Book Review: The Break Up Tour by Austin Siegemund-Broka and Emily Wibberley

‘The Break Up Tour’ was released in 2024, and is known to be inspired by Taylor Swift amalgamating her discography and going on tour with ‘The Eras Tour’. To celebrate the first anniversary of the end of her tour, I could think of no better book.

This story follows Riley Wynn, pop sensation in the fallout of her hit album, ‘The Break Up Album’ which amalgamates twelve relationships into songs, much to the elation or chagrin of her past partners. But the song of the summer, ‘Until You’, is about an ex from long before she made her way into the limelight; her first true heartbreak, Max Harcourt.

Not that Max Harcourt would have known. He doesn’t listen to Riley’s music. It hurts too much.

But when Riley forces their paths to converge once again, for the first time in ten years, Max and Riley can’t deny they have unfinished business. With Harcourt Homes, the family business, a comfortable retirement home, about to go under, Max is caught between a rock and a hard place: consider chasing his teenage dream of being a musician, or put together the money to try and save a sinking ship. So, when Riley offers Max a spot to support her on ‘The Break Up Album”s tour, he decides to go for it. For Harcourt Homes.

This story was a lovely tale of artistry and passion. While you can be a musician without dreaming of superstardom, you can also be a musician when all you want is to see your name written in lights. Superstardom isn’t the only goal people need to strive for, and it need not be the standard to which everyone compares. Furthermore, Riley and Max’s story encapsulates the importance of letting yourself be vulnerable, emotional and open to everything: including happiness.

I loved the poetry in the way both Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka wrote their books. The story was written with a lot of metaphors and strong imagery that really threw me. While I suspected there would be lyricism and poetry in Riley’s narration, hearing Max’s point of view was equally as artistic and powerful. While I felt that sometimes the musical imagery was a bit of a run-on, most of the time, I enjoyed it.

I loved the imagery of a “malcontent muse”, it truly encapsulated the main conflict between Max and Riley as their not-quite-dead feelings for each other rekindle. While Max doesn’t want to be the inspiration for another song, Riley uses her music as a catharsis and an outlet for her emotions. One cannot be loved by Riley Wynn without being the inspiration for her lyrics at one time or another. The development of this idea and how each character responds to it was an incredibly clever way to explore the central conflict. Riley doesn’t want to suffer for her craft, but she considers it an essential part of being known for her music and her heartbreak anthems. Meanwhile, Max doesn’t want to be subject to the ridicule and the exposure that comes from Riley’s music, and doesn’t want to be vulnerable with her, not because he’s afraid she’ll break his heart, it’s because he’s afraid she won’t let herself love him without reservations. Ironic for a woman who claims she has no regrets.

The character development in this book was incredibly nuanced and subtle, and while I enjoyed it, I would have loved more moments of lingering romantic tension. But I’m a sucker for that, so that ought to be taken with a pinch of salt.

I really enjoyed this exploration of the music industry and the way people exist under the spotlight. I felt that the character of Hawk Henderson, while a fleeting presence in the story, was very important for everyone’s development. Hawk, one of Riley’s famous ex-boyfriends, was the subject of one of her other hit songs from ‘The Break Up Album’, ‘Mr. Maybe’, which wasn’t as much of an insult as it could have been because Riley Wynn was the subject of Hawk Henderson’s own hit single: ‘Nightmare Girl’, while the break-up wasn’t fantastic for either party, they acknowledged that they weren’t good for each other, and brought out the worst in each other, and were better off as friends in the industry. Hawk’s observations about fame, Riley, her music and the way she existed without regrets was a breath of fresh air, and gave readers a chance to view her from a different angle, one that wasn’t curated by the press, of her ex-husband, or even Max. Someone who may have loved her, but could see her for not only her perfectly-curated image, but also her flaws. It was a great way to help readers, through Max, get a better perspective on Riley and the potential for another relationship between Max and Riley after all that time.

While the grandiose gesture at the end of the book was sweet, I feel like it was a bit of a cliche, which reduced the allure of the story for me a smidgen, but nothing too crazy. All in all I’d certainly recommend the book, regardless.!