Walk Softly on This Heart of Mine by Callie Collins is set in the music scene of 1970s Austin. It’s literary fiction weaving together three characters brought together in a bar on the outskirts of the city. The intertwining plot threads between owner, musician and fan all come to a head one stormy night with tragic results. It’s grounded in pretty grim realism for the period, and the character who identifies as queer has a typically depressing and unrelenting time of it. There’s a lot of explicit homophobic language and violence. You get really close to the characters though and get such a strong sense of their various struggles and worn-down hopes. I would recommend it if you’re interested in reading a debut author with a story clearly rooted in 1970s Texas completed with struggles against homophobia.

What a quick and absorbing read. The gritty backdrop of a rural Texas bar in the 70’s, the sticky heat of summertime mixed with sticky floors and enclosed spaces, the lurking feeling of something on the precipice of going awry. In a broad sense, this is a story of a community, of the places that people gather and the desire for something a little bit more—but in a narrower view, this is a single private tragedy playing out across the three people closest to the scene.

It’s hard to think of something that compares—there are easy music industry parallels in Opal & Nev or Deep Cuts, but nothing quite strikes the same balance of urgency and quiet reflection.

Thank you to Doubleday for the opportunity to read and review.

The writing was good but unfortunately I didn’t connect with the characters and the plot didn’t hold my interest. I would have liked it better if Steven narrated the whole story and not just a short section at the end.

A beautifully written and melancholy novel set in a bar outside Austin, Texas in the 1970s and told in three sections by three people. Doug drinks too much but he's devoted to his wife and his music so when he's recruited by Wendall to be the house band in Wendall's failing bar, he goes for it and changes the lives of everyone around him. Deanna, married to Wendall, feels something she knows she shouldn't for Doug. As does Steven, a teen who is effeminate enough to provoke bullies who beat him and sets everyone else up for a reckoning. This is infused with bar smoke, smells, and music and steeped in alcohol. The characters feel very real. This demands attention as it's subtle in spots- it will sneak up on you. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A very good read.

The Austin, TX setting was really atmospheric and important to the story. I enjoyed this a lot but unsure if it will stick with me long term.

In a little bar outside of Austin in the 70's, a house band is hired. Then there's 200 pages of a fever dream that is mostly incoherent and has no storyline.

I loved the cover and the premise. The book started out ok, very slow and nothing happened, but I was still hopeful. But by 75% when I thought there was going to be some action, there wasn't, and it was just more rambling.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I loved the setting but the best thing I can say about this one is that at least it was short.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

Morally grey is a term that could apply to all three of the main characters in Walk Softly on This Heart of Mine. Everyone is terrible, but not awful. Everyone is okay, but not great.

Set in an off-the-beaten-path honkey tonk, we meet each of our three characters: Doug, a blues musician, hired to play every night at the Rush Creek Saloon. Deanna, the owner of the Rush Creek Saloon, is unhappy in her marriage and her life. Steven is the boy who loves too hard and struggles with his own identity and sexuality.
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Callie Collins captured a slice of life for each person, but it read a bit empty to me. Doug was kind of a pain in the ass and a little too far up his own. Steven's section of the book was too weird, and I say this as someone who likes weird book.

There are ways to write about music, and there's plenty of that included in this book, but like most of Doug's songs and nights out....there was a lot of fluff and hollowness.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Callie Collins’ writing vividly captures the essence of Austin’s music scene, delving into themes of ambition, identity, and the quest for connection. The novel made me feel like I was immersed in the bar scenes and I was fully invested in the perspectives of each character. Loved every second reading this and getting to know each character from their point of view.

Set against the gritty, soulful backdrop of 1970s Austin, this debut novel sweeps you into a world of blues, longing, and lives on the edge. Collins captures the raw essence of a town and its people searching for connection, whether through music, love, or something darker.

The story, told through the perspectives of Doug, Deanna, and Steven, gives us an intimate view of how deeply loneliness can seep into a person's soul. Each character is aching for something that makes them feel alive again - whether it's Doug's desperate chase for fame and escape in booze and drugs, Deanna's struggle to save her failing bar and marriage, or Steven's painful journey grappling with his sexuality and need to belong.

Collins perfectly captures the vibe of a time and place where freedom and chaos collide, with Rush Creek Saloon becoming the symbol of that chaotic energy. It's a powerful, immersive read that explores the highs and devastating lows that come with searching for something more.

For me, it was a vivid time capsule, full of heat, music, and heartbreak, and if you've been a fan of Daisy Jones and the Six or Mary Jane, this book would likely be right up your alley.