Chaptstick by COIN – For reasons I still haven’t determined, this song totally embodies the opening scene of NAME YOUR PRICE to me. Maybe it’s the funky guitar riff, maybe it’s the playful intimacy in wanting to taste someone’s chapstick, or the way Chase Lawrence sings, “She’s a real livewire . . . I think I love her.” Or maybe it’s the way I can see Chuck walking down the sidewalk to the beat of this song, full of Hollywood swagger but still a big softie underneath. Whatever the reason, it would make the perfect soundtrack to the epic breakup that sets the story in motion.
Style (Taylor’s Version) by Taylor Swift – I’ve learned as a romance author to always have an answer prepared, because you will be asked what Taylor Swift song represents in your book. Hands-down, NAME YOUR PRICE is Style. This song also happens to be one of my favorite Taylor songs. That instantly identifiable guitar riff, the dance moves from the Eras Tour, the way she belts “Take me home!” at the climax. This song has all the elements of a perfect pop hit. “And when we go crashing down, we come back every time” is Chuck and Olivia in a nutshell. The James Dean reference gives the Hollywood vibes, and “could end in burning flames or paradise” is basically Chuck and Olivia’s every interaction. Despite it all, they will never go out of style!
Waffle House by Jonas Brothers – End-to-end, this might be the most perfect song to match this book. When I first heard it on the radio, I cranked the volume up in traffic like, Did they write this song about my book?! I mean, “We never knew how to forfeit” and “That’s why some nights we tried to kill each other, but you know it’s always love” over a driving synth-pop beat? And although they don’t eat waffles, Chuck and Olivia go to a diner, and there’s the whole pancake scene in the house. This song is such a bop. I’m always disappointed by how quickly it’s over every time I hear it. It’s about not giving up and working through the struggles of a relationship, knowing there’s always love there underneath. This is exactly what keeps Chuck and Olivia going through it all, even if it takes them a while to realize it.
Want Want by Maggie Rogers – This song is about being powerless over something you desire and having to surrender to it. “When I leave, you pull me in again” captures Olivia and Chuck’s tumultuous relationship and inability to stay away from each other. “You can’t hide what you desire once you’re on it” speaks to their undeniable chemistry, which is plain enough everyone—including each other—can see. “Might die if you can’t live just to taste it” is basically Chuck’s whole mindset about Olivia. He even tells her he’s going to die if he can’t touch her when they’re locked in the house together. And the way Maggie holds that dramatic pause after describing all the desire before she falls into “. . . and I want you” like the torture is worth it, is just *chef’s kiss*. This song is sexy with the perfect rock edge to make it a little angsty, which is totally a NAME YOUR PRICE vibe.
I Love U by The Chainsmokers – This was the first song I added to my playlist when I started making it. I think I heard it on the radio, and the lyrics landed so perfectly: “It’s hard to find a reason why we can’t work this out.” And then even better, “You were on the Westside; I was drivin’ down the I-10” – it’s set in LA, on the Westside where Chuck lives! This song is clearly about a breakup, and the repetition of the pining, pained “I love you, oh my God” hook paired with the ongoing desire to work through their issues but not knowing how is so Chuck and Olivia.
Love on the Brain by Rhianna – Is this the sexiest song ever written? Maybe. The raw scratch in Rihanna’s voice and she belts about being addicted to something that’s killing her could not be more perfect for Chuck and Olivia’s dynamic. From “fist fighting with fire” to “No matter what I do, I’m no good without you” to the inimitable “It beats me black and blue, but it fucks me so good”, this ballad depicts love as an all-consuming drug. It’s the only thing that could make someone so desperately helpless that they always come back for more, even when it’s destroying them. The angst in this song applies to Chuck and Olivia equally; I can imagine them singing it to each other and meaning every word!
A Novel
In Holly James's newest rom-com, sparks ignite as a pair of broke exes get locked in a house together on a reality show for a chance to win a million dollars, a second-chance romance that perfectly captures the absurd sincerity of made-for-TV love.
Olivia Martin and Chuck Walsh have chemistry. Too much chemistry, perhaps. Their every interaction as a couple either lights the house up with sexual tension or burns it down with anger. After one huge, very public fight, they finally break up for good. Or so they think. Someone was filming their dramatic argument in the street and—because Olivia’s parents were Hollywood royalty, and because Chuck’s an actor whose star is on the rise—the video goes viral. When Name Your Price, a reality game show, sees the footage, they invite Olivia and Chuck to shoot a very unusual challenge: Live locked in a house together for one month and they will be paid a million dollars. Each.
Olivia really needs the money if she's going to keep her beloved grandmother in her nursing home, and Chuck is desperate for any chance to win Olivia back. So the game is on—even as the show tries to pluck every nerve with only one bed, one bathroom, and a set of rules that will lose them money if broken—including no touching. With stakes that have never been higher and their explosive chemistry at a fever pitch, can Chuck and Olivia keep it together (and their hands off each other) for one month? Find out next week on Name Your Price!
Romance Comedy | Women's Fiction Contemporary [Penguin, On Sale: July 30, 2024, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780593473931 / eISBN: 9780593473948]
Holly James holds a PhD in psychology and has worked in both academia and the tech industry. She loves telling stories with big hearts and a touch of magic. She currently lives in Southern California with her husband and dog.
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