Every Time You Hear That Song by Jenna Voris is a captivating novel that explores the lives of two country music legends and girl looking for the truth of their stories. This moving story of fame, friendship, and self-discovery will resonate with readers who love music and appreciate a well-told tale.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

An emotional journey of three women, told by two of them in different timelines. Both wanting more than their town of origin, financial situation had to offer them. The past story had more of a feel of truth to me, the ambitious country singer, choosing herself over everyone else and being forced to make hard choices due to the lack of tolerance for lesbian relationship. the current story, overlapped with the past one as she struggled to find herself and what home really was. Her relationship, somehow never felt like more than a friendship and maybe was a more forced plot point to make a point. Easy to read and interesting

I think my students will enjoy this book, the story in the present of a hunt for clues for a country singers last time capsule and the 3 million dollars that goes with it. the story in the past, which is more compelling of an ambitious country singer, who has to deal with homophobia and having to make hard choices. The present day story, a teenager wanting to win the money to help her mother and to get out of the small town she lives in and become a journalist. Both she and her mother are big fans

I really enjoyed this one. It was hard to put down. It kept me wanting more. The characters are amazing! And I love the title and the story line. Such an amazing book!

Every Time You Hear That Song by Jenna Voris is a heartfelt mix of queer coming-of-age, mystery, and historical fiction. The dual timelines follow Decklee Cassel, a deeply flawed country singer navigating fame and identity, and Darren Purchase, a teen uncovering Decklee’s secrets through a scavenger hunt.

While the premise is unique and emotionally rich, some aspects fell short for me. Decklee’s chapters left me wanting more, and Darren and Kendall’s romance didn’t quite have the buildup to feel convincing. The scavenger hunt, while fun, lacked the excitement I expected, and the ending felt a bit rushed.

That said, the emotional depth and exploration of self-discovery, identity, and the sacrifices tied to ambition make this story memorable. It’s a bittersweet, music-driven journey that can resonate with readers of any age..

Okayyyyyyy cute.

Self discovery. Country music. AUTHENTIC.

I loved everything about this one…. Excpet the name spelling. It’s DISTRACTING. If you can get past that super cute story.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

This story has a dual timeline, flipping between present-day teen journalist Darren and country legend Decklee Cassel's rise in the 1960s. We get to see Darren try to uncover the truth about Decklee’s life.
This book was giving Evelyn Hugo and I loved everything about it. I could be biased because I absolutely adore that book.
This book just had so many great things for me. A fun road trip, a cute summer romance, sapphic lovers, dual timeline. There’s just so much that made this a great book. While this is a YA novel, it didn’t really feel like it. I think this is great for everyone.

What a joyous, queer read! I was a huge fan of 'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo,' and this book scratched a very similar itch. Country music isn't known as the most "queer-friendly" space, but I've been glad to see artists find and expand space for queer expression. I know that my high school students will really enjoy this book, and I'm glad that I can recommend this to my students.

Country roads take me home!!! What a wonderful mix of queer coming of age, historical fiction with a sprinkle of a mystery. I really enjoyed this book!

★★★★☆

Every Time You Hear That Song is a sweeping, emotional ode to country music and complicated women. This story captures the glamour and grit of fame, flipping between present-day teen journalist Darren and country legend Decklee Cassel's rise in the 1960s. Darren’s journey to uncover the truth behind Decklee's life and friendship with the mysterious Mickenlee is captivating, layered with high-stakes secrets and self-discovery. While some parts felt a touch lengthy, the rich characterizations and authentic dive into fame's costs made this a rewarding read.

TL;DR: A heartfelt exploration of fame, legacy, and self-discovery told through a queer, country-music lens.

What a story. I’ve truly never read anything like this. We have a famous country singer who put all their secrets into a time capsule but when opened at the funeral of the artist it’s found that nothing is inside. Cue our main leads on the wild treasure hunt of the century to find the missing artifacts. This story is perfect for any country music fan out there. I loved reading about Decklee and the author really creates a musically, beautiful story. A story about is it true better to get out of your small town and see the world. This book is perfect for fans of Casey McQuiston and Taylor Jenkins Reed.

I hope this author continues to write authentic and inquiry stories like this one.

A romp from start to finish!

A major fan going on a cross-state road trip to prove just how big of a fan they are goes awry in all the right ways.

Just when you think you have the plot figured out, something happens to circumvent your expectations.

I found this book to be so much fun. I love a fun romance, I love a scavenger hunt, I love a mystery, and I really loved jumping back and forth in time between Darren and Decklee's stories seeing how they might all come together at the end. It was powerful to see the characters grow and figure out what they truly want from life and see them advocate for their needs, even and especially when it's hard.

A road trip story, romcom and country music singer aspiring FMC made this one I couldn't get enough of! Definitely add it to your list if you're a fan of on the road, music filled, love stories.

arc via netgalley

Meh, this had everything going for it and it missed the mark for me. Ugh. Dolly is a gem, and this Dolly is not for me.

Yeah…this wasn’t it. In theory, this would be the perfect book for me. Queer Dolly Parton? A scavenger hunt? Country music and dreams of leaving your small-town? That’s literally everything I’ve ever wanted in a book! It sounded so good.

I loved this book! It was so fun and sweet. The storyline was a little predictable but in the best way. I’m definitely going to recommend it to fans of Taylor Swift, Elvis, or Dolly Parton!

I was excited about this one but it got archived before I got invested so I'd say it's a DNF for me.

I appreciated the vibes of this story more than the actual plot. The premise was really intriguing but the main characters, especially Decklee where so unlikeable. I refuse to accept the Dolly Parton influence because I don’t want to think of Dolly as so heartless. The road trip aspect was fun as well as the scavenger hunt. The romance was so cute.
I guessed the twist early on so that wasn’t too shocking. The ending surprised me though because it isn’t necessarily a “happy ending” where everything works out. I guess it felt more realistic then a perfect storybook ending that many books have.
Thank you to netgalley and viking books for a free e-copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

This was such a lovely twist on just how much music means to people. I adored the double timeline aspects as Darrel and Decklee's stories mirrored each other in so many ways as they both tried ot figure out what they want from the world.