Sarah Creech

Jo(anne) Lover is a successful country music artist--a talented singer and fiddler--who is making music her own way. She's well-known as a down-home singer from Virginia who writes her own songs and loves the music she makes. Jo plays to packed crowds across the U.S. who love her more traditional style of music, her fiery spirit, and her patented red cowboy boots. But when the popular country band J.D. Gunn and the Empty Shells joins Jo's label, Asphalt Records (who just happens to be run by show more her future father-in-law), things change. J.D. Gunn and Jo grew up together, and along with their friend, Rob, were in a band as children. But Jo is now in a very different place from her childhood friend. J.D. has embraced modern country music (and it he). He sings songs about girls and pickup trucks--none of which he writes himself anymore. And he's made a lot of money doing so. But Jo can't quite adopt what modern country radio embodies: her heroines are Dolly and Loretta and her music reflects that. Still, J.D. and Jo have a storied past together, one that Jo increasingly cannot forget the more time they spend together.

This is a really interesting story of three linked artists: Jo, J.D., and Denver, who plays in a band with an African American singer, Alan. It's told in a conversational style from their various viewpoints, covering the present day as well giving us more background when the characters think back on the past. It's a very effective technique.

I cannot remember exactly why I requested this ARC, but I'm glad I did. This book is basically tailor-made for me: I'm a gigantic country music fan (from Virginia), who adores 90s country music and a lot of Jo's various heroines. As a child, my idol was Mary Chapin Carpenter, I was obsessed with cataloguing every country song I heard on the radio, and I wanted to be a country music singer/songerwriter (slight problem: I can't carry a tune). Needless to say, I loved Jo immediately.

Creech's novel presents a realistic take on modern country music, especially its stance toward African Americans and women. Her portrayal of the old country versus new country dichotomy is spot-on, but could potentially offend those who do love their songs about girls in pickup trucks sung by a revolving door of carbon copy male singers. You probably have to appreciate older country music for this book to work best.

But, don't fear if you aren't a country music fan. At its core, this is a love story, and while it's sometimes predictable and things tend to resolve themselves a bit too easily, it's really a fun one. It's a story of falling in love over music, as well as love of music. It's a strong story, but also captures the essence of what makes music special and magical. It portrays how music can be a business, or music can be a salve for your soul. Jo and J.D. are interesting characters and the supporting cast is intriguing and fun. Along with J.D.'s bandmates, we have Jo's assistant, Marie, and Denver's bandmate, Alan. There's also Jo's fiance, Nick, who is no stock character. While it has most of the earmarks of a typical romance-type novel, there are plenty of surprises along the way. It's also surprisingly profound for a soap opera tale. I enjoyed how it was a saga of music and love, but also a story of changing times and a look into what is fake and what is real. Jo and J.D.'s stage personas and the images they create for the world versus their real selves is pretty fascinating. It's sort of a backstage pass into country music, which is fun.

Overall, this may be a 3.5 - 3.75 star book, but I'm rounding up to 4 stars because I enjoyed the plot so much and because it's one of Creech's earlier books. The plot was fun without being silly and it just offered a good escape. Honestly, I would love it if there was another book picking up where this one left off.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Edelweiss (thank you!); it is available everywhere as of 06/06/2017.

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Mix Practical Magic and Chocolat together and have it set in the Blue Ridge Mountains and you'll have a good idea what this book is about. Generations of women in the Lenore family have bottled the most alluring perfume that enables the wearers to succeed at anything they put their mind to. Senators, lawyers, musicians, doctors, and celebrities are just a few of the powerful jobs that women have obtained with the power of this perfume. Behind the powerful scent is a secret flower, a family show more of strong women, and just a hint of magic. After a divorce and failed career, Lucia moves back to the family home and business in the Blue Ridge Mountains. While there she discovers that her sister, Mya and her mother are facing troubles with some tricky clients and their beloved flower crop might be dying. Can they put aside all their differences and work together to save the family business from crumbling? A captivating read with enough intrigue to keep readers turning the pages. While the ending leaves a bit to be desired, the plot is unique and magical enough to almost make up for it. show less

I simply love when a book surprises me, when it takes twists and turns I didn't see coming, when it builds in such a way that without realizing it slowly is far more then I'd anticipated. The Whole Way Home, by Sarah Creech, fits this description. I was really thrilled to have been selected by Library Thing and William Morrow as an Early Reviewer and I'd like to thank them for the opportunity.
Jo Lover is a rising star of the Nashville country music world when her label merges with the label show more of her first love, JD Gunn. Seeing an opportunity the label reunites them. Sarah Creech is a master story teller and she really shines in this genre, the messy relationships, heartache, history, love and loss, moments that can haunt us, baggage we carry. She excels at relating real life, the human experience we all can relate to. Clearly, I'm a fan. There are elements of all of these as we learn why these two didn't make it, what happened so long ago, how it made them who they are now, and if they can reconcile that in present day to find a way together.
I throughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend to anyone who loves romance, stories that present location as key element, country music, and relationships. There is a plot element that may be triggering to those that are highly sensitive to sexual violence. It is short, not extreme, but it does exists. If this is a concern be aware. show less

Season of the Dragonflies by Sarah Creech was a great end-of-summer read. It leans more toward chick-lit than my usual choices. There are some interesting plot twists and a good build-up, but the big finish fell flat for me.

This is the story of the Lenore women - ever since their matriarch made a bold decision and ran off an amazing adventure, they have nurtured a secret business, deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains. They cultivate a unique flower, a gardenia brought back from the Amazonian show more jungle, and turn it into the most expensive perfume on Earth. It is sold only to a carefully selected female clientele and it brings them wealth and power and success. Actresses, politicians, artists, CEOs - they have made their mark on the world with the help of the Lenore women and their secret elixir.

But now, their empire is in jeopardy. Youngest daughter Lucia is home from New York, mourning her failed marriage and failing career. Elder daughter Mya, groomed to take over the business, is plotting behind her mother's back and making rash decisions. Their mother, Willow, can feel it all slipping away from her, and the news gets worse: the flowers are dying.

For me, the most interesting part of the story was the interaction with the two young actresses receiving the perfume. There's real trouble brewing and the women are making some bad choices. The romances seem a little too convenient and the big climax a little contrived. While these women have managed their business for decades, suddenly things will grind to a halt without men in their lives - I really find that hard to swallow. I'm all in favor of romance, but this isn't really what I was looking for. show less