! *
Now that the band is back together and they’ve released a new album, they’re finally free of their horrendous recording contract. But what is next for the Glitter Bats? And why does it involve yet another battle with their old label? While the group is deciding how to move forward, Keeley and Jane are both grappling with a decade of secretly crushing on each other. Will they reveal their true feelings for each other? And will it make or break the Glitter Bats just as they’re on the brink of more changes?
What I Liked:
- Music! I’ve read numerous music-related romances in the past couple of years, and my favorites are ones like this, in which music is truly woven throughout the whole story. We get to see Jane and Keeley (along with the other three Glitter Bats members) write songs, record in the studio, play together, and discuss songs and artists they love. They deal with the business side of things, from shoddy contracts and copyright laws to attempting to gain ownership of their prior recordings. We even see different facets of music, from being in a Paramore-esque punk rock band to film scoring to being a session or touring musician. As a lifelong music lover (and someone who has a master’s degree in music business), this novel really struck a chord for me… pun intended.
- Jane and Keeley are so cute together! They’ve been friends and bandmates for over a decade, yet of course neither knew about their mutual crush on each other. I loved seeing their friendship slowly give way to something more, through good old fashioned forced proximity and a matchmaking bandmate. Their relationship has a strong foundation, which they’ll need when external forces threaten everything.
- Sexuality and coming out. Keeley has been out as pansexual since she was a teenager, but Jane has kept her own bisexuality a secret (largely due to her religious family). Jane eventually reveals that she’s bi to Keeley, but even after they consider a relationship, Jane still wants to keep it private. I appreciated seeing how sexuality and identity are explored here, and especially seeing Jane’s arc regarding it all.
- Very related: Jane’s religious trauma and standing up to her bigoted parents. Jane’s parents have a very narrow reading of the Bible, and not only do they not approve of Jane’s music career, they would never accept her if they knew about her sexuality. There’s a lot of toxicity in her family, but I did like seeing how Jane’s relationship with her younger sister unfolded. At a certain point, Jane will have to decide if she wants to continue letting her parents control her life… or if she even wants them in her life at all.
- Seeing the other Glitter Bats members. Valerie and Caleb are so happy together. Riker, I see you, and I’m so ready for your HEA!
- Interstitials between some chapters. These included text message exchanges, fan discussions, and especially news articles written by my girl Mary Kate Hampton and the evil Ryan Tate. These extra portions add greatly to the world-building and helped push the narrative forward. I always enjoyed these parts!
Final Thoughts
For Our Next Song was as much of a joy as For One Night Only! It brings back everything I loved about that first book while also introducing new emotional themes. Jane and Keeley’s happily ever after is so deserved. I adore all five members of the Glitter Bats, and I can’t wait to see Riker get his love story next. And there’s a ton of setup here, so I’m anticipating getting to know Mary Kate a lot better soon.
Special thanks to the publicists at Penguin Random House, Berkley, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!
* Please read my full review on my blog, Amanda's Book Corner! *
January 13, 2026
3.5ish
I absolutely LOVED the first book in this series and I was ecstatic to get a physical ARC from the author for book 2, along with a physical edition from Berkley as well. I loved the sneak peaks we had gotten of Keeley and Jane in the first book, so safe to say I was highly anticipating this one!!
Overall, I had a good time with this. I read it as a mix between audio and physical, and I did really enjoy the audio narration from the two women.
The story takes place shortly after book 1, and we get plenty of other Glitter Bats encounters in this book. This one focuses on the band deciding what to do after their comeback reunion. Do they make more music? Another album? Where should they go from here? The members are all pretty busy outside of the band with other projects, except for Keeley, who wants desperately to move forward as a group. When their old record label manages to screw them over AGAIN, the group has even more decisions to make when it comes to trying to acquire their Masters. A large focus of the plot is dealing with how both Keeley and Jane want to proceed with this, as Keeley is motivated to pursue this while Jane is drowning in other work and is scared to commit herself to yet another project. I enjoyed this angle and seeing a bit more to the business side of things when it comes to music, but I do wish we had seen more of Jane's other work. We kept being told she was so busy and struggled to balance, but it didn't feel like we actually really got to see her working outside of the very beginning. I did like the overall tension with the manager and others though, even if it was wrapped up pretty quickly.
A lot of the romance to this book centers on Jane's coming out story. She was raised in a very religious household, and while she has broken free from it, she still keeps her private life private as she doesn't really want to ruffle feathers with her family. She and Keeley have been dancing around each other for years, always having crushes on each other and being flirty, but neither thinking the other had interest. When a bit of forced proximity makes them realize their feelings, they quickly jump into hooking up and being together in secret, outside of letting their band mates know. But their love only stays hidden for so long before they're exposed to the world and the media gets into a frenzy about Jane's sexuality.
I am not a huge huge fan of forced coming out stories, so while I think there were elements that I can appreciate, it won't be my favorite of plots. That being said, I thought the religious trauma aspects were dealt with so beautifully in this book. How Jane interacted with her sister and parents gave me a lot of feels.
The main reason this one is a 3.5 for me is that I really just wanted more from their romance of them being together and us seeing more of the tension and then togetherness. It felt like it pretty quickly fell into them being together, and I would have liked to see more yearning at first (although we did see some in book 1). We did get a F*** It moment though, which I always enjoy! I think having some flashbacks or something could have really helped me to see their being into each other over the years, instead of just being told that they were. The relationship itself when they were together, again, was mostly focused on Jane being scared to come out and running away vs them actually working through things together. So while I did really like them together and found them a sweet couple, I just felt like it was a bit of a let down for my expectations given their interactions in book one.
That being said, I did still really enjoy the book and have been loving this series. We got a lot of breadcrumbs about Riker and his love interest, and I think his book is going to be phenomenal!! I cannot wait to see what happens with them next!
I absolutely LOVED the first book in this series and I was ecstatic to get a physical ARC from the author for book 2, along with a physical edition from Berkley as well. I loved the sneak peaks we had gotten of Keeley and Jane in the first book, so safe to say I was highly anticipating this one!!
Overall, I had a good time with this. I read it as a mix between audio and physical, and I did really enjoy the audio narration from the two women.
The story takes place shortly after book 1, and we get plenty of other Glitter Bats encounters in this book. This one focuses on the band deciding what to do after their comeback reunion. Do they make more music? Another album? Where should they go from here? The members are all pretty busy outside of the band with other projects, except for Keeley, who wants desperately to move forward as a group. When their old record label manages to screw them over AGAIN, the group has even more decisions to make when it comes to trying to acquire their Masters. A large focus of the plot is dealing with how both Keeley and Jane want to proceed with this, as Keeley is motivated to pursue this while Jane is drowning in other work and is scared to commit herself to yet another project. I enjoyed this angle and seeing a bit more to the business side of things when it comes to music, but I do wish we had seen more of Jane's other work. We kept being told she was so busy and struggled to balance, but it didn't feel like we actually really got to see her working outside of the very beginning. I did like the overall tension with the manager and others though, even if it was wrapped up pretty quickly.
A lot of the romance to this book centers on Jane's coming out story. She was raised in a very religious household, and while she has broken free from it, she still keeps her private life private as she doesn't really want to ruffle feathers with her family. She and Keeley have been dancing around each other for years, always having crushes on each other and being flirty, but neither thinking the other had interest. When a bit of forced proximity makes them realize their feelings, they quickly jump into hooking up and being together in secret, outside of letting their band mates know. But their love only stays hidden for so long before they're exposed to the world and the media gets into a frenzy about Jane's sexuality.
I am not a huge huge fan of forced coming out stories, so while I think there were elements that I can appreciate, it won't be my favorite of plots. That being said, I thought the religious trauma aspects were dealt with so beautifully in this book. How Jane interacted with her sister and parents gave me a lot of feels.
The main reason this one is a 3.5 for me is that I really just wanted more from their romance of them being together and us seeing more of the tension and then togetherness. It felt like it pretty quickly fell into them being together, and I would have liked to see more yearning at first (although we did see some in book 1). We did get a F*** It moment though, which I always enjoy! I think having some flashbacks or something could have really helped me to see their being into each other over the years, instead of just being told that they were. The relationship itself when they were together, again, was mostly focused on Jane being scared to come out and running away vs them actually working through things together. So while I did really like them together and found them a sweet couple, I just felt like it was a bit of a let down for my expectations given their interactions in book one.
That being said, I did still really enjoy the book and have been loving this series. We got a lot of breadcrumbs about Riker and his love interest, and I think his book is going to be phenomenal!! I cannot wait to see what happens with them next!
September 25, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for providing me with an advance copy of this book.
I enjoyed the first book in this series. It wasn't my favorite romance of all time but the characters were relatable and the story was well done. When I found out book two was going to feature Jane and Keeley I was excited. I liked them both in the previous book and I'm always up for a sapphic romance, especially one that explores how tough it is to navigate the mine field of a) coming out and b) being bi.
The book did not disappoint. Jane and Keeley are great main characters and it was fun to get to know them. I appreciated that the romance wasn't riddled with the kind of contrived tropes that tend to just irritate me in romances. I understand that miscommunication and things like people "deciding what's best" for both people in the couple are staples of the romance genre (and as a romance reader I've not only read books with those tropes but also enjoyed them), but sometimes it's nice to read about two people who actually know how to communicate.
This doesn't mean there are NO obstacles. They have to work up to admitting their feelings and then there are the usual stresses of being a famous woman who is not out, but who is in love with another woman. I thought the portions of the book dealing with Jane's strictly religious family and her struggle with deciding when and how to come out were handled well, and the tension those issues created with her relationship felt like something real people would have to deal with.
(Once again, not saying i don't like a good trope, but seriously sometimes I want two people who actually voice their problems and insecurities and try to work through them together, or at least talk honestly about them; Alexandria Bellefleur's books are usually relatively good about this too.)
If you're looking for a romance with a lot of drama between the two protagonists or a ton of miscommunication tropes or some giant third act explosion, this probably isn't it, but that's part of what I liked about it. The third act conflict is more about external forces than the two of them, and sometimes you just wanna read about two likable people who are head over heels trying to navigate their new relationship.
All in all, I enjoyed this quite a bit. I would absolutely recommend it, especially to anyone who read the first book and wants to continue the story, and I'm looking forward to the third book. The author sets up Riker and his possible love interest during the course of the story, just as she did with the Jane and Keeley in book one, without distracting too much from their story.
The only thing I wished for this book was that it was longer.
I enjoyed the first book in this series. It wasn't my favorite romance of all time but the characters were relatable and the story was well done. When I found out book two was going to feature Jane and Keeley I was excited. I liked them both in the previous book and I'm always up for a sapphic romance, especially one that explores how tough it is to navigate the mine field of a) coming out and b) being bi.
The book did not disappoint. Jane and Keeley are great main characters and it was fun to get to know them. I appreciated that the romance wasn't riddled with the kind of contrived tropes that tend to just irritate me in romances. I understand that miscommunication and things like people "deciding what's best" for both people in the couple are staples of the romance genre (and as a romance reader I've not only read books with those tropes but also enjoyed them), but sometimes it's nice to read about two people who actually know how to communicate.
This doesn't mean there are NO obstacles. They have to work up to admitting their feelings and then there are the usual stresses of being a famous woman who is not out, but who is in love with another woman. I thought the portions of the book dealing with Jane's strictly religious family and her struggle with deciding when and how to come out were handled well, and the tension those issues created with her relationship felt like something real people would have to deal with.
(Once again, not saying i don't like a good trope, but seriously sometimes I want two people who actually voice their problems and insecurities and try to work through them together, or at least talk honestly about them; Alexandria Bellefleur's books are usually relatively good about this too.)
If you're looking for a romance with a lot of drama between the two protagonists or a ton of miscommunication tropes or some giant third act explosion, this probably isn't it, but that's part of what I liked about it. The third act conflict is more about external forces than the two of them, and sometimes you just wanna read about two likable people who are head over heels trying to navigate their new relationship.
All in all, I enjoyed this quite a bit. I would absolutely recommend it, especially to anyone who read the first book and wants to continue the story, and I'm looking forward to the third book. The author sets up Riker and his possible love interest during the course of the story, just as she did with the Jane and Keeley in book one, without distracting too much from their story.
The only thing I wished for this book was that it was longer.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Jessica James, Berkley Publishing Group, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book as an eARC!
This book was a feel-good romance with lots of LGBTQ representation, in particular with the bisexuality/pansexuality at play between the two FMC, Jane and Keeley. Keeley and Jane, two long-time band members and friends, have had lots of chemistry and unresolved (and undiscussed) feelings toward each other for the past decade, neither wanting to ruin the dynamic of the Glitter Bats, the band they've made it big with.
This is the second book in a series about the Glitter Bats but can definitely be read as a standalone. I hadn't read the first book of the series and didn't feel like I was too confused about anything in this one, since I feel the author does a good job of briefly reiterating prior plot points for the reader. I really like the dynamic between the characters and the members of the band; the found-family dynamic is strong with this group and their unconditional support of each other through some of the most invasive exposure of some of their bandmates is what I think anyone would want out of their friends.
Anyone with religious trauma, especially related to their sexuality, may have a bit of a struggle reading this because Jane struggles so much with her own. However, I thought that seeing someone actively struggling with this and then coming to accept themselves and who they are without needing the validation of anyone else, including parents that continue to try to shame them by using religion into being someone they are not, was also something important to see represented in a novel. Reading about finding someone finding validation and happiness within themselves and no longer allowing themselves into being shamed into a lesser or untrue version of themselves was something I know I would have liked to see as a much younger adult struggling with acceptance of their own sexuality.
The relationship between Keeley and Jane is sweet and I love that they are both very supportive of each others' careers and goals. And I really loved Jane's sister, Nora, and her fiancee, Danny, who showed up in a big way for Keeley and Jane when Jane's parents tried to pull some religious guilt over on Jane. This is definitely a book you want to read if you want a reason to feel some happiness when the world feels a little two dark. This is a little spark of positivity that will light up your day. This doesn't require you to think too hard or have you do anything but enjoy the story. Four stars from me :)
This book was a feel-good romance with lots of LGBTQ representation, in particular with the bisexuality/pansexuality at play between the two FMC, Jane and Keeley. Keeley and Jane, two long-time band members and friends, have had lots of chemistry and unresolved (and undiscussed) feelings toward each other for the past decade, neither wanting to ruin the dynamic of the Glitter Bats, the band they've made it big with.
This is the second book in a series about the Glitter Bats but can definitely be read as a standalone. I hadn't read the first book of the series and didn't feel like I was too confused about anything in this one, since I feel the author does a good job of briefly reiterating prior plot points for the reader. I really like the dynamic between the characters and the members of the band; the found-family dynamic is strong with this group and their unconditional support of each other through some of the most invasive exposure of some of their bandmates is what I think anyone would want out of their friends.
Anyone with religious trauma, especially related to their sexuality, may have a bit of a struggle reading this because Jane struggles so much with her own. However, I thought that seeing someone actively struggling with this and then coming to accept themselves and who they are without needing the validation of anyone else, including parents that continue to try to shame them by using religion into being someone they are not, was also something important to see represented in a novel. Reading about finding someone finding validation and happiness within themselves and no longer allowing themselves into being shamed into a lesser or untrue version of themselves was something I know I would have liked to see as a much younger adult struggling with acceptance of their own sexuality.
The relationship between Keeley and Jane is sweet and I love that they are both very supportive of each others' careers and goals. And I really loved Jane's sister, Nora, and her fiancee, Danny, who showed up in a big way for Keeley and Jane when Jane's parents tried to pull some religious guilt over on Jane. This is definitely a book you want to read if you want a reason to feel some happiness when the world feels a little two dark. This is a little spark of positivity that will light up your day. This doesn't require you to think too hard or have you do anything but enjoy the story. Four stars from me :)
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I really enjoyed this book—this is exactly the kind of romance I’ve been looking for. There’s no over-the-top spice, but instead a thoughtful balance between personal growth, career development, and romantic relationships. The plot feels believable and logically constructed, which makes the story especially satisfying.
Jane Mercer is a talented musician and songwriter who comes from a very traditional Christian family. Her mother hopes she’ll work for the church, but Jane secretly realizes she is bisexual—something she feels unable to share with her family. Determined to live authentically and independently, she moves to Los Angeles to pursue her music career. She takes on as many projects as possible to support herself financially, while also trying to keep her sexuality out of the public eye. At the same time, she begins to confront her growing feelings for her longtime friend and bondmate, Keeley Cunningham. As creative partners, they also face a major professional challenge: a bad contract that prevents them from owning the music they create.
What I loved most is Jane and Keeley’s relationship. They both value their careers as much as they value each other—especially Jane, who works incredibly hard to earn her independence and remain financially responsible. Even during the most difficult moments, neither of them makes impulsive or unrealistic choices, such as giving up an important job for the sake of the relationship. Instead, their romance develops alongside their careers, which makes the story feel grounded and authentic. Their mutual support helps them overcome both personal and professional challenges, creating a relationship that encourages growth rather than demanding sacrifice. This aspect of the story really stood out to me.
The side characters—such as Jane’s sister and the other bondmates—are also delightful and supportive. They contribute to the story in meaningful ways, making it feel wholesome and heartwarming, even as it addresses difficult topics like toxic media environments and the exploitation of musicians by powerful companies. The balance between real-world issues and fictional storytelling is handled very well.
Overall, this is an easy-to-read romance that strikes a great balance between love and career, realism and warmth.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Jane Mercer is a talented musician and songwriter who comes from a very traditional Christian family. Her mother hopes she’ll work for the church, but Jane secretly realizes she is bisexual—something she feels unable to share with her family. Determined to live authentically and independently, she moves to Los Angeles to pursue her music career. She takes on as many projects as possible to support herself financially, while also trying to keep her sexuality out of the public eye. At the same time, she begins to confront her growing feelings for her longtime friend and bondmate, Keeley Cunningham. As creative partners, they also face a major professional challenge: a bad contract that prevents them from owning the music they create.
What I loved most is Jane and Keeley’s relationship. They both value their careers as much as they value each other—especially Jane, who works incredibly hard to earn her independence and remain financially responsible. Even during the most difficult moments, neither of them makes impulsive or unrealistic choices, such as giving up an important job for the sake of the relationship. Instead, their romance develops alongside their careers, which makes the story feel grounded and authentic. Their mutual support helps them overcome both personal and professional challenges, creating a relationship that encourages growth rather than demanding sacrifice. This aspect of the story really stood out to me.
The side characters—such as Jane’s sister and the other bondmates—are also delightful and supportive. They contribute to the story in meaningful ways, making it feel wholesome and heartwarming, even as it addresses difficult topics like toxic media environments and the exploitation of musicians by powerful companies. The balance between real-world issues and fictional storytelling is handled very well.
Overall, this is an easy-to-read romance that strikes a great balance between love and career, realism and warmth.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this title from Berkley Romance; all thoughts are my own.
“She kisses me like she’s been running a marathon and I’m the one waiting at the finish line.”
James hits all the right notes in her sophomore novel! For Our Next Song is a slow burn, Sapphic, rockstar romance featuring bandmates Jane and Keeley as they finally give in to their feelings after 10 years of yearning. 10 years! A decade of friendship and working together to make music where the risk of relationship failure feels too severe to take a shot at love.
This book is technically the 2nd book in the Glitter Bats series, but can be read as a standalone. Read book 1 first if you want to avoid spoilers about Caleb and Valerie’s relationship.
I truly adored this book. From temporary roommates to a hot pottery date to an unexpected solo trip to Montana… Keeley and Jane finally have the chance to explore their feelings.
I can’t quite figure out which character I liked better; I have a soft spot for both of them. Jane is sweet, reserved, genuine and the hardest worker. She’s still recovering from religious trauma and keeps her personal life secret to not disrupt the delicate balance she has with her ultra-religious family. She’s also a workaholic; she can’t fathom ever losing her financial independence and having to move home. Keeley has a roguish attitude, but is a closet softy. She has a heart of gold and is beyond loyal once you reach her inner circle. She is also down BAD for Jane.
I felt both characters showed a lot of growth throughout the story, but Jane especially. It was rewarding to watch Jane give herself the freedom to be her true self. While unfortunately her parents don’t come around, I enjoyed watching her mend the relationship with her sister.
Overall rating: I rated this book 4.5 stars, but rounding up to 5 on GR. I enjoyed this book a lot more than the first book in the series. The tenderness, the slow burn, the cameos from the band- it all blended together perfectly. Truly one of the best Sapphic romances I've read in a while.
I cannot wait to see what comes next for the Glitter Bats… hopefully a story for Ryker and MK?! 🤞maybe some revenge meddling 😉
Trigger warnings ‼️ : forced outing, biphobia (check authors note for more and take care when reading 🫶)
“She kisses me like she’s been running a marathon and I’m the one waiting at the finish line.”
James hits all the right notes in her sophomore novel! For Our Next Song is a slow burn, Sapphic, rockstar romance featuring bandmates Jane and Keeley as they finally give in to their feelings after 10 years of yearning. 10 years! A decade of friendship and working together to make music where the risk of relationship failure feels too severe to take a shot at love.
This book is technically the 2nd book in the Glitter Bats series, but can be read as a standalone. Read book 1 first if you want to avoid spoilers about Caleb and Valerie’s relationship.
I truly adored this book. From temporary roommates to a hot pottery date to an unexpected solo trip to Montana… Keeley and Jane finally have the chance to explore their feelings.
I can’t quite figure out which character I liked better; I have a soft spot for both of them. Jane is sweet, reserved, genuine and the hardest worker. She’s still recovering from religious trauma and keeps her personal life secret to not disrupt the delicate balance she has with her ultra-religious family. She’s also a workaholic; she can’t fathom ever losing her financial independence and having to move home. Keeley has a roguish attitude, but is a closet softy. She has a heart of gold and is beyond loyal once you reach her inner circle. She is also down BAD for Jane.
I felt both characters showed a lot of growth throughout the story, but Jane especially. It was rewarding to watch Jane give herself the freedom to be her true self. While unfortunately her parents don’t come around, I enjoyed watching her mend the relationship with her sister.
Overall rating: I rated this book 4.5 stars, but rounding up to 5 on GR. I enjoyed this book a lot more than the first book in the series. The tenderness, the slow burn, the cameos from the band- it all blended together perfectly. Truly one of the best Sapphic romances I've read in a while.
I cannot wait to see what comes next for the Glitter Bats… hopefully a story for Ryker and MK?! 🤞maybe some revenge meddling 😉
Trigger warnings ‼️ : forced outing, biphobia (check authors note for more and take care when reading 🫶)
November 22, 2025
Hell yeah Sapphic yearning!! I liked the first glitter bats book a lot, but this one was KILLER!! I feel like by building the tension in the first book, I was super excited for this couple in the second book.
Keeley is an amazing drummer that gigs all over town. Ever the free spirit image-wise in the group, she is actually very financially secure. Since getting back together with the Glitter Bats, she wants to get back at the evil label company that stole all their masters to their first three albums. But she may have gotten distracted when fate brings her bandmate and decade-long crush Jane to her doorstep.
Jane has worked through a hell of a lot of purity culture and religious trauma to be the keyboardist in a rock band. She’s also become a super successful composer for shows. So when her mother calls and says her twenty year old sister is getting married, she has questions. In the midst of horrid conversations with her mother, a back-breaking work schedule, plus a new Glitter Bats complication, her house is flooded. Knowing the only one she can call is her bandmate Keeley, she does what she has to do. But perhaps the restrain she’s kept on HER crush all these years will finally snap.
This book was so good! Both characters were so fully realized and I just loved them. Keeley had such a good heart and she’s such a fun POV to be in. Jane has the arguably darker story (read: very shitty biphobia, religious trauma, homophobia) but she also has such grace as a character and you are rooting for her the whole time. Also I loved that the ending wasn’t neatly tied in a bow but a bit imperfect. It felt a lot more realistic for all the characters involved. Plus, I’m super hoping there’s another book and it’s Riker!! Love love love!!!
Keeley is an amazing drummer that gigs all over town. Ever the free spirit image-wise in the group, she is actually very financially secure. Since getting back together with the Glitter Bats, she wants to get back at the evil label company that stole all their masters to their first three albums. But she may have gotten distracted when fate brings her bandmate and decade-long crush Jane to her doorstep.
Jane has worked through a hell of a lot of purity culture and religious trauma to be the keyboardist in a rock band. She’s also become a super successful composer for shows. So when her mother calls and says her twenty year old sister is getting married, she has questions. In the midst of horrid conversations with her mother, a back-breaking work schedule, plus a new Glitter Bats complication, her house is flooded. Knowing the only one she can call is her bandmate Keeley, she does what she has to do. But perhaps the restrain she’s kept on HER crush all these years will finally snap.
This book was so good! Both characters were so fully realized and I just loved them. Keeley had such a good heart and she’s such a fun POV to be in. Jane has the arguably darker story (read: very shitty biphobia, religious trauma, homophobia) but she also has such grace as a character and you are rooting for her the whole time. Also I loved that the ending wasn’t neatly tied in a bow but a bit imperfect. It felt a lot more realistic for all the characters involved. Plus, I’m super hoping there’s another book and it’s Riker!! Love love love!!!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks so much to @berkleyromance for the free book!
*****
This was a cute one! I'm jumping into the series in book two, so I missed some back story with book one, but this can definitely be read as a standalone. As a bisexual human I was thrilled to see a sapphic novel with both a bisexual and pansexual lead. I immediately was able to relate to the characters and fall into the story along with them. The stress of not wanting to ruin the friendship, the awkwardness of not knowing how to act around a friend you've withheld feelings for, and the absolutely rapid relationship progression when it all hits was so well done!
I outright cackled at the reference to U-Haul lesbians because this definitely had that in spades. Despite them trying to go slow, they were blatantly invested the second they made their feelings clear and pursued each other with that single interest in mind. The background stresses with the label, Jane's traumatic religious upbringing and volatile relationship with her mother and father, as well as making her own in her field of choice while struggling with her dedication to the band had this be a bingeable read. Jane's struggles contrasting Keely's incredibly supportive parents really highlighted how different everyone's entrance into an openly queer space is, and had me immediately hooked on this one, especially as we got to the reason behind the third act break. I also loved how Jane and her sister's story came full circle, as well as the nod to the next book with Riker and MK.
Overall this one was emotional, realistic and a great sapphic romance.
*****
This was a cute one! I'm jumping into the series in book two, so I missed some back story with book one, but this can definitely be read as a standalone. As a bisexual human I was thrilled to see a sapphic novel with both a bisexual and pansexual lead. I immediately was able to relate to the characters and fall into the story along with them. The stress of not wanting to ruin the friendship, the awkwardness of not knowing how to act around a friend you've withheld feelings for, and the absolutely rapid relationship progression when it all hits was so well done!
I outright cackled at the reference to U-Haul lesbians because this definitely had that in spades. Despite them trying to go slow, they were blatantly invested the second they made their feelings clear and pursued each other with that single interest in mind. The background stresses with the label, Jane's traumatic religious upbringing and volatile relationship with her mother and father, as well as making her own in her field of choice while struggling with her dedication to the band had this be a bingeable read. Jane's struggles contrasting Keely's incredibly supportive parents really highlighted how different everyone's entrance into an openly queer space is, and had me immediately hooked on this one, especially as we got to the reason behind the third act break. I also loved how Jane and her sister's story came full circle, as well as the nod to the next book with Riker and MK.
Overall this one was emotional, realistic and a great sapphic romance.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Ooh I loved this book even more than the first one! This author knows how tot tug at my heartstrings and I am just obsessed with Keeley and Jane. They are just adorable and I appreciated that after so many years of longing, they get together pretty quickly in this book. Poor Jane has an awful family and a lot of religious trauma and this book did a great job presenting that in a realistic way, that makes it much harder for people to just brush it off as not a big deal. Yes you can be 30 and still not want to upset your parents or rock the boat. My heart broke for her and I cheered every time she found someone loving and supportive of her. Keeley has a great family, but she still has trauma from her time in the music business and how males in power abuse it. I love how she supported Jane through her family drama and it's so easy to see how these women just fit. All the bi rep and a happy ending that made me smile! It's moderately steamy, but the focus was more on the couple and the logistics about coming out / not / the price of fame and the media being all in your personal business. I love the glitter bats and all the scenes with them as a group were wonderful. I cannot WAIT to read more of this series.
Note: I listened to this audiobook and enjoyed it so much; this book was an emotional journey with many bruises along the way, and both narrators articulated those dynamic feelings so well.
Thanks to the publisher for a free copy and ALC; my thoughts and review are my own.
Note: I listened to this audiobook and enjoyed it so much; this book was an emotional journey with many bruises along the way, and both narrators articulated those dynamic feelings so well.
Thanks to the publisher for a free copy and ALC; my thoughts and review are my own.
January 13, 2026
Thanks to @berkleypub and @berkleyromance for the free published copy and e-ARC and to @prhaudio for the review copy of this audiobook!
Read this book if you like sapphic romance, friends to lovers, the music industry, overcoming religious trauma, and found family.
Jane and Keeley have been friends and bandmates since high school. Now that their band has reunited and is fighting the execs for control of their own music, they are spending more time together. And they are having trouble disguising their feelings for each other. For Jane the stakes are high. She’s never publicly come out as bi, mostly because of her rigidly religious family. But when they finally admit their feelings, Keeley is there to stand by her. Maybe they can make a world where they belong together.
I adored Jane and Keeley. As someone who grew up in very conservative religious circles, I understood well the religious trauma Jane had experienced. I cried multiple times throughout the book, both when Jane was rejected and when she found acceptance from others. Keeley’s support for her girlfriend was beautiful and I appreciated her POV as well. I also loved the frank discussions of mental health and neurodivergence. The spicy scenes were very sweet and beautiful and really added to the intimacy of the characters.
The plot was so interesting and varied and kept me listening throughout. I do wish I’d taken the time to read book one in the series for more about the Glitter Bats reunion tour. This book stood alone, but I still want to read book one and get that background.
All the narrators did a great job. I appreciated how a separate voice read all the social media articles. The sound quality was excellent even at 2x.
I cannot recommend this book enough! You definitely need some Glitter Bats in your life.
Read this book if you like sapphic romance, friends to lovers, the music industry, overcoming religious trauma, and found family.
Jane and Keeley have been friends and bandmates since high school. Now that their band has reunited and is fighting the execs for control of their own music, they are spending more time together. And they are having trouble disguising their feelings for each other. For Jane the stakes are high. She’s never publicly come out as bi, mostly because of her rigidly religious family. But when they finally admit their feelings, Keeley is there to stand by her. Maybe they can make a world where they belong together.
I adored Jane and Keeley. As someone who grew up in very conservative religious circles, I understood well the religious trauma Jane had experienced. I cried multiple times throughout the book, both when Jane was rejected and when she found acceptance from others. Keeley’s support for her girlfriend was beautiful and I appreciated her POV as well. I also loved the frank discussions of mental health and neurodivergence. The spicy scenes were very sweet and beautiful and really added to the intimacy of the characters.
The plot was so interesting and varied and kept me listening throughout. I do wish I’d taken the time to read book one in the series for more about the Glitter Bats reunion tour. This book stood alone, but I still want to read book one and get that background.
All the narrators did a great job. I appreciated how a separate voice read all the social media articles. The sound quality was excellent even at 2x.
I cannot recommend this book enough! You definitely need some Glitter Bats in your life.
January 11, 2026
ARC review - thank you to Berkley for the early access!
I grew up with pop punk and had too early of an awareness of celebrity drama, tabloids, and seeing the rise and fall of musical careers all on social media. I also grew up in an area of the country where religion and discussions of anything "worldly" were always on major display. I say these things because when you bring up the two together, you hardly expect them to be written in the same book as a part of the same plot line.
Jane and Keeley were two interesting characters, but I knew that there was so much more to learn about them. I'm such a backstory person and I wish that the book dove more into Jane's history and workload just so we can understand that pressure that she had for her other projects. I wish we knew more about Keeley's progress on her side too. There's still a good amount to work with, and for me, I enjoyed it regardless, but I can definitely say there's still room for more details to fill and I wish we could've seen more of that for these two because I know they could be so dynamic.
Overall, For Our Next Song was interesting but I know there's a lot more room to work with! felt like I was taking a glimpse back into 2012 Twitter drama. I loved the media snippets. I loved that it was kind of messy in the dramatic way to where even got frustrated for them. I loved that it didn't shy away from deeper topics and subjects when it was necessary for the character growth.
So, even though I had some grievances, there was still a lot to enjoy. It's definitely at least a 4 to me!
I grew up with pop punk and had too early of an awareness of celebrity drama, tabloids, and seeing the rise and fall of musical careers all on social media. I also grew up in an area of the country where religion and discussions of anything "worldly" were always on major display. I say these things because when you bring up the two together, you hardly expect them to be written in the same book as a part of the same plot line.
Jane and Keeley were two interesting characters, but I knew that there was so much more to learn about them. I'm such a backstory person and I wish that the book dove more into Jane's history and workload just so we can understand that pressure that she had for her other projects. I wish we knew more about Keeley's progress on her side too. There's still a good amount to work with, and for me, I enjoyed it regardless, but I can definitely say there's still room for more details to fill and I wish we could've seen more of that for these two because I know they could be so dynamic.
Overall, For Our Next Song was interesting but I know there's a lot more room to work with! felt like I was taking a glimpse back into 2012 Twitter drama. I loved the media snippets. I loved that it was kind of messy in the dramatic way to where even got frustrated for them. I loved that it didn't shy away from deeper topics and subjects when it was necessary for the character growth.
So, even though I had some grievances, there was still a lot to enjoy. It's definitely at least a 4 to me!
December 19, 2025
This is an ARC review.
I enjoyed this book significantly more than For One Night Only. While the first installment was a solid start, this second book really pulled me in. Partly because I connected more with the characters, but also because Jessica’s rhythm felt smoother.
Jane’s storyline, in particular, stood out to me. Her religious trauma was portrayed with care, and it mirrors what many deconstructed believers go through. The dynamic between her and her sister was a realistic example of what can happen to a family when parents place religion over their child’s welfare. It can be a sensitive subject, and I feel that the author handled it well.
I also appreciated the thoughtful commentary on privacy, the media, and social media’s dual nature. Ryan’s behavior was extremely frustrating, but also is so realistic in today’s society.
Keely was a surprise favorite for me. I was unsure about her in the first book, but this installment gave her depth and softness that made her easy to root for. The communication between her and
Jane was wonderful and refreshing to see. They had their moments of hesitation, but once brought up, the issues were addressed openly in a healthy manner. Their biggest “misunderstanding” was simply that they were both hopelessly into each other and didn’t know the other felt the same.
Overall, I would recommend this wonderful sapphic (F/F) romance with mutual pining, realistic connection, and strong character growth.
I enjoyed this book significantly more than For One Night Only. While the first installment was a solid start, this second book really pulled me in. Partly because I connected more with the characters, but also because Jessica’s rhythm felt smoother.
Jane’s storyline, in particular, stood out to me. Her religious trauma was portrayed with care, and it mirrors what many deconstructed believers go through. The dynamic between her and her sister was a realistic example of what can happen to a family when parents place religion over their child’s welfare. It can be a sensitive subject, and I feel that the author handled it well.
I also appreciated the thoughtful commentary on privacy, the media, and social media’s dual nature. Ryan’s behavior was extremely frustrating, but also is so realistic in today’s society.
Keely was a surprise favorite for me. I was unsure about her in the first book, but this installment gave her depth and softness that made her easy to root for. The communication between her and
Jane was wonderful and refreshing to see. They had their moments of hesitation, but once brought up, the issues were addressed openly in a healthy manner. Their biggest “misunderstanding” was simply that they were both hopelessly into each other and didn’t know the other felt the same.
Overall, I would recommend this wonderful sapphic (F/F) romance with mutual pining, realistic connection, and strong character growth.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Sapphic rockstar romance with a friends to lovers trope? This was a solid read!
I had really liked Keeley and Jane in For One Night Only and I was happy to see their story continued here.
I really like Jane and her story. The story does go a bit into her religious trauma and her relationship with her religious family. I did find the book definitely focused a bit more on Jane her struggles with family and her history, as well as balancing work. I did like that though as her story is compelling.
Jane and Keeley are cute together and I liked the relationship developing from long term friends to a relationship. The the growth felt very organic! There was also some forced proximity and matchmaking going on which I always enjoy.
There were a few things that were mentioned throughout the book that didn’t seem to be picked up again (career change for example). I’m guessing there will be a third book (Riker’s?) so maybe it’ll be continued there but it would have been nice to have a bit more of a conclusion there.
It doesn’t end necessarily on a cliffhanger but there are underlying plot points from the storyline that has gone through both books that are still unresolved. Again I’m assuming there will be a third book to finish that story line.
If you’re looking for a sapphic rockstar romance this would scratch that itch!
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I had really liked Keeley and Jane in For One Night Only and I was happy to see their story continued here.
I really like Jane and her story. The story does go a bit into her religious trauma and her relationship with her religious family. I did find the book definitely focused a bit more on Jane her struggles with family and her history, as well as balancing work. I did like that though as her story is compelling.
Jane and Keeley are cute together and I liked the relationship developing from long term friends to a relationship. The the growth felt very organic! There was also some forced proximity and matchmaking going on which I always enjoy.
There were a few things that were mentioned throughout the book that didn’t seem to be picked up again (career change for example). I’m guessing there will be a third book (Riker’s?) so maybe it’ll be continued there but it would have been nice to have a bit more of a conclusion there.
It doesn’t end necessarily on a cliffhanger but there are underlying plot points from the storyline that has gone through both books that are still unresolved. Again I’m assuming there will be a third book to finish that story line.
If you’re looking for a sapphic rockstar romance this would scratch that itch!
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 14, 2026
🥁 Jane and Keeley, longtime friends and bandmates are exploring a new romantic relationship with each other but the price of fame is high and takes its toll on their happiness and the future of their band. Thankfully they have their Glitter Bats bandmates in their corner to help fight for their continued success.
This was such a sweet read full of tender moments and wonderful examples of acceptance and support in the face of adversity. I loved the positive relationships between all the Glitter Bats and how they were pillars of unwavering support for each other. Jane’s character and the religious trauma she experiences provided some interesting insights into that type of upbringing that are sure to resonate with readers with similar backgrounds. I also particularly appreciated the juxtaposition of Jane’s horrid hyper-religious parents with Keeley’s parents who loved unconditionally.
With plenty of pining and some moderately descriptive open door sapphic romance scenes, this still delivers the spice you crave but with a focus on the inner workings of the recording industry and the drawbacks of being queer in the public eye. I seriously hope James has more to come from the Glitter Bats!
✅ Check this one out if you enjoy a slow burn, friends-to-lovers, found family, forced proximity, sapphic romance featuring talented rockstars with a side of impostor syndrome and religious trauma. Pairs well with fettuccine alfredo and vanilla scented candles.
This was such a sweet read full of tender moments and wonderful examples of acceptance and support in the face of adversity. I loved the positive relationships between all the Glitter Bats and how they were pillars of unwavering support for each other. Jane’s character and the religious trauma she experiences provided some interesting insights into that type of upbringing that are sure to resonate with readers with similar backgrounds. I also particularly appreciated the juxtaposition of Jane’s horrid hyper-religious parents with Keeley’s parents who loved unconditionally.
With plenty of pining and some moderately descriptive open door sapphic romance scenes, this still delivers the spice you crave but with a focus on the inner workings of the recording industry and the drawbacks of being queer in the public eye. I seriously hope James has more to come from the Glitter Bats!
✅ Check this one out if you enjoy a slow burn, friends-to-lovers, found family, forced proximity, sapphic romance featuring talented rockstars with a side of impostor syndrome and religious trauma. Pairs well with fettuccine alfredo and vanilla scented candles.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the eARC.
3.5 rounded up!
I really enjoyed this one. This was my first Jessica James book, but it won't be my last. I did not read "For One Night Only" and felt I could keep up with the story and characters just fine.
Decade long pining and sexual frustration between bandmates? Tell me more! I really liked how they were both in love with each other from afar but never knew the other was interested until some forced proximity made them confront their feelings for each other. (These are some of my favorite tropes, so I enjoyed this immensely, chef's kiss.)
This is a dual POV, single timeline story that takes place over a few months. If you can get over that the band is named Glitter Bats, you will enjoy this book.
I loved how supportive Keely was with Jane and her family. I loved how they both supported each other and made each other better people all around. I liked how they handled Jane's coming out, even if her hand was forced. This had all the elements of a story that I deeply enjoy and the care with which sensitive topics were handled was touching. Throw in a little mystery (what will happen to their masters!) to move the plot along and you have a solid follow up for James.
I really hope that Riker's story will be next ;)
3.5 rounded up!
I really enjoyed this one. This was my first Jessica James book, but it won't be my last. I did not read "For One Night Only" and felt I could keep up with the story and characters just fine.
Decade long pining and sexual frustration between bandmates? Tell me more! I really liked how they were both in love with each other from afar but never knew the other was interested until some forced proximity made them confront their feelings for each other. (These are some of my favorite tropes, so I enjoyed this immensely, chef's kiss.)
This is a dual POV, single timeline story that takes place over a few months. If you can get over that the band is named Glitter Bats, you will enjoy this book.
I loved how supportive Keely was with Jane and her family. I loved how they both supported each other and made each other better people all around. I liked how they handled Jane's coming out, even if her hand was forced. This had all the elements of a story that I deeply enjoy and the care with which sensitive topics were handled was touching. Throw in a little mystery (what will happen to their masters!) to move the plot along and you have a solid follow up for James.
I really hope that Riker's story will be next ;)
January 6, 2026
3⭐️
Thank you Berkley Romance and to Jessica James for an e-ARC of this book!
I was so excited to see this book on Read Now at Netgalley, like I mean hellloooooo, ya'll had me at a sapphic rockstar romance?? However, I feel like the beginning was really hard to get through overall. I think part of it is also due to the lack of chemistry that I wanted between Keeley and Jane. I was unable to connect with the characters as much as I wanted, and it was due to them suddenly getting together. I really enjoyed the "found family" aspect the bandmates had with each other, and I think this was what I found enjoyable for most of the book!
There were some plot holes for me (maybe it's because I didn't read book 1?) but my favorite part had to be Jane's struggles with her coming out and while I don't have experience in it, it showed a great depiction of what it was like to come out. The trauma she had with her religious background had me empathizing with her and it's probably something a lot of us can relate to.
I knew that "For Our Next Song" was part of an interconnected standalone series, but in hindsight, I think a reader would significantly benefit from reading book 1, as there were many references and characters that I did not know of prior. I think this affected my review, but not too much! I'm excited to go back and read Caleb and Valerie's story!
Thank you Berkley Romance and to Jessica James for an e-ARC of this book!
I was so excited to see this book on Read Now at Netgalley, like I mean hellloooooo, ya'll had me at a sapphic rockstar romance?? However, I feel like the beginning was really hard to get through overall. I think part of it is also due to the lack of chemistry that I wanted between Keeley and Jane. I was unable to connect with the characters as much as I wanted, and it was due to them suddenly getting together. I really enjoyed the "found family" aspect the bandmates had with each other, and I think this was what I found enjoyable for most of the book!
There were some plot holes for me (maybe it's because I didn't read book 1?) but my favorite part had to be Jane's struggles with her coming out and while I don't have experience in it, it showed a great depiction of what it was like to come out. The trauma she had with her religious background had me empathizing with her and it's probably something a lot of us can relate to.
I knew that "For Our Next Song" was part of an interconnected standalone series, but in hindsight, I think a reader would significantly benefit from reading book 1, as there were many references and characters that I did not know of prior. I think this affected my review, but not too much! I'm excited to go back and read Caleb and Valerie's story!
January 13, 2026
Thank you @berkleyromance #BerkleyPartner for the free book and @prhaudio #prhaudiopartner for the free alc 💖.
This is the second book in the interconnected Glitter Bats series. After loving For One Night Only, I was excited for this one. While it can be read as a standalone, I recommend starting with the first book so you get more of the full picture of this world.
The story shares a classic case of two people with a long, complicated history who clearly like each other but are too scared to make the first move. Their shared past hangs over every conversation, full of tension and unspoken feelings. It’s so obvious it almost hurts—everyone sees it but them, until they finally do. Then things move fast, and the relationship becomes public sooner than at least one of them is ready for.
I appreciated that the story doesn’t focus only on their attraction. Jane’s traumatic religious upbringing, her difficult relationship with her parents, and the challenges of coming out all add real weight to the story. It feels realistic, in the sense that life is messy and people rarely have just one thing going on at a time, which gives the story the depth it needs to really land emotionally.
🎧 Audiobook: The audiobook is 10 hours and 54 minutes long and is narrated by Bailey Carr, Carlisle Parker, and Nicky Enders. The narration works really well for this story, helping bring out the emotional tension and giving each character a distinct voice, which kept me engaged all the way through.
4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Read if you like:
🎶The music industry
🎶Sapphic rockstar romance
🎶Bisexual and Pansexual rep
🎶Dual POV
🎶Personal growth
🎶Mutual pining
⚠️CW: Religious trauma, emotional and spiritual abuse, homophobia, biphobia, forced public outing of a character and contains a brief depiction of sexual harassment.
This is the second book in the interconnected Glitter Bats series. After loving For One Night Only, I was excited for this one. While it can be read as a standalone, I recommend starting with the first book so you get more of the full picture of this world.
The story shares a classic case of two people with a long, complicated history who clearly like each other but are too scared to make the first move. Their shared past hangs over every conversation, full of tension and unspoken feelings. It’s so obvious it almost hurts—everyone sees it but them, until they finally do. Then things move fast, and the relationship becomes public sooner than at least one of them is ready for.
I appreciated that the story doesn’t focus only on their attraction. Jane’s traumatic religious upbringing, her difficult relationship with her parents, and the challenges of coming out all add real weight to the story. It feels realistic, in the sense that life is messy and people rarely have just one thing going on at a time, which gives the story the depth it needs to really land emotionally.
🎧 Audiobook: The audiobook is 10 hours and 54 minutes long and is narrated by Bailey Carr, Carlisle Parker, and Nicky Enders. The narration works really well for this story, helping bring out the emotional tension and giving each character a distinct voice, which kept me engaged all the way through.
4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Read if you like:
🎶The music industry
🎶Sapphic rockstar romance
🎶Bisexual and Pansexual rep
🎶Dual POV
🎶Personal growth
🎶Mutual pining
⚠️CW: Religious trauma, emotional and spiritual abuse, homophobia, biphobia, forced public outing of a character and contains a brief depiction of sexual harassment.
December 8, 2025
Grateful to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Jane Mercer and Keeley Cunningham are both making careers in the music industry while their band is on hiatus. Questions about the future direction of their band and the resulting tension (plus some interference from a well-intentioned friend!) leads to Jane and Keeley confronting their feelings and beginning a relationship, even though Jane isn't out publicly.
While there were heavy topics, this was largely fun and the sapphic yearning until Jane and Keely kiss for the first time was exquisite. Both characters were charming and likable and this was really refreshing to read. Their relationship and the status of the band's ownership of their master recordings was easy to get behind. The pop culture references were minimal but relevant, as Taylor Swift's fight to own her masters and Paramore's contract with Atlantic clearly informed those plot points. The spice scenes were well done, but not overly graphic or descriptive (probably in the 1.5-2 pepper range!).
I really enjoyed this, but want to caution that there may be some plot elements that are sensitive, so I would encourage checking trigger warnings.
Jane Mercer and Keeley Cunningham are both making careers in the music industry while their band is on hiatus. Questions about the future direction of their band and the resulting tension (plus some interference from a well-intentioned friend!) leads to Jane and Keeley confronting their feelings and beginning a relationship, even though Jane isn't out publicly.
While there were heavy topics, this was largely fun and the sapphic yearning until Jane and Keely kiss for the first time was exquisite. Both characters were charming and likable and this was really refreshing to read. Their relationship and the status of the band's ownership of their master recordings was easy to get behind. The pop culture references were minimal but relevant, as Taylor Swift's fight to own her masters and Paramore's contract with Atlantic clearly informed those plot points. The spice scenes were well done, but not overly graphic or descriptive (probably in the 1.5-2 pepper range!).
I really enjoyed this, but want to caution that there may be some plot elements that are sensitive, so I would encourage checking trigger warnings.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Read This Book If…you love an inevitable relationship!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
For Our Next Song by Jessica James
Genre: Queer romance
Series: Glitter Bats # 2
Setting: Los Angles and Montana resort
POV: dual, 1st person, present tense
Spice Level: 4/5🌶, 3-4 explicit scenes
Tropes: longtime crush, friends to lovers, forced proximity, one bed, secret tattoos, found family, “fuck it”
My Thoughts:
Ughhhh I’m obsessed with this group of bandmates! I love how they all continue to fall in love with the person they’ve been pining after for yearssssss. These two only had to be forced alone for like 10 minutes and sparks were flying!
If you struggle with topics like religious trauma and someone being publicly outed, this may not be the book for you. I thought these topics were handled with care, but they are obviously quite distressing. I really enjoyed the bi and pan rep, as well as Jane’s relationship with her sister.
I found this book to be quite sexy and cozy, with most of the conflict coming from external sources! I would definitely recommend reading these books in order and I can’t wait for the final band member’s story!!
Thank you to the publisher for my advance copy! This book will be available January 13!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
For Our Next Song by Jessica James
Genre: Queer romance
Series: Glitter Bats # 2
Setting: Los Angles and Montana resort
POV: dual, 1st person, present tense
Spice Level: 4/5🌶, 3-4 explicit scenes
Tropes: longtime crush, friends to lovers, forced proximity, one bed, secret tattoos, found family, “fuck it”
My Thoughts:
Ughhhh I’m obsessed with this group of bandmates! I love how they all continue to fall in love with the person they’ve been pining after for yearssssss. These two only had to be forced alone for like 10 minutes and sparks were flying!
If you struggle with topics like religious trauma and someone being publicly outed, this may not be the book for you. I thought these topics were handled with care, but they are obviously quite distressing. I really enjoyed the bi and pan rep, as well as Jane’s relationship with her sister.
I found this book to be quite sexy and cozy, with most of the conflict coming from external sources! I would definitely recommend reading these books in order and I can’t wait for the final band member’s story!!
Thank you to the publisher for my advance copy! This book will be available January 13!
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