Grenade Bouquets by Lee Matthew Goldberg

Grenade Bouquets (Runaway Train) by Lee Matthew Goldberg

Release: August 5, 2021
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Wise Wolf Books
Source: Suzyapproved Book Tours
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N

I had stars in my eyes and I couldn’t see around them…

The year is 1995 and my parents have finally allowed me to take the summer to tour in a VW van across the country with my boyfriend Evan and our band. Yes, my dream to be a singer became reality. Even with Clarissa, Evan’s jealous ex-girlfriend, as the lead singer, it’s my presence on stage that led us to a major record deal. There are moments you’ll always remember in life. But I can’t imagine anything more cool than hearing your song on the radio for the first time.

But being a Rockstar isn’t as easy as it sounds. Using alcohol and drugs as coping mechanisms, nothing but tension surrounded me. It kept hurting my still blossoming relationship, and continued grieving over my sister’s death.

A love letter to the nineties and a journey of a girl becoming a woman, Grenade Bouquets charts the rollercoaster ride of a band primed to explode on the scene, as long as they keep from actually exploding.

“An engaging ’90s pastiche with an earnest heart beating at its center.”– Kirkus Reviews on Runaway Train.

About the Author:

Lee Matthew Goldberg is the author of the novels THE ANCESTOR, THE MENTOR, THE DESIRE CARD and SLOW DOWN. Besides,he has been published in multiple languages and nominated for the Prix du Polar. His first YA series RUNAWAY TRAIN is forthcoming in 2021 along with a sci-fi novel ORANGE CITY.

After graduating with an MFA from the New School, his writing has also appeared in The Millions, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, LitReactor, Monkeybicycle, Fiction Writers Review, Cagibi, Necessary Fiction, the anthology Dirty Boulevard, The Montreal Review, The Adirondack Review, The New Plains Review, Underwood Press and others. Also, he is the editor-in-chief and co-founder of Fringe, dedicated to publishing fiction that’s outside-of-the-box. Moreover, his pilots and screenplays have been finalists in Script Pipeline, Book Pipeline, Stage 32, We Screenplay, the New York Screenplay, Screencraft, and the Hollywood Screenplay contests. He is the co-curator of The Guerrilla Lit Reading Series and lives in New York City. Follow him at LeeMatthewGoldberg.com.

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Grenade Bouquets Review:

“Grenade Bouquets” was a great continuation to “Runaway Train,” and I enjoyed revisiting Nico as she tours with her band.

What struck me out about the story is how different it was from “Runaway Train.” The author takes the account to a new level to see the hardships and complexities Nico faces with the band and how the limelight affects their relationships. I enjoyed the drama between Nico and Clarissa as they fight over Evan. It was interesting to see if Nico and Evan’s relationship would withstand the story as they go through many ups and downs.

However, the highlight of the story was Nico and Winter. Considering that these two were besties in the previous novel, I was shocked to see how their friendship gets rocky in this one. Nevertheless, their scenes had me glued to the pages and were my favorite part of the story.

Some of my favorite scenes were when Nico meets Winter and tries to reach through with her. I also liked the part when the band participates in the interview. Once again, the author did a fantastic job with the pop-culture references, similar to book 1. I felt as though I was re-living the 90s with 90210 and Ace of Base.

However, while I loved how the story distinguishes itself from the first book, I missed some elements. For instance, I enjoyed “Runaway Train” for the emotional trauma Nico goes through regarding Kristen’s death and her parent’s separation. The first book also felt like a beautiful adventure ride. But in Grenade Bouquets, I thought that these themes were missing as they focused highly on drama.

Nevertheless, “Grenade Bouquets” is an excellent sequel to “Runaway Train,” and I can’t wait to read more books by the author!