Book Review: Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols

Dirty Little Secret

By Jennifer Echols

Release Date: July 16, 2013

Source: Publisher

Summary: From the author of the “real page-turner” (Seventeen) Such a Rush comes an unforgettable new drama that follows friends-turned-lovers as they navigate the passions, heartbreaks, and intrigue of country music fame.

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…

Review: You have no idea how hard I tried to wait to read this book until closer to it's July release date. But it was just sitting on my bookshelf, mocking me every single time I walked by, so I finally gave in. And boy am I glad I did. Jennifer Echols is absolutely fantastic and knows how to create the perfect YA novel. 

Bailey and her sister Julie used to love performing together, but when Julie gets signed and Bailey is forbidden from performing with her fiddle in public ever again, she takes a drastic turn in her life. Bailey cuts her hair, dies it black, and adapts a much more promiscuous wardrobe, all to retaliate against her parents. But if she ever performs in public again, her parents refuse to pay to send her to Vanderbilt in the fall. So when she meets Sam, a gorgeous guitar player who wants her to play in his band, Bailey has no idea what to do. Add the fact that Sam is notorious for breaking hearts and Bailey isn't sure she can open up her heart to yet another betrayal. 

Holy cow. I. Loved. This. Book. That shouldn't surprise me seeing as Jennifer Echols wrote it, but seriously. It was awesome. I think what made this one so awesome was the fact that everything was so unique. Jennifer created such original characters with a story that hasn't been done before. Have you ever read a YA book about a fiddle player? I didn't think so! The whole bluegrass and performer aspect of this book definitely made it a ton of fun to read. 

Bailey's character may seem confident and defiant, but deep down you know she's still hurting over how her family treated her when Julie was discovered. And Sam. Oh, Sam. You have no idea whether you can trust him or not for practically the entire book, but you can't help but love him because he's just so gosh darn adorable. Not to mention he can sing and play the guitar. Can you get any more perfect than that? 

It's crazy to think that this book happened within about a week because so much happened. Secrets were revealed about characters that explained why they were so emotionally damaged and relationships built to the point where it seems like they've known each other forever. Needless to say, there was never a dull moment.

So basically what I'm saying is that Jennifer Echols is amazing. And she has written yet another amazing book. She created an original, enticing story with realistic characters and situations that everyone can relate to. Everyone who has and has not read Jennifer's books needs to pick this one up when it comes out. Trust me, you've never read any YA book like it and you definitely won't ever want to put it down!