The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton

 ⭐⭐⭐

This is a very creatively written story of Opal, a talented young black woman who found fame and fortune singing with the up and coming English singer, Nev, in the 1970s. The book combines elements of reality (singers and songs that we all will recognize) with the fictional musical work of Opal and Nev. Their lives and careers together are wonderful and horrible, and their story is told by a young black journalist, with a special connection to Opal.

I loved the first part of the book when Opal and Nev are first starting out - so entertaining and compelling. I wondered how the horror of certain events would be settled - how would Opal and Nev would resolve their differences, both musical and personal. The ending seem to drag on just a tad - I might have edited it down some. I'm not sure I would have ended the story this way. And I'm not sure I'm comfortable with the relationship the journalist had with Opal, finding it not especially believable, given the nature of the relationship.

This book will appeal to those of us who grew up in the 1970s and listened to great music on the radio, and had the opportunity to go see nascent bands perform in small clubs, and then got to appreciate reunion tours of those same bands years after they had achieved musical fame.

Thank you, NetGalley, for allowing me to read this book.