Rhythm and Bluegrass

By: Molly Harper

Narrated by: Amanda Ronconi

Length: 5 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

In the second e-novella in Molly Harper’s Bluegrass series of contemporary romances, two people determined to fulfill their own agendas come head to head—and find love in the process.

Kentucky Tourism Commission employee Bonnie Turkle is up Mud Creek without a paddle. When she gets permission from the state historical society to restore McBride’s Music Hall in Mud Creek, Kentucky, to its former glory, she thinks the community will welcome her with open arms. Instead, her plans interfere with a proposal to sell the property to a factory that would bring much-needed jobs to the town.

Even though Bonnie is trying to preserve mayor Will McBride’s family heritage, he is more concerned with the welfare of his people than memories of the past. Will finds her optimistic sentimentality extremely annoying—but that doesn’t stop him from kissing Bonnie senseless.

With an inspection deadline looming and local saboteurs ruining her restoration, Bonnie must find a way to compromise with Will to save McBride’s and the town…while hopefully winning a few more kisses in the process!

©2013 Molly Harper White (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Love Molly Harper and Ronconi

Would you listen to Rhythm and Bluegrass again? Why?

I've listened to every Molly Harper audio book I have several times. I know I'll listen to this again. I don't know how she comes up with these bizarre story lines, but they are funny and always have an unusual twist. This BlueGrass series is fun. Jane Jamison, and Naked Werewolf, I've listened to them all several times.

What did you like best about this story?

You get to know Bonnie and her background, but you still have the other characters from the first book in this story. I really did enjoy it and looking forward to listening to the next in the series.

Have you listened to any of Amanda Ronconi’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I've listened to Amanda Ronconi narrate all of Molly Harper's books and she is a natural. But I've listened to her narrate other books as well. She is a natural talent

Who was the most memorable character of Rhythm and Bluegrass and why?

Well this book is about Bonnie but there are so many people that are memorable in this story.

Any additional comments?

I love the quirky story lines that Molly Harper comes up with. Looking forward to the third book in this series. I just wished this one was a bit longer but it was still worth it to listen to.

Makes me laugh every time

Molly Harper and her dry wit make me laugh every time and Amanda Ronconi is the perfect match for reading her. Do not miss any of her books.

Very good

These are quirky stories that one can listen to again and again. The story telling is the best.

I love it when an author makes me laugh and sigh.

Where does Rhythm and Bluegrass rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I love Molly Harper and her characters. I really loved this book but I would rate it my 3rd favorite so far. But I could not imagine not reading it.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I love Bonnie. She is so determined and sweet.

What about Amanda Ronconi’s performance did you like?

She really brings the characters to life. Her voice is so fun and expressive. She makes these southern girls come to life.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Both!!!! I started to write down the phrases that make me laugh. I am trying to incorporate them into my sayings. It is fabulous.

Any additional comments?

Don't miss out!!!
It is a super fun treat!

Blue Grass Baby

Being a Kentucky girl myself I have to say that that this was an amazing book. It touched on everything from my special brew that I have to have before I face my day to the music I grew up loving.
Give me and Alea8'1 and FOX NEWS and I'm ready to face my day.
Plus it was a cute little love story.

As usual, Amanda Ronconi has done a fantastic job bringing the story to life. This story is one of Molly Harper's best, with romance, snark, and a behind-the-scene look at tourism, museums, and musical history.

Cute small town romance

I was so happy when I saw that Molly Harper was continuing her series about the Kentucky Commission of Tourism. My Bluegrass Baby is one of my favorite reads this year and I couldn't wait to learn more about the crazy people who work at the Commission. I will admit that I was kinda hoping office assistant extraordinaire, Kelsey, would finally admit her feelings to the resident IT geek, Charles, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Bonnie and Will's story.

Bonnie is another quirky, but realistic Harper heroine who provides a very entertaining narration. I love the detail that was put into her job as a multimedia historian and I really admired how passionate she was about her job. I thought her optimistic outlook on life would get annoying by the end, but it was balanced pretty well with some of the less sunny parts of her personality. She did have a few moments where I wanted to smack her especially when it came to how blind she was in regards to the McBride's Music Hall and its place in Mud Creek. But, she freely admitted when she was in the wrong and was willing to do whatever she could to make things right again which I loved.

Bonnie's counterpart is the hot, young mayor of Mud Creek, Will McBride, who also happens to be related to the original owners of the music hall. I found him to be very swoon-worthy especially because he fell for Bonnie so fast. His devotion to his hometown was sweet to see and I thought his sarcastic personality really balanced with Bonnie's optimism. Like Bonnie, Will did have a few moments where he got on nerves especially when he was so stubborn about not saving the music hall (though I could understand where he was coming from on that part). And, like Bonnie, he was willing to be an adult about the whole situation which was very refreshing in this era of Big Misunderstandings and people not admitting their errors.

I also loved the setting of Mud Creek, Kentucky! I am not always a fan of small town stories, but I found this one cute without overdoing it. The townspeople were a little left of center, but never so far out there that I couldn't relate to their plight. My personal favorites were the librarian (Miss Urlene), Bonnie's landlady (Miss Martha), and the friendly duo of Fred and Joe Bob. The fact that the town had fallen on hard economic times was very timely and I think will help readers get invested in the story.

In conclusion, I thought Rhythm and Bluegrass was a cute and entertaining small town romance between two relatible characters with a bit of history thrown in for some fun. Amanda Ronconi continues to do an amazing job interpreting Harper's humor and heart in her audio narration. I adore Molly Harper's work and I can't wait to see more of the Kentucky Commission on Tourism. I am still waiting for Kelsey and Charles's story because I know it will be amazing.

Another fun story from Molly Harper

Any additional comments?

I think some people did not like this story, but I found it really charming and sweet. It isn't high art and that needs to be remembered. It is a fun story about people falling in love. One aspect I found confusing though is that this is book 2 of the series, but it seemed like it took place before or at the same time as book 1. Which, if you have read book 1 of a series, it can be confusing for book 2 to unfold as though book 1 didn't happen. Regardless, this was a fun story that made me laugh out loud at times, plus I loved the underdog aspect of Bonnie's situation in the town.

Very cute story

The story is great with attention to details told through adorable dialog. This is a fun listen by one of my favorite authors.

SO SO SO SO SO GOOD!

Some of the first books I listened to when I joined Audible was Molly Harper's Jane series. They were all read by Amanda Ronconi and I listened to them all in a row, as fast as I could. I then went back and purchased every Molly Harper book available to me on Audible. I pre-ordered this book because I knew that the story would be great and I wouldn't be disappointed.

I've listened to tons of audiobooks since I started and I've heard some really good stories. But Molly Harper's books are special. I've listened to them all several times and they never get old.

The books are witty and smart and funny. Her dialogue is true and her characterizations are spot on. Amanda Ronconi's voice is a perfect fit to Ms. Harper's stories.

I dare anyone to listen to one of her books and not be cheered by the experience.

Her books make me happy!