Run, Rose, Run is just as charming as everything else connected to musician/actress/philanthropist Dolly Parton. Though it’s mostly a character study about three different personalities making their way through the Nashville scene than a thriller, the suspense element adds a nice bit of variety to the proceedings. It’s a fun, quick read in spite of its length – a page-turner with brief chapters.

AnnieLee Keyes wants to make it big as a country music singer.  She has natural talent and big dreams, and when she meets the handsome Ethan Blake at a small club and sings her way into the spotlight, it seems that good things are ahead of her.  The bars get better even though she’s sleeping in a park every night. Even though she’s haunted by nightmares involving the mysterious Rose.

Ruthanna Ryder is a rich and famous country star who’s exhausted by the old grind and the glitter of life in Nashville.  She’s in the middle of retiring, but that doesn’t mean she wants to stop writing songs. After Ethan – who happens to be one of her session players – convinces her to come to the small Tennessee club where AnnieLee is playing, their lives change forever.  She takes an interest in AnnieLee, and the superstar and the homeless up-and-comer become friends.

As AnnieLee’s rocket-ride to fame intensifies, she and Ethan get closer while Ruthanna provides AnnieLee with the building blocks toward becoming famous while finding herself inspired to create more music.  But all three of our protagonists are hiding major secrets, and in AnnieLee’s case, those secrets come in the form of a threat that might snuff out her life before she attains the fame she’s been seeking.

Run, Rose, Run is a fun little ride through one girl’s journey to the top.  It’s a classic Cinderella rise, which means some nuance and subtlety (and a sense of reality) is lost in the process.  The book’s not afraid to point out the goo beneath the glitter of the Nashville scene, but it should have thrown a few more obstacles in AnnieLee’s way.  And yet that didn’t stop me from enjoying every second of this spirited trip.

I loved Ruthanna, her big personality and wisecracking sense of humor.  AnnieLee is more vulnerable but has grit and determination. The relationship between the two women is fabulous and worth the price of the book; I enjoyed every makeover, songwriting session and pep talk.  It’s a much more interesting relationship than the one between Ethan and AnnieLee, but their burgeoning romance is also quite sweet (when he makes her a guitar after she had to pawn her own, one cannot avoid being touched by the moment).

The mysteries themselves are properly suspenseful and well-seeded, but again not the true focal point of the book.  You will be shocked, root for our heroes, and hope for them to find safety.

Run, Rose, Run was a pretty good time.  Fans of Parton and women’s fiction with thriller and mystery elements will be better served by the tome versus those looking for more Patterson’s usual offerings.

Note: This book contains references to sexual assault.

Buy it at: Amazon, Audible or your local independent retailer
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James Patterson has co-written a variety of chart-topping books, and Dolly Parton has been successful with so many undertakings during her career. Put the two together, and you have the makings of a mystery novel with the suspense that only a veteran writer can provide, along with the sweetness and genuineness of one of country music's best-loved entertainers.

From the opening scenes, the writer can imagine a younger Dolly on the way to Nashville seeking her big break. The character possesses the same innocence mixed with intelligence and the instinct for survival. Throw in some unsavory characters to add interest and the story takes the reader on a twisty road filled with action and excitement.

The book holds the reader's interest from beginning to end. You can't help but root for the heroine to succeed. I wouldn't be surprised if this story becomes a movie or a series.

Thank you to Little, Brown and Company and Net Galley for the ARC of this book.

I use to read everything that James Patterson wrote. Eventually I learned he is only as good as his co-authors, which vary greatly. But if you add a name like Dolly Parton to the cover I’m going to pick it up. AnnieLee Keyes comes to Nashville wanting to become a famous country singer. She has sung and written songs all her life. Her talent wins out landing her opportunities to perform in local bars. Ruthanna is a famous singer, successful for decades and is retired. She sees AnnieLee 's natural talent and takes under her wing. She helps her avoid some of the more shady aspects of the music business. Of course there needs to be a little menacing that comes from AnnieLee’s past. This is a Patterson novel after all.

The story's focus is on a singer breaking into the music business in Nashville. AnnieLee is a spunky, prideful and talented but she finds it hard to know who to trust. There is always the fear of what they want in return. I’m envisioning Dolly as laying out the ideas or framework for AnnieLee and her path to stardom. The suspense thriller part is much less of a focus. It does explain the singers background and her need for self reliance. I liked the two females and body guard/love interest Ethan. Patterson is usually a real page turner for me but I found I could set this down easily. It is a good music story and I will be excited to hear Dolly perform the songs that she has written to go with the novel. But as a suspense thriller it is never intense. Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Considering that I've read more than my fair share of books by prolific author James Patterson, it's fair to say I'm a fan. Same for Dolly Parton; I love her music (the Trio album with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt is near the top of my 10 all-time favorites list and I've seen her in concert). But a book co-written by the two? Seriously? Curiosity got the better of me, though, so I requested - and received - a review copy (thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley). And while I won't call it an edge-of-seat, bite-your nails thriller - it's more a coming-of-age-in-the-music-business kind of story - by golly, it was quite entertaining.

AnnieLee Keyes, a young thing purty as a speckled pup under a big red wagon and determined to write and sing songs that climb to the top of the Country-Western chart hitchhikes from Texas to Nashville and - with no money and no guitar - convinces a bartender to let her borrow an instrument and take to the stage. She makes quite an impression; next thing you know, she's under the wing of megastar Ruthanna Ryder, who is officially retired from the business and lives a life of luxury, complete with a recording studio in her basement. Add to the mix hunky and single Ethan Blake, who [surprise!] is attracted to AnnieLee but is hesitant to 'fess up because he knows the only stars in her eyes are a reflection of her desire to become one.

The rest of the story centers on AnnieLee's journey to the top and the obstacles the industry throws at star wannabes - plus the secrets that both AnnieLee and Ethan have in their past lives that threaten their current plans (perhaps even permanently). If I had to guess, I'd say the story concept was a joint venture, after which Patterson did most of the writing and Dolly contributed her vast knowledge of the music business from a performer's perspective as well as lyrics to several songs "composed" by AnnieLee, Ruthanna and Ethan. At the end of the book are the full lyrics to these songs, though without accompanying music, I found it a little hard to hum along.

In the end, the unlikely duo won me over, and I think most other readers will enjoy the book as well. Good job!

Run Rose Run is character-driven and charming. It gives exactly the kind of sweet southern appeal you would expect of anything with Dolly Parton’s name on it. The thriller aspects are very mild, definitely a good choice for beginner readers of the genre still feeling out their tolerance for scariness.

Run, Rose, Run is a new thriller from the writing team of James Patterson and Dolly Parton. AnnieLee is new to Nashville and is willing to work hard to become a singer. She walks into bars and offers to play whenever needed. At one such bar, another musician hears her perform and talks his mentor into listening to her sing. From there, AnnieLee's musical career seems to take off but little does anyone know that she's really escaping from a mysterious past. That past is about to catch up with her in a way that she will not like. Read and enjoy!

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
I read Run, Rose, Run while traveling - both at the airport and on two long flights. The short chapters, a signature of Patterson's work, help make the book easy to digest in short chunks - or, like me, you can keep telling yourself "just one more" ad nauseum. To complement Patterson’s style, Dolly Parton brings the fun of the Nashville setting and the music industry, along with some fresh song lyrics. There is an underlying suspense arc to the story, but it wasn't your typical mystery/thriller. Reading this made me long to visit Nashville again soon! This book comes out 3/7 and I can confirm it is a fun book to read while traveling - I bet it will be prominently displayed at airport booksellers!

Dolly Parton and James Patterson had a baby- and named it Run, Rose, Run! It's a whole lot of country and a little bit thriller with interesting characters and a ton of attitude!

AnnieLee Keyes knew she was going to be a famous country singer so she headed to the best place to make it happen: Nashville. She was extremely talented but she was also super sassy and determined- things that could cause people to dislike her. AnnieLee didn't have much money so she camped out in a park while she begged in local bars to sing her songs. Fortunately she sang in the right bar at the right time and was discovered by good-looking Ethan, a bandmember of the uber-famous country legend Ruthanna Ryder.

Ruthanna takes AnnieLee under her wing and tries to guide her to success. Ruthanna has been in the business for a long time and wants to help AnnieLee avoid the worst parts of fame. But AnnieLee has secrets from her past that won't stop chasing her. The past wants her dead. AnnieLee struggles to be true to herself, become a star and survive.

The character of AnnieLee is a lot like how I would imagine Dolly to be like. She's spunky, smart, and an extremely talented singer and songwriter. I like country music and the authors included lyrics of songs written by AnnieLee during her journey, which helped round out the story.

AnnieLee's character is inspiring in how she knows what she wants and won't stop pushing for it. She fights to stay true to who she is no matter how people want to change her to fit their own notions. AnnieLee is used to being independent and self dependent so she struggles with trusting people and letting them in.

Thank you #netgalley and #littlebrownandcompany for the arc of this book. This review will be posted to Netgalley, Goodreads and my bookstagram today and at Amazon and Barnes and Noble upon publication.

Run, Rose, Run will be published March 7, 2022.

This book was entertaining from the aspect of seeing the rise of a nobody to a somebody within the country music industry. You can see the influence of Dolly Parton teaming up with James Patterson to write this book. As a thriller or suspense novel there wasn't much there. There were opportunities to make it more exciting that just were not used.

AnnieLee is on the run. She wants to leave her past behind and forge ahead in the music industry. She learns quickly that there are a lot of obstacles in getting a chance to sing, let alone to be discovered. AnnieLee’s big break comes when a retired country music star decides to take her under her wing. She doesn’t want the help at first, but when her past keeps stopping by for a visit; AnnieLee must trust someone with her present, even if she doesn’t want to tell them about her past.

Run Rose Run is a realistic fiction story firmly placed in the country music scene. I am used to most of Patterson’s books being a mystery, yet this story has the mystery component playing second or third fiddle. Parton has a story that not only entertains the masses, but it also teaches us about the struggles to be discovered as a music star. Whether readers enjoy country music or not, everyone can still enjoy this story of an underdog fighting for what she wants.

What a good book! It’s a fast paced book keeping you glued to the story. It has a bit of a mystery in it. I couldn’t help but think that both main characters were a combination of Dolly Parton. I loved it!
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

Maybe James Patterson should always write with Dolly Parton? I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would definitely read more if they wanted to make a series out of this!

I was really excited to be given the opportunity to read Run, Rose, Run, by James Patterson and Dolly Parton. Thanks, Netgalley, and the publisher, for providing me with an ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review. The book started off a bit slow for one that I thought was to be a thriller. I enjoyed the details of the country music world that were provided throughout and the basic storyline. The book did pick up about a third of the way through but never got up to the speed that I anticipated. While it was an interesting book, it was not outstanding.

"Run, Rose, Run" was just a so-so book. It was not really much of a thriller, or suspenseful, and quite a few times I found myself wishing the plot would pickup a little bit or that something--anything--would happen to move it along.

Well, that is a combination of writers I did not imagine. Dolly Parton, the Queen of Nashville, and James Patterson, Master of the Thriller.

Twenty-Five-year-old Annielee has arrived in Nashville with nothing but a backpack full of secrets and lies. With dreams of making it big all by herself. A chance run-in with one of Ruthanna’s musicians and all of a sudden she is living with Ruthanna and headed for the big time.

More than once I thought this was based on the television show Nashville. About halfway through the book, I stopped even calling her Ruthanna and just called her Dolly. She along with the other characters are all slightly damaged in some way. Emotional trauma. Secrets they can’t share. But the past always catches up to us. And Annielee is about to find that out.

Thriller? No. Dead people? Also No. I could believe Dolly wrote this book but not JP. The characters were what I call surface. I didn’t really care for any of them. And it’s hard to believe the series of coincidences that came about really fast. But I wasn’t thrilled or remotely scared.

I have read everything James Patterson has written. This is becoming a pattern almost.

There are 12 songs included in the back. Just lyrics. Not sure why they were included.

NetGalley/ March 7th, 2022 by Little, Brown, and Company

Dolly Parton’s influence is evident in the details of her world. That said, this didn’t read like a James Patterson book. Readable, but not a must-read. I give it between a three and four rating, depending on where I was in the book.

3.4 Stars
AnnieLee Reyes has been writing and singing song since she was a little girl.
Hmm sure sounds like someone we know!
She is heading to Nashville, when Ethan Blake, a musician with Ruthanna Ryder, the Queen of Country Music hears her sing and talks Ruthanna into attending one of AnnieLee’s performances. Thus the start!!
These three are the main characters in this story.

Although not a Big Wow read for me ~ it was fun. Not much of a thriller.

Note: If you are a Dolly fan and have not already read Dolly’s “Songteller, My Life in Lyrics”,
I highly recommend the audiobook. Story is basically is an interview with Dolly about her music in her own
words. Each interview question starts with a short snippet of a song. She has written over 3,000 songs and
the story features about 100 of them.
Stories are funny and sometimes sad but I loved every minute.

Okay back to this story!

Want to thank NetGalley and Little Brown and Company for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for March 7, 2022

This new novel which features the unlikely collaboration of prolific author James Patterson and bestselling singer-songwriter Dolly Parton, tells the star-is-born, rags-to-riches story of AnnieLee, who comes to Nashville to make her mark, and finds herself in the admirable position of being mentored by superstar country singer Ruthanna Ryder. But Annie has a secret. One of Ruthanna’s studio musicians, handsome ex-soldier Ethan, finds himself drawn to AnnieLee, but even when he tells her his darkest secrets, she still keeps silent about her past. I found Annie to be a one-dimensional character—she seems to do things that make no sense, even when we learn her secret; the obsessive determination of the people from her past was difficult to believe. I found Ethan and Ruthanna much more interesting. I’ll look forward to hearing the new songs Dolly Parton has written to accompany this novel (which will undoubtedly be a bestseller) but except for Parton’s name on the cover, this was just another disappointing James Patterson for me. Recommended for Patterson’s legion of fans-- I hope other Dolly Parton fans enjoy this novel more than I did. I received an advance review copy from Netgalley and the publisher.

Okay, I'm going to preface this review by saying I unequivocally, unapologetically adore Dolly Parton. I have tried to read only one other Patterson book and couldn't get into it, but, despite my reservations, I needed to read this for Dolly.

And I would say I get the impression Dolly had a lot of input in this, or else Patterson is just channelling her sparkle well. It's a bit like reading a novelization of Nashville, with a couple of darker twists to it-- a young woman comes to Nashville completely broke, sleeping rough, and uses her angelic voice and no small amount of grit to get by.

I read it easily and I look forward to hearing Dolly's recordings of the songs in the book-- which are, not surprisingly, quite good. But I do think the novel is lacking in a few areas and, if I'm being honest, I'm not sure how forgiving non-fans will be.

The story is 95% "musician making it in Nashville" story and 5% thriller. The problem is that the main storyline does lack a certain urgency and oomph (view spoiler), necessitating a bit of something else to add excitement, and yet the thriller parts are super cliche and a bit wacky. They almost felt like an afterthought added in quickly to ramp up the thrills.

I also didn't completely buy AnnieLee as a character. I thought some of the "brave" decisions she made were unrealistic and presented a rose-tinted (or dollar-padded) view of how the music industry works. She sometimes acted more like a country music star with several decades and millions of dollars under her belt (ahem). And I couldn't understand one of the ridiculously reckless decisions she made at all. It made no sense and it clearly only happened to drive the plot in a certain direction.

But I still enjoyed reading it, especially in the earlier chapters. There were some interesting criticisms of the music industry and the media, and I also liked the journey through Nashville's honky tonks. I think I would have liked it more if AnnieLee had been a more complex character and hadn't been so damn amazing at everything, or, at least, experienced more of a struggle.

Dolly! James! Dolly! James! Dolly!!!!! What a combination! Great book written by two great people! Read it if you can!