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July 9, 2013

Blog Tour: Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols Review + Playlist + Giveaway


Dirty Little SecretFrom the author of the “real page-turner” (SeventeenSuch 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…

Release date: July 16th 2013
Publisher: MTV Books

Purchase: Amazon

This was my first Jennifer Echols book and let's just say, I'll be picking up her previous books. To be honest, at first I had somewhat of a hard time getting into the story. Most of the beginning is just Bailey going through the motions of being part of tribute bands like Elvis and Dolly Parton but the real story begins to unravel when she meets Sam in a tribute band for Johnny Cash. I'm not the biggest country music fan, but even that didn't keep me from enjoying the characters and the occasional mentions of certain songs and lyrics.

Bailey has a really difficult year prior to meeting Sam and her family infuriated me. I couldn't believe that they would just abandon Bailey and shove her dreams to the side while they pursue her sister, Julie's, stardom. I just couldn't understand how a family could do this to one of their own and it broke my heart that in the process, Bailey began to give up on herself too.

Then, cute, heartbreaking Sam comes into the picture. While Bailey plays the fiddle, Sam plays a mean guitar and has a voice that attracts everyone who happens to hear it. He's the type of guy that constantly has girls swooning over him, while he just does his own thing. He's good looking, and talented and he knows it. You can tell he's more than a pretty face though and has real issues with his own family, especially his alcoholic father.

Bailey and Sam's relationship is very rocky. They start off great but things go down hill after some confessions while she's working with his band. There were times when I would doubt him but there's another side to him that sort of makes up for his sometimes questionable behavior.

Jennifer Echols made me love these characters and even though there were tough issues tackled throughout the book, she managed to have me chuckling at some things the characters said (maybe involving some fantasies and a random visit). I definitely recommend this as a good summer read.

4/5 stars

Playlist:
I love thinking of songs that pertain to what I'm reading so here is a playlist I think is very fitting for this novel. It's less about the country aspect and more about the actual characters and story.


1. Cowboy Boots by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
    This song just reminds me of the country scene that surrounds them. It mentions alcoholics and    
    addictions (Sam's dad) and Johnny Cash (the tribute bands).

2. Without the Love by Demi Lovato
    It reminds me of the start of Sam and Bailey's relationship.

3. Don't Trust Me by 3oh!3
    I thought this song went well with the bar and club scene their in when they perform in the District.

4. Behind the Music by Cher Lloyd
    This just perfectly explains how important music is for both Sam and Bailey.
    "No you don't stand a chance For a second in my world The same old song, it won't last long If you can't stand behind the music"


5. Underwater by Mika

    This makes me think of Sam and how they always said he had his heart on his sleeve.

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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