31, 5 Star reviews on Amazon, Bert Murray's Colin Preston Rocked And Rolled, "a funny, tender, bittersweet story"

[Bert]

Colin Preston Rocked And Rolled

My name is Bert Murray and I wanted to share with you some of the great reviews for my novel, Colin Preston Rocked And Rolled.

First, here is the description for the novel:

A Poignant Story You Won't Forget About College Life... FALL SEMESTER. BEST FRIENDS FOREVER. FRAT PARTIES. HOOKUPS. FIRST LOVE. SECRETS. BETRAYALS. ADOLESCENT ANGST.

Handsome, New York City, Beatles-music-obsessed prep school graduate, Colin falls for free spirit and wild child Jasmine from Laguna Beach, California in this teenage love story.

Green eyes, high cheekbones, long blond hair. He thinks she's beautiful.

Colin finds himself madly in love with Jasmine, believes he has met "the one" and experiences all the agony and ecstasy of a first romance.

Dating Jasmine turns out to be an emotional roller coaster ride that changes Colin's life forever...

(Colin Preston Rocked And Rolled is a New Adult College Romance/Coming-Of-Age Novel. Mature content. For ages 18 and up.)


And here are some reviews:

5 stars, Goodreads review

by Dietricha

This is a funny, tender, bittersweet story about a young college student who falls in love with the most beautiful girl on campus. I truly didn't expect to like it, I confess, because I do not like coming of age stories in general but I LOVED it! The story is well executed, the characters have depth. Plus it has woven through it the classic soundtracks of the Beatles. I don't believe it is possible that this is Murray's first novel, it is too sharp, too smart, too sexy to be anyone's first writing effort. I eagerly look forward to Murray's future works. 5 Stars, Very Enjoyable


5 Stars Amazon Review by Mary E

I really enjoyed this coming of age story. The author's unique and authentic voice works well in the narrative. The main character is well drawn and it is easy to empathise with Colin's frustrations, betrayal and heart - break. Colin is a typical student whose story is common to many young men I met during my college days.
It is often that first betrayal and ensuing rawness that can turn men into a cad for life. Somehow the author keeps this story fresh and avoids the usual clichés while offering valuable insight into male vulnerability.


5 Stars Goodreads review by Angie

I really loved this book. I rarely read books from a male point of view but this one was very amusing. Colin is a typical 19 year old college student and Jasmine is a free spirit. Colin falls in love with Jasmine but sadly she does not feel the same.. Friendship, love, and partying makes a fun read. I love all the song references. All in all a great book and one I would love to read again...



4 Stars, Amazon Review

By

Gretchen R (Detroit, MI, US)

Colin DOES rock!

This is a fantastic book by a great author. Lovely characters, relatable and passionate. This story will keep you captivated from beginning to end.



5 Stars Amazon Review, by Kallie

Heart warming

My family vacationed in this area and I bought this book out of curiosity and absolutely loved it. My brothers both went to University close by and visiting we always had a great time reminiscing about our younger days. Their college experience was not as exactly like Colin's. Great book.


5 Stars, Amazon Review

by Veronica

Great book!

I loved this book! This is a great teenage love story with true feelings and actions. It will be interesting to college students as well as their parents and grand parents. Actually I strongly recommend this book to all parents everywhere - read it to know your children better, their desires and inspirations, potential issues and recoveries.



5* review by author, Geoffrey West

Excellent, thought-provoking book that's set to become a classic

This is a really really genuinely good book. It makes you think. It makes you angry. And it makes you sad. Most of all it makes you think: "I've been there, I know just how he's feeling."

The most absorbing aspect for me was the character of Colin Preston, the Beatle-music-obsessed hero. Even though he doesn't profess to be a particularly good guy, he can't help his true character coming out in the way he behaves and the things he does and the way he treats other people.

It's an account of teenage Colin finding his way forward at a confused time, of his all-consuming passionate love affair that takes over his life and that makes him blind to realities. We've all fallen in love and things have gone wrong, but this book encapsulates precisely the way that love can chew you up and spit you out, and you're powerless to stop it.

Like all basically decent people, Colin is bemused and confused by treachery, falseness and other people's selfishness. We feel his shock and misery, and his deep deep unhappiness and confusion. It's largely about the sad hopelessness of true love, and also about cruelty. But it's also about the realities of life and how they smack you in the face: what do you do when your friend is better looking than you are, more attractive to women. It's a fact, and it's hard to get used to. And this must resonate with thousands and millions of men who've felt and thought: "Why does the other guy get the girl, when he's not even nice? Why can't I get girls when I'm a nicer person than he is?"

'Colin Preston Rocked and Rolled' put me in mind of that classic 'Catcher in the Rye'. There's the same teenage angst, the same struggle for a man who just wants to do the right thing, yet winds up at rock bottom. It has the same passion and feeling in the pages that makes you want to read on. And it's a weird kind of coincidence that the man who shot John Lennon happened to be obsessed with that same book. Maybe John Lennon's music reaches out to a certain type of person, and always has done.

All the characters live and breathe. I liked the older lady teacher who Colin befriended, but the masterpiece of the book, for me, was the character of Chester, the weirdo outcast who no one likes, but whom Colin befriends and tries to help. Chester is a sad character, but, as far as he can, Colin does the decent thing and helps him all he can, and we feel for poor old Chester, the type of person we've all come across, and most of us avoid. The crux of the story is what Colin did for Chester. At the time he met Chester, Colin had everything going for him, yet still made the effort to be friends with the loner, because he's a nice, kind-hearted guy, who just wants to do the right thing, and reach out to pull someone out of the gutter if he can. He helps Chester and he goes on helping Chester.

While it's an easy very accessible read, it's got many many ideas in it that are profound and get you thinking.

I hope there's a sequel. I want to know how Colin gets on 20 years on, and I really hope he's happy.

If you like Beatles music you'll like this book, but you'll like it even if you don't. The music plays an important backdrop to Colin's moods and feelings, but the moods and feelings are vividly described anyway and you soon build up a rapport with Colin.

This book seems like a real classic to me, something you remember for a long time afterwards. Anyone who's interested in love, relationships, treachery, decency and the sadness of loss and the excitement of new relationships, or of someone entering adulthood and not knowing how to handle it, will like this book.

It's absorbing, and it's heart warming. Most of all it's got a lead character you can really like. It's a feelgood book that really makes you think. Start reading it and you won't want to put it down. Don't miss it, I believe it's going to be a classic.

Geoffrey West
author, Rock'n'Roll Suicide
Rock'n'Roll Suicide



5 Stars Amazon Review Of Colin Preston Rocked And Rolled by author and top 500 reviewer, Christoph Fischer

Rating: 5 Stars

Excellent

Format:Kindle Edition

"Colin Preston Rocked And Rolled" by Bert Murray is a great coming of age story set on a campus in the 1980s. Colin Preston, a very likeable and interesting main character dates a very attractive but difficult girl and some of his friends have also a lot of baggage and issues that impact on Colin's life. For example, Chester with his psychological problems and cocky Karl who turns into a love rival.

The student life is a great background for the growing up that the characters have to do; anybody who was around at that time will appreciate the many witty references of cinematic and musical nature.

The book took me down my own memory lane and astonished me with its authentic feel of those days. I found the style to be warm and charming in many ways but without ever making the more serious notes feel out of place. It reads as realistic as a memoir with engaging characters and multiple plotlines.

A real treat.

Christoph Fischer
author, Time To Let Go

[Bert]

Colin Preston Rocked And Rolled

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31, 5 Star & 24, 4 Star Reviews on Amazon.com

"The ecstasy and agony of first love"

5* "Bad boy Karl had just the right amount of vulnerability about him to stop him from being a complete loser and Chester, for all his flaws, his foibles was simply adorable" - goodreads review

5* "The novel is chock full of interesting characters, beautiful people, enthusiastic sex and adolescent angst." - goodreads review

5* "It's a feelgood book that really makes you think. Start reading it and you won't want to put it down." - author, Geoffrey West

5* "While reading, I almost felt like I was in college again and experienced all those emotions that were once so important and volatile." - goodreads review

5* "If you liked Catcher in the Rye, The Outsiders and Prep you will love this book. Kudos to the author on an amazing first novel." - amazon review

5* "The book is often funny, sometimes poignant and always entertaining, a great read!" - amazon review