Date published: January 5th, 2014
Synopsis: After graduating high school, Olivia “Ollie” McKenna leaves her small town roots in Summerville, Georgia, to pursue her dream of becoming a professional singer. With her best friend and older sister in tow, wholesome Ollie travels to the big city to compete in singing contest Atlanta Idol. There she meets nineteen-year-old Jack Bradley, a fellow country singer who quickly becomes a close friend. The connection between them is magnetic and an opportunity to sing together could change their lives forever. But what about Ollie's mama's fear of the music business? She's been burned by the lures of the bright lights before and doesn't want Ollie anywhere near that world. And Ollie's growing feelings for Jack as more than just a pal could ruin everything. Despite her own doubts, Ollie is determined to win. Can she make her dream come true or will she return to her hometown empty-handed and brokenhearted?
What I Thought:
First of all, I absolutely love this cover. Now as someone who puts more stock what's on the back of the book (blurb) as opposed to the front of the book, this really stands out. I mean you have so many icons that represent different aspects of the book and the juxtaposition is just perfect.
I'm not really sure how to rate the book. So I'm just going to tell you what worked for me, what put me in a quandry, and what sort of didn't.
What worked:
1)The characters- I really liked Ollie and Jack. Both are driven to succeed but not so much as throw each other under the bus...maybe.
2)The chemistry- I loved the sparks that flew between Ollie and Jack both onstage and off.
3)The plot-The story was well thought out.
What I had to think about:
1)How Ollie stayed true to herself and her faith in God. I was surprised by the number of times God was mentioned in this novel. The reason I say this is because I haven't seen many YA/NA books with God in them unless it's swearing, which is kind of sad, but that's a totally different conversation. Being a Southern girl and having lived here for most of my life, I know how important God is in many people's lives and my own. I also knew as I read that some readers might not like the inclusion of God or even his name in the book due to a number of reasons. I did too in the beginning but then I realized that her faith in God was just a part of who she was. ( I didn't mean to focus on this part, but it is what stuck out for me.)
In the end, I liked the book but I wasn't blown away as I was expecting to be. I am really looking
forward to seeing what Nancy writes next. I have a feeling it'll be great and if she writes more Ollie and Jack I'll be happy to see where they go on their wild journey.
Purchase links:
About the Author
Nancy Scrofano is the author of novels AMERICAN HONEY and TRUE LOVE WAY, novelette CUPID ON DECK, and short stories ICE DATING in the MERRY & BRIGHT anthology and HAPPENSTANCE in the SUNLOUNGER anthology. She is the founder and managing editor of Fictionella, a book blog that promotes and celebrates women’s fiction, romantic comedy, and chick lit. Nancy lives in southern California where she is at work on her next novel.
*A copy was given by the author for review. I was not compensated in any way for my honest opinions.*
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