Straight up chick lit romance and not Harper's best. Lots of very worn tropes get page time in this little romance about a woman fighting for the job she was promised when a new and, of course, gorgeous interloper comes into the picture.
I love Harper's work in general; it's funny, sweet, snarky, and often unpredictable, but this (admittedly early) work of hers just fell flat. It wasn't bad, it was just very formulaic.
Amanda Ronconi did a wonderful job, as usual.
I've missed the Molly Harper, Amanda Ronconi duo. Its been almost a year since I picked up an audio book by this duo and it was too long. My Bluegrass Baby was the laugh out loud, sweet romance I've come to expect from Harper. And Ronconi delivers those one-liners so perfectly I don't think you can help but laugh out loud, wherever you are, no matter how inappropriate the timing.
My Bluegrass Baby won't blow you away with the originality of its storyline - you know the end pretty much as soon as you start. But that's really not the point - the getting there is the fun part.
I love the characters Harper creates, they're so real - they are full of glaring flaws and weaknesses, but they have so much heart and goodness too. I loved the main characters Sadie and Josh - even when they were behaving badly.
I'm so used to Harper writing in small town settings, I didn't realize at first that My Bluegrass Baby doesn't have that at all. But she created her own version of a small town in the tourism office's community - they're like that small town where everyone's in everyone's business and, with few exceptions, loves each other like a big, dysfunctional family. I love that element in her books and I'm glad it showed up in a unique way here.
If your looking for a quick romance that will make you smile and laugh, pick up My Bluegrass Baby. And I insist, you HAVE to listen to this one. It would be a shame to miss out on the greatness of Amanda Ronconi!
My Bluegrass Baby is bright, bubbly, and fun. How else would you describe a book that opens in a bathroom stall immediately after the main character has tossed her cookies? But it is not because she is hungover, this media maven has a severe case of nervousness. Sadie is lovable, quirky and owns the fact that she's pretty. She is also determined to become marketing director for the Kentucky Tourism Commission and is pretty much a shoe in for the job until Josh Vaughn walks into her life and becomes her main competition and potential new boyfriend. The characters are charming including the State of Kentucky. Molly Harper makes Kentucky more than just a backdrop; the state is also a quirky, lovable character that you get to know as the book progresses.
But, back to Josh, Sadie and their office full of characters. What made this book such a great read was the relationship between these people, the fast paced story, and the sharp dialogue. Josh and Sadie's love/hate relationship is interesting and kept me interested. Add to that the competition to see who finally does become marketing director and how that conflict pulls in the supporting characters and you have a pretty compelling novel. The weakest part of My Bluegrass Baby is the ending. Josh's decision felt rushed and did not fit the ""person"" Harper built him up to be throughout the book. In spite of that, My Bluegrass Baby is at the top of my list for light reading by the pool or on the beach. It's a fun story with some great characters.