I read over 50% of this novel so feel I am justified in scoring it even though I did not finish it. There was nothing wrong with the writing or the story line but it just didn’t grab me. There were lots of references to songs and music (not surprising as it was based in the music industry) and I just wasn’t interested. Nothing much seemed to be happening and I was bored so for that reason I stopped reading. Thanks to Netgalley and fourth estate for the copy in exchange for review.

Dylan is a country music star and she deals with the loss of her best friend.
I picked this up because of the premise, and I still think the premise has much merit after reading it.
Interestingly (perhaps) though, I found the writing to be a better fit for a romance or drama than a mystery, yet this is a matter of personal taste, and I can totally attest to the descriptions of this book: it is a great book for Swifties and I already recommended it to a couple of my Swiftie friends.
Characterisation (especially Dylan's inner voice): 4
Plot: 2.5
Themes and concept: 3
Structure: 5
Overall, 3 stars from me, definitely 5 stars for the Swifties and perhaps, YA readers.
Thank you, #netgalley and #fourthestate for an ARC.
I recommmend this book.

An absolutely captivating and enjoyable read.

We deep dive into the teen friendship between Dylan (the protagonist) and Kelsey. The way Emily Layden writes about teen interaction, friendships and associated dynamics is lovely - her writing is full of captivating descriptions and so accurate.

We jump back to the time leading up to Kelsey's disappearance from the current day as well as learning more about Dylan's meteoric rise to fame (I do get the feeling she was semi based on T swift in terms of stardom and musical journey) and how her missing friend affected her career and adult friendships. Interwoven are the odd clue about what might have happened to Kelsey and naturally there is a bit of a twist here so in won't share any more.

This is definitely a 'just one more chapter before bed' type book,

I really love the writers style and will happily be looking out for future novels as well as adding her debut novel to my 'to read' pile.

“There is so much about creativity that seems like magic, and so much about success that seems random.”

Dylan Read is a world famous music artist and so when her high school best friends body is pulled from a lake 15 years after they last saw each other Dylan is forced to take a step down memory lane and revisit past emotions and traumas, when long held secrets make their way to the surface.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it gave me Taylor Swift and Daisy Jones and The Six vibes so I am confident this is one that Swifties and TJR fans alike will adore!

It was a slow burn to begin with and I worried as not much had happened, and I struggled with the switching between time perspectives. But after the halfway mark I was completely hooked, and I then came to enjoy learning about Dylan’s rise to fame alongside the development of her and Kelsey’s relationship years earlier. The story pieced together really well and I especially loved the use of music throughout the book as a way of continuing the story - I think it could make a great tv show!

This is the perfect book for swifties who love a bit of a mystery. With a Taylor Swift-esque protagonist who details her journey through the music industry alongside exploring the secret from her childhood she carries through her fame, this is such an interestingly written tale about friendship, guilt and the way someone’s past impacts the art they create.

I really enjoyed the way this was written, the exploration of Dylan’s past coinciding with her developing career and music styles. The details on how a story is crafted and the poetry behind it was so interesting and gorgeous. At times, I couldn’t tell if I liked Dylan or not but ultimately that’s what made me enjoy the book. I found her such a beautifully complex character that was hard to stomach at times but I also felt like one of her fans - invested in seeing how she handled the situations she was in.

I think it slowed a bit towards the end and that tension sort of fizzled out rather than peaking as I hoped it would, however I did like the ending more after sitting and thinking on it than I did when I initially read it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Thank you NetGalley and 4th Estate for the e-arc!

In mid-noughties America, class misfit Dylan is befriended by fellow misfit Kelsey and they began making music together. Shortly afterwards, Kelsey goes missing. Fast forward twenty years and Dylan is the biggest star in the world, with fans obsessed with both her work and relationships. And then, Kelsey’s body is discovered at the bottom of a lake…

Of course, by now you’ll have sussed who Dylan Read is supposed to be. If you need to look a little deeper at our ‘anti-hero’, she starts making country, then pop, then confessional. Her partners include a label boss, a football player and a writer. I know, I can’t ’shake it off’ either. There’s also a queer relationship to satisfy the tinfoilers.

Once you step aside that, this is a cracking murder-mystery, with an undertow of how geeky our teenage years are and how now, we’re all geeks. Factor in that the idea of women artists having to subvert their character to succeed and hint of Me Too and this is a heady cocktail of nostalgia, obsession, sex and fame. That’s enough for a satisfying read, but there is also the grit and twang of middle America. Plus, Dylan’s continuing monologue with Kelsey.

In conclusion, the novel lands at a sweet spot: a mystery, with music and a masterful control of plot and character. It’s published by 4th Estate on 1st August and I thank them for a preview copy.

when a pop star is haunted by the loss of her best friend, who’s case has been left unsolved.

as kelsey’s body is found, dylan must deal with the past coming to the forefront, as well as dealing with the prices of fame.

as the plot unravels secret’s between the two girls past and is perfect for fans of “the seven husbands of evelyn hugo.” you get an insight of both good and bad parts of being a celebrity - as well as learning to deal with loss.

A subtle, meditative reflection on one woman's rise to the top, her carefully curated image, and the secret that threatens to tear it all down.

Dylan Read is a sensation: a genre-hopping artist whose music dominates the charts, and whose personal life dominates the tabloids. Her confessional songwriting and ubiquitous public image have ensured that her relationships and her career have gone hand in hand for the past fifteen years... but no one knows who she's really been singing about this entire time. Until now.

Dylan's best friend - and creative partner - Kelsey has been found dead. Presumed to have skipped town, it's now clear that Kelsey has been dead the whole time, drowned in the local lake the summer that Dylan kick-started her career. And it's clear that Dylan remembers more about the night that Kelsey went missing than she's letting on...

Once More From The Top reminded me of Emma Cline's The Girls, but with country music instead of Charles Manson. A powerful exploration of what was both a collaborative relationship that went on to shape a chart-topping career, as well as a teenaged friendship rife with desire and jealousy, Emily Layden writes beautifully about ambition, control, creativity, and the ways in which the people we love are both known and unknown to us. I really really enjoyed this.

Fame and fortune cannot protect country music star Dylan Read from the tragedies of her past. Haunted by the loss of her best friend Kelsey earlier in life, Dylan is forced to face up to the place she left behind when she rocketed to success, after Kelsey's body is recovered from a lake in their hometown.

Because as it turns out, Kelsey's corpse is not the only thing lurking beneath the surface of Dylan's past...

There will be inevitable comparisons between Dylan's character and the meteoric rise of Taylor Swift, so this book likely has a built in readership in that regard! An interesting and engrossing read, it is probably worth checking out even for non- Swifties. It gets 3.5 stars.

Ok, if you’re a Swiftie you’re reading this book for sure, but it’s deeper than the sum of its parts and provides a satisfying psychological tale separate from its real-life influence.