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Verdict: A hidden Kindle Unlimited gem: Ali, guitarist in her brother’s Chicago indie band, spends a summer opening for pop-country megastar Kristen Nichols — and falls for her. Readers love the slow burn, the real music-making detail and the characters; the main complaints are clunky sentences and too much uncommunicated pining.
Best for: Readers who want a sweet, slow-burn music romance with genuine musicianship.
Heat level: 🌶️🌶️
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.1/5 — a 4.35 Goodreads average across 666 ratings, 4.08 on StoryGraph from 24 reviews, and 4.6 stars across 785 Amazon ratings)
Tropes: Celebrity/non-celebrity, slow burn, friends to lovers, tour romance, closeted pop star, coming out.
Some Part of Me Is You is Adrienne Marsh’s 2018 debut contemporary lesbian romance. Alison has played in her brother’s indie band, Right Turn, since she was a teenager, and she is about to graduate college and face real decisions about her future.
It holds a 4.35 average across 666 Goodreads ratings, with 84% of them four or five stars, 4.08 on StoryGraph from 24 reviews, and 4.6 stars across 785 Amazon ratings.
What Is Some Part of Me Is You About?
Then comes an offer: a small tour with pop-country sensation Kristen Nichols, who wants to change her sound and image and believes touring with indie darlings Right Turn will lend her credibility.
Kristen embodies everything about the music industry Ali scoffs at. ‘K-Nic’ does nothing for her — but Kristen in person is a different story.
What Works in This Book
- Musicianship: Readers love the instruments, songwriting and how the leads bond over making music.
- Slow burn: Fans describe palpable tension that builds steadily.
- Characters: Well-fleshed-out leads and supporting friends feel real to readers.
- Industry insight: Readers enjoy the contrast between an established star and an up-and-coming band.
Book Synopsis
An indie guitarist grudgingly joins a pop princess’s summer tour.
The pop star turns out to be nothing like her image.
My Review
This is the rare musician romance where the music feels real. The friendship-first build is patient and warm, and the story says something about doing what you love rather than what others expect.
Readers do flag the prose: run-on sentences, stray thoughts dropped mid-sentence and unclear dialogue attribution slowed a few down, and one noticed editing errors. Others wanted the leads to communicate sooner, and one felt the second half dipped after a strong first.
My honest note: Push through the first few chapters; it’s worth it.
| Element | In Some Part of Me Is You |
|---|---|
| Central relationship | Ali (indie guitarist) & Kristen Nichols (pop-country star) |
| Core tropes | Slow burn, tour romance, coming out |
| Setting | A summer concert tour; Chicago |
| Heat level | 🌶️🌶️ (disputed by readers) |
| Length | 237 pages (Kindle edition) |
| Series | Standalone |
| Content notes | Closeting and coming out |
How Spicy Is Some Part of Me Is You?
Low, by most reader accounts — despite a 3 out of 5 romance.io rating, reviewers describe little steam.
No content warnings have been submitted on StoryGraph.
Who Should Read This Book?
You’ll likely love it if: you want a sweet slow burn with real music. It is on our celebrity lesbian romance list.
You may want to skip it if: clunky sentences or low heat bother you.
In short: A KU sleeper hit.
What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)
On Goodreads the split is 52% five stars, 32% four, 11% three, 2% two and under 1% one. Several reviewers found it on Kindle Unlimited, and one wrote specifically to signal-boost it.
Why readers love it (according to the discourse): Musicianship first. Second, slow burn. Third, characters. Fourth, industry insight.
What readers argue about and complain about: Sentence structure, above everything. Second, miscommunication. Third, low heat.
The comparison worth making first: Hammers, Strings, and Beautiful Things, a darker tour romance with a pop superstar.
Frequently Asked Questions
How spicy is Some Part of Me Is You?
Readers disagree with the ratings sites. Romance.io readers rate it 3 out of 5, open door, but several reviewers say there is little or no sex on page and give it a low steam level.
Is Kristen Nichols based on Taylor Swift?
Several readers read her that way — a pop-country megastar with devoted fans trying to change her sound — and one suspects the story began as fan fiction.
Is it a slow burn?
Yes. Readers praise the slow build, though one wanted to scream at the leads to communicate.
Does it have a happy ending?
Readers describe a happy, satisfying resolution for Ali and Kristen, though one found the ending a little odd.
Is it on Kindle Unlimited?
Yes, when we checked — or $1.37 to buy on Kindle.
If You Loved Some Part of Me Is You, Read These Next
Try Hammers, Strings, and Beautiful Things or Lacey Lassiter Is Not a Lesbian. Browse our celebrity list or the full Book Reviews archive.
The Bottom Line
Some Part of Me Is You sets out to be a slow-burn romance built on music, and its tension and musicianship shine. What holds it back is unpolished prose. A lovely find on Kindle Unlimited. Check Some Part of Me Is You on Amazon →
The Eikna Overall Ranking
On the Eikna scale, Some Part of Me Is You ranks as a strong celebrity pick — patient, musical.
The Evidence Scorecard
Overall ★★★★☆ 4.1/5
- ✓ 4.35 average across 666 Goodreads ratings
- ✓ 84% of Goodreads ratings are four or five stars
- ✓ 4.08 on StoryGraph from 24 reviews
- ✓ 4.6 stars across 785 Amazon ratings
Romance ★★★★☆ 4.1/5
- ✓ Slow burn
- ✓ Palpable tension
- ✓ Friends first
- ✓ Miscommunication
Characters ★★★★☆ 4.2/5
- ✓ Talented Ali
- ✓ Reinventing Kristen
- ✓ Real supporting cast
- ✓ Well fleshed out
Writing ★★★☆☆ 3.4/5
- ✓ Real musicality
- ✓ Run-on sentences
- ✓ Editing errors
- ✓ Third person
Emotional Impact ★★★★☆ 3.9/5
- ✓ Coming out
- ✓ Following your dreams
- ✓ Sweet
- ✓ Organic angst
Heat Level ★★☆☆☆ 2/5
- ✓ Low per reviewers
- ✓ romance.io 3/5
- ✓ Disputed
- ✓ Not the focus
Ending ★★★★☆ 3.9/5
- ✓ Happy
- ✓ Satisfying
- ✓ Odd for one
- ✓ Standalone
Re-read Value ★★★★☆ 4/5
- ✓ On Kindle Unlimited
- ✓ $1.37 Kindle price
- ✓ 237 pages
- ✓ Hidden gem
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