Blog Tour: 'B-Side' by Elle Field!

Etta Millhouse has always had big musical ambitions to match her big voice, but she’s also got three very big problems - the addiction she won’t admit to, her godmother’s illness she can no longer ignore, and her godmother’s useless business partner (who she wishes she could ignore). 
Keeping an eye on Arielle’s bad business decisions is the last thing Etta wants to do when she’s offered the chance to record a demo with a top producer. But, a promise is a promise, even if it has her reaching for another pick-me-up... And then another. And then one more. 
When the secret she must keep for her godmother, Felicity, sends her drug habit spiralling out of control, can Etta battle her demons in time and make her dream happen? Or, will her music career be over before it’s even begun?
Today I'm really excited to be part of the blog tour for Elle Field's latest release, 'B-Side'! 'B-Side' is part 2.5 of Elle's Arielle Lockley series and provides us readers with an insight into the life of another one of the characters in the series, namely Etta Millhouse. I've really enjoyed the other parts of the series so far, so I was excited and curious to read this extra instalment and look at things from another character's perspective for a change. Be sure to also check out some of the other stops on the blog tour, you can visit Elle's Blog to view all the stops, and enter the giveaway which you can find at the bottom of this blog post!
It has always been Etta Millhouse's dream to become a famous singer; music is her passion and she couldn't imagine doing anything else. So when she is finally offered the chance to record an actual demo, she's over the moon. However, as with any dream, Etta has to face quite a number of challenges on the way, including the addiction she knows she has but won't admit to and the illness of her godmother whom she doesn't want to lose. Next to that, she also needs to check up on Arielle, her godmother's new business partner, which only adds to the stress and before she knows it, Etta is forced to make some pretty important decisions about her life and career...
I was quite excited when I heard Elle Field would be releasing an extra instalment of her Arielle Lockley series; book 2.5 focusing on a completely different character in the form of Etta Millhouse. I think the words 'completely different' fit quite well here, because from the first few pages of the book it already becomes clear that Etta is indeed the complete opposite of Arielle, the main character throughout this series. I would be lying if I said it was easy for me to warm to Etta, because I found her a very troubled and challenging character which I had difficulty relating to and understanding. This did make this a bit of a tricky read for me, because I just didn't really like Etta and this feeling unfortunately didn't change as the story progressed.
I definitely recommend not picking this up as a stand-alone; it's a book that's best appreciated when read as a part of the whole series, so you know the background and the different characters and their relationships. Elle's writing style is captivating and well-paced and even though Etta just isn't my type of character, the story held my attention until the end and I'm already curious to read part 3 of the series, 'Found', which will be released later this year. Overall, 'B-Side' is an interesting addition to the Arielle Lockley series; a book that is just a bit darker than the other parts of the series and even though I'm sure others will really enjoy this, I personally prefer Elle's more light-hearted work, the chick lit-esque novels that make me smile!

Rating:7,5/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Thanks to the author for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

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