toodoorcc's review
1.0
i really love jennifer echols so this was a huge disappointment. i liked bailey, ace, and charlotte. i absolutely hated the parents and sam. sam was an asshole through and through, and what the parents did was childish and rude. there is absolutely no reason to pursue another childs dream but crush the other child's. its stupid and ridiculous
mckenziestaley23's review
1.0
i really hated this book the only reason i didn't give it one star was because of Bay's sister who was the only thing i liked about this book. Sam and Bay started dating the day they met and fell in love in a week.
i think one of the problems is that the book is too short that if it was longer it wouldn't feel so rushed and we would have had more time to like the people and the couples and the family. i really would have loved to see Bay and her parents talk we had her talk with her sister but she never talked to her parents about how she felt and i would have really liked to see that talk. i also liked Ace but but also i really didn't like how he yelled at everyone.
i think one of the problems is that the book is too short that if it was longer it wouldn't feel so rushed and we would have had more time to like the people and the couples and the family. i really would have loved to see Bay and her parents talk we had her talk with her sister but she never talked to her parents about how she felt and i would have really liked to see that talk. i also liked Ace but but also i really didn't like how he yelled at everyone.
cupcakegirly's review
4.0
Is there anything Jennifer Echols can't write?!
What had me shoutin' Yeehaw!: Dirty Little Secret reads like a country song - you've got love, loss, heartbreak and redemption and as usual, Jennifer Echols gives us flawed characters who are funny, endearing and completely relateable. Bailey is the kind of girl who desires to do the right thing but goes about it the wrong way occasionally.I can't say I blame her though, especially after what happened with her familybut despite the pain they've caused her, Bailey still worries about her sister Julie just as much as ever.
And then there's Sam. *sighs* I felt myself drawn in by that quirky heartbreaker whose almost too cute for his own good as easily as Bailey but I was torn between wanting to hug him and kick him in the shins. Sam has big dreams and he'll do just about anything to make them come true even if it means using his friends or leaving a trail of broken hearts in his wake. However, he meets his match when he plays Johnny Cash's son to Bailey's, Studio B musician, and Sam will have to decide if having one without the other (Bailey or a music career) is really worth it.
I LOVED that Bailey and Sam had SO much in common and I got choked up quite a few times for them. I'm not a violent person (says the woman who threatened to kick Sam) but I wanted to smack Bailey's mother into next year...I.can't.even with that woman.
What left me cryin' in my whiskey*: I am not a huge country music fan nor am I musically inclined so there were times I was a little lost when Bailey was talking about notes and scales, but I also felt like I was getting an education which was cool! *For the record (pun completely intended), I have never had whiskey to know if it would even be worth crying into. ;)
Final Verdict: Read it. Love it. You'll never listen to Lady Antebellum or Justin Timberlake the same way again. ;)
Favorite Verse: "Because of the fifty-two girlfriends? Poor baby."
What had me shoutin' Yeehaw!: Dirty Little Secret reads like a country song - you've got love, loss, heartbreak and redemption and as usual, Jennifer Echols gives us flawed characters who are funny, endearing and completely relateable. Bailey is the kind of girl who desires to do the right thing but goes about it the wrong way occasionally.I can't say I blame her though, especially after what happened with her familybut despite the pain they've caused her, Bailey still worries about her sister Julie just as much as ever.
And then there's Sam. *sighs* I felt myself drawn in by that quirky heartbreaker whose almost too cute for his own good as easily as Bailey but I was torn between wanting to hug him and kick him in the shins. Sam has big dreams and he'll do just about anything to make them come true even if it means using his friends or leaving a trail of broken hearts in his wake. However, he meets his match when he plays Johnny Cash's son to Bailey's, Studio B musician, and Sam will have to decide if having one without the other (Bailey or a music career) is really worth it.
I LOVED that Bailey and Sam had SO much in common and I got choked up quite a few times for them. I'm not a violent person (says the woman who threatened to kick Sam) but I wanted to smack Bailey's mother into next year...I.can't.even with that woman.
What left me cryin' in my whiskey*: I am not a huge country music fan nor am I musically inclined so there were times I was a little lost when Bailey was talking about notes and scales, but I also felt like I was getting an education which was cool! *For the record (pun completely intended), I have never had whiskey to know if it would even be worth crying into. ;)
Final Verdict: Read it. Love it. You'll never listen to Lady Antebellum or Justin Timberlake the same way again. ;)
Favorite Verse: "Because of the fifty-two girlfriends? Poor baby."
the_lady_reads's review
3.0
3.5 Stars
Jennifer Echols' Dirty Little Secret proves to be an extremely entertaining, albeit enraging read. As impossible as it is to put down, there were some character actions that did nothing but infuriate me. It's a very good book, with an interesting plot that has a pretty original concept. Echols shows us yet again how wonderful she is at storytelling with this musical tale.
Since her parents and younger sister, Julie, kicked her off to the side so that Julie could pursue her music career, Bailey's life has been on a downward spiral. The final straw is when her boyfriend crashes his car. After that her parents send her off to live with her granddad, who sets her up with a gig playing with tribute groups. When Sam, the son of an impersonator, sees Bailey's talent for the fiddle, he begs her to join his band and worms his way into her heart. But the secrets she's keeping just might break everything she has in her grasp.
It's undeniable that Echols is an excellent writer. Her stories are compelling with realistically flawed main characters. Dirty Little Secret is no different in that respect. The difference is: I usually love Echols male leads and in this case, I wanted to poke out his eyeballs with a fork. The musical themes of the book were amazingly done. It was so cool to read about how this girl worked her way into the business, rather than what we usually see--where the characters are already thriving. I loved all of the lingo, and descriptions of the pitch, instruments, the gigs, etc. The descriptions were excellent and nothing stood out negatively for me. This was the first time I'd read a plot like this and I loved it. The setting was so well done, and besides a few minor things, very realistic. Echols writes a steady plot that will hook its readers immediately. This author has a serious knack for writing engaging, addicting stories!
What I didn't like about this book: Sam. Actually, I didn't really like any of the minor characters, but Sam is the worst. The other minor characters have semi-understandable motives, but Sam was just despicable. He behaves cruelly towards Bailey and never redeemed himself, at least in my eyes. His transformation into a "good guy" happened too quickly and he wasn't forced to truly deal with the consequences of his actions. It infuriated me that when Bailey finally stood up for herself, she caved back in so easily. Bailey's parents were the other characters that I wanted to take a shank to. How someone could do what they did to their child is unbelievable. It made me sick to my stomach, and I wish we could've seen a bigger confrontation between them and Bailey. Bailey deserved nothing more than to shove their actions against her in their faces.
Jennifer Echols is still an author I love, even if Dirty Little Secret didn't go as well as I had initially hoped. She has so much talent, which can be seen even with the faults shown in this novel. I sincerely look forward to reading her future work. Fair warning, this novel does have some sexual content, mentions drug and recreational underage alcohol use that makes this a good reader for older teens and new adults.
I received an e-copy of this novel from the publisher for my honest opinion and review via Edelweiss.
This review can be seen here on my blog as well.
Jennifer Echols' Dirty Little Secret proves to be an extremely entertaining, albeit enraging read. As impossible as it is to put down, there were some character actions that did nothing but infuriate me. It's a very good book, with an interesting plot that has a pretty original concept. Echols shows us yet again how wonderful she is at storytelling with this musical tale.
Since her parents and younger sister, Julie, kicked her off to the side so that Julie could pursue her music career, Bailey's life has been on a downward spiral. The final straw is when her boyfriend crashes his car. After that her parents send her off to live with her granddad, who sets her up with a gig playing with tribute groups. When Sam, the son of an impersonator, sees Bailey's talent for the fiddle, he begs her to join his band and worms his way into her heart. But the secrets she's keeping just might break everything she has in her grasp.
It's undeniable that Echols is an excellent writer. Her stories are compelling with realistically flawed main characters. Dirty Little Secret is no different in that respect. The difference is: I usually love Echols male leads and in this case, I wanted to poke out his eyeballs with a fork. The musical themes of the book were amazingly done. It was so cool to read about how this girl worked her way into the business, rather than what we usually see--where the characters are already thriving. I loved all of the lingo, and descriptions of the pitch, instruments, the gigs, etc. The descriptions were excellent and nothing stood out negatively for me. This was the first time I'd read a plot like this and I loved it. The setting was so well done, and besides a few minor things, very realistic. Echols writes a steady plot that will hook its readers immediately. This author has a serious knack for writing engaging, addicting stories!
What I didn't like about this book: Sam. Actually, I didn't really like any of the minor characters, but Sam is the worst. The other minor characters have semi-understandable motives, but Sam was just despicable. He behaves cruelly towards Bailey and never redeemed himself, at least in my eyes. His transformation into a "good guy" happened too quickly and he wasn't forced to truly deal with the consequences of his actions. It infuriated me that when Bailey finally stood up for herself, she caved back in so easily. Bailey's parents were the other characters that I wanted to take a shank to. How someone could do what they did to their child is unbelievable. It made me sick to my stomach, and I wish we could've seen a bigger confrontation between them and Bailey. Bailey deserved nothing more than to shove their actions against her in their faces.
Jennifer Echols is still an author I love, even if Dirty Little Secret didn't go as well as I had initially hoped. She has so much talent, which can be seen even with the faults shown in this novel. I sincerely look forward to reading her future work. Fair warning, this novel does have some sexual content, mentions drug and recreational underage alcohol use that makes this a good reader for older teens and new adults.
I received an e-copy of this novel from the publisher for my honest opinion and review via Edelweiss.
This review can be seen here on my blog as well.
jessalyn03's review against another edition
3.0
I’m my opinion it’s slow starting out and the chapters are SO LONG. It gets better as you get into the book but I had a hard time reading, with the chapters being so long, for a long period of time. Loved the ending and the plot of the book though!
kaylila's review
5.0
I'm going to be honest, when i first started reading this book, i didnt like it. I gave up on it after the first chapter and read something else. Then, when i ram out of books to read, i decided to pick it back up and give it a second chance. I am glad i did. 'Dirty Little Secret' is such a cute book! The characters are so connectable and complex. I love the meaning of the tile too! The secret could refer to the realitonship between Baliey and Sam. It could refer to Baliey being a secret to the public eye, or it could be that Baliey is in a band. I just love this book and the complexity as well as the writing style and unique plot line!
readingundertheradar's review
4.0
Visit it on my blog at http://www.happybookloversblog.com
It's no question that Jennifer Echols is ah-mazing. Seriously. Her writing is fabulous, lots of descriptors without being overwhelming, interesting characters, and a cool, fun new twist on some kind of topic that's the main plot. So I kind of went into it assuming I was going to like it.
Surprisingly, I did enjoy the book, but I really did not like the main characters all that much. Bailey was okay, and I liked her better than Sam. She is angry that her parents basically ditched her after Julie gets a contract, which is understandable. She spends the whole novel trying to connect with her sister and stay away from her parents, being angry, but also obeying them to stay under the radar so people don't find out she's Julie's sister. However, Bailey introduces herself with a different last name, so this actually works. No one ever suspects her of being this other girl's sister, and the only ones that know are the two people she actually tells. She just worries all the time and seems to spend too much effort trying to please every single character in the book, while also being a rebel? Please.
Sam was a different story. I really just hated him. He was written very well, so it wasn't annoying to read or anything, but he was one of those that made me so mad I wanted to reach in the book and throw fruit at him or something. Anything! The whole time, I just felt like he had ulterior motives and wasn't as honest or true or normal as he could be to Bailey or his friends. His friend, Ace, was actually my favorite character in the book. A member of the band, he was the only level-headed, grounded person, and he seemed like a really funny sweet guy, and I wish he could have been featured a little bit more.
Other than the characters pissing me off quite a bit, I still did enjoy reading this. Like I said, you really can't go wrong picking up an Echols book, you always get a good story, regardless of whether or not you love the characters or want to punch them in the throat. So yep, pretty good.
Read When: You need an Echols fix, you want a healthy dose of competition, or you're feeling a little bit rebellious.
It's no question that Jennifer Echols is ah-mazing. Seriously. Her writing is fabulous, lots of descriptors without being overwhelming, interesting characters, and a cool, fun new twist on some kind of topic that's the main plot. So I kind of went into it assuming I was going to like it.
Surprisingly, I did enjoy the book, but I really did not like the main characters all that much. Bailey was okay, and I liked her better than Sam. She is angry that her parents basically ditched her after Julie gets a contract, which is understandable. She spends the whole novel trying to connect with her sister and stay away from her parents, being angry, but also obeying them to stay under the radar so people don't find out she's Julie's sister. However, Bailey introduces herself with a different last name, so this actually works. No one ever suspects her of being this other girl's sister, and the only ones that know are the two people she actually tells. She just worries all the time and seems to spend too much effort trying to please every single character in the book, while also being a rebel? Please.
Sam was a different story. I really just hated him. He was written very well, so it wasn't annoying to read or anything, but he was one of those that made me so mad I wanted to reach in the book and throw fruit at him or something. Anything! The whole time, I just felt like he had ulterior motives and wasn't as honest or true or normal as he could be to Bailey or his friends. His friend, Ace, was actually my favorite character in the book. A member of the band, he was the only level-headed, grounded person, and he seemed like a really funny sweet guy, and I wish he could have been featured a little bit more.
Other than the characters pissing me off quite a bit, I still did enjoy reading this. Like I said, you really can't go wrong picking up an Echols book, you always get a good story, regardless of whether or not you love the characters or want to punch them in the throat. So yep, pretty good.
Read When: You need an Echols fix, you want a healthy dose of competition, or you're feeling a little bit rebellious.
joriecalabrese's review
3.0
This is the third Jennifer Echols book I've read in the last week and is, by far, my favorite. I really loved the plot. I liked the constant drama between the band and I liked that Bailey never backed down and how much she developed throughout the book. I also loved Sam and that in one scene he could be acting like an over-enthusiastic puppy and in the next he could be manipulative and calculating and I liked that he developed a lot too, and realized that he didn't have to be so dead-set on his goals that he was willing to hurt other people in the process. This was one of Echols' only books where I enjoyed the main romantic relationship and that was because of the character development. I didn't like it near the beginning, but as the characters grew I felt that their relationship became much healthier. I'm not a fan of the pacing - in most of Echols' books I feel like there's just something off about it - but this one flowed much better than the other ones I'd read I also loved the setting of this book. I really like books that have a bit of a musical component and this one was really great for me - I love country music and I love learning about the business side of music, so I was super interested in all of that.
charmaineac's review
5.0
I am a crying and grinning mess of a person right now.
This book was so good. I read Love Story a few years ago, but I wasn't sold by it enough to pick up other Jennifer Echols books. Well, that's the end of that -- this book definitely swayed me into her corner. Dirty Little Secret had the rush of summer, the warmth of the Dirty South, love, agony, angst, and music everywhere. I felt my heart breaking a million times for everyone... Bailey, Sam, Ace, Charlotte, Julie, Sam's parents, EVERYONE. And yet it was all tied off with a realistically hopeful bow, a happy ending.
My heart went out to Bailey. Music was in her blood, yet her parents were just so awful. Toby was so awful. It's weird that both parties were always pictured in such a negative light, without any redeeming qualities, yet they still retained a sense of realism. I often gripe about flat characters in other books, but not so much here.
I loved the competitive, high-stakes picture of the music industry. How easily one bar fight or one bad performance could be the end. Or how one magical performance at the right time and the right place could mean everything in such a good way. I loved the depiction of Nashville, a place brimming with people trying their hardest to catch a break in music and life.
This book was adorable. I thought Bailey would be Sam's dirty little secret, but I'm glad that their relationship actually signified a shiny pillar of strength and recovery.
This was the perfect summer read!
This book was so good. I read Love Story a few years ago, but I wasn't sold by it enough to pick up other Jennifer Echols books. Well, that's the end of that -- this book definitely swayed me into her corner. Dirty Little Secret had the rush of summer, the warmth of the Dirty South, love, agony, angst, and music everywhere. I felt my heart breaking a million times for everyone... Bailey, Sam, Ace, Charlotte, Julie, Sam's parents, EVERYONE. And yet it was all tied off with a realistically hopeful bow, a happy ending.
My heart went out to Bailey. Music was in her blood, yet her parents were just so awful. Toby was so awful. It's weird that both parties were always pictured in such a negative light, without any redeeming qualities, yet they still retained a sense of realism. I often gripe about flat characters in other books, but not so much here.
I loved the competitive, high-stakes picture of the music industry. How easily one bar fight or one bad performance could be the end. Or how one magical performance at the right time and the right place could mean everything in such a good way. I loved the depiction of Nashville, a place brimming with people trying their hardest to catch a break in music and life.
This book was adorable. I thought Bailey would be Sam's dirty little secret, but I'm glad that
Spoiler
she was actually her parents' dirty little secret, andThis was the perfect summer read!
artsymusings's review against another edition
4.0
What I'd like to say to Dirty Little Secret is perfectly worded by Avril Lavigne, "Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?" I struggled with rating this book because frankly, where it lacked in depth in the first half, it definitely more than made up for it before the end. And that wasn't even an issue when I started reading the book.
The beginning of Dirty Little Secret was... boring. I honestly didn't care for Bailey dressing up and playing her fiddle in tribute groups. But then she meets Sam at the mall, plays with him and he zones in on her. Now Bailey has to make a difficult decision, would she risk being seen as the loser sister of a rising star at a gig or cast her eyes down and carry on? This is when I saw life in Bailey and I was finally into the story.
Bailey accepts the gig because let's face it, spending time at home playing the fiddle endlessly with her grandfather hovering, who wants that? She made a perfect rebel with bold fashion sense, asymmetrical hair, red lips and boots-to-die-for, but she couldn't go on with it. Same gave her the out and she took it.
But the infamously titled Sam Hardiman's band is trouble from the start. Oh who am I kidding, Charlotte is hate-worthy. Given that the drummer had a thing for Sam and is still okay with being not okay with whoever Sam dates. Because you see, Sam likes Bailey. But does he like her because she gives the oomph factor to the band or because she is talented?
Sam started out as a pretty normal guy and then he became persuasive as hell and who'd have guessed from that that he was pretty messed up from the inside. So while I was out admiring his ability to make everyone do what he wants to do, I was also in the state where I just wanted to quietly strangle him.
But then Sam said, "I like doing things that make me uncomfortable. I try not to have a comfort zone" and everything was perfectly clear. After going through a hard family life and counselling, you have to admire the guy. And Bailey does. Their conversation is beautiful and where Sam is trying to make up for the lack of channeling his emotions, Bailey is trying to get away from them by writing them down into songs.
I understood Bailey because even though she got treated horribly by her family, she didn't give up on them. And I understood Sam because he wanted to not be like his father and wind up a loser. So they perform gigs together, discover each other, fight and then it all ends (not necessarily in that order). It was a moment of holding-my-breath-reading where you don't know what'll happen and how it'll all go down. It is a difficult feat to achieve but I was going through it so Echols did achieve it.
Dirty Little Secret more than surprised me and made me feel despite the rocky start. People who like to read music-themed YA must read this. You'll smile, go argh, get shocked and definitely swoon.
The beginning of Dirty Little Secret was... boring. I honestly didn't care for Bailey dressing up and playing her fiddle in tribute groups. But then she meets Sam at the mall, plays with him and he zones in on her. Now Bailey has to make a difficult decision, would she risk being seen as the loser sister of a rising star at a gig or cast her eyes down and carry on? This is when I saw life in Bailey and I was finally into the story.
Bailey accepts the gig because let's face it, spending time at home playing the fiddle endlessly with her grandfather hovering, who wants that? She made a perfect rebel with bold fashion sense, asymmetrical hair, red lips and boots-to-die-for, but she couldn't go on with it. Same gave her the out and she took it.
But the infamously titled Sam Hardiman's band is trouble from the start. Oh who am I kidding, Charlotte is hate-worthy. Given that the drummer had a thing for Sam and is still okay with being not okay with whoever Sam dates. Because you see, Sam likes Bailey. But does he like her because she gives the oomph factor to the band or because she is talented?
Sam started out as a pretty normal guy and then he became persuasive as hell and who'd have guessed from that that he was pretty messed up from the inside. So while I was out admiring his ability to make everyone do what he wants to do, I was also in the state where I just wanted to quietly strangle him.
But then Sam said, "I like doing things that make me uncomfortable. I try not to have a comfort zone" and everything was perfectly clear. After going through a hard family life and counselling, you have to admire the guy. And Bailey does. Their conversation is beautiful and where Sam is trying to make up for the lack of channeling his emotions, Bailey is trying to get away from them by writing them down into songs.
I understood Bailey because even though she got treated horribly by her family, she didn't give up on them. And I understood Sam because he wanted to not be like his father and wind up a loser. So they perform gigs together, discover each other, fight and then it all ends (not necessarily in that order). It was a moment of holding-my-breath-reading where you don't know what'll happen and how it'll all go down. It is a difficult feat to achieve but I was going through it so Echols did achieve it.
Dirty Little Secret more than surprised me and made me feel despite the rocky start. People who like to read music-themed YA must read this. You'll smile, go argh, get shocked and definitely swoon.