Review of Radio Starr by Lisa Lehmann — No Spoilers

Title: Radio Starr

Publisher / Publication date: Fresh Water Press, November 4, 2025

Language: English

Format / # of Pages: Paperback and E-book, 304 pages

Genre: Women’s Literary Fiction/Historical Fiction

ISBN/ASIN: Paperback 979-8991231886  

E-book 979-8991231893

Reviewed by: Joanie White

A delightful coming of age story spinning with nostalgia for independent radio

Radio Starr, the debut novel by Lisa Lehmann, is a book for anyone who ever threw a blanket on the grass and tuned the AM transistor to their favorite local station.

Eva LaVette, who is haunted and inspired by her father’s memory, uses her love of music to pursue a career in the misogynist, dog eat dog, and intoxicating world of radio. Young, restless and ambitious, Eva is easy to root for.

Set in the 1980’s, Radio Starr is a realistic coming of age story of a young woman’s growth and transformation. We watch Eva go from a starry-eyed college student to a professional entertainer who is determined to have both a career and a personal life.

Surrounded by characters we recognize (good friend who moves away but still loves you, annoying husband, disapproving mother-in-law, insufferable boss), Eva forges a life that leaves you feeling good about her future.

The story pops with such realistic details about radio production, you feel like you could hop behind the microphone and spin a few records. And anyone who reads this book without the tunes from her playlist in the background is missing out.

This book will make you nostalgic for a time when radio was independent, unique and important to the community.