Small Town Girl

By: LaVyrle Spencer

Narrated by: Emily Sutton-Smith

Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times best-selling author LaVyrle Spencer, "famous for her heartrending slices of Americana," is at her best in this sweet, small-town romance about a country music star discovering the true meaning of love....

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....

©1997 LaVyrle Spencer (P)2021 Tantor

LOVED!!!

I absolutely loved this story! It had such a great story. It was sweet and realistic. The narrator fit the story and did a great performance. I would love to hear more like this.

Great feel good book

… that made me feel terrifically old. It takes place in 1995 and man does that seem like ages ago when the super famous country music star is talking about their very expensive fancy $40k car, cordless phones, having a phone in every room, and having speakers throughout the house. Yeah, I’m feeling fairly ancient now.

I liked the slow building romance — very slow building. No jumping into each others pants in the second chapter of this book! Also I appreciated how clean the book was. Not super squeaky clean, but almost.

I thought the country music name dropping was weird, Like, these are actual people who actually exist and they’re all friends with the main character in this fictional novel? But that was probably just me being weird. It wasn’t a big part of the book at all, it was literally just name dropping: Garth and Tricia and so on are all there.

Enjoyable but overlong.

Perhaps I can predict scenes and their outcomes so much so that I find myself wanting to shout “enough, get on to the obvious conclusion.” Especially the long ending that was predictable much earlier on. I also kinda wished some resolution had been brought out about Tess’s over jealous sister. A kinder picture of younger, famous, and extremely wealthy sister could not be more generous to the long suffering older sister. Tess couldn’t seem to put a foot right there, same as when her Mom ragged on her about her ideas and wants over the fact that she was only trying to help make her Mom’s life nicer and easier for her. Sister Renee seemed the only Sis that had her emotions right, a truly kind and loving person letting rest of her family’s angst, etc. roll over her but never shake her calm and sensibility. There I go trying to re-write n this story, but that’s the authors job, mine is simply my critique.

Ment to be

I enjoyed this book although predictable. I thought it great that even to the end the sister didn’t change.

Feel good story

This was a good book when you want an easy read. Great story line and no bad words.

Great Read

I enjoyed this book it was a great read . At first I thought I’m not going to like it but then it surprised me and I truly enjoyed it.

Lovely country love story

So enjoyed this lovely love story with country music backdrop & stardom. Well written, lovely way of describing all the details, and the narrator did an excellent job.

cute story -hallmarkish

I found the story to be enjoyable. It was cute and a bit steamy during certain parts. The main character was a bit full of herself, but it wasnt overly obnoxious. The issues other reviewers had with fat shaming (I barely remember this - shes a singer. of course her appearance is important) and cheating didn't bother me. It took a bit for me to like the narrator, but I think she did a good job.

wonderful all around

great narration
sweet sweet story of love and family
definitely a feel good experience
loved it

Nice love story

Old fashioned love story! Loved all the references to Nashville and the country music world, nice character development and good story line. East enjoyable listen