Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'

A Little Bit Country by Brian D. Kennedy

12 reviews

pages_with_panda's review against another edition

Go to review page

lighthearted slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Love story between an aspiring country singer named Emmett, and Luke, a country music hating cook. The two end up working at country music superstar’s amusement park and begin their relationship.

The story is told from alternating POVs and we get to see that they have their own aspirations to become more; Emmett wants to make it big as a gay country singer and Luke wants to be chef. 

 The pacing threw me off between the start and finish. It seemed like we spent a lot of time setting up the conflicts at the beginning and ended the book with an afterwards solving them.
Not enough time was actually spent fleshing out the resolutions between the characters and I would’ve liked to see more time spent on redeeming Luke. 
I really didn’t like him, and couldn’t figure out why Emmett did. He had no likable qualities and very little personality. 

 We also don’t see Luke come to terms with
his internal homophobia
, which was a bit depressing.
The side-plots seemed to take up more space from the main characters, especially with some cheating plot that felt random. 
We also didn’t get to see what becomes of our main couple; the ending is completely unresolved.
Do they stay together and work it out to be long-distance? Who knows!?


Overall this was an easy but unsatisfying read within a country music setting. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

tinytrashqueen's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

libraryofthecrypt's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

This made me smile, cringe in embarrassment, and it broke my heart at times. I related to both  Luke and Emmett which was surprising to be honest. When I first heard about this book I was so excited and instantly thought I would love this. And I’m glad to say I was right.

The atmosphere was nostalgic and gave me a cozy feeling. I loved the characters, the Dolly references were great and this is a book I can see myself re-reading many times in the future. I highly recommend this.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

cleot's review against another edition

Go to review page

hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.5

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

fanboyriot's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Read For:
😘 RomCom
☕️ Family Secrets
🎡 Dollywood Vibes 
🤫 Secret Relationship
🏳️‍🌈 Gay Country Music

The backstory to this was so good, the family secrets, hidden songs, and some good old gay country music.  As someone who grew up listening to country music it is so satisfying to see all the queer artists gaining recognition.  So I loved this book and Emmett fully committed to his dream.

I am so happy with how this book ended.  I was a little nervous there for a second.  The internalized homophobia ran deep.  Having said that the character development was amazing.  All the characters were written nicely, they had depth and personality.  I really enjoyed reading this.

Release Date: 07, June 2022
POV: Switching, First Person
Spice: 🌶️ (mentioned)
Rep: Gay (MCs), BIPOC (SCs), Multiple Sclerosis (MC’s Mom)
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

ajc0516's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

clovelatte's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful inspiring tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

thewildmageslibrary's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.5

Pretty enjoyable! It reminded me a lot of Dolly Parton, which I think was the point.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

shelvesofivy's review against another edition

Go to review page

hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

2.75

This was a very sweet read. I definitely wanted to like it more than I did though. Mostly due to my own taste, I was getting bored by around the halfway mark. The writing style wasn't bad, but I just wasn't as emotionally invested in the main characters as I wanted to be. I think Emmett's naivety had something to do with it. 
The side plot about Nana is what kept me going, even though I predicted the ending. And that's not a bad thing! It was still a very satisfying reveal. 
Overall, it was still a very cute story! 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

betweentheshelves's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Emmett's dream is to become country's biggest gay superstar. Which is difficult when you're a teenager living in Illinois. So when a summer opportunity came up to perform at Wanda World in Tennessee, Emmett jumps at the chance. After all, Wanda Jean Stubbs is one of country music's biggest stars and Emmett's idol. It's the perfect opportunity to get discovered.

Oppositely, Luke hates country music. Given his family's history with country music, Luke knows how much pain the fame can bring. But as his mom's medical bills continue to build up, he takes a job at Wanda World for the summer. It's there he meets Emmett, and there are sparks. And maybe something more?

Thanks to NetGalley and HaperCollins for an advanced copy of this to review! From the description, I thought this seemed like a great summer romance, and I was correct! If you're looking for a book to add to your Pride Month TBR, this one definitely fits the bill.

Luke and Emmett live very different lives, but I loved the dynamic together. Neither of them were really looking for a summer romance. However, it unfolds naturally between them. Right from their first meeting, you're rooting for them. Even if it wasn't necessarily the meet cute that you were expecting. It was awkward and teenager-like and I found it so endearing.

There's also a bit of mystery and intrigue with Luke's family history, and it added another element to the romance. Plus, Wanda was just a great character, and if you're a fan of Dolly Parton at all, you're sure to love her. Honestly, if you like country music in any capacity, you'll find a lot to love here. And if you don't like country music, the characters are sure to still pull you in.

All in all, if you're looking for a fun romance to add to your TBR this summer, definitely pick this one up!
Expand filter menu Content Warnings