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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Dolly Parton and James Patterson team up for this action-romance novel about a young southern woman out to make it big as a singer in Nashville. AnnieLee Keyes mysteriously arrives in town with a haunted past that reveals itself through her songs. A young man, Ethan Blake, catches her first impromptu set at the Cat's Paw bar and immediately contacts his boss, the dazzling retired country star Ruthanna Ryder, who happens to own the bar, hoping she'll check out the new gal in town.
Ryder reluctantly comes out to hear AnnieLee and, amazed by her raw talents, takes the young woman under her wing, guiding the neophyte through the business. But every time AnnieLee finds herself moving ahead, her past comes back to literally smack her in the face.
It's a good story, typical James Patterson fiction. You can hear Dolly's voice as you read Ruthanna Ryder's parts. Sony has bought the rights to the movie, and I expect we'll see Dolly on the big screen again soon.
Ryder reluctantly comes out to hear AnnieLee and, amazed by her raw talents, takes the young woman under her wing, guiding the neophyte through the business. But every time AnnieLee finds herself moving ahead, her past comes back to literally smack her in the face.
It's a good story, typical James Patterson fiction. You can hear Dolly's voice as you read Ruthanna Ryder's parts. Sony has bought the rights to the movie, and I expect we'll see Dolly on the big screen again soon.
This was my first Patterson novel and it did not disappoint- admittedly, Dolly’s magical touch spurred my glee while reading.
Ruthana and AnnieLee both share certain aspects of Dolly’s persona and attitude and it was a delight to uncover these similarities. Even the lyrics within the novel are gleaming on the surface but teeming with surfeit despair (much like the best songs in Dolly’s 3,000 song catalog). The lyrics to “Blue Bonnet” are an example of the aforementioned (some seriously dark sh*t!).
The short chapters and scenic descriptions of Nashville and her surrounding suburbs were quite transportive. Heck- there’s about four or five subplots playing out across Nashville at one point in the novel. Patterson weaves these subplots together well and culminates with a satisfying ending.
Dolly’s influence is everywhere in this novel- from the country-twang lyrics to AnnieLee’s omnipresent hustle. What made this novel go from “ok” to “great” was the progression in song quality & development throughout the novel. Patterson and Dolly bring readers along the journey of honing in on the song-writing craft and it’s this added bonus that complements the book, companion record, and a sterling new writing partnership.
Ruthana and AnnieLee both share certain aspects of Dolly’s persona and attitude and it was a delight to uncover these similarities. Even the lyrics within the novel are gleaming on the surface but teeming with surfeit despair (much like the best songs in Dolly’s 3,000 song catalog). The lyrics to “Blue Bonnet” are an example of the aforementioned (some seriously dark sh*t!).
The short chapters and scenic descriptions of Nashville and her surrounding suburbs were quite transportive. Heck- there’s about four or five subplots playing out across Nashville at one point in the novel. Patterson weaves these subplots together well and culminates with a satisfying ending.
Dolly’s influence is everywhere in this novel- from the country-twang lyrics to AnnieLee’s omnipresent hustle. What made this novel go from “ok” to “great” was the progression in song quality & development throughout the novel. Patterson and Dolly bring readers along the journey of honing in on the song-writing craft and it’s this added bonus that complements the book, companion record, and a sterling new writing partnership.
It was probably a 3.5. I enjoyed it but didn’t love. Very “a star is born” + mystery but pretty predictable.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
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:
Yes
This book was okay! Just okay! Nothing really stood out and to be honest I expected a lot more. It follows Annie Lee as she tries to make it as a country music star. It is VERY hallmark movie-ish and the only suspenseful moment was during the very last chapter. The audio book was fun because Dolly Parton and Kelsey ballerini are two of the narrators and that's honestly why I finished it! But would not recommend unless you need a feel good - zone out book.
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
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
I absolutely loved this book. I am staying Nashville for the summer and if you have even the slightest knowledge of Nashville places it’s a super fun read. I also greatly enjoyed this because it reminds me of Noah Thompson, the American Idol Winner from this year. The two main characters Anna Lee and Ruthana are so fun to read along with, both self-proclaimed firecrackers and their wit is amazing! The reason I rated this three stars is I expected more from James Patterson. With so many best sellers I expected the book to be a little more well written. It reads more like a low level YA novel. I also appreciate when thrillers sprinkle in hints or clues more throughout the book and I felt like readers were strung along too long without knowing anything. I do recommend this book though, especially with all the growing interest in Music City!
adventurous
inspiring
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
While the book ended strong it took a long way to get there. It starts off slow and you are very much in the dark about a lot of details until the very end.
3.5 rounded up to a 4. Very long and drawn out. Seemed like most of the action of this book happened in the last 100 pages. This was my first James Patterson book as a side note, so maybe this is his writing style.