Review: A Little Bit Country by Brian D. Kennedy
Emmett Maguire wants to be country music’s biggest gay superstar – a far reach when you’re seventeen and living in Illinois. But for now, he’s happy to do the next best thing: Stay with his aunt in Jackson Hollow, Tennessee, for the summer and perform at the amusement park owned by his idol, country legend Wanda Jean Stubbs.
Luke Barnes hates country music. As the grandson of Verna Rose, the disgraced singer who had a famous falling out with Wanda Jean, Luke knows how much pain country music has brought his family. But when his mom’s medical bills start piling up, he takes a job at the last place he wants: a restaurant at Wanda World.
Neither boy is looking for romance, but sparks fly when they meet – and soon they’re inseparable. Until a long-lost secret about Verna and Wanda comes to light, threatening to unravel everything.
Will Emmett and Luke be able get past the truths they discover…or will their relationship go down in history as just another Sad Country Love Song?
Review:
Dear Brian D. Kennedy,
This book so far ended being my most enjoyable gift received on Heather’s Book exchange and I did not even plan to put it on my wish list, I just saw it on someone else’s list and figured why not. It really clicked for me, but I highly advise that you check out a sample first, because first person present tense narration seems to be spreading out a lot in m/m. This is never going to be my favorite POV but for the second book in a row, for me it just worked.
Moreover, I am not a fan of country music at all! I mean I don’t hate it, but every time I try listening to it, I am mostly indifferent. I am also indifferent about Dolly Parton, who was apparently an inspiration for Emmett’s idol Wanda Jean Stubs and her amusement park. One of the main characters in the book, Emmett is an out and proud seventeen year old who eats, sleeps and dreams about becoming a country music star and he has the talent to make it, although of course even he knows that he will face many bumps along the road. I really, really admired this boy who had so much passion for his art and during the course of the story almost never gave up on his dream. I want to imagine that in the expanded fictional world of the book Emmett will achieve everything he wants to achieve.
I liked Luke too, another seventeen year old, who did not particularly like country music due to some past family drama, real and imagined, but who tried very hard to help his family deal with economical problems. In fact, I liked that his family problems were different from many family problems usually described in m/m. The main issues Luke’s family are dealing with is one parent living with a chronical illness and another parent trying to earn enough to make sure they are able to pay their bills and Luke, bless him in the best way, is doing his best to help his family.
I liked that the author is portraying a loving family here, because man I was dreading seeing another abusive step father. Luke’s step father is a good man who is working very hard and still fighting poverty and I appreciated seeing it on the pages of the book.
Luke is also someone who loves cooking and hopefully he will also achieve his dream of becoming a restaurant chef. These two young men just had so much passion about their work and somehow their passion transformed to their building romance very well for me. I don’t know, it just worked.
It worked even though it is young adult which does not work for me too often, but I believed in the boys even if them being seventeen may end up in them going their separate ways eventually. However the on page ending was perfect for me!
Grade: B+
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This sounds appealing, Sirius! Thank you for sharing your thoughts.