Review: Made in Nashville by Mandy Baggot

An on-stage attack left Honor Blackwood with more scars than just the one on her face. It’s been ten years since she left her spot as Nashville’s brightest country music star. Is now the time to return? And is she brave enough to do it?

Country rebel and rock star, Jared ‘Jed’ Marshall is hot property on the Tennessee music scene in more ways than one. He’s wild, he’s sexy and everybody wants a piece of him. But when he sets his sights on Honor, is it pure attraction or just distraction on his mind?

Honor’s record label signs the ex-boyfriend that dumped her and suddenly going back to her old life is harder than she thought. Can she get a new contract? Will she get to perform at the Marlon Festival? Or will Dan Steele destroy everything?

When a secret from the past becomes public knowledge it’s no longer just about the music. Are all the people in her life lying to her to get what they want? And who is really behind the anonymous gifts she keeps getting sent?

Shona's review 5 of 5 stars

I had been struggling to read, every book I pick up feels heavy (literally and figuratively), then a couple of friends who had already read it suggested this book, so I decided to jump in with both feet. Before I knew it I was on chapter 5 and really intrigued as to where this was going. By Chapter 10 I couldn't put the book down. And I have to admit that by the time I hit 50% of the kids were left to fend for themselves and I was pulling an all-nighter just to see what happened.

I know there are a lot of people out there who will turn their noses up at 'yet another romance' or deem it to be 'an insta-love' book without actually looking at a page. But this book is a refreshing change from boy meets girl, boy beds girl. Oh there is attraction, from both sides and yes the attraction begins fairly quick in the story, but its something that both characters try to deny for a while. And even after they both admit to being attracted it's still a while before they actually come together for those steamy sex scenes that we all know you want to be reading.

Baggot has done an amazing job at giving her characters depth. Both Jared and Honor have had awful things happen to them in the past, but it's the kind of hurt you can almost feel, this is something that is woven into the character from the very beginning and it makes all the difference when trying to connect with the characters.