Know What You're Getting Into When You Make a Deal With the Devil

Title: Devil and the Bluebird
Author: Jennifer Mason-Black
Series: stand-alone
Publisher: Amulet Books
Publication Date: May 17, 2016
Source: ARC received from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

“Devil-at-the-crossroads” folklore finds its way to YA via this moody, magical tale.

Blue Riley has wrestled with her own demons ever since the loss of her mother to cancer. But when she encounters a beautiful devil at her town crossroads, it’s her runaway sister’s soul she fights to save. The devil steals Blue’s voice—inherited from her musically gifted mother—in exchange for a single shot at finding Cass.

Armed with her mother’s guitar, a knapsack of cherished mementos, and a pair of magical boots, Blue journeys west in search of her sister. When the devil changes the terms of their deal, Blue must reevaluate her understanding of good and evil and open herself to finding family in unexpected places.

In Devil and the Bluebird, Jennifer Mason-Black delivers a heart-wrenching depiction of loss and hope.

Devil and the Bluebird was nothing like I was expecting and I may have liked it all the more because of it. You tell me there's a devil in the story, and I am so in. Plus, sister stories are always worth a read, having two sisters of my own and never really understanding either of them completely. And it should also be known that I can't say no to characters named Blue. ;0)

Much as Blue had been expecting someone different when she went to the crossroads, I was just as surprised at the identity of the would-be devil. Namely, that he was a her. Honestly, that shouldn't have really shocked me, not with all of the Supernatural I watch, but it did change all of my expectations for this book.

I guess I was hoping for some forbidden romance between the devil and Blue. Which would have been top-notch, but I think what the author does with this story is even more amazing. It's a coming-of-age story, about finding your voice (literally) and discovering your own path, and all of the ups and downs that come along with it. It's a story of loss and hope, of love and acceptance. That last one plays a BIG part in this story.

Blue makes friends and allies on her trek, but she also finds the meaning of true evil along the way. She discovers that things are not always what they seem but that she should trust her instincts when it comes to real danger. And she learns that family can come in many forms.

This story felt like a folk song, eclectic and rich. (It also made me want to rewatch Supernatural.) What a beautiful, poignant novel, full of heart and a hint of magic. A very lovely debut, to be sure.

GIF it to me straight:

NTS: Always get the terms of the contract IN FULL before offering up your soul to a beautiful, silver-tongued devil.

About the author:

Jennifer is a lifelong fan of most anything with words. She’s checked for portals in every closet she’s ever encountered, and has never sat beneath the stars without watching for UFOs. Her stories have appeared in The Sun, Strange Horizons, and Daily Science Fiction, among others. DEVIL AND THE BLUEBIRD is her first novel. She lives in Massachusetts.

Find Jennifer:

Website | Twitter | Tumblr | Goodreads

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Labels: 2016 debut, abrams, beautiful covers, devil and the bluebird, folk lore, jennifer mason-black, magical realism, music

A Playlist for June

So, we spend a lot of time here on the blog talking about books, reviewing books, waiting on books, getting books...you get the picture. But reading isn't all we do. So, I thought I'd showcase some of my other interests -- namely TV, movies, and music -- and what's been playing in my house this month.

I had some health issues recently that left me in pain and rather lethargic, so I spent a good deal of time on the couch. It's summer, though, and all of my shows are on hiatus and I'm all caught up, so I resorted to Netflix and discovered a couple of gems.  I'm pretty sure I'm, like, the last person to discover these, but whatevs.

Daredevil starring Charlie Cox

First of all, YUM. So much better than Ben Affleck, IMO. Also, this satisfies my longing for more superheroes until the next Marvel movie. Or at least until I finish this season on Netflix. :(

My husband wasn't terribly impressed by the first episode and so he hasn't continued watching with me. His loss. My 7yo daughter thought it a bit too violent and has also ceased watching. But I told her she wasn't supposed to be watching with me, anyway. It's summer. She should be playing outside, lol. But this Daredevil reboot is just right for this mama bear. :D

A shirtless and ab-rific Charlie Cox will make any girl feel better. =)

The 100 starring Eliza Taylor

I'll be honest. I was not at all interested in reading the book this was adapted from when it released. And so I dismissed the show without another thought when I saw promotion for it. And then everyone and their mama was raving about it, declaring their ships and what-not, and I couldn't go a day without seeing it mentioned on Twitter. So, I caved. And I'm soooo glad I finally gave in. I'm not very far into it, but I'm already invested. This show and I are going to have a very unhealthy relationship before you know it.

Anything else on Netflix that I've obviously been missing but need in my life, like yesterday? Always up for recs!

So, I couldn't make myself spend the money to see Vampire Academy at the theater after all of the terrible things I'd read about it. Even if it was from the genius behind Mean Girls. And even if I was am a huge fan of the books. I even re-read the series in anticipation of the movie. But it was on one of the movie channels the other day when I was couch-bound, so I decided to give my curiosity a break and let it play.

It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't good. It's just disappointing because it could have been SO good. The snark, the vampire-slaying, the banter...were just all so disappointing. The oomph that the book had was just missing completely.

It came on again last night, and I decided to take a nap rather than watch it again.

*****

I've listened to the audiobook version of The DUFF several times. It's probably my favorite of Keplinger's. I even listened again right before watching this. I'd heard the movie was very different from the book, and I wanted to see just how different.

Not the same story at all, really. The characters' names remained and the DUFF premise was the same, but everything else, I mean everything, was changed. But it still ended up being a really cute movie with a pretty positive message.

I watched it at my place while my sis watched it at hers and we texted back and forth in monster voice, which made it all the more funny. And then you have Robbie Amell's abs. Definitely a plus. But poor Toby Tucker, turned into such a douche-nozzle for the sake of comedy.

I would definitely watch this one again when I need a laugh.

I'm also looking forward to watching The Seventh Son (Ben Barnes, YUM) and taking the little one to see The Minions movie soon. =) Those little guys are just too cute.

I'm a mood listener, and lately, I've been in a very chill listening mood, preferring no lyrics and pretty melodies. This is especially the type of music I listen to while reading. My husband thinks it's crazy that I can listen to music at all while reading...he thinks it would be too distracting. Pfft.

My latest discovery is The Answer Team, which isn't new by any means, but I still love it:

Free Electronic Press Kits template from ReverbNation.com

But I don't want you to get the idea that my butt is always parked on the couch. =) Besides finishing up Daredevil and The 100 on Netflix, we've got plans to blow some stuff up for the 4th of July and more plans to get our butts in some water, a la Schlitterbahn and maybe Hamilton Pool. (So pretty!) Once I'm all rested up, I see some hiking in my future, as well. Assuming the 100 degree days hold off for a bit. o_O

Hope you're all enjoying your summers and that you've got lots of great things to read, watch, and listen to!

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Labels: discussion, movies, music, Netflix, playlist, summer, the 100, tv

Review: Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

Title: Maybe Someday
Author: Colleen Hoover
Series: n/a
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication Date: March 18th, 2014
Source: Purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

At twenty-two years old, aspiring musician Sydney Blake has a great life: She’s in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her good friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers Hunter cheating on her with Tori—and she is left trying to decide what to do next.

Sydney becomes captivated by her mysterious neighbor, Ridge Lawson. She can’t take her eyes off him or stop listening to the daily guitar playing he does out on his balcony. She can feel the harmony and vibrations in his music. And there’s something about Sydney that Ridge can’t ignore, either: He seems to have finally found his muse. When their inevitable encounter happens, they soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one…

I’ve been waiting a long time for this book. Colleen Hoover has become a favorite of mine. Orginally I was going to go with the Audio, but then decided to buddy read it with Jess. We are both huge fans of her work and Maybe Someday did not disappoint. I didn’t like it quite as much as Hopeless or Losing Hope though.

Maybe Someday is different. I don’t know what I expected when I started, but it just had a different feel to it, vs. some of her other stuff. I was apprehensive. I’m not going to lie. I read some goodread’s status updates that had me shaking in my shoes before reading this. Those damned love triangles, cause up a stink every time.

I’m not opposed to them, I don’t always love them, sometimes I loathe them. It depends. It depends on the story, it depends on the reason, it depends on so many things. The Love triangle in Maybe Someday felt somewhat realistic to me. Ridge has a long time girlfriend, Maggie. They’ve been together for years, but she lives a couple hours away. Ridge becomes friends with Sydney, they work together on music. They form a connection that I felt was inevitable.

Don’t get me wrong, I do not condone cheating. I think it’s pointless. If you don’t want to be with someone, just say so and move on. Cheating happens in real life every day. *raises hand* I’ve been cheated on so many times in my life that I can’t even give you an accurate count. I even gave my one boyfriend an out. I pulled him and my good friend aside and I said… “If you two are messing around, be honest. We can all just be friends, and you two can do your thing. Be honest with me now, and no hard feelings. I’ll live.” They denied it of course, only to admit it a year after me and said boyfriend split up for other reasons. I’m certainly not a fan of cheating.

Ridge and Sydney though, they weren’t sleeping together. Their connection was more emotional, and they fought it tooth and nail to the end. Could they have gone about things differently? Yes. Should they have removed themselves from the situation? Yeah, probably, but we don’t always think clearly, especially when mutual attraction is involved. Ridge, he’s an asshole at times. Seriously. I wish Sydney would have stood up for herself a little more. She came across is a little bit a of a wet blanket and that was my only real complaint.

My favorite part of Maybe Someday is the music. I’m not a fan of music in books. I hate reading lyrics, trying to guess what they actually sound like to some unknown melody. But guys!! The music is real. Colleen Hoover worked with Griffen Peterson to incorporate his songs into this story and it added so much for me! I was going on line listening to the songs while reading the book, and it was pretty awesome. I’ve never experienced that while reading a book.


I guess my point is that yes, there is a love triangle, and there is some cheating involved... to an extent. If you do not like these things… if you hate them more than anything in the world, run to the hills and do not buy this book.

For me though, I found the whole situation interesting. Not everything is black and white. I’m always willing to take a look at the gray areas before forming an opinion. So overall, I really liked Maybe Someday. Not my favorite of hers, but it’s well written, and if you can overlook some of the content it was a great read.

About the author:

Colleen Hoover is the New York Times bestselling author of Slammed, Point of Retreat, Hopeless, and This Girl. Colleen lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys.

Find Colleen:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Labels: atria books, colleen hoover, contemporary, maybe someday, music, new adult, reviews

{Audiobook} {New Adult} Review: Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

Title: Maybe Someday
Author: Colleen Hoover
Narrator(s):  Zachary Webber, Angela Goethals
Series: n/a
Length:  10 hrs 40 mins
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Publication Date: March 18, 2014
Source: purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

At twenty-two years old, aspiring musician Sydney Blake has a great life: She’s in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her good friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers Hunter cheating on her with Tori—and she is left trying to decide what to do next.

Sydney becomes captivated by her mysterious neighbor, Ridge Lawson. She can’t take her eyes off him or stop listening to the daily guitar playing he does out on his balcony. She can feel the harmony and vibrations in his music. And there’s something about Sydney that Ridge can’t ignore, either: He seems to have finally found his muse. When their inevitable encounter happens, they soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one…

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, a passionate tale of friendship, betrayal, and romance—and the enchanting music that inspires one young woman to put her life back together.

Includes a free original soundtrack by musician Griffin Peterson.

Like so many of Colleen Hoover's fans, I was eagerly anticipating Maybe Someday. And while some were disappointed by the turn the romance took in this book, I rather enjoyed the story as a whole. It's also reaffirmed my need to read the Slammed series because if she can so beautifully weave music and lyrics into this story, I need to see what she does with poetry.

I went the audio route for this book, and I think it paid off for me, except maybe when I was listening to the narrator read the lyrics from the book at the same time that I was listening to the soundtrack for the novel. In that respect, it might have been wiser to simply listen to them separately because while I was listening to the audiobook and the actual song, I also found myself reading the lyrics on the website for the soundtrack. A little confusing, but that was totally my fault for not experiencing the three formats separately.

Angela Goethals narrated Hopeless, so I knew I could trust her to do a fantastic job with this novel. And since it's been awhile since I listened to Hopeless, I didn't have to worry about separating the two main characters in each of those books even though they are voiced by the same person. Zachary Webber, on the other hand, is a new-to-me narrator. The first chapter he read had me second-guessing my decision to listen to the audiobook because he sounded a bit monotonous, but as the story went on, his narration grew on me. Webber no longer sounded flat but rather subdued, and as the narrative progressed, it became evident why. And I may be making undue assumptions with that statement, but it worked for me, so I'm going to leave it at that.

As far as the actual story goes, it was frustrating at times to watch these two characters develop such intense feelings for each other and be unable to act on them, but it was also rather seductive. I couldn't turn away from it, even knowing that it might end in catastrophe. The synopsis for this novel is a little lacking in that it doesn't depict a very realistic picture of what the story really seems to focus on. Fair warning: some may find what I'm about to say spoilery, so don't click the button if you want to go into this book knowing next to nothing.

Maybe Someday features a love triangle, and you only get to see it from the perspective of two of the people involved. And it's the worst kind of triangle because both love interests are decent people who don't deserve to be put in this position. Also, it leads to potential cheating because two of the people were already very much involved when the other person in the triangle came along. Love triangles suck because everyone can't be happy in the end, but I was okay with how this one turned out, especially when certain circumstances were brought to light. It was the emotional cheating that bothered me most. Sex is sex, but to me, when you connect on an emotional level even before anything untoward has happened, it's cheating of the worst kind. And it will most likely lead to cheating in a physical sense, as well.

As frustrating as the romance was, the characters were equally as perturbing at times. I feel like Sydney should have realized the situation was precarious to begin with and removed herself from it. Likewise, Ridge should have taken matters into his own hands, but ultimately, he should have never invited Sydney into his life to begin with. They both played it safe for as long as they could, but it was still like playing with a lit match. And I loved that Warren never hesitated to point this out to either of them. It was kind of crazy that Warren was the voice of reason in this case, especially since he was falling for the frosty Hooters waitress at the same time, but I liked how realistically his character dealt with it all. And then there's sweet, understanding Maggie. But I still have to wonder if she was only as kind and wonderful as she was because of her own situation.

Colleen Hoover's Maybe Someday is a very engaging story -- at least, if you can overlook the immorality of the situation these characters are facing, and even then you may still find yourself reading to the end before you realize what's happened. I felt like I was playing Devil's Advocate the entire time I was listening. I can't say that I condone everything that occurred in this story, but I did find it entertaining. It was one of those stories where you cover your eyes and shake your head, dreading reading the next line of text because you think you know what's about to happen and you don't want it to happen, but at the same time, you do. You so do.

GIF it to me straight:

Because seriously, this book is really going to piss some people off,
but others are going to love it, and I'd just really like for us all to be friends.
Also, I have a lot of feelings, and cake would help.

About the author:

Colleen Hoover is the New York Times bestselling author of Slammed, Point of Retreat, Hopeless, and This Girl. Colleen lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys.

Find Colleen:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Labels: audiobooks, colleen hoover, contemporary, music, new adult, reviews, simon schuster, tough subject

{Joint} Review: Open Road Summer by Emery Lord

Title: Open Road Summer
Author: Emery Lord
Series: n/a
Publisher: Walker Children's
Publication Date: April 15, 2014
Source: from publisher via Netgalley
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

After breaking up with her bad-news boyfriend, Reagan O’Neill is ready to leave her rebellious ways behind. . . and her best friend, country superstar Lilah Montgomery, is nursing a broken heart of her own. Fortunately, Lilah’s 24-city tour is about to kick off, offering a perfect opportunity for a girls-only summer of break-up ballads and healing hearts. But when Matt Finch joins the tour as its opening act, his boy-next-door charm proves difficult for Reagan to resist, despite her vow to live a drama-free existence. This summer, Reagan and Lilah will navigate the ups and downs of fame and friendship as they come to see that giving your heart to the right person is always a risk worth taking. A fresh new voice in contemporary romance, Emery Lord’s gorgeous writing hits all the right notes.

So, April and I both read this book at the same time and both ended up adoring it, and since we read the story sorta together, we figured we'd review it together. We've never attempted a joint review like this before, so we may ramble and we might digress, but I think our love for this book will shine through regardless. =)

What drew us to the book in the first place:

Jen:  Before being sent the invitation to read this title via Netgalley, I'd already had every intention of reading Open Road Summer. I'd read Jennifer Echols' Dirty Little Secret last year, which was about a rising country star, and I liked it well enough, but I kept hoping for more of a connection with those characters. From everything I'd read in early reviews for Emory Lord's debut, there was no question I'd find that connection with Reagan, Dee, and even Matt. Also, I'm sort of a recent convert to country music, thanks to my husband and daughter -- whose favorite artists are Eric Church and Carrie Underwood, respectively -- so I was intrigued by that aspect, as well.

April:  I saw it on Goodreads. A few bloggers I follow were reading it, and all of their status updates were positive. Then I saw it was on Netgalley and requested it right away. I knew this was something I would like based on the description. Plus, it has the word Summer in the title. This Winter has sucked, so I crave any story with warmth.

The Story:

Jen:  Open Road Summer is the kind of book that won me over to contemporary. The writing is solid and flows as well as the songs being sung on Lilah's tour, and it's touching in a way that isn't overly sentimental. It's fun and light-hearted, while at the same time delving into some deeper subject matter, including physical abuse and the effects of becoming a celebrity as a teenager. But the book isn't preachy, nor does it attempt to be an "issues" book; it's just a genuine story of how one summer on a country music tour can change your whole perspective, and I enjoyed it immensely...if that wasn't already clear. =)

April: I loved the story. I mean, how can you not? It's summertime and she's spending it on tour with her best friend. The whole set up is full of win. But it's not all fun and games, there are issues that arise, and issues that they've both already been working through. Have no fear though, Emery Lord tackles all of that while keeping Open Road Summer light and enjoyable. These kind of contemporaries make for the best summer reads.

The Characters:

Jen:  Connecting with the characters in a story is probably the most important aspect of the reading experience for me. I'm not a country music artist on my very first headlining tour and I don't come from a somewhat broken home, but even so, I felt a genuine connection to both Dee and Reagan. (Lilah Montgomery is Dee's stage name, in case you were wondering.) And Matt was just about the sweetest love interest I've ever come across -- I do like boys with Southern charm! -- but I'll get to him in a bit. I liked the group dynamic early on between these three friends on tour, and I liked how their relationships progressed over the course of the book, despite some tricky circumstances.

April:  Reagan is a tough cookie, and at first I wasn't sure if I was going to like her, but I warmed up to her character pretty quickly. Her friendship with Dee/Lilah is what thawed me. I adored Dee. I could not stop thinking of Taylor Swift while reading this though. She has this Taylor Swift vibe, but like if Taylor Swift wasn't annoying. Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan, and belt her music in the car often, but I can see how she gets on some peoples nerves. Dee is the cute, country sweet heart girl, blonde hair, blue eyes, sings about her life experiences. But doesn't date every celebrity that walks by. She's awesome and I loved her. lol Matt, I really liked him, even though he was a bit cheesy at times with his songs.

Jen:  I totally got a Taylor Swift-vibe from Dee, too! Or maybe a younger version of Carrie Underwood. Or a mix of those two. But definitely a country cutie all the way. :D

The Friendship:

Jen:  Reagan and Dee are the kind of best friends you envy: they've been through thick and thin together and even the worst fight won't keep them apart for long. They'd do anything for each other, which is why Dee invited Reagan along on her tour when she saw that Reagan needed a break from what had become of her life. Reagan helps Dee attempt to get over a bad but amicable break-up and Dee gives Reagan the space she needs while also trying to help her cope with the fall-out of her own break-up, which includes the physical and mental effects of some physical abuse. These girls are thick as thieves, and watching the further evolution of their friendship during the cross-country tour was one of my favorite aspects of the story, especially when they were depicted just as two girls, hanging out and doing normal friend things.

April:  This was my favorite part of the whole book. There are not enough stories out there with friendships like Reagan and Dee's. I think that every girl should grow up with a friendship like theirs. I loved how Reagan was there for Dee when things got crazy. Like Jen says above, the evolution of their friendship was great to watch.

The Music & the Tour:

Jen:  The musical portions of the story were probably the weakest for me, and that's mostly due to Matt's writing songs for Reagan, which sometimes felt trite and a little cheesy. But it was also sweet. Reading about all of the behind-the-scenes stuff on tour was infinitely more fun. Except when Dee as Lilah was being harassed by paparazzi or found herself the subject of tabloid gossip. The way Dee handled it all seemed realistic, as did the actual interactions with the media, especially considering what you can read in gossip magazines or see on TMZ. It was unsettling and had my blood boiling at times, but I appreciated that this aspect of life as a country music darling was highlighted in the story, rather than being glossed over.

April: I normally don't like music written in books. When a whole song is written out, lyrics and such, it annoys me. Especially if it's often, because what do the songs actually sound like? Lyrics are never enough for me. Is that lame? lol. Maybe. I did love the tour stuff, the concerts and all that jazz. The paparazzi stuff had me pissed off too, but it's a real thing. If I ever had a chance to be rich and famous, I would turn it down because it's just not worth all that. I also think Open Road Summer covered that aspect well.

The Romance:

Jen:  If the friendship between Dee and Reagan was my favorite part of Open Road Summer, then the romance between Reagan and Matt was my second. Reagan just got out of a terrible relationship with an older guy who treated her badly. She's not looking for love while on tour with her best friend. But she wasn't expecting Matt to join them on the tour, nor did she expect him to be just the sort of nice guy she needed in her life. To complicate matters, because of gossip surrounding Lilah's newest album and her source of inspiration, Lilah's people are allowing speculation that Matt joined the tour as Lilah's boyfriend. Matt and Dee don't exactly pretend to be dating, but they don't deny the rumors either. Reagan's determination not to fall for Matt and let him in because of the potential heartbreak of dating a famous country crooner and Matt's resolve to win her over battle it out for much of the book, but it was fun rather than aggravating. And then there's that thing between Dee and Jimmy. *sigh* This book was just like reading a freaking country song. :D

April: The romance was cute. I loved that Reagan was hesitant at first. Coming out of a bad relationship, you aren't looking for a new one. That's realistic. I've been there, personally, so I connected with her in that way. But then Matt comes along, and some things you just can't fight. Like my husband for instance. I almost didn't date him because I just got out of a bad relationship, but here we are. Their romance was adorable and real to me. Also all the stuff Jen says above. She got to this section before I did and puts it into words so much better and I'm lazy so Ditto! lol.

Jen:  Haha, April...ditto works. :) OH! And I almost didn't date my husband because I was actually still in my bad relationship when we met. But I totally related to Reagan in that respect, as well. I think it's hard not to relate with her on some level.

Overall:

Jen:  Open Road Summer is the quintessential summer read, full of ups and downs, love and loss, and I know I'll be picking it up for a quick read again this summer. Everything about this novel makes me smile, even when less than pleasant things were happening in the story, simply because it was so genuine and heartfelt. This book is definitely going at the top of my Top Summer Reads Recommendations list...whenever April and I get around to putting that thing together. =)

April: I loved Open Road Summer. It had everything I was looking for. It's one of those books that reminds me why I love contemporary so much. This was such a great debut and I look forward to reading more of Emory Lords stuff in the future.

*All of those cute little quotes you see came from the author's Tumblr.

GIF it to me straight:

After this book, we're both ready for summer & a good road trip! =D

About the author:

I write books about complicated families and the friends who save your life just by showing up and your worst mistakes and that boy who gets you like no one else ever has and the summer that changed everything.

Find Emory:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Tumblr

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Labels: beautiful covers, bloomsbury, book trailers, contemporary, emery lord, favorites, joint reviews, music, must-read, open road summer, reviews, road trips, summer

Review: Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols

Title: Dirty Little Secret
Author: Jennifer Echols
Series: n/a
Publisher: MTV Books
Publication Date: July 16, 2013
Source: from publisher via Edelweiss
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

From the author of the “real page-turner” (Seventeen) Such a Rush comes an unforgettable new drama that follows friends-turned-lovers as they navigate the passions, heartbreaks, and intrigue of country music fame.

Bailey wasn’t always a wild child and the black sheep of her family. She used to play fiddle and tour the music circuit with her sister, Julie, who sang and played guitar. That ended when country music execs swooped in and signed Julie to a solo deal. Never mind that Julie and Bailey were a duet, or that Bailey was their songwriter. The music scouts wanted only Julie, and their parents were content to sit by and let her fulfill her dreams while Bailey’s were hushed away.

Bailey has tried to numb the pain and disappointment over what could have been. And as Julie’s debut album is set to hit the charts, her parents get fed up with Bailey’s antics and ship her off to granddad’s house in Nashville. Playing fiddle in washed-up tribute groups at the mall, Bailey meets Sam, a handsome and oh-so-persuasive guitarist with his own band. He knows Bailey’s fiddle playing is just the thing his band needs to break into the industry. But this life has broken Bailey’s heart once before. She isn’t sure she’s ready to let Sam take her there again…

Dirty Little Secret is only my second Jennifer Echols book -- I loved Such a Rush when I read it last year -- but I think I've already noticed a pattern.  Ms. Echols likes to write about troubled teens who fall in love despite the odds as they work together to see their hopes and dreams come to fruition.  At least, that's what I've gleaned from the two books I've read from her.  I do have several others on my Kindle or on my shelf, but I haven't had time to read them yet in order to further research this theory.  They all sound like great summer reads, though, so maybe I'll be able to make time for them soon.

All theorizing aside, I liked this book.  There are aspects that are certainly relatable:  the sibling rivalry, the over-bearing parents, the hopes for self-actualization.  But then there was that one big issue -- the one that's grated on pretty much every reviewer -- that bothered me.  But then I remember that Grayson in Such a Rush did a pretty despicable thing, and I forgave him for that, so I'm willing to overlook Sam's inappropriate behavior, especially after he made his own (would-be) sacrifice for Bailey's sake.

Another issue I had was that everything in this story happened within the span of a week or so.  Bailey joins the band and falls in love with Sam in record time.  I admit that at that age, everything is all about immediate gratification, which is partly why I could overlook Sam's behavior.  But at the same time, this is the girl who's been feeling nothing for the last year.  The timeline just seemed rushed to me.

At 18, I don't think I would have let my family push my dreams to the wayside.  I felt sympathetic toward Bailey because I know what it's like to have a younger sister who's everything you're not.  Not that we get to see much of Julie until the end of the book, but as Bailey divulges the details of her ostracism from her family, we do get to see a little of how Julie fits into Bailey's current behavior.  I wish we could have seen more interactions with Julie during the book to see that it wasn't really sibling rivalry at all.  Julie's concern for her sister is tangible there at the end, and it pretty much erased all of the nasty thoughts I'd had about her during the course of the novel.  Especially after both girls took matters -- and their futures -- into their own hands.

I really enjoyed the story overall.  It was fun and evocative, and it held my interest, even when I didn't always agree with the characters' actions.  I loved the band dynamic and all the drama that surrounded it.  My husband was in a rock band when we met, and this story made me a little nostalgic for those days.  Because there wasn't always drama, just like in this book...when the performance starts, everything else just fades away.  I think the author really captured the essence of being young and in a band and trying to make it big.

Rating:  

About the author:

Jennifer Echols was born in Atlanta and grew up in a small town on a beautiful lake in Alabama—a setting that has inspired many of her books. She has written nine romantic novels for young adults, including the comedy MAJOR CRUSH, which won the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the drama GOING TOO FAR, which was a finalist in the RITA, the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the Book Buyer’s Best, and was nominated by the American Library Association as a Best Book for Young Adults. Simon & Schuster will debut her adult romance novels in 2013, with many more teen novels scheduled for the next few years. She lives in Birmingham with her husband and her son.

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Labels: contemporary, dirty little secret, jennifer echols, music, reviews, simon schuster