Rock star, River Jackson, is back in his hometown of Glastonbury to open a cocktail bar… and the locals aren’t impressed.
Seductive Georgina is proving too hot to handle; band mate, Angelic Alice, is messing with his heart and his head; his mum is a hippie-dippy liability; his school friends have resorted to violence – oh, and his band manager, Lennie, AND the media are on his trail.
But River is armed with a magical Mexican elixir which will change the lives of the Three Chosen Ones. Once the Mexican wave of joy takes a hold of the town, he’s glad he didn’t lose his proverbial bottle.
Pity he hasn’t taken better care of the real one… (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)
The Cocktail Bar turned out to be an interesting experience for me, because I recently finished Twinkle, Twinkle Little Bar (reviewed here), which felt like the sequel to The Cocktail Bar. I’m glad I did, because it seemed like I received a lot of backstory on the primary characters and I better understood a lot of the motivations that were there, particularly for Georgina. I mean, wow. Talk about an arch nemesis!
From the get go, there’s no mistaking the fact that no one wants River to open the bar. The first chapter kicked off some pretty explosive scenes that solidified how risky it is for River to even stay in Glastonbury. But he feels called to it, not only because it’s a means of getting out of the rock star business, but also due to a mystical experience he’d had that foretold this new venture in his life. Despite all of that, the path to freedom is riddled with holes; Georgina, his “friends,” his band manager. Even his mother who tries hard to support him has been a bit of a hindrance, and I could really feel that constant struggle within him. It made me feel invested in seeing him succeed, because I couldn’t help but feel really irritated by some of the other characters, particularly his “friends” who stop at literally nothing to sabotage him!
Another side plot is his feelings for Alice. He’s not sure what that means, or what it even is, which provided a really nice obstacle between the two of them, and with Georgina. I like how Isabella May gives the reader three different perspectives; River’s, Georgina’s, and Alice’s, particularly because of that obstacle. There’s no questioning what any one of them is thinking about all of it, which made me feel one step ahead.
I’m sure a lot of people would prefer to read The Cocktail Bar first before reading Twinkle Twinkle Little Bar. However, I think no matter which order you decide to go in, both books are worth the read! There were moments of action, suspense and intrigue, added in with some pretty pivotal characters who carry well into either book.
Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for the book in exchange for an honest review.
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