Review - Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols

Title: Dirty Little Secret

Author: Jennifer Echols

Series: Stand Alone

Pages: 288

Published: July 16th 2013 by MTV Books 

ISBN: 9781451658033

Source: Publisher via Edelweiss

Description: 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… 

I Give This ... 

 

I've only read a couple books by Jennifer Echols, but I liked them.  This one had an interesting description, so I thought why not?  It had it's ups and downs but overall was a pretty good read.

I actually really loved Bailey.  She's been cast aside and I can only imagine how that would really feel.  She does what so many teenagers try do...rebel.  The problem being that she's not very good at.  Despite her jet black hair and heavy black makeup, she's really just the girl next door.  The girl who's been left behind by her family in a time she probably needed them most.  I was so happy to see her pick up her fiddle again.  You can tell by what she's willing to put up with, both at her mall gigs and with Sam, that she truly loves to play.  She makes it seem like she doesn't care that she will probably never make it.  But, you can tell that she is crushed that her dreams went on without her.

Speaking of her dreams, can I please say shame on the record company.  I know they are all about making money and who's the next big things.  I just found in appalling that they would break up a sister duo and then hide the fact that they only signed one.  And even bigger shame on her parents for allowing it to happen.  Our one child's dreams worth the other ones?   That's a part of the story that really bothered me.  Bailey's were she is really because of no fault of her own.   

I really thought the different  personality mixed in the band Bailey joins were interesting.   I wondered how the pressure of hitting it big might effect them.  They didn't seem especially close.  Sometimes I wanted to beat Sam over the head.  It took a long time for me to decide if he was using Bailey or genuinely liked her.  He absolutely infuriated me when he jumped on Bailey because she refused to use her sister's contacts to get them an in.  Especially after she poured her heart out about the last year's events.

In the end, it all works out.  It had it's moments but I really did appreciate the book for what it was.  Plus, I loved the fact that Bailey played the fiddle!  What a unique choice.