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maryo12345 's review for:
Once Upon a Time in Dollywood
by Ashley Jordan
Oh my god, did I have a time with this book. This is exactly the kind of story I love. At the beginning, I was like, girl, you are a hot mess. I felt for her, but she was all over the place, and I honestly couldn’t see how this was going to work out. And the guy? He was way too nice, though he had his own baggage too. I’ll be real, I almost DNF’d in the first few chapters because her attitude was not it. But somewhere around the middle, things started to shift. Suddenly it was giving three stars, then by the end I was like, yes, this is it, five stars all the way.
The character development was beautiful. Watching her actually go to therapy, do the work, and sort herself out made the journey so rewarding. I also appreciated how the author explored heavier themes. The parts about growing up in a religious Black family and the struggle with faith felt so authentic, the exploration of Black motherhood and the interracial relationship was handled with care. I especially loved that Jamie didn’t fall into that stereotypical “I love me some Black queen” trope. Instead, he saw her as a person first, with her own personality and struggles, before anything else. That made the romance feel so much more real.
Please check the trigger warnings before starting, but if you’re good, this book is worth the ride.
And lastly, as an avid Beyoncé fan, I love you already 😌. Five stars, period.
The character development was beautiful. Watching her actually go to therapy, do the work, and sort herself out made the journey so rewarding. I also appreciated how the author explored heavier themes. The parts about growing up in a religious Black family and the struggle with faith felt so authentic, the exploration of Black motherhood and the interracial relationship was handled with care. I especially loved that Jamie didn’t fall into that stereotypical “I love me some Black queen” trope. Instead, he saw her as a person first, with her own personality and struggles, before anything else. That made the romance feel so much more real.
Please check the trigger warnings before starting, but if you’re good, this book is worth the ride.
And lastly, as an avid Beyoncé fan, I love you already 😌. Five stars, period.