4.5 stars. I've read this author's previous books. This is a bit different than her series, yet still great. I loved Louie. She's the kind of hot woman I'm married to. Heather, I understood, as she grew up and lives in a conservative and controlling environment with parents she'll never measure up for. This book was a sweet exploration on patience for "out" Louie and personal growth for the closeted Heather. Throw in racism and gender stereotyping, with some sexual harrassment and you have quite the sociopolitical storyline. This book has male characters cast traditionally and non traditionally, breaking more stereotypes. This author was able to combine many similar but different issues in one book while maintaining a romantic thread throughout. The best part of the book? I wish Louie's mom could be mine. Worst part? Not a fan of the egg eating scene, lol. But it shows the author's descriptive craft. I will definitely continue reading this author's work. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Louie has finally made enough money to make her way to Nashville to follow her dream of making it as a songwriter. Her journey has already been delayed by her girlfriend clearing out her account and stealing her stuff but all it did was fuel her determination. As luck would have it, the first person she meets is a young black man who needs a housemate while he works towards his break into country music. A good friend, a place to stay, a part-time job and things are looking up for Louie.

Heather has been working for Rocky Top record label for five years and she's good at finding new artists that will sell. The industry isn't sympathetic to the LGBTQIA community and her boss has already gotten rid of one exec who was openly gay. Heather is in the closet and her job depends on it. Then she meets Louie who couldn't hide her appearance if she tried and for the first time, Heather is attracted to a woman who isn't a femme.

I loved Louie as a character because she knows who she is and where her talents lie. She's honest, direct and honorable. Heather, on the other hand, I spent nearly the whole book willing her to have a spine. I don't think she was a bad person and the way she was characterized gave good motivation for who she was and the choices she made but I struggled to believe she was good enough for Louie.

I haven't read a novel by Nyx before and this isn't what I expected. I was pleasantly surprised but I have a strong feeling this is a departure from what she normally writes. I enjoyed the way it was written and was thoroughly engaged by the story even though some characters didn't do what I wanted them to. I'm also not a fan of country musical and even that didn't detract too much.

Book received from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

I experienced so many first with this book.

My first book by this author.

The first book with such a heavy focus on sexual orientation that at times it became overwhelming.

The first book that made me go, "What's with all the similes?"
Some I loved others tossed me right out of the story- For example: Guilt tore at Louise like piranhas on a steer. Is that a thing? Never mind, not what I need to be thinking about while reading a romance....
like a demented otter with a rock on a snail. - say what?

Moving on....

The first time I've empathized with a character, yet by the end of the book I lost complete respect for her. (Heather)

The first time I've read a romance where I would've been truly happy if the heroines had NOT got together.

The first book that would've been better if the one and only sex scene was cut...it felt out of place, like the author threw it in to keep readers happy.

And the first (from memory) with a line that made me do a second take. Made me take a step-back and not react, and still left me pissed off and mystified.

Dialogue during a pool game between Louie, our butch heroine, and another butch. Referred to as 'Hefty Butch'
"You better not be hustling me, Kid."
"I've read enough lesbian BDSM stories to know doing that wouldn't end well for me," said Louie.
Seriously, what does that even me? Someone in a club is going to tie her up and spank her? Power exchange is going to be negotiated and exchanged over a pool game?
If anyone can explain, I'm all ears.

All of that aside, the story was compelling and not once was I tempted to skim read.

Gabe's an awesome side character. I love, love, loved his relationship with Louie, and these two characters, along with Louie's Mom, made the story for me.

Would I read more by Robyn Nyx? Absolutely.

I'm a bit disappointed with this book. The premise of the story is quite interesting. In a narrow-minded world as the country music seems to be, although I've not knowledge of it at all, the lives of three people come together by some sort of chance. Heather is an exec in a music label, lesbian closetted, with the dream of having her own music company. Louie is a songwriter, lesbian out and proud, with the dream of be successful with her songs. And the third is Gabe, although his role is not as relevant as Heather and Louie's, he is quite important in the story. He is a black country singer, with an image more of a hip-hop singer, a fact that acts against him in his  search of a chance. Those three characters could have developed better, individually and in their interactions, but the story rambles continually in their doubts and fears, especially Heather's. As for the musical environment, the book does not focus on it at all. Only in the most negative part, represented by the producer Donny, homophobic and racist, in addition to sexist and in Savana, the star that gets what she wants as she wants and when she wants and above anything. And the pull and push between Heather and Louie has not seemed entirely interesting, too stereotyped in the image of butch and femme. And in the end, for me, the negative has surpassed the positive, so I am very sorry, but my final assessment can not be entirely good.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

This is the first book I have read by this author and now I want to read more of her work.

Louie is a songwriter who leaves Chicago and heads to Nashville to live her dream. She is out and proud. From the minute she arrives in Nashville she runs into an up and coming talented young artist who she hits it off with straight away and ends up sharing a house with him.

Heather wanted to become a singer but found her talent was more in discovering new talent. She is still in the closet to save her career at the company she currently works for called Rocky Top. If she comes out of the closet then she fears, her career would take a nosedive and she would lose everything she has worked for over the last 5 years. She has been promoted recently when the last guy (who was her mentor) was sacked for being gay.

The story line is good and the characters are likable. I took to Louie practically straight away. She knows what she wants and she will stop at nothing to get it. With Heather, it took me a few chapters into the book to like her but by the end of the book I thought they both made a good couple. There were lots of tension and there was also a lot of chemistry. My favourite secondary character has to be Gabe. He is so lovable and wears his heart on his sleeve.

I look forward to reading more from this author.

This book is about homophobia and racism written within the framework of a romance.

Heather King came to Nashville to realise her dream of becoming a singer. However, she finds that rather than singing her real talent lies in discovering talent and becomes a part of a record label. Fearful of her career being derailed, she is firmly in the closet. She dreams of starting her own indie label and not hiding any more. This dream seems to be within her reach in a couple of years.

Louie Francis, a masculine presenting butch, wants to become a songwriter and comes to Nashville in search of her break. Gabe is a magical singer, with one drawback – he is not white.

Heather, a high femme, falls into lust with Louie on sight – much to her own surprise because she always thought that she preferred women like herself, femmes. The lust is returned (and then some) by Louie.

The entire book is about their struggle to actually act on their attraction within the boundaries set by Heather who is certain that she doesn’t want to toss away everything that she had worked so hard for.

You can completely empathise with Heather even when she is sending mixed signals or is faced with a Sophie’s Choice kind of situation and chooses to let Louie down. The pressures of being gay in a world that destroys alternative lifestyles can be felt keenly.

These were tough topics for the author to deal with and fit into the structure of a romance and is a fairly good effort.

This was a entertaining read.

I like how Louie just decide to conquer her dream as a song writer and leaves Chicago and goes to Nashville where she meets a fellow singer name Gabe and they both decide to help each other achieve their dreams.

Heather has a knack finding new talent and she always dream of owning her own record label but right now she works for one of the biggest label in town as she afraid to be who she really is because her mentor was fire for being gay.

When Louie and Heather meets sparks flies as they get closer there a lot of tension and circumstance that keep getting in the way of them being together.

I liked that there were a lot of stakes in pursuing your dreams and just sacrificing yourself isn't the way to do it because your not giving yourselves justice or your dreams.

I just wish we had epilogue to see if Heather and Louie Gabe dream became a success.

I ARC received via NetGalley and in exchange for an honest review.

Louie is a butch songwriter that leaves Chicago to pursue her dreams in Nashville. Right upon arrival, she hits it off with a talented young singer and decides to room with him.

Heather is a scout for a major music label, recently promoted after her mentor was fired for being gay. She has to live a closeted life because she would lose everything. All she really wants to do is start her own label and then she can be herself.

The stakes rise for all involved as their paths merge. All pursuing similar dreams but having to do so I'm drastically different ways.

The story was entertaining and I was invested in the outcome. The main characters had a lot of chemistry. Tons of tension as circumstances dictate the pace of their courtship.

I didn't care for all of the labels and focus on sexuality. At one point, one of the characters referred to her past girlfriends as 'long hairs' and I couldn't stop picturing long hair cats and dogs. Is that really a thing people say? Anyhow, I certainly appreciate sexual diversity in books. There aren't enough butch leads. But I don't want to read about it like I'm studying sexuality 101. It was a little overboard for me.

The end was a bit abrupt for me. And I expected something a little more grand.

This one was OK.