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Inspired by Jane Austen's Persuasion, Where the Rhythm Takes You is a romantic, mesmerizing novel of first love and second chances.
Seventeen-year-old Reyna has spent most of her life at the Plumeria, her family's gorgeous seaside resort in Tobago. But what once seemed like paradise is starting to feel more like purgatory. It's been two years since Reyna's mother passed away, two years since Aiden—her childhood best friend, first kiss, first love, first everything—left the island to pursue his music dreams.
Reyna's friends are all planning their futures and heading abroad. Even Daddy seems to want to move on, leaving her to try to keep the Plumeria running.
And that's when Aiden comes roaring back into her life—as a VIP guest at the resort.
Aiden is now one-third of DJ Bacchanal—the latest, hottest music group on the scene. While Reyna has stayed exactly where he left her, Aiden has returned to Tobago with his Grammy-nominated band and two gorgeous LA socialites. And he may (or may not be) dating one of them…
"Inspired by Jane Austen's Persuasion, Dass interweaves the allure of the source material with the warm tropical winds and scents of Tobago. Readers, even those unfamiliar with Austen's work, will appreciate this cast of characters with believable motivations and fleshed-out ideas as they realize what they want and embrace second chances for love and for new adventures." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Jane Austen fans will enjoy this reimagining of Persuasion while some readers may be frustrated by the will-they-won't-they element. Reyna communicates and narrates with an earnest and relatable amount of self-doubt and a propensity to deny obvious truths...A love story with classic beats and a unique rhythm." - Kirkus Reviews
"What a delightful debut! It's like the perfect island vacation: breezy, warm, romantic, lots of soul searching, and full to the brim with love." - Jasmine Guillory, New York Times bestselling author
"Where the Rhythm Takes You is a literary breath of fresh air! An Austen remix filled with a vibrant cast of characters against the lush backdrop of the small island of Tobago, readers will root for Reyna as she navigates grief, dreams big, and falls in love all to the tune of sweet soca rhythms." - Ibi Zoboi, New York Times bestselling author of Pride
"Reyna's voice rings clearly from the very first page, painting a beautiful and heart-wrenching picture full of grief, hope, and love. Readers will root Reyna on through it all, wishing for a future for her that's just as beautiful as Tobago. Where the Rhythm Takes You sparkles brightly like the Caribbean Sea. Get ready to dive in!" - Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite
This information about Where the Rhythm Takes You was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Sarah Dass was born in Trinidad but has lived in Tobago since she was two years old. A graduate of University College London, she works as an office administrator by day and writes stories about the Caribbean by night. When she's not writing, she's reading or taking walks with her dachshund, Stella. Sarah's debut novel, Where the Rhythm Takes You, is inspired by her childhood, spent in a seaside hotel.
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