Every Time You Hear That Song is a YA story where we see two young women embark on the same journey 60 years apart. Darren Purchase has always felt a strong kinship to country music icon Decklee Cassel: both are from the same small Arkansas town, Darren wants to leave town as soon as possible, and Darren also suspects the pair may also share being queer. When Decklee dies, she leaves a message to her fans that she has one final album for them-if they can follow her clues to find it. Finding the songs would give Darren a final part of the artist she loves, a once in a lifetime story for her journalism instagram account, and money her single mom needs to pay for her cancer bills. On the quest with her coworker Kendall, Darren hopes to find the lost songs- but also ends up finding a sense of understanding she hadn't expected.

The story features similarities to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Huego in that it tells the story of the hardships of a queer celebrity in the mid to late 1900's. Both of these books will get tagged in the romance genre, but I would consider this having less romance between the two characters in the past timeline and the romance between Kendall and Darren in the current timeline is pretty minor. Much like Evelyn Huego, there is a twist in the story that took me by surprise (although looking back through previous passages there are hints of it laid out). Overall I enjoyed this book, I liked all the pop culture references in the present timeline but I found the story in the past timeline hard to follow at times. I didn't get the full sense of what Decklee's goal for herself was outside of being at the top of the industry, and I wished there was a better sense of closure in her story since the events of it leave me with somewhat of a sad feeling.

Thank you Penguin Young Readers Group and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of this book.

While normally I enjoy dual timelines, something about this one was hard to really lose myself into. Partly I think it was a pacing issue, but also I think bouncing around between the two meant I never really felt I knew all that much about either of them. When I step back and look at what I read, I do enjoy it, but in the moment of reading, it was hard to immerse myself and sometimes dragged. Overall, I did enjoy it, but I do wish some parts of the execution had been better.

THIS BOOK. I love it so much. My little country music loving heart can’t take it and I love the mystery of trying to figure out the time capsule. The singer in the novel, Decklee,’s story reminds me a lot of Dolly’s. Also, the journey to romance. Ah. Give me more Jenna. Thank you.

Frankly, there was no way I wasn’t going to love this book. Sapphic Dolly Parton-esque country singer throws a posthumous treasure hunt for fans to find her last album? I was hooked before I even started reading. A dual POV split between Decklee Cassel’s rise to stardom in the 60s and superfan Darren’s quest to win her treasure hunt in the modern day, the pacing never once faltered. If anything, I’d have liked to spend more time with Decklee, although the glimpses of her career’s pivotal moments were more than sufficient to paint a picture of both her professional and personal life. In the present, Darren’s road trip with co-worker Kendall was at once lighthearted and deeply emotional. Her desire to escape Mayberry for good while slowly, inadvertently falling back in love with it felt so true to the experience of growing up in a small town, with an added layer of depth from her queer identity. Some of the plot milestones were slightly predictable, especially the final twist, but this only made the experience of piecing together the puzzle so much more satisfying. Overall, this was an absolute blast of a road trip/treasure hunt/historical music novel, one that would be just as much fun adapted for the screen in the style of Daisy Jones and the Six.

I enjoy the premise of this book and the idea of two teenage girls in different timelines discovering more about themselves and finding a place where they can live authentically. However, I ultimately felt like some parts were not fully fleshed out and I wasn’t sure what message about small town life the current timeline meant to leave us with. I found myself drawing numerous comparisons between this book and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, from the actions of the characters in the historical timeline, to the dual POV with a young reporter as the current timeline’s main character. Teenagers who haven't read Reid’s adult novel may connect better with this story. The best takeaway from this book is perhaps to reflect on how one’s actions affect others. A secondary purchase for YA collections.

This was SO CUTE. Like Dolly Parton meets Evelyn Hugo. I thought that the Arkansas representation was good as well as the way that the characters bucked against the stereotypes of the small minds in small southern towns. It really was such a delight to read this!

I'd like to thank Netgalley and Penguin Teen for this arc!!

"I don't miss Mayberry, but sometimes I'll catch a few notes of a childhood folk song or inhale the scent of warm summer grass and the feeling is so familiar it's like my ribs are cracking apart."

This book was immaculate. The story is told in two perspectives/timelines. In the first timeline, we follow Darren, a teenage girl who feels like she is wasting her life away in the 'nowhere' town of Mayberry. And in the other, we follow Decklee Cassel, a budding country star who will do anything it takes to get to the top, and stay there. But after Decklee dies, she starts a country wide search for a time capsule, which she said holds a new album and comes with 3 million dollars as a reward. Darren decides she has to go on a road trip to find the time capsule, and to do that she has to pair up with her coworker, Kendall. The story follows both perspectives of living authentically and coming of age, while dealing with the stifling feeling a small town can bring.

vibes: 🚗🎸🪕⏳🥰

"Maybe there's something beautiful to being known like this. maybe being seen isn't a curse."

I absolutely loved this book. I knew from the beginning that it would be one that got me, and I was right. The story not only touched me because of the relationships, but also because of the conversations it has. The talk about the small town and the music were so beautifully accurate. It was so so good!

I really really enjoyed this one! I finished it in nearly one sitting! Decklee Cassel is a superstar country singer whom Darren has idolized her whole life and whose music has seen 17 year old Darren and her mom though some incredibly hard times. Darren struggles with feeling trapped in her small town; the same town that Decklee Cassel is from and Decklee got out…so Darren can too but Darren devastated when she learns of Decklee’s death.
Decklee's has left one last gift for her fans… a long-awaited time capsule to be revealed at her televised funeral…but instead, it's empty and now has to be found via scavenger hunt. Darren sees this as her way out and she is determined that she will be the one to find it. She enlists the help of a co-worker, Kendall – a boy she has know most of her life and they embark on a quest for the capsule but find so much more along the way.

The story alternates between two timelines. Darren and Kendall in present day and their search following time capsule clues and Decklee Cassel and her relationships with songwriter Mickinlee Hooper and fashion designer Markell in the past and their rise to fame. I did figure out the twist very early on but I think the reader is meant to because it just adds that extra emotion underlying the whole thing as you go along waiting for the reveal. Each story parallels the other and comes full circle in such a poignant way that it left me in tears at the end.

"Every Time You Hear That Song" by Jenna Voris hits all the right notes with its captivating blend of mystery, romance, and the allure of country music. Through alternating perspectives, Voris weaves together the stories of Darren Purchase, a determined young journalist, and Decklee Cassel, a country music icon with a tumultuous past. As Darren embarks on a spontaneous road trip with her coworker Kendall to uncover the truth behind Decklee's mysterious time capsule, readers are transported back to 1963 to witness Decklee's journey from runaway to fame.

I'm loving the trend of LGBTQIA+ road trips, and this one was no exception! I found the dual timeline kept this trending trope fresh and exciting. I think this is one of those few young adult novels that will keep the older readers entertained as well. The plot of the story kept me guessing too, which is rare for me! Pick this one up if you're a fan of books that keep you laughing, crying, and doing everything else in between.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I'm not sure I can begin to tell you how much I enjoyed this book. It was beautifully written with lyrical prose and rich, complicated characters with clear motivations and flaws. It was very "Dolly-Parton-by-way-of-Evelyn-Hugo-coded" and I was here for that. Both timelines were captivating to me, and I never felt the need to skip over parts because I was getting bored in one timeline or the other. The way it ended was satisfying, but not neat, which felt real to me, and so bittersweet. And as a queer girl who grew up in a small town and always wanted to escape (and did), that theme really hit home and resonated with me. Absolutely lovely (and fun! road trip scavenger hunts are always fun!)

ARC Review: Every Time You Hear That Song by @jennavoris
Released: April 2, 2024
Rating: 4.5/5
Format: eBook via #netgalley , but I had also pre-ordered it from @onemorepagebooks
Recommended by: @bdkennedybooks (Author of A Little Bit Country/My Fair Brady)
The Low-Down: Young Adult. Coming of age. Dual POV/timelines. Bisexual & Lesbian rep. Scavenger hunt. Roadtrips. Angst. Entertainment Industry. Country music.

With dual POV/timelines, we meet our present-day FMC, Darren, as she sets out on a road trip to hunt down clues to a time capsule left by country star, Decklee Cassel. Along the way, Darren will discover secrets about her favorite star's past, as well as secrets about herself.

I really enjoyed each of the characters and this storyline with how much depth there was. While you could see certain plot points coming, there was still an air of mystery. I am also always a sucker for an entertainment plotline. Especially ones that show the angsty emotional trauma of the industry.

"Here, everybody burns until they burn out."

Whenever someone asks me why I left the music industry in Nashville, I'm going to show them this book. There truly is no place like Nashville, but it can also take a piece of who you truly are. Ultimately, you choose the music or you choose yourself. This book perfectly portrayed that.

For Fans of A Little Bit Country, The Last Love Song, Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift.

4 1/2 stars

What a special book. It was told in alternating timelines and went between present day and Darren's viewpoint and Decklee's viewpoint in the past.

Darren has idolized Decklee her entire life. Decklee is a successful country music artist and it always seemed that she had it all. But looks can definitely be deceiving. When Decklee dies and it's evident that she had lost a lot of people before it happened, you have to wonder what happened in her life that they weren't there at the end.

Over the course of the book, Darren grows and starts to see things she couldn't see before. And I don't just mean that her co-worker, Kendall is awesome - - but she does see that too. And at the same time you are reading about Darren's evolution, you're also reading about Decklee's downfall. It's all very full circle.

I thought this book really did a beautiful job of trying to show how you can't take things or people in life for granted.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

Having just finished a similar book, I was pleasantly surprised by the fresh and unique perspective of this one. The dual timelines weave seamlessly together, allowing us to witness the parallel lives of the characters and the consequences of their choices. It’s a captivating journey of self-discovery and love that keeps you engaged until the very end.

I'd like to thank NetGalley for the early copy of this book and apologize for the delayed review.

I was expecting a cute, fun little YA book, and I got that, but with more depth than I imagined. I think the best thing this book did was make me remember what it’s like to be an 18-year-old ready to leave their hometown but have no idea who they are outside of it. To want to start your future but be so afraid of being judged for who you are that you can’t become who you want to be. Darren’s journey, both physically and emotionally, led her to a place we hope all kids end up in: with love, acceptance, and pride in who you are and where you come from that you can use as a foundation for growing into yourself.

I also loved how Decklee - the country singer who starts Darren’s journey - is unlikeable sometimes! She lets her ambition get in the way of love and happiness in some cruel ways, and she’s like that until the very end. We see Darren mirror Decklee at times, and I liked seeing Darren find her own way to combat that. Female characters are rarely allowed to have these complex personalities, and I love that we got it with both POVs.

This book is a love letter to music. The way a song or an album can connect us all but still mean something special to us in a wholly unique way. It’s a beautiful reminder that art is what binds us all together.

This book was an absolute delight!! Part coming-of-age road trip story, part Evelyn-Hugo-esque expose of a famous singer's life, this story was perfectly balanced and incredibly readable.

I loved how beautifully queer this story was and how we got to see both of our main characters wear their queerness in different ways. I always love to see a bisexual main character, and I love that she got a little taste of romance!

Personally, my favorite part of this book was the ending. All of the big reveals were so shocking and totally took me by surprise, but they also made so much sense when I reflected back on the story! It was so expertly plotted! I think this might be my favorite YA I've read this year.

This book paints a vivid picture of the struggles of small-town life in the South, where escaping feels like a constant battle against the odds. Voris gracefully portrays the main characters with empathy, yet she doesn't shy away from their flaws, keeping the narrative authentic and engaging. From start to finish, this book is a compelling journey that keeps readers hooked till the very end.

I loved this one. The way everything ended up coming together, the way the chapters went back and forth and the writing. This was such a great book and I loved it so much!!

There is nothing I love more than a road trip story, especially when the metaphor of a journey is so appropriate. Jenna Voris has crafted a dual-timeline story featuring Darren, small town high school girl in the present who can't wait to break free of smalltown life. This is set against the story of a famous singer who escaped a small town and went on to superstardom. When Decklee Cassel, the singer, dies, a scavenger hunt is triggered to find $3 million... and Darren needs the money. How else will they pay her mom's medical bills and get her into a journalism school far away from the tiny town she calls home?

When the ending came, I found myself in tears for the love(s) that were lost set against the hope that remains. This story was beautiful, poignant YA. I bought it immediately for our library collection.

I think this might be the best book I have read so far in 2024. I couldn't stop thinking about it!

The split POVs of Darren and Decklee Cassel were woven together to help the audience understand how Darren and Decklee were connected despite never meeting and being decades between the stories. I loved learning about Decklee through Darren's life and Decklee's own story. It felt like a great reminder that you don't actually know your favorite musician.

While the book was centered around the romance and fame part, the mystery of finding Decklee's time capsule and discovering who she really was felt like a nice added layer to the book that kept me even more engaged.

I would 100% recommend listening to some female country artists while reading this book and enjoying every minute of it.

Every Time You Hear That Song was excellent. Having lived in the South for a few years, I really appreciated the nuance of being queer in the South and how queer people shouldn't be forced to move to be accepted. I cannot recommend this book enough if you want an engaging story about queer people, music, ambitious and strong women, and a dash of romance.