FROM AMAZON: Eighteen years ago, Tess McPhail left her tiny hometown of Wintergreen, Missouri, for the bright lights of Nashville and never looked back. Now, one of country music's biggest stars, "Mac" is a hardworking woman with little time for a personal life - until her sister insists she come home to help care for their widowed mother.

The welcome Mac receives is less than warm, especially from her former next-door neighbor Kenny Kronek. With a teenage daughter to raise, the handsome divorce refuses to give Mac the time of day. But when Mac discovers that Kenny's daughter is a promising country talent, she begins mentoring the girl in the music of love - and opening her own hardened heart to a man who makes her soul sing.... ( )

Country-western star Tess McPhail has been strong armed by her sisters to return to her home town to take care of her mother for a few weeks. The next door neighbor is old schoolmate, now accountant, Kenny Kronek, formally ""a dork of the highest magnitude". She falls for his daughter Casey, a teenage tomboy with a gravelly singing voice who helps Tess write a song about the difficulties of returning home. It's a fairly predictable storyline, but there's just something about a LaVyrle Spencer romance that I can't resist. ( )

3.3 stars

For more comments, quotes, and discussion - Buddy Read Small Town Girl

This leans a little more towards women's fiction with the focus more on the heroine Tess, her career, and how she integrates with her family life. Our hero Kenny doesn't get many povs but when he does appear on the pages, you'll love the heck out of him.

It was super refreshing to have the heroine with the rich glamorous lifestyle and how the dynamics were a bit different because of that. The author does an A job of bringing you into the heroine's world. I hate to be all, oldies did it better, but I can't help but compare the obvious research and how fantastic the author flushed out Tess, story, and characters, to how a fair amount of newer publications skimp on this; it does wonders in helping you sink into the story. There were a couple times the details slowed things down but overall, I was fully immersed into this world.

I would definitely read another by this author again, a few are highly recommending Hummingbird. The romance wasn't prevalent enough on the pages for me but when it was, I liked how they sparked off one another. If you're looking for a heroine focused with emotional family dynamics, this was fantastically written. ( )

Eighteen years ago, a young and hopeful Tess McPhail left her tiny hometown of Wintergreen, Missouri, for the bright lights of Nashville and she never once looked back. Now considered to be one of country music's brightest stars, "Mac" McPhail is a millionairess many times over, whose career is her life. At thirty-five years old, Mac has no time for marriage, children, or kinfolk - until her sisters insist that she finally come home to help care for their widowed mother, Mary.

Assuming that staying in Wintergreen for the next month will be merely dreary, Mac is totally unprepared for what awaits her. After almost two decades spent basking in the public's adoration of her, she is suddenly an inconspicuous, almost inconsequential person - insulted by her jealous older sister, enraged by her intractable mother, and ignored by Kenny Kronek, the next-door neighbor she mercilessly taunted all through high school. Now a handsome divorcé who dotes upon his teenage daughter, Casey, Kenny is widely respected in the community. And he seems downright indifferent towards Mac, refusing to even give her the time of day.

Once she discovers Casey is a promising country music talent, Mac assumes the role of singing mentor for the girl. She gradually becomes an integral part of life in Wintergreen, and the feigned indifference between Mac and Kenny soon turns from playful bickering to sudden passion. By month's end, Mac McPhail is a completely changed woman; she has not only grown to treasure the priceless solidarity of family and community, but also opened up her heart to love.

Yet what was possible in the small town of Wintergreen, appears to be nothing more than a naive fantasy back in Nashville. Under Nashville's bright and harsh stage lights - in the realm of super stardom - is there room for caring and commitment; or is a woman who is worshipped by millions destined to always be alone?

While I certainly enjoyed reading this book, the story was somewhat predictable to me in places. I appreciated that it was an easy read, and it was definitely well-written. However, I must admit that this wasn't my absolute favorite book by LaVyrle Spencer. I give this book a B+! ( )

Coming from a 'small town' (at least it was when I was younger), it was easy to imagine the portrayal of the country star returning home. I would imagine it was a special delight for the author to have Reba McEntire as consultant for this title and it is easy to imagine her being the author's inspiration for this story as well. Seems like this novel would be the perfect novel for any aspiring singer regardless of genre but particularly for the aspiring to be country music stars.
As a reader, it was sad to read the author's letter dated 02-Jul-1977, at the end of the novel to learn of her retirement from writing. I did not realize this novel was her 'swan song'. However, also as a reader, I can only hope that LaVyrle Spencer has fulfilled some of the best of her retirement dreams and enjoys many unexpected delights and treasures of life yet to come. ( )