e-ALC, 11:00:43
Narrated by: Bahni Turpin, William DeMerritt, January LaVoy, & Stephanie Cannon
Release Date: July 29, 2025
Published by: Hachette Audio
Read from: July 25-28, 2025
Stand-alone
Source: Netgalley (I received a free e-ALC from the Netgalley and the publisher. This did nothing to influence my review.)
Content Warning: Child Abuse, Alcoholism, Addiction, Grief, Dementia, Abortion, Rape, Homophobia, Pregnancy
For Readers Interested In: Audio, Family Diversity, Full Cast Audio, Sparkly Cover, Most Anticipated, Racial/Ethnic Diversity (Black), Realistic Fiction, Music (Country), Second Chance RomanceA Black country music star who lied about writing his only hit risks his comeback to reunite with the woman he stole it from, a first love the lyrics won’t let him forget.
Every Thursday night, former country music heartthrob Luke Randall has to sing “Another Love Song.” God, he hates that song. But performing his lone hit at an interstate motel lounge is the only regular money he still has. Following another lackluster performance at the rock bottom of his career, Luke receives the opportunity of his dreams, opening for his childhood idol—90’s era Black country music star, JoJo Lane, who’s being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. But the concert is in Arcadia, Arkansas, the small hometown he swore he’d never see again. Going back means facing a painful past of abuse and neglect. It also means facing JoJo’s daughter, August Lane—the woman who wrote the lyrics he’s always claimed as his own.
August also hates that song. But she hates Luke Randall even more. When he shows up ten years too late to apologize for his betrayal, she isn’t interested in making amends. Instead, she threatens to expose his lies unless he co-writes a new song with her and performs it at the concert, something she hopes will launch her out of her mother’s shadow and into a songwriting career of her own. Desperate to keep his secret, Luke agrees to put on the rogue performance, despite the risk of losing his shot at a new record deal.
When Luke’s guitar reunites with August’s soulful alto, neither can deny that the passionate bond they formed as teenagers is still there. As the concert nears, August will have to choose between an overdue public reckoning with the boy who betrayed her, or trusting the man he’s become to write a different love song.
*MY THOUGHTS*
This was the sweetest book. Heart-breakingly so. I was intimidated by this book and was scared to read it because of the amount of my triggers in it. But I love Regina Black so much, I gave it a shot anyways. I ended up skipping those scenes with the help of a friend who had already read it and I still fell in love with this book anyway.
OK so the characters were everything in this one. August had a rough childhood when it came to her mom. She was raised by her grandmother because her mom was a singer and didn’t take her on the road. And then there was Luke, who’s childhood was also terrible. And even with that, they found each other. They have found each other and became each other’s everything and healed each other. But of course, things happened that tore them apart and they STILL found their way back to each other. I can’t even explain to you the way this made me think about their romance. It was so raw and real. And I know that sounds cliche, but it really was.
As for them apart, August was confusing. She wanted to out him but she didn’t. But then she was mad that he didn’t say anything himself. But then she didn’t either. She confused me the entire book, but I do think she was just at war with herself. She still loved him but felt betrayed but she also didn’t want to listen to what really happened. It was maddening. But I will say, this entire thing was heart breaking. I kept thinking they were the only thing the other had and then they lost it and gah it hurt so much. And as for Luke, I was mad at him. He should have said something about that damn song immediately. And if not to them, he should have said something to August. And the entire time he was sitting there sad and mad that he was away from her. They were both so messy and real and complicated.
As for the audiobook, I was so happy that that’s the version I decided to read. I LOVED that it was a full cast audio and that they changed some of the sounds in production. Like when JoJo was being interviewed? Perfection. And the way the music is imbedded in this book was also perfection. She showed the good, the bad, and the ugly of being Black in the Country Music scene. That really sat with me.
This took me by surprise. I may not have read all of it, but I got the most important parts. And even though this is something that I’m not comfortable with, I still know from what I read that this is not something I could have missed out on. I hope y’all loved this as much as I did.
Overall, I give this
