Confessions of a Bookaholic: Wildflower

Bird Barrett never thought she would be picked up by a professional music label and asked to contract for her own album. Then again, she never thought her family would sell their home and tour the country in an RV as a bluegrass band for the majority of her life, but that's exactly what happened after the death of her younger brother. When her dad comes down with a cold right before a gig, she's chosen to replace him as the lead singer. Unbeknownst to her, a scouting agent is part of the crowd and he's drawn to her emotional and relatable style of singing. He approaches her after the show and expresses interest in acquiring her for one of the most well-known labels in country music. Ecstatic about the potential impact on her career, Bird accepts an offer to perform at the famed Bluebird Cafe. There, however, she is approached by yet another talent agent, this time from an obscure, unheard of label, who promises to make her a star without the rigorous terms set out by the other label. Drawn to the comfortable feel of the company, she decides to go with the smaller label and soon begins work on her first album. This not only dissolves her family's touring band but also affects her relationship with her long time crush (and her brother's best friend), Adam. As Bird rises to fame, she struggles to cope with her sudden popularity and the negative impact it seems to be having on her relationship with Adam and her brothers.

First things first - I was predisposed to dislike this book for two reasons. Number 1: I just acquired 10 or 11 Agatha Christie books and have been desperately trying to find a home for them on my already heavily laden bookshelves, so if I hated this one, I could get rid of it and have that much more space. Number 2: After reading the clip on the back cover, I was almost positive it was going to be some sickeningly sappy love story. On one hand, it wasn't quite as bad as I expected; I finished the whole thing within a couple of hours. On the other hand, pretty much the only reason I pushed through it is because I'm a sucker for the glitz and glamor life, which is basically the back half of the book. If you've ever seen the Partridge Family (and I regret to say that I have), you might notice a strong resemblance in this story. In fact, it basically goes from the Partridge Family to Taylor Swift in about 2 chapters flat. In addition to that, the ending is so abrupt that you might find yourself headed to the nearest doctor's office for whiplash. After spending the entire novel cultivating her relationship with the object of her crush, the whole thing is resolved in 2 pages and 1 phone conversation. There aren't really any sub-plots to engage your attention, and it doesn't have any elements of other genres except the romance. Overall, while it's something that I may pick up at the library to read once, it's not something I'll be keeping on my shelf.

Pros: