Dirty Little Secret Blog Tour: Excerpt, Review & Giveaway

Welcome to my stop for Dirty Little Secret Blog Tour! I have an excerpt, review and giveaway for you below!

Tour Schedule!

Author: Jennifer Echols

Release date: July 16th 2013

Publisher: MTV Books

Series: N/A

Age Group: Young Ault

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Tour organized by: Itching For Books

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

Add to your library: Goodreads

Bailey wasn’t always a wild child and the black sheep of her family. She used to play fiddle and tour the music circuit with her sister, Julie, who sang and played guitar. That ended when country music execs swooped in and signed Julie to a solo deal. Never mind that Julie and Bailey were a duet, or that Bailey was their songwriter. The music scouts wanted only Julie, and their parents were content to sit by and let her fulfill her dreams while Bailey’s were hushed away.

Bailey has tried to numb the pain and disappointment over what could have been. And as Julie’s debut album is set to hit the charts, her parents get fed up with Bailey’s antics and ship her off to granddad’s house in Nashville. Playing fiddle in washed-up tribute groups at the mall, Bailey meets Sam, a handsome and oh-so-persuasive guitarist with his own band. He knows Bailey’s fiddle playing is just the thing his band needs to break into the industry. But this life has broken Bailey’s heart once before. She isn’t sure she’s ready to let Sam take her there again… (via Goodreads)

EXCERPT

It took Ace and Charlotte another few seconds to stop playing. Even the crowd noise slowed to a halt. Into the dead silence on the rooftop, Sam growled into the microphone so that his words echoed against the brick wall, "Get your hands off my fiddle player."
Holding my fiddle and bow, I didn't have a hand free to defend myself. I could only shudder as Toby's hand crept higher.
Sam dropped his guitar. I couldn't move to help, but I felt a spike of adrenaline and the urge to leap forward and catch the guitar. But before the string's earsplitting complaint even sounded over the speakers, Sam was off the stage, shoving Toby.
Guys shouted. Girls screamed. I reached blindly into the crowd to grab Sam and only succeeded in dropping my bow. Ace leaped past me. The entire crowd shifted to the left, then parted, drawing Toby and Sam away from each other, despite some idiot hollering, "Fight!"
The door to the interior of the bar burst open.
"Break it up!" a burly bouncer yelled. Two even bigger men followed him. The crowd stopped moving toward Toby and Sam then and began to drain sheepishly out the door. One of the bouncers grabbed Toby by the collar of his T-shirt and made a show of muscling him out, even though Toby had gone limp at the first sign of a showdown. Nobody was left but two bouncers, a couple of older men who probably owned the bar, and the band.
I jumped down from the stage to retrieve the bow which didn't seem any worse for wear after I'd retightened the screw. Then I sat down on the edge of the stage, crossed my legs primly, and listened to the owners cuss Sam out because they'd had to clear everyone into the first and second stories until the next rooftop band set up, and a lot of those people would probably leave.
"Your patron had his hand on my girlfriend's ass," Sam shouted right back at them. "I won't start a brawl if your security people do their jobs!"

That was one of the times I really liked Sam.

REVIEW

Dirty Little Secret is the first Jennifer Echols' that I've read. I'd be honest that I was really expecting a lot because I know a lot of YA lovers adore her.

Bailey's story is common. Being disregarded because the other sibling is much more favored by the parents. Seriously, I hate it when this happens simply because it doesn't just affect the relationship between the concerned child and his/her parents but also the relationship of that child with other people. It's like a domino thing. Especially when it comes from the parents, the people that we should truly be able to trust and depend on. But for Bailey's case, it wasn't like that.

As much as I want to dislike Bailey for being such a rebel to her parents, I can't. Just can't. I know where she's coming from. She was doing the things that would absolutely piss her parents but these were also the things that truly defined her. All those years growing up following her parents' decisions and instructions were long gone. It was time to follow her own. That's what I really like about her. She really has this strong will to be independent. Even if there were times when I think she was a bit impulsive with her decisions especially when it comes to Sam, I think it was really part of her. Like she was born to be a risk taker or something. And to think that she really did things that would piss her parents is a bit admirable. Don't get me wrong! I know it's bad to do things against our parents but she was just brave to do that. And really, if I have parents like that, God forgive me but I don't know what I'll do!

I would have enjoyed this more if not for my love-and-hate relationship with Sam. Really. I was just 19% through the book and I was so hating him. Alright. He definitely has manners, gorgeous sort-of, and he donates to the church! No kidding. I cannot think of some guy doing this. Add to that his beautiful voice! See? What's not to love about Sam right? And that excerpt above! Definitely made me like him so much! That's just it. Every positive thing we possess come with some negative ones too. Despite Sam being that charming and all, he's a liar, a manipulative one. I hate how he does it. I SWEAR I WANNA THROW MY KINDLE BECAUSE HE WAS TOO MUCH. Maybe it's in his personality, you know. But come on. He didn't care about other people or not just until he met Bailey. Although he did it with Bailey too. A lot of times. He also cannot stop his mouth from saying some things. He'll say what he want to say without even trying to filter his words out. It's just so frustrating! Especially when you know that he and Bailey looked so good together and still, you'll want someone better for Bailey. Then I realized that maybe it's just really like that. I mean, about the person you love. You'll really accept his/her flaws regardless of how it can hurt you or the people around. You love that person anyway. But STILL! Okay. I'll stop. But there was one thing I felt so off by Sam. He used some lines with Bailey that he did use with his ex-girlfriends. Oh, and it's a good thing that I'm not the only one who feel like this about Sam! Dianne from Oops I Read A Book Again actually sort of warned me. I guess that's one reason why I wasn't so disappointed with this. I was already guarded.

I didn't also feel that Sam really loved Bailey that MUCH. I didn't feel like their romance was that real. It was like Sam just really wanted Bailey for her talent. And that makes me so mad. But whatever. I still felt their love. Even if for just a little. Especially those times when Sam was adorable and really sweet for that matter.

I liked Dirty Little Secret. Despite the dislikes, I still enjoyed reading it. It has a realistic feel. And I just love Granddad and Ace. Those two are too nice guys.

Dirty Little Secret is an enjoyable read that anyone will enjoy. Although I really have to warn you that Sam is not for every girl in this world. You'll definitely enjoy Bailey's journey in trying to find her place in the world without the help of her family. And maybe you'll learn from her too.

About the Author

Jennifer Echols was born in Atlanta and grew up in a small town on a beautiful lake in Alabama—a setting that has inspired many of her books. She has written nine romantic novels for young adults, including the comedy MAJOR CRUSH, which won the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the drama GOING TOO FAR, which was a finalist in the RITA, the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the Book Buyer’s Best, and was nominated by the American Library Association as a Best Book for Young Adults. Simon & Schuster will debut her adult romance novels in 2013, with many more teen novels scheduled for the next few years. She lives in Birmingham with her husband and her son.

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