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I Love the 80s
Live in the now, they say, but for Jenna Jenkins, the now sucks.
Her fiancé dumped her, and she's lacking the drive that might lead to a promotion at the eighties-themed cable station where she works. The only thing keeping her sane is her obsession with a brooding rock star, and an era, that died twenty-odd years ago. But then lightning strikes—literally—and sends her back to the year and the man she’s loved her entire life. Jenna has no choice but to take action to save Tommy Seer, lead singer of The Wild Boys, from the tragic accident that only she knows will claim his life.
But the real Tommy Seer is very different from the one who's spent all this time starring in her favorite fantasies. As Jenna falls deeper into Tommy’s world—under his spell all over again, only this time without the schoolgirl crush—she realizes that his death was no accident. Can she find a killer, prevent a murder, and save the man she loves without everyone thinking she’s crazy?
And who thought shoulder pads were a good idea, anyway?
Her fiancé dumped her, and she's lacking the drive that might lead to a promotion at the eighties-themed cable station where she works. The only thing keeping her sane is her obsession with a brooding rock star, and an era, that died twenty-odd years ago. But then lightning strikes—literally—and sends her back to the year and the man she’s loved her entire life. Jenna has no choice but to take action to save Tommy Seer, lead singer of The Wild Boys, from the tragic accident that only she knows will claim his life.
But the real Tommy Seer is very different from the one who's spent all this time starring in her favorite fantasies. As Jenna falls deeper into Tommy’s world—under his spell all over again, only this time without the schoolgirl crush—she realizes that his death was no accident. Can she find a killer, prevent a murder, and save the man she loves without everyone thinking she’s crazy?
And who thought shoulder pads were a good idea, anyway?
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
32 people are currently reading
1302 people want to read
About the author
Megan Crane
67 books704 followersUSA Today bestselling, multi-award-nominated, and critically-acclaimed author Megan Crane has written more than 150 books and shows no sign of slowing down. She publishes contemporary romance and paranormal romance as Megan Crane (and briefly M.M. Crane) with an extensive backlist of women’s fiction, rom-coms, chick lit, and young adult novels—among other things. She’s also won a large and loyal fanbase as Caitlin Crews with Harlequin Presents, Harlequin Dare, Harlequin Historical, and contemporary cowboy books. And for Midwestern small town coziness, found families, romance, and some paranormal scariness thrown in, Megan partners with Nicole Helm to publish as Hazel Beck.
Megan has a Masters and Ph.D. in English Literature, has taught creative writing classes in places like UCLA Extension’s prestigious Writers’ Program, and is always available to give workshops (or her opinion). She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her comic book artist husband, though, at any given time, she is likely to either be huddled in a coffee shop somewhere or off traveling the world. Preferably both.
You can find out more than you ever wanted to know about her at www.megancrane.com
Megan has a Masters and Ph.D. in English Literature, has taught creative writing classes in places like UCLA Extension’s prestigious Writers’ Program, and is always available to give workshops (or her opinion). She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her comic book artist husband, though, at any given time, she is likely to either be huddled in a coffee shop somewhere or off traveling the world. Preferably both.
You can find out more than you ever wanted to know about her at www.megancrane.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
June 28, 2013
Pull on that Choose Life tshirt and hot pink legwarmers, slip an Adam and the Ants tape into your boombox, open up that icy cold can of TAB, and settle back to read about how Jenna Jenkins accidentally goes back in time to the 1980s and meets her One True Wuv, Tommy Seer, lead singer of the biggest band of the 80s, The Wild Boys.
If you’re an 80s girl like me, you’ll be snickering along as Jenna finds herself surrounded by huge shoulder pads, white coats with the sleeves pushed to the elbows & pastel shirts underneath, skinny ties, BIG hair, and worst of all, NO mobile [cell] phones or Internet. (What did we do before the Internet???)
When Jenna Jenkins was 12, she was madly, completely, utterly and totally in luuuuuuuuuurve with Tommy Seer, lead singer of The Wild Boys, the biggest band to hit the 80s. And devastated when he mysteriously died in 1987. He dominated her adolescent years, and no other male could even come close to him, in her eyes.
In present day, Jenna is consoling herself with her teenage memories of Tommy, while working through the pain and hurt and confusion of a bad and unexpected break up with her fiance. Consoling herself perhaps too much, according to her best friend, who is worried that Jenna is shutting herself away from life, and living entirely in those long ago adolescent dreams. Working late one night, a freak accident sends Jenna hurtling back through time, to 1987, where she discovers she is working for a pop video tv station – sort of like MTV. And one of the first people she stumbles upon is none other than Tommy Seer, alive and well…and a total douchebag.
This book is fun. There’s nothing spectacular in it – it’s your standard boy meets girl, physical attraction ensues (MUCH physical attraction), misunderstandings get in the way, romantic fluff happens. BUT it’s just so much fun to read, particularly if you are an 80s girl like me. The fashions – god, did we really wear that? The music – Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, Duran Duran. Jenna’s fish-out-of-water feeling knowing she can’t just check Wikipedia or Google to find out stuff.
And Jenna is determined to find out exactly how Tommy Seer died, and why. Her encyclopedic knowledge of the band ensures she knows about the little “accidents” that were happening to him, leading up to the fatal crash. All she wants to do is love Tommy and stop him from dying.
If you’re in the mood for a light, fluffy, FUN romance, with the added bonus of time travel, then I Love the 80s by Megan Crane is absolutely perfect.
If you’re an 80s girl like me, you’ll be snickering along as Jenna finds herself surrounded by huge shoulder pads, white coats with the sleeves pushed to the elbows & pastel shirts underneath, skinny ties, BIG hair, and worst of all, NO mobile [cell] phones or Internet. (What did we do before the Internet???)
When Jenna Jenkins was 12, she was madly, completely, utterly and totally in luuuuuuuuuurve with Tommy Seer, lead singer of The Wild Boys, the biggest band to hit the 80s. And devastated when he mysteriously died in 1987. He dominated her adolescent years, and no other male could even come close to him, in her eyes.
In present day, Jenna is consoling herself with her teenage memories of Tommy, while working through the pain and hurt and confusion of a bad and unexpected break up with her fiance. Consoling herself perhaps too much, according to her best friend, who is worried that Jenna is shutting herself away from life, and living entirely in those long ago adolescent dreams. Working late one night, a freak accident sends Jenna hurtling back through time, to 1987, where she discovers she is working for a pop video tv station – sort of like MTV. And one of the first people she stumbles upon is none other than Tommy Seer, alive and well…and a total douchebag.
This book is fun. There’s nothing spectacular in it – it’s your standard boy meets girl, physical attraction ensues (MUCH physical attraction), misunderstandings get in the way, romantic fluff happens. BUT it’s just so much fun to read, particularly if you are an 80s girl like me. The fashions – god, did we really wear that? The music – Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, Duran Duran. Jenna’s fish-out-of-water feeling knowing she can’t just check Wikipedia or Google to find out stuff.
And Jenna is determined to find out exactly how Tommy Seer died, and why. Her encyclopedic knowledge of the band ensures she knows about the little “accidents” that were happening to him, leading up to the fatal crash. All she wants to do is love Tommy and stop him from dying.
If you’re in the mood for a light, fluffy, FUN romance, with the added bonus of time travel, then I Love the 80s by Megan Crane is absolutely perfect.
June 16, 2015
Review is also on my blog
I have fallen in love with this book! Such a wonderful and cute story <3
If you are an 80s child, or you are in love with the awesomeness that was the 80s, you'll love this book.
I found it on Amazon and got the kindle edition for free (getting the physical copy soon), so I decided to give it a go. That was a good decision! The characters are great, the setting is perfect, and the 80s references had me laughing for hours! Seriously, 80s fashion was hilarious, thank god I was too young in the 80s for the full-on insanity lol.
Our MC, Jenna Jenkins, 35 years old, dumped by her fiance, and to deal with all the chaos in her life, she surrounds herself with her adolescent obsession with Tommy Seer. Tommy is the lead singer of the "The Wild Boys", an 4-member British 80s rock band that was all the rage until Tommy, at the height of his career, died 20 years ago in a car accident. One thing leads to another, and *woop woop*, TIME TRAVEL!!!
Yes, I have a thing for time travel! I am a geek after all ;)
So Jenna travels back in time and she finds herself working with Tommy! At first, she thinks it is a dream, and tries to get all fan-girly on him, only to be super surprised when things don't go her usual way (yes, she dreams about Tommy A LOT)
"and since it was her dream, it was about time she started acting the way she'd be too afraid to act in real life. Otherwise, what was the point? why dream at all?"
Once she realizes that it is NOT a dream, she takes it upon herself to try and change the future.
Jenna had to go through a lot.. and amazingly, there was lots of growth and self-discovery along her journey. One thing I really enjoyed is that this book doesn't only talk about Jenna's story, but also to a lot of us fangirls who paint these perfect personalities and stories of our celebrity crushes - forgetting that they are normal humans after all, with complex personalities and their own issues to deal with. Its easy to forget that those celebrities have specific personas to play publicly, and it doesn't necessarily mean that this is who they are.
I highly recommend this book.. What more can one ask for? It is cute, funny, witty, and SHOULDER PADS!! And there were lots of great quotes too!
I have fallen in love with this book! Such a wonderful and cute story <3
If you are an 80s child, or you are in love with the awesomeness that was the 80s, you'll love this book.
I found it on Amazon and got the kindle edition for free (getting the physical copy soon), so I decided to give it a go. That was a good decision! The characters are great, the setting is perfect, and the 80s references had me laughing for hours! Seriously, 80s fashion was hilarious, thank god I was too young in the 80s for the full-on insanity lol.
Our MC, Jenna Jenkins, 35 years old, dumped by her fiance, and to deal with all the chaos in her life, she surrounds herself with her adolescent obsession with Tommy Seer. Tommy is the lead singer of the "The Wild Boys", an 4-member British 80s rock band that was all the rage until Tommy, at the height of his career, died 20 years ago in a car accident. One thing leads to another, and *woop woop*, TIME TRAVEL!!!
Yes, I have a thing for time travel! I am a geek after all ;)
So Jenna travels back in time and she finds herself working with Tommy! At first, she thinks it is a dream, and tries to get all fan-girly on him, only to be super surprised when things don't go her usual way (yes, she dreams about Tommy A LOT)
"and since it was her dream, it was about time she started acting the way she'd be too afraid to act in real life. Otherwise, what was the point? why dream at all?"
Once she realizes that it is NOT a dream, she takes it upon herself to try and change the future.
Jenna had to go through a lot.. and amazingly, there was lots of growth and self-discovery along her journey. One thing I really enjoyed is that this book doesn't only talk about Jenna's story, but also to a lot of us fangirls who paint these perfect personalities and stories of our celebrity crushes - forgetting that they are normal humans after all, with complex personalities and their own issues to deal with. Its easy to forget that those celebrities have specific personas to play publicly, and it doesn't necessarily mean that this is who they are.
I highly recommend this book.. What more can one ask for? It is cute, funny, witty, and SHOULDER PADS!! And there were lots of great quotes too!
December 13, 2011
I Love the 80s
can be broadly summed as a tale about:
~ Time Travel of a bizarre and unexplainable kind. Time-Travel that would, infact, make a self-respecting Dr.Who clutch his teddy-bear and refuse to step out of the TARDIS.
~ A modern-day heroine who deals with her going-nowhere modern-day life by immersing herself in fantasies and memorabilia of an Eighties’ much-loved pop-idol.
These two factors would have rendered this book as unappealing and worthy of a very poor rating indeed. BUT.....
BUT....
BUT..
a skilled writer who can spin an improbable tale with élan will always save the day.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
So we have our heroine, Jenna Jenkins. 35 years old, dumped by her long-term boyfriend for a perky (why must they always be perky?) yoga instructor and stuck in a dead-end job. She deals with life’s unfair blows by surrounding herself with lust/love-induced teenage memories, trivia and posters of Rock God, Tommy Seer. Tommy, lead singer of the wildly popular band *THE WILD BOYS*, at the height of his career, was killed in an accident when his speeding car flew off a bridge.
His body, however, was never found.
Long-deceased Tommy Seer has (in Jenna’s head) always been her one true love. No current-day, non-chivalrous man can come close to the golden *Tommy Seer* dream.
But what happens when a freak storm transports Jenna back to the year 1987...the year that Tommy Seer disappeared? Soon Jenna is face-to-face with the long-haired (im)perfection that is ‘The Tommy Seer’. She works under him, tries not to succumb to his hot-and-cold attentions, has a glimpse into the dreams of a man who appears to have everything , ALL while trying to eke out an existence in a dark and disturbing 80s New York.
Add to that the unexpected drama that Tommy appears to have been not an unfortunate victim of an accident but the target of a cold and well-planned murder.
Will Jenna lose her mind or will she be able to prevent the death of the one, unattainable man that she truly loved?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Megan Crane has a writing style that can best be described as....*FUN*. She takes a roughly etched plotline, a dithering heroine and a questionable male lead and combines them into a frothy, race-through-the-pages rom-com.
And just when you are on the verge of castigating Jenna Jenkins for being a no-guts, infused-in-rockstar-groupie-glow-numbnuts, she displays a surprising ability to dissect her innermost thoughts with maturity.
DO NOT read this book if you are expecting a concise, teeming with sci-fi awesomeness tale on the intricacies of Time-Travel.
DO read this book if you’ve ever had an almighty crush on an unattainable actor/ singer/ fictional character. When faced with your wildest dream in flesh-and-blood, do you melt into an unenviable puddle or do you, infact, be the Knightess in Scary Pompadour?.
That’s what I Love the Eighties is all about.
~ Time Travel of a bizarre and unexplainable kind. Time-Travel that would, infact, make a self-respecting Dr.Who clutch his teddy-bear and refuse to step out of the TARDIS.
~ A modern-day heroine who deals with her going-nowhere modern-day life by immersing herself in fantasies and memorabilia of an Eighties’ much-loved pop-idol.
These two factors would have rendered this book as unappealing and worthy of a very poor rating indeed. BUT.....
BUT....
BUT..
a skilled writer who can spin an improbable tale with élan will always save the day.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
So we have our heroine, Jenna Jenkins. 35 years old, dumped by her long-term boyfriend for a perky (why must they always be perky?) yoga instructor and stuck in a dead-end job. She deals with life’s unfair blows by surrounding herself with lust/love-induced teenage memories, trivia and posters of Rock God, Tommy Seer. Tommy, lead singer of the wildly popular band *THE WILD BOYS*, at the height of his career, was killed in an accident when his speeding car flew off a bridge.
His body, however, was never found.
Long-deceased Tommy Seer has (in Jenna’s head) always been her one true love. No current-day, non-chivalrous man can come close to the golden *Tommy Seer* dream.
But what happens when a freak storm transports Jenna back to the year 1987...the year that Tommy Seer disappeared? Soon Jenna is face-to-face with the long-haired (im)perfection that is ‘The Tommy Seer’. She works under him, tries not to succumb to his hot-and-cold attentions, has a glimpse into the dreams of a man who appears to have everything , ALL while trying to eke out an existence in a dark and disturbing 80s New York.
Add to that the unexpected drama that Tommy appears to have been not an unfortunate victim of an accident but the target of a cold and well-planned murder.
Will Jenna lose her mind or will she be able to prevent the death of the one, unattainable man that she truly loved?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Megan Crane has a writing style that can best be described as....*FUN*. She takes a roughly etched plotline, a dithering heroine and a questionable male lead and combines them into a frothy, race-through-the-pages rom-com.
And just when you are on the verge of castigating Jenna Jenkins for being a no-guts, infused-in-rockstar-groupie-glow-numbnuts, she displays a surprising ability to dissect her innermost thoughts with maturity.
DO NOT read this book if you are expecting a concise, teeming with sci-fi awesomeness tale on the intricacies of Time-Travel.
DO read this book if you’ve ever had an almighty crush on an unattainable actor/ singer/ fictional character. When faced with your wildest dream in flesh-and-blood, do you melt into an unenviable puddle or do you, infact, be the Knightess in Scary Pompadour?.
That’s what I Love the Eighties is all about.
March 20, 2015
Classic chick lit writing with a slight plot twist that is equally as unbelievable as any other chick lit plot twist. And yet, though I rolled my eyes more times than I can count, I still read it all - nearly 400-pages.
Wouldn't we all love the chance to go back in time and save the famous rock star that we loved as a teen? Jenna got that chance. Did she succeed? Was tommy her true love? Most importantly, Can the plethora of plot holes be forgiven, regardless of the ending?
I guess, since I did read it and I didn't hate it, the answer is yes. But it's a qualified yes. More of an "I guess...sure...?"
I would have given it another star if there were more 80s references. That's why I read the book in the first place. For the pop culture. I didn't get enough of that, sadly.
Wouldn't we all love the chance to go back in time and save the famous rock star that we loved as a teen? Jenna got that chance. Did she succeed? Was tommy her true love? Most importantly, Can the plethora of plot holes be forgiven, regardless of the ending?
I guess, since I did read it and I didn't hate it, the answer is yes. But it's a qualified yes. More of an "I guess...sure...?"
I would have given it another star if there were more 80s references. That's why I read the book in the first place. For the pop culture. I didn't get enough of that, sadly.
December 27, 2015
Really, I rate this 3.5 stars. I can't give it a full 4 stars because it took too long to get into it. The first few chapters were really tedious to me and I actually put the book down and chose (CHOSE!) to go to bed instead of read. If I hadn't been reading this for a challenge with a deadline looming, I'm not sure I would have picked it back up so soon. And when I did, I was faintly angry about having to finish it. So it says a lot about the book that it could overcome the belligerence I was feeling for it and actually end up being almost a 4 star read. As I said though, it took too long for the book to grab me for me to be able to give it the full four. The first couple of chapters were background/setting up Jenna's character and I think to make us sympathetic to her. Then the next few chapters after she lands in 1987 were extremely tedious to me. It took too long for the realization that she had traveled back in time to come to her and we were stuck in her head the entire time she experiences the differences in NYC between then and now. She finally decides she was dreaming but this didn't help because then we were stuck in her head while she bemoaned the fact that nothing about her idol, famous rock-star Tommy Seer, was as it should be in a dream SHE was having. And during all of this, everyone around her apparently knows who she is and treats her like a doormat. Which she lets them do because this is a DREAM but not one like she's ever had where only good things happen. And all I wanted to do the entire was roll my eyes at her because she's an idiot. Once she realizes that she either really has traveled back in time or is having a coma induced delusion and was stuck in it, she decides she should probably take the opportunity to be who she always wanted to be and not the doormat she's always been. So FINALLY we get to some actual action in the book and a way for the story to move forward. From here it was interesting and you can actually applaud Jenna for being proactive in her new life. I liked who she made herself become, I loved how she went from zombie-eyed groupie to sort of friend to lover with Tommy. I also really liked getting Tommy's POV in the second half of the book.
The book was fairly predictable in the outcome (Jenna and Tommy falling in love, how they resolve the time travel issue) but I did enjoy the ride once we got there. There was a bit of suspense surrounding how Tommy 'died' and it was faintly surprising in end. All in all, I'm glad I read the book and will read this author again - though I will be a bit leery about her ability to get the action going.
The book was fairly predictable in the outcome (Jenna and Tommy falling in love, how they resolve the time travel issue) but I did enjoy the ride once we got there. There was a bit of suspense surrounding how Tommy 'died' and it was faintly surprising in end. All in all, I'm glad I read the book and will read this author again - though I will be a bit leery about her ability to get the action going.
February 19, 2012
I absolutely adored this book! Guilty pleasure at its best. It was such a nice, light-hearted break after some of the more serious and sad stuff I’d been reading (both fiction and non-fiction). As an added plus, I love the 80’s too!!!! If you want a fun, sweet, nostalgia-filled trip to the hair-band era – this is the book for you! I suggest you wait for a free rainy day, to curl up with the book (I couldn’t put it down) .
The book definitely follows the typical romance formula: boy & girl meet unique (time travel!), don’t like each other, grow on one another, fall for each other , conflict/misunderstanding drives them apart, can’t stay apart, lots of sex, very exciting story climax, and together they are able to resolve the conflict. But so many elements of the story make it more than a formulistic romance. I haven’t had this much fun reading, since Susan Elizabeth Phillips Chicago Stars series.
I haven’t read many (if any) time-travel books, but of course I’ve seen quite a few movies with time-travel. The “event” that results in time travel was a little weak, but who cares if you wake up in 1987! The description of 1980’s New York City, fashion, hair styles and pop culture make the trip well worth it. It was also funny to remember how much we didn’t have waaayyyy back then! No Starbucks in Manhattan? Yikes.
I think every girl has had a crush, while growing up (and some of us well into our 40’s), on a Rock Star. Our heroine, Jenna, gets to meet her dream guy, Tommy Seer, in the flesh. Soon however, she discovers that although still physically attracted to him (as most readers will be), she doesn’t necessarily like him. He’s a jerk.
Of course we find out why – the life of fame, fortune, eyeliner, hairspray and 80’s music videos can be empty for a musician who just wants to write and play his music. Awe… Until, of course, our heroine gets under his skin. Jenna, can’t quite believe it, nor act on it, because what if reality doesn’t live up to fantasy? Tommy can’t quite believe someone is telling him “no”, repeatedly. Like I said, a little predictable, yet the author makes the characters so endearing…you can’t stop reading.
A murder mystery and the tricky matter of time travel are subplots that move the story along, rapidly. The chemistry between the characters and Jenna’s funny observations of the caricatures of music industry people in the 1980‘s will make you swoon and laugh out loud. I suspected (and hoped!) Tommy & Jenna would end up together….but I really had no clue, HOW. He of the 1980’s, she of the 21st century, an actual 25 year age difference, and one of them is supposed to die. I just kept reading, I had to know how it would all play out.
The book was such a fun, satisfying ride. I already miss Tommy & Jenna.
This book was published in England, so I had to hunt to get it (I’d read about it on an author’s blog, who is a friend of Megan Crane). It’s worth the hunt! I want to read more Megan Crane.
The book definitely follows the typical romance formula: boy & girl meet unique (time travel!), don’t like each other, grow on one another, fall for each other , conflict/misunderstanding drives them apart, can’t stay apart, lots of sex, very exciting story climax, and together they are able to resolve the conflict. But so many elements of the story make it more than a formulistic romance. I haven’t had this much fun reading, since Susan Elizabeth Phillips Chicago Stars series.
I haven’t read many (if any) time-travel books, but of course I’ve seen quite a few movies with time-travel. The “event” that results in time travel was a little weak, but who cares if you wake up in 1987! The description of 1980’s New York City, fashion, hair styles and pop culture make the trip well worth it. It was also funny to remember how much we didn’t have waaayyyy back then! No Starbucks in Manhattan? Yikes.
I think every girl has had a crush, while growing up (and some of us well into our 40’s), on a Rock Star. Our heroine, Jenna, gets to meet her dream guy, Tommy Seer, in the flesh. Soon however, she discovers that although still physically attracted to him (as most readers will be), she doesn’t necessarily like him. He’s a jerk.
Of course we find out why – the life of fame, fortune, eyeliner, hairspray and 80’s music videos can be empty for a musician who just wants to write and play his music. Awe… Until, of course, our heroine gets under his skin. Jenna, can’t quite believe it, nor act on it, because what if reality doesn’t live up to fantasy? Tommy can’t quite believe someone is telling him “no”, repeatedly. Like I said, a little predictable, yet the author makes the characters so endearing…you can’t stop reading.
A murder mystery and the tricky matter of time travel are subplots that move the story along, rapidly. The chemistry between the characters and Jenna’s funny observations of the caricatures of music industry people in the 1980‘s will make you swoon and laugh out loud. I suspected (and hoped!) Tommy & Jenna would end up together….but I really had no clue, HOW. He of the 1980’s, she of the 21st century, an actual 25 year age difference, and one of them is supposed to die. I just kept reading, I had to know how it would all play out.
The book was such a fun, satisfying ride. I already miss Tommy & Jenna.
This book was published in England, so I had to hunt to get it (I’d read about it on an author’s blog, who is a friend of Megan Crane). It’s worth the hunt! I want to read more Megan Crane.
April 11, 2015
This really was a fun amazing read.
I just loved how you get sucked right into the 80's along with Jenna and start seeing shoulder pads, teased puffy hair, KEDS, legging, big shirts, and boomboxes......and start humming music from Duran Duran, Wham, U2, Rick Springfield, etc. (and amazely enough still knowing the words).
The author does a remarkable job bringing back to life the 80's in NYC.
Poor Jenna has gone back in time to meet her idol/crush Tommy Seer face to face and does a remarkable job of looking and acting like a braindead ditz......leaving no doubt in the eyes of the band that she is a fan. I guess her zombie-like eyes give her away and lessen Tommy's respect for her. Yes, she makes a fool of herself but she gets her act together and in doing so Tommy starts to feel some major attraction to her.
They both start to feel the heat and Tommy realizes there is more to this feeling then he has ever felt before as he actually starts craving her. Drawn into Tommy's spell Jenna starts falling in love with the real man and not just a poster.
In falling in love with Tommy, Jenna starts to remember all those facts about the band that she has absorbed over the years.....and realizes Tommy's deadly accident is fast approaching and she needs to save him.... This really puts her in a bind because how can she confess to knowing this without looking batshit crazy????? She decides to investigate and protect him on her and discovers there might be more to this accident then she thought.
This book really does a wonderful job describing both their thoughts and emotions so that you really feel like you understand where they are coming from. (sometimes it felt like a little too much, as feeling and thoughts kept getting repeated/sometimes less is better).
I enjoyed this blast back to the past and meeting some of the big names in music while reliving 1987.
I just loved how you get sucked right into the 80's along with Jenna and start seeing shoulder pads, teased puffy hair, KEDS, legging, big shirts, and boomboxes......and start humming music from Duran Duran, Wham, U2, Rick Springfield, etc. (and amazely enough still knowing the words).
The author does a remarkable job bringing back to life the 80's in NYC.
Poor Jenna has gone back in time to meet her idol/crush Tommy Seer face to face and does a remarkable job of looking and acting like a braindead ditz......leaving no doubt in the eyes of the band that she is a fan. I guess her zombie-like eyes give her away and lessen Tommy's respect for her. Yes, she makes a fool of herself but she gets her act together and in doing so Tommy starts to feel some major attraction to her.
They both start to feel the heat and Tommy realizes there is more to this feeling then he has ever felt before as he actually starts craving her. Drawn into Tommy's spell Jenna starts falling in love with the real man and not just a poster.
In falling in love with Tommy, Jenna starts to remember all those facts about the band that she has absorbed over the years.....and realizes Tommy's deadly accident is fast approaching and she needs to save him.... This really puts her in a bind because how can she confess to knowing this without looking batshit crazy????? She decides to investigate and protect him on her and discovers there might be more to this accident then she thought.
This book really does a wonderful job describing both their thoughts and emotions so that you really feel like you understand where they are coming from. (sometimes it felt like a little too much, as feeling and thoughts kept getting repeated/sometimes less is better).
I enjoyed this blast back to the past and meeting some of the big names in music while reliving 1987.
May 12, 2011
Boy, did this one bring back some memories!! Celebrating my 40th birthday in December, the 80's have been on my mind a lot...80's themed rocker b'day party, listening to the 80's station on XM, and being subjected to really bad 80's movies with their equally bad actors (thank you Marc Singer for parading around town and the mother ship with your shirt half buttoned). So when I started reading this book...I was in heaven.
We find Jenna Jenkins who, at 35, is working at a low end job at an all 80's tv show and still obsessed with anything Tommy Seer...lead singer for the 80's band Wild Child, who died tragically. While rummaging through the supply closet one night, she ends up getting transported back to the fall of 1987.
Reliving some of Jenna's 80's moments were hysterical (the receptionist with the Princess Diana pompador, the high waisted jeans). I know I remember all of those and was glad to know that my Wham dayglo gloves are long gone!
When Jenna steps out of the closet and into 1987, she suddenly finds herself involved with Wild Child at one of their best TV moments. From there, she's suddenly made Tommy's "assistant" and discovers he's not at all the man she had built him up to be in her mind. As a matter of fact he turns out to be quite the ass.
We find out why Tommy's the way he is. We see the relationship change between Jenna and Tommy and figure out what happened that tragic night when Tommy died back in the fall of 1987. But more importantly, we get to witness Jenna growing up and understanding why things went south when she was 20 years in the future. Who knew a trip back to our early teen years could do that???
Excellent story, awesome characters!
We find Jenna Jenkins who, at 35, is working at a low end job at an all 80's tv show and still obsessed with anything Tommy Seer...lead singer for the 80's band Wild Child, who died tragically. While rummaging through the supply closet one night, she ends up getting transported back to the fall of 1987.
Reliving some of Jenna's 80's moments were hysterical (the receptionist with the Princess Diana pompador, the high waisted jeans). I know I remember all of those and was glad to know that my Wham dayglo gloves are long gone!
When Jenna steps out of the closet and into 1987, she suddenly finds herself involved with Wild Child at one of their best TV moments. From there, she's suddenly made Tommy's "assistant" and discovers he's not at all the man she had built him up to be in her mind. As a matter of fact he turns out to be quite the ass.
We find out why Tommy's the way he is. We see the relationship change between Jenna and Tommy and figure out what happened that tragic night when Tommy died back in the fall of 1987. But more importantly, we get to witness Jenna growing up and understanding why things went south when she was 20 years in the future. Who knew a trip back to our early teen years could do that???
Excellent story, awesome characters!
February 26, 2014
The lovely lady recommended me I Love the 80s by Megan Crane and I am so glad she did, I absolutely loved this story. The title is very catchy and so is the cover with the choice of colours. I read the blurb and thought: Sounds interesting and different.
Jenna is a total 80ties girl, but she lives in the 21st century. Well, her office is covered with 80ties posters and pics, the most important one: Tommy Seer her forever musician crush.
Her boyfriend left her and she is still not herself, after 8 months. She lives in her own little world, where everything is about the 80ties.
A freak accident sends her back to 1987. First she thinks she is dreaming all this, but it gets more real with every second she’s there.
And she gets to meet Tommy and she can spend a lot of time with him.
Of course she was really confused first and I loved the scenes where she tried to figure out what happened to her.
Tommy Seer, with his gorgeous green eyes. It turns out, he’s not who Jenna thinks he is. He is different and she gets to know him from a total different angle. I liked that he was very different from other main male characters and I needed my time to understand him, which is a good thing though.
Their start is a bit difficult, because he only thinks she’s a groupie, but I love the way their relationship developed.
Jenna knows that someone is trying to kill Tommy, she also knows when he dies and so she tries to find out more about it.
The two of them get closer and Jenna enjoys getting to know the real Tommy, she is falling in love. One of my favourite scenes in the book was, when Tommy suddenly realised what he actually feels for Jenna. The way Megan wrote this was just perfect in my eyes.
Of course there is still the fact that Jenna travelled back in time, how to explain something like this? Well, eventually she has to tell Tommy and he doesn’t believe her. She’s back on the stalker/groupie status. She doesn’t give up and still wants to safe Tommy.
One thing she says, changes his opinion and he’s finally true to himself and Jenna.
I loved the ending, it was full of drama and action and it was so fascinating.
It was great to see Jenna change and become herself again. Tommy and Jenna are so perfect together, not the typical couple, which I really liked. They way they understand each other and treat each other is special and magical.
An amazing novel with so much drama and love. It’s romantic, believable, funny… it’s BRILLIANT and so gripping, I couldn’t put the book down. ♥ ♥
Jenna is a total 80ties girl, but she lives in the 21st century. Well, her office is covered with 80ties posters and pics, the most important one: Tommy Seer her forever musician crush.
Her boyfriend left her and she is still not herself, after 8 months. She lives in her own little world, where everything is about the 80ties.
A freak accident sends her back to 1987. First she thinks she is dreaming all this, but it gets more real with every second she’s there.
And she gets to meet Tommy and she can spend a lot of time with him.
Of course she was really confused first and I loved the scenes where she tried to figure out what happened to her.
Tommy Seer, with his gorgeous green eyes. It turns out, he’s not who Jenna thinks he is. He is different and she gets to know him from a total different angle. I liked that he was very different from other main male characters and I needed my time to understand him, which is a good thing though.
Their start is a bit difficult, because he only thinks she’s a groupie, but I love the way their relationship developed.
Jenna knows that someone is trying to kill Tommy, she also knows when he dies and so she tries to find out more about it.
The two of them get closer and Jenna enjoys getting to know the real Tommy, she is falling in love. One of my favourite scenes in the book was, when Tommy suddenly realised what he actually feels for Jenna. The way Megan wrote this was just perfect in my eyes.
Of course there is still the fact that Jenna travelled back in time, how to explain something like this? Well, eventually she has to tell Tommy and he doesn’t believe her. She’s back on the stalker/groupie status. She doesn’t give up and still wants to safe Tommy.
One thing she says, changes his opinion and he’s finally true to himself and Jenna.
I loved the ending, it was full of drama and action and it was so fascinating.
It was great to see Jenna change and become herself again. Tommy and Jenna are so perfect together, not the typical couple, which I really liked. They way they understand each other and treat each other is special and magical.
An amazing novel with so much drama and love. It’s romantic, believable, funny… it’s BRILLIANT and so gripping, I couldn’t put the book down. ♥ ♥
August 8, 2015
I thought it could have been better. Jenna goes back in time and gets to know her childhood music idol, who just happened to die an untimely death. At first the 80s references irked me. (I love the 80s, it's why I downloaded the book, so there is no need to explain Phil Collins.) Then, as Jenna is trying to decide if she's dreaming or in a padded room suffering from a mental breakdown, it is so painfully clear who the mystery person's life she's inhabiting actually is. (So not a breakthrough.) Through the whole book I figured who brought about the death of her idol.
It wasn't awful, but I just thought it could have been better.
It wasn't awful, but I just thought it could have been better.
February 19, 2018
I read this almost 1.5 years ago (I’m horrible about moving books out of my currently reading queue). I picked this because I was bored and it mentioned the 80’s (yes, I am the cliched person who loves the 80’s). This book was so surprising, and so quirky, and so.... good!! It had time travel, romance, intrigue, silliness, and still managed to have an HEA for all that. I loved it. Just enough kitsch without being completely annoying. I wish there were other books out there like this, but some books just feel like lightning striking, and this was one of those books.
August 1, 2013
This about how Jenna Jenkins was trying to save Tommy Seer, a rock star after she go back into 1987.
At first, I don't think that I would like Jenna character because she is too much idolize Tommy Seer, a rock star in 1987. Then, after she lost the groupie eyes, I was amazed with her determination to save her love even when Tommy was choosing not to believe her. And I like about how the author twist about the murderer.
At first, I don't think that I would like Jenna character because she is too much idolize Tommy Seer, a rock star in 1987. Then, after she lost the groupie eyes, I was amazed with her determination to save her love even when Tommy was choosing not to believe her. And I like about how the author twist about the murderer.
April 28, 2013
I was surprised by the average rating of this book compared to the last one I read, this was still a good read and I did enjoy it (after all who doesnt love the eighties), and I felt that the writer is totally on my wavelength but the ending was for me just too ridiculous. I wont spoil it for you, but many people most likely loved it, I just worry about time rifts and stuff.
May 11, 2011
I loved the '80s so I was really looking forward to reading this book. It started out a tad slow but once it got going, it picked up momentum. The second half is definitely better than the first half. It's a fun story and I enjoyed it!
*3.5 stars*
*3.5 stars*
April 19, 2015
I absolutely LOVED this book! It was perfect! The writing, the story itself, the characters, the plot...everything was absolutely amazing! Definitely worth the read and I will definitely be reading more from this author!
June 8, 2015
I Love the 80s was entertaining and enjoyable. The latter half of the story did collapse in on itself for me, though, as the time travel elements contradicted itself. After finishing this book, I did want to watch movies and listen to music from the 1980s. The book had a great presence.
February 21, 2012
3.5 star.
Purely because it reminded me of simpler time back in the 80's. Plus I'm a huge romantic so that helped too. Nice read. :)
Purely because it reminded me of simpler time back in the 80's. Plus I'm a huge romantic so that helped too. Nice read. :)
June 27, 2013
Really good book loved the characters, story lines and numerous references to one of my fave movies "Eddie and the cruisers" :)
July 26, 2015
I love Megan Crane. This book was really cute! If you watched early MTV and grew up in the 80's this is the book for you.
April 24, 2015
Genre: time travel/romance
It is a different story. Very far fetched for me. Brought back a lot of memories. The characters had no depth.
It is a different story. Very far fetched for me. Brought back a lot of memories. The characters had no depth.
April 9, 2015
I love time travel books and was an 80's child so this appealed to me. Probably not so much for someone who doesn't fit that demographic
April 16, 2015
I loved all the references to the 80s, but I felt like it was too wordy in some spots. It made the book seem really long
September 16, 2016
Nice quick read, cute story, but the ending is basically shouted at you from the first page. Oh well.
September 11, 2021
This is a perfect book for fangirls and lovers of the 80s.
It revolves around the story of Jenna, an employee who works in the 80s themed cable channel. She finds herself in a slump and developing a very unhealthy obsession over her childhood crush Tommy Seer, especially after breaking up her engagement with her fiance. Even her career is suffering from a slump that her promotion may be in peril. Then one night, while staying late in her office, the inclement weather sort of caused a power trip off. She went to their storage closet for a light replacement, and after a few mishaps inside, she realized that she was transported back in time, more importantly merely three weeks before Tommy Seer's impending "death." Now it is up to her to find out what really happened and, better yet, how she could prevent it from happening.
Time travel, for me, is a very tricky trope. I imagine how strenuous the process is to pull off an engaging love story being tested by time or something like that. Truth be told, I was having a high expectation on this one and at the same time, I was also anxious because being born in the said decade, I put everything 80s to high regard. It was what convinced me to read this book...and give this author a try in the first place. The first few chapters were a bit touch and go. But as it progressed, I suddenly found myself captivated and eager to find out how their story ends. And I am so happy it did not disappoint. Also, I was a bit proud of myself that I was able to predict the first plot twist right, and I thought maybe this is predictable as a whole. It was not the case, however. And I am somewhat glad because that just means that the author did a perfect job gluing you to your seats while reading. The ending may be short if you ask me. But later, it also made me realize that it is enough to give us closure and gush over the story and move on.
Character-wise, I love Jenna as a heroine. She has spunk. Her sarcasm is on point; it keeps the chauvinist men of the 80s on their toes. Tommy as a hero, meanwhile, is okay. There are times he makes me wonder if he is swoon-worthy (I would just remind myself that he lives during the time when cinnamon roll heroes are not a thing. Hehehe!), but ultimately, he still was able to really hold the entire story together.
Finally, aside from its great love story, I think one of the best things about this book is how honest and raw the author represented the setting during the said decade. How limited the resources were during that time, especially if you compare it to our present times. Because of this, it pretty much made me understand why we put this decade on a pedestal. Not because everything was beautiful, but how life was less complicated back then gives us bittersweet nostalgia. In other words, this book can give you a grasp of the essence and appeal of nostalgia.
This is my first book from the author, and I am so happy she did not disappoint. I will definitely try to read another novel from her soon.
It revolves around the story of Jenna, an employee who works in the 80s themed cable channel. She finds herself in a slump and developing a very unhealthy obsession over her childhood crush Tommy Seer, especially after breaking up her engagement with her fiance. Even her career is suffering from a slump that her promotion may be in peril. Then one night, while staying late in her office, the inclement weather sort of caused a power trip off. She went to their storage closet for a light replacement, and after a few mishaps inside, she realized that she was transported back in time, more importantly merely three weeks before Tommy Seer's impending "death." Now it is up to her to find out what really happened and, better yet, how she could prevent it from happening.
Time travel, for me, is a very tricky trope. I imagine how strenuous the process is to pull off an engaging love story being tested by time or something like that. Truth be told, I was having a high expectation on this one and at the same time, I was also anxious because being born in the said decade, I put everything 80s to high regard. It was what convinced me to read this book...and give this author a try in the first place. The first few chapters were a bit touch and go. But as it progressed, I suddenly found myself captivated and eager to find out how their story ends. And I am so happy it did not disappoint. Also, I was a bit proud of myself that I was able to predict the first plot twist right, and I thought maybe this is predictable as a whole. It was not the case, however. And I am somewhat glad because that just means that the author did a perfect job gluing you to your seats while reading. The ending may be short if you ask me. But later, it also made me realize that it is enough to give us closure and gush over the story and move on.
Character-wise, I love Jenna as a heroine. She has spunk. Her sarcasm is on point; it keeps the chauvinist men of the 80s on their toes. Tommy as a hero, meanwhile, is okay. There are times he makes me wonder if he is swoon-worthy (I would just remind myself that he lives during the time when cinnamon roll heroes are not a thing. Hehehe!), but ultimately, he still was able to really hold the entire story together.
Finally, aside from its great love story, I think one of the best things about this book is how honest and raw the author represented the setting during the said decade. How limited the resources were during that time, especially if you compare it to our present times. Because of this, it pretty much made me understand why we put this decade on a pedestal. Not because everything was beautiful, but how life was less complicated back then gives us bittersweet nostalgia. In other words, this book can give you a grasp of the essence and appeal of nostalgia.
This is my first book from the author, and I am so happy she did not disappoint. I will definitely try to read another novel from her soon.
May 26, 2022
If this book had a theme song it would be "hungry eyes" by Eric Carmen.
This book was so much fun. I really love time travel stories but this time our protagonist didn't get send back to medieval Scotland or 19th century engeland, but 80s America. This book was full of tacky 80s clothing and pop culture references.
I really didn't care for the "falling in lust" element but that's just personal taste. Even though I really don't like the trope I can say with confidence that it was written really well.
This was honestly a perfect book for the fan girl in me. The main character was so relatable it actually hurt.
"So maybe it wasn’t so surprising that when her real-life love had turned out to be fake, she’d reverted back to the fantasy love that had never done her wrong and never, ever would. Maybe that was the point."
The author brings a lot of inside on the world of celebrities and fandom.
"After all, when idols lived, they tended to topple off their pedestals, change dramatically."
Our main character really had some astronomical character development.
Her seeing the flaws in herself and the reason why her previous relatioships failed.
And the angst 80% in was SO delicious. I wanted more grovelling though. Never really seen the "love interest is wrongfuly accused of being crazy" but It was so deliciously angsty.
I didn't really care that much for Tommy. Her was just the bad-boy "thats kind of an asshole but its ok cuz he has a tragic backstory archetype". But he was alright. I like my men mean and emotionally unavailable.
The mystery aspect was really not strong, but this book wasn't a mystery thriller but a rom-com so I won't hold it accountable.
This book was so much fun. I really love time travel stories but this time our protagonist didn't get send back to medieval Scotland or 19th century engeland, but 80s America. This book was full of tacky 80s clothing and pop culture references.
I really didn't care for the "falling in lust" element but that's just personal taste. Even though I really don't like the trope I can say with confidence that it was written really well.
This was honestly a perfect book for the fan girl in me. The main character was so relatable it actually hurt.
"So maybe it wasn’t so surprising that when her real-life love had turned out to be fake, she’d reverted back to the fantasy love that had never done her wrong and never, ever would. Maybe that was the point."
The author brings a lot of inside on the world of celebrities and fandom.
"After all, when idols lived, they tended to topple off their pedestals, change dramatically."
Our main character really had some astronomical character development.
Her seeing the flaws in herself and the reason why her previous relatioships failed.
And the angst 80% in was SO delicious. I wanted more grovelling though. Never really seen the "love interest is wrongfuly accused of being crazy" but It was so deliciously angsty.
I didn't really care that much for Tommy. Her was just the bad-boy "thats kind of an asshole but its ok cuz he has a tragic backstory archetype". But he was alright. I like my men mean and emotionally unavailable.
The mystery aspect was really not strong, but this book wasn't a mystery thriller but a rom-com so I won't hold it accountable.
July 19, 2020
This was an interesting take on the time travel trope. Jenna’s a character many can relate to. Broken-hearted, plodding along in life and harboring a long-time crush on an untouchable celebrity. Who hasn’t been there?
She needs zest, drive, and ambition, maybe a little organization wouldn’t hurt either. She has a crystal-clear memory of all things Tommy Seer and a lot of eighties knowledge which help her navigate the decade when she finds herself thrust back there in the body of her favorite Aunt.
I enjoyed the body swap element, though it would have been great to also read Aunt Jen’s experience in Jenna’s time.
The references to the eighties were sparse but more realistic than the bubble-gum version many books take. Grittier and relevant to the plot.
It took a couple of chapters to become immersed in Jenna’s world but once I did, I found it hard to put down.
Tommy was a typical rock star at the beginning, arrogant and cruel, taking advantage of Jenna’s crush. As she gets to know him, his hidden depths begin to show, and Jenna realizes her childhood crush was superficial.
Their relationship progresses and Jenna is living many a fan’s fantasies.
But the shadow of Tommy’s death lingers. There are clues and it’s not too difficult to figure out what’s going to happen, but it’s still fun to read.
She needs zest, drive, and ambition, maybe a little organization wouldn’t hurt either. She has a crystal-clear memory of all things Tommy Seer and a lot of eighties knowledge which help her navigate the decade when she finds herself thrust back there in the body of her favorite Aunt.
I enjoyed the body swap element, though it would have been great to also read Aunt Jen’s experience in Jenna’s time.
The references to the eighties were sparse but more realistic than the bubble-gum version many books take. Grittier and relevant to the plot.
It took a couple of chapters to become immersed in Jenna’s world but once I did, I found it hard to put down.
Tommy was a typical rock star at the beginning, arrogant and cruel, taking advantage of Jenna’s crush. As she gets to know him, his hidden depths begin to show, and Jenna realizes her childhood crush was superficial.
Their relationship progresses and Jenna is living many a fan’s fantasies.
But the shadow of Tommy’s death lingers. There are clues and it’s not too difficult to figure out what’s going to happen, but it’s still fun to read.
November 3, 2020
Back to the Future as a mystery.
My favorite all time movie from the eighties is Back to the Future. A well crafted movie with a cast of characters that keeps you believing that your actually part of the story. This one takes place in the 2000s. When a girl is transported to 1987 to save her favorite rock star from being murdered. There were funny moments in this story that had me chuckling out loud and moments when I wanted to see how they could change to the past to get back to the Future!
My favorite all time movie from the eighties is Back to the Future. A well crafted movie with a cast of characters that keeps you believing that your actually part of the story. This one takes place in the 2000s. When a girl is transported to 1987 to save her favorite rock star from being murdered. There were funny moments in this story that had me chuckling out loud and moments when I wanted to see how they could change to the past to get back to the Future!
February 9, 2025
Time travel is inherently interesting. How can you get a time travel romance set in the 80s wrong?
The love interest was so surface level I can’t name a single personality trait, or even a physical trait. I think he wore jeans? I didn’t care about the characters but it wasn’t super boring. I think it had the makings of a far better book if it had delivered more on its plot and fleshed out its characters.
The love interest was so surface level I can’t name a single personality trait, or even a physical trait. I think he wore jeans? I didn’t care about the characters but it wasn’t super boring. I think it had the makings of a far better book if it had delivered more on its plot and fleshed out its characters.
June 3, 2017
I have a thing for the music from the 80s, too. Maybe not so much the clothes or hairstyles, though. LOL. I also really liked Jenna and Tommy. Both characters had so much going for them - yet they wanted to go in different directions. And kudos to Aunt Jen in how she left the clues! All in all, a fantastic read and a keeper.
December 26, 2020
Shelf purge re-read.
I remember not loving this book quite as much as I wanted to when I first bought it
The cover on mine is very pink and 80’s looking, not romance novel bad like the one pictured here.
I mean, it’s okay. I got halfway through before I started to skim it.
Sending it off to a new home now.
I remember not loving this book quite as much as I wanted to when I first bought it
The cover on mine is very pink and 80’s looking, not romance novel bad like the one pictured here.
I mean, it’s okay. I got halfway through before I started to skim it.
Sending it off to a new home now.
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