Just Don't Call Me Yours by Heather GarvinStar Rating:
Spice Level:
Series: Just Yours #1
Also in this series: I Just Want To Be Yours
Published by Tuskan Publishing on 03/15/2024
Genres: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy
Format: DRC (315 pages)
Source: NetGalley
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Sometimes it's hard to strike the right chord.
Margot Reid has everything prepared for her first year of college. She picked her major, registered early for classes, and even brought the perfect roommate.
The one thing she didn’t plan for is the annoying guy who plays guitar across the hall.
Jackson Phillips may be insanely good looking, but he’s also insufferable. From the moment Margot confronts him about his constant playing, the one thing they can agree on is wanting to avoid each other at all costs. It seems like a solid plan.
That is, until their roommates and closest friends start dating. Then every study date and late night forces them together.
Whatever pull they feel between them is purely physical. It has to be. At least, that’s what Margot tells herself. She’s smart enough to know falling for Jackson Phillips would be a disaster. Especially when he leaves campus to become a rockstar, and she’s still studying in her dorm.
But Jackson isn’t about to let her off that easy.
Well, color me shocked. I didn’t think I liked the rockstar romance trope, but apparently, I was very, VERY wrong.
Jackson Phillips may come off as a sarcastic, uncaring, rockstar playboy, but deep down, he’s a loyal, loving, tender-hearted teddy bear. And he loves to play the guitar—like, a lot. All Jackson wants is to be in a band and go on tour. However, Jackson’s dad thinks he’d be throwing his life away and vehemently disapproves of Jackson’s musical dreams. So Jackson is begrudgingly attending his first semester at the University of South Florida with his best friend, Matt. But Jackson doesn’t have time for college distractions. American Thieves, one of his favorite indie bands, is looking for a new guitarist. All he’s got to do is smash the audition, become American Thieves’ new guitarist, drop out of school, and go on tour. Dad’s approval be damned.
Margot Reid loves to write (have you read her blog?). Despite her parents’ disappointment, she has decided to major in journalism and attend college hundreds of miles from home. Margot desperately wants to be a reporter and has everything planned out. Tackling college in South Florida with her best friend, Rae, is only step one. Step two is acing all her classes and proving to her parents that journalism isn’t a joke. It should be easy, right? It would be if the guy across the hall would stop playing the guitar and let her sleep!
Margot and Jackson meet under the worst circumstances. The night before their first day of college classes, Jackson is practicing nonstop for his audition, and unlike Margot, he is utterly unconcerned that classes start at 8 a.m. Sleep-deprived and angry, Margot knocks on Jackson’s door—at 2 a.m.— to get him to stop playing, and Jackson refuses. Who does this guy think he is? But Jackson can’t stop. All his hopes and dreams, his whole life, depend on this audition.
First impressions are hard to overcome; Margot thinks Jackson is the most entitled and inconsiderate person she’s ever met. Jackson thinks Margot hates him, and he gets a kick out of irritating her. Two people have never disliked each other more. He calls her Red; she hates it. She thinks his “alternative music” is noise; he thinks she’s “predictable”. But Jackson and Margot are more alike than they could ever imagine. When their best friends start dating, they are forced to spend time together despite their mutual loathing. Their back-and-forth bickering becomes second nature (and kinda fun), and it turns out that there is a very thin line between love and hate. Margot and Jackson walk that razor’s edge until they can’t deny their attraction anymore. And once they’ve let go of their inhibitions, it’s not long before strong feelings creep in and take over.
This book ticked all the boxes for me. A+ music references (except for briefly hating on Fleetwood Mac; I mean, come on, who can hate on Stevie), a sexy MMC in a band (I will swoon for a guitar player any day), a strong FMC with a type A personality (someone I can personally identify with), and flirty banter for days. Yes, yes, yes, and yes! The only thing I found slightly unbelievable is how confident Jackson is (in all areas). My first year of college would have been a wholly different experience if the boys in my class had 1/57th as much confidence as Jackson. But that aside, Holy hell, Margot and Jackson are made for each other. Their quips are sublime; you can cut the tension with a knife, and when they finally get together…It’s. So. Good.
The songs that Margot & Jackson talk about and share throughout the book are just—Chef’s Kiss. I’ve been listening to AM on repeat since I finished Just Don’t Call Me Yours. I don’t know if it was intentional (or if I’m just an elder millennial who finds it easier to speak through song lyrics), but the story is enhanced 10-fold by the lyrics of the songs mentioned. If you aren’t familiar with any of the music in the book (and even if you are), I highly recommend listening to the songs while you are reading. You can thank me later.
Secrets I have held in my heart
Song: ‘I Wanna Be Yours’ – Band: Arctic Monkeys – Album: AM
Are harder to hide than I thought
Maybe I just wanna be yours
I wanna be yours, I wanna be yours
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