Blog Tour: Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols.

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 fulfil 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… 

Why?
I have wanted to read Jennifer Echols for years so I jumped at the chance to read her latest book! I loved the idea of Nashville and country music in a YA Contemporary.

First Impressions!
I've been catching up on Nashville  so I definitely found it easy to picture the Nashville scene etc. It also took me awhile to twig Fiddle= Violin!

What I loved:
Bailey- I instantly loved Bailey! I felt Bailey was very neglected by her family and definitely pushed out by her parents. Her parents had obviously brought her up with the sole aim of being a professional musician and then tossed her dreams aside when Julie got signed. I admired her continued dedication to music and her professionalism. I liked how observant she was especially on the Mall music circuit and how perceptive she was in regards to Sam although she was still too trusting of him! Overall I really enjoyed reading Bailey's character and loved the way she matured throughout the book
Sam- I both loved and hated Sam! I loved how determined and charming he was especially as it became clear he was much more of a gentleman than a heartbreaker. I admired how devoted he was to music and his band and how he'd gone out of his way to get the 'right' people. However at times he was cruelly single minded and disregarded other people's feelings and issues in the pursuit of a bigger gig or a contract. He also didn't seem to accept how his actions affected other people's feelings. I also liked the dynamic between him and his Dad when they were playing together, it wasn't a conventional father/son dynamic but it was interesting to read1 
Music- I loved the role music played in Dirty Little Secret. I loved the Mall impersonator circuit and how professional and talented they all were to be able to seamlessly play with different people everyday. I liked how the Nashville gig scene was portrayed, it felt very realistic and again full of talent! I loved the composition of Sam's band and how cleverly they blended different genres and eras of songs in their sets. I felt the role music had really made the book unique and stand out.

What I didn't love as much:
Family- I could not believe how Bailey's family treated her. Her mother was overly ambitious and fame hungry her Dad weak and even Julie clearly had no real issue with leaving her sister in the dust weighed down by restrictions that weren't hers to pursue her own dreams.

Rating!

I'm so glad Jennifer Echols lived up to all the great things I'd heard about her. Dirty Little Secret was full of brilliantly crafted characters, with a vivid setting and an engaging plot!

Which Jennifer Echols book should I try next?
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx