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royalwaves's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
This made me smile, cringe in embarrassment, and it broke my heart at times. I related to both Luke and Emmett which was surprising to be honest. When I first heard about this book I was so excited and instantly thought I would love this. And I’m glad to say I was right.
The atmosphere was nostalgic and gave me a cozy feeling. I loved the characters, the Dolly references were great and this is a book I can see myself re-reading many times in the future. I highly recommend this.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness, Religious bigotry, and Homophobia
Minor: Sexual content
cleot's review
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness
Minor: Homophobia and Religious bigotry
fanboyriot's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Read For:
😘 RomCom
☕️ Family Secrets
🎡 Dollywood Vibes
🤫 Secret Relationship
🏳️🌈 Gay Country Music
The backstory to this was so good, the family secrets, hidden songs, and some good old gay country music. As someone who grew up listening to country music it is so satisfying to see all the queer artists gaining recognition. So I loved this book and Emmett fully committed to his dream.
I am so happy with how this book ended. I was a little nervous there for a second. The internalized homophobia ran deep. Having said that the character development was amazing. All the characters were written nicely, they had depth and personality. I really enjoyed reading this.
Release Date: 07, June 2022
POV: Switching, First Person
Spice: 🌶️ (mentioned)
Rep: Gay (MCs), BIPOC (SCs), Multiple Sclerosis (MC’s Mom)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness and Homophobia
Moderate: Alcohol, Religious bigotry, Racism, Medical content, and Classism
Minor: Infidelity, Cursing, Sexual content, and Grief
glorytowers05's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Chronic illness, Homophobia, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Death of parent, Outing, Sexual content, and Racism
clovelatte's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness
Moderate: Medical trauma, Homophobia, and Medical content
Minor: Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, and Addiction
thewildmageslibrary's review
3.5
Pretty enjoyable! It reminded me a lot of Dolly Parton, which I think was the point.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness and Homophobia
Moderate: Racism, Religious bigotry, Medical content, and Infidelity
Minor: Sexual content
shelvesofivy's review
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
2.75
This was a very sweet read. I definitely wanted to like it more than I did though. Mostly due to my own taste, I was getting bored by around the halfway mark. The writing style wasn't bad, but I just wasn't as emotionally invested in the main characters as I wanted to be. I think Emmett's naivety had something to do with it.
The side plot about Nana is what kept me going, even though I predicted the ending. And that's not a bad thing! It was still a very satisfying reveal.
Overall, it was still a very cute story!
The side plot about Nana is what kept me going, even though I predicted the ending. And that's not a bad thing! It was still a very satisfying reveal.
Overall, it was still a very cute story!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Homophobia, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Sexual content
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Emmett's dream is to become country's biggest gay superstar. Which is difficult when you're a teenager living in Illinois. So when a summer opportunity came up to perform at Wanda World in Tennessee, Emmett jumps at the chance. After all, Wanda Jean Stubbs is one of country music's biggest stars and Emmett's idol. It's the perfect opportunity to get discovered.
Oppositely, Luke hates country music. Given his family's history with country music, Luke knows how much pain the fame can bring. But as his mom's medical bills continue to build up, he takes a job at Wanda World for the summer. It's there he meets Emmett, and there are sparks. And maybe something more?
Thanks to NetGalley and HaperCollins for an advanced copy of this to review! From the description, I thought this seemed like a great summer romance, and I was correct! If you're looking for a book to add to your Pride Month TBR, this one definitely fits the bill.
Luke and Emmett live very different lives, but I loved the dynamic together. Neither of them were really looking for a summer romance. However, it unfolds naturally between them. Right from their first meeting, you're rooting for them. Even if it wasn't necessarily the meet cute that you were expecting. It was awkward and teenager-like and I found it so endearing.
There's also a bit of mystery and intrigue with Luke's family history, and it added another element to the romance. Plus, Wanda was just a great character, and if you're a fan of Dolly Parton at all, you're sure to love her. Honestly, if you like country music in any capacity, you'll find a lot to love here. And if you don't like country music, the characters are sure to still pull you in.
All in all, if you're looking for a fun romance to add to your TBR this summer, definitely pick this one up!
Oppositely, Luke hates country music. Given his family's history with country music, Luke knows how much pain the fame can bring. But as his mom's medical bills continue to build up, he takes a job at Wanda World for the summer. It's there he meets Emmett, and there are sparks. And maybe something more?
Thanks to NetGalley and HaperCollins for an advanced copy of this to review! From the description, I thought this seemed like a great summer romance, and I was correct! If you're looking for a book to add to your Pride Month TBR, this one definitely fits the bill.
Luke and Emmett live very different lives, but I loved the dynamic together. Neither of them were really looking for a summer romance. However, it unfolds naturally between them. Right from their first meeting, you're rooting for them. Even if it wasn't necessarily the meet cute that you were expecting. It was awkward and teenager-like and I found it so endearing.
There's also a bit of mystery and intrigue with Luke's family history, and it added another element to the romance. Plus, Wanda was just a great character, and if you're a fan of Dolly Parton at all, you're sure to love her. Honestly, if you like country music in any capacity, you'll find a lot to love here. And if you don't like country music, the characters are sure to still pull you in.
All in all, if you're looking for a fun romance to add to your TBR this summer, definitely pick this one up!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Chronic illness, and Homophobia
Moderate: Terminal illness and Sexual content
Minor: Outing
thelovelylibrarylady's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I am always cautious when I am reading an author's debut novel, even more so when that novel falls under the YA genre. It is hard to write YA and sometimes it can take a few stories for an author to get comfortable with it. A Little Bit Country is not a bad book by any means. The story itself is pretty creative and unique. However, the writing was not great. Kennedy, the author, tackled too many storylines and characters for a 350-page book. With that being said I would give his writing another chance in the future because I feel like he has more to bring to the LGBTQ+ fiction genre at the YA level.
(PUB DATE: 05/31/2022)
(I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)
(PUB DATE: 05/31/2022)
(I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness
Moderate: Homophobia and Religious bigotry
melaniereadsbooks's review
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tours, Netgalley, and Harper Collins for an arc of this book.
Emmett is looking to become country's biggest gay music star and moves to Jackson Hollow for a summer job at a country-singer-themed amusement park to try and make his dreams come true. There he meets Luke, working at a restaurant and hiding so many parts of himself from his mom to save her from hurt. They come up with a plan for Emmett to use Luke's nana's old lyrics to get ahead and get Luke money for his family.
This was very cute. I will be the first to say that I know so very little about country music that I actually wasn't sure if Wanda Jean Stubbs was a real person or not at first. But that didn't matter. Luke and Emmett were both very cute characters and I enjoyed the journey.
This dealt with some big themes about coming out and religious bigotry and being yourself in a small town. I definitely enjoyed the ride!
Emmett is looking to become country's biggest gay music star and moves to Jackson Hollow for a summer job at a country-singer-themed amusement park to try and make his dreams come true. There he meets Luke, working at a restaurant and hiding so many parts of himself from his mom to save her from hurt. They come up with a plan for Emmett to use Luke's nana's old lyrics to get ahead and get Luke money for his family.
This was very cute. I will be the first to say that I know so very little about country music that I actually wasn't sure if Wanda Jean Stubbs was a real person or not at first. But that didn't matter. Luke and Emmett were both very cute characters and I enjoyed the journey.
This dealt with some big themes about coming out and religious bigotry and being yourself in a small town. I definitely enjoyed the ride!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Religious bigotry, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Outing
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