Dirty Little Secret (Early Book Review)

Dirty Little Secret

Author: Jeenifer Echols
Publisher: MTV Books
Number of Pages: 288
Release Date: July 16, 2013

Synopsis from Goodreads:

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…

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MY THOUGHTS:

I've never been a fan of country music. This may not seem like a big deal, but I grew up in Wyoming. My high school mascot was the Plainsmen (and Plainswomen) and my university mascot was the Cowboys. Wyoming is the true West and country music is prevalent. This isn't to say that other music didn't exist. Luckily, I grew up in Wyoming's university town (yes, there is only one) so there was plenty of variety and I was exposed to lots of different types of music, but country was definitely king. I have plenty of love and respect for old school country greats like Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, and Johnny Cash and I'm not ashamed to admit to liking Taylor Swift, but for the most part, country music makes my ears bleed and I'd rather go to the dentist for an all-day procedure than listen to the country station for more than 15 minutes. That said, I was really excited to read Dirty Little Secret, the newest book from author Jennifer Echols that tackles the lives of country musicians living in Nashville.

It's going to sound contradictory, but I've always been a fan of the city of Nashville. It's a beautiful town and there is just a joy that comes from a city built on live music (despite everything I just said, I will listen to pretty much anything if it's live). I remember a family trip to Nashville where we stayed at the beautiful Grand Ole Opry Hotel and actually caught a show at the Grand Ole Opry House, which was amazing. So it was fun to be able to picture the scenes that were described in the book.

Dirty Little Secret follows a teenager named Bailey. Bailey has just graduated high school and is spending the summer at her grandfather's house while she waits to start Vanderbilt in the fall. Bailey has been "dumped" into her grandfather's lap after she was in a car crash with her now ex-boyfriend before the novel starts. Her parents can no longer watch after her because they are too busy helping her younger sister, Julie, fulfill her country superstar dreams. Bailey and Julie spent their entire lives as a duet. Touring the state fairs and bluegrass circuits throughout their entire childhoods, Bailey is shocked and hurt when record executives swoop in and sign Julie to a solo deal. Bailey, the fiddler, always sang harmony to Julie's guitar and melody, but it was Bailey's songs they sang and Bailey's pitch that was perfect. The worst betrayal though, is the fact that her parents want her to quit music altogether. They make her quit any form of social media and forbid her to play music. The record company is afraid that Julie's image will suffer if people find out that she used to be a duet with her now discarded sister. Bailey's parents agree that they will pay for her schooling at Vanderbilt under the condition that she not draw any attention to herself over the summer.

Regardless of their wishes, Bailey does find a summer job playing back-up to the various musician impersonators that walk around the mall playing old favorites. She plays with "Elvis" and "Dolly" and eventually works with "Johnny Cash" and his son, Sam. Immediately, Bailey knows Sam will be trouble. Gorgeous and talented Sam zooms in on Bailey and her fiddle, believing she is exactly what his band needs to make it to the next level. Even though she knows she shouldn't, Bailey agrees to play with Sam's band "for one night only" and the group rocks it.

Playing with the band brings a whole set of complications. Not only is her college career on the line if she disobeys her parents, but the other members of the band don't seem particularly over-joyed at the prospect of a new member. The drummer, Courtney, especially has a problem with Bailey. Courtney is in love with Sam and she is not at all happy when she sees the chemistry brewing between Sam and Bailey.

Overall, I did enjoy Dirty Little Secret. It's a relatively quick read, clocking in at under 300 pages. I love books that revolve around music in some way (yes, even country) especially books that follow musicians. I enjoyed Bailey's character, but did wish that she would grow a backbone and stand up to her parents. Speaking of, I found the characterization of her parents to be unrealistic. To spend so much time on your daughters only to sweep one of them completely aside just didn't ring true to me. I've only read one other book by Jennifer Echols, Such a Rush, and the mother in that book was just awful, too. I'm not going to go on my "bad parent in YA" rant today, but it still grates me. Along the same lines, you are supposed to believe that her sister, whose life she has always been a huge part of, would also cast her aside. Maybe I'm underestimating the power of the almighty dollar, but I also have a sister that I love very much, and there's just no way I would ever ask for her to give up something that she loves, while also casting her aside. Seriously.

I did enjoy the growing relationship between Sam and Bailey. Jennifer Echols certainly knows how to create chemistry between two characters. Things get pretty steamy quickly between the two and I was definitely rooting for them to get together. But Sam isn't without his faults, as well. The only thing he seems to care about is making it big any way he can. This drive is admirable to a point, but it soon becomes apparent that relationships are secondary, which made rooting for him a little harder. Bailey finds out that he has had a long string of girlfriends in the past year before landing on her, and she wonders if he will ever be able to truly care for another person.

In sum, I would recommend Dirty Little Secret if you enjoy books that follow musicians, or are just looking for a summer romance. Again, it's a quick and easy read and though far from perfect, a good summer book. 

*I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange of an honest review.*