I received this ARC from Publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Famous in a Small Town by Emma Mills Published by Henry Holt and Company (BYR) on January 15, 2019
Pages: 288
Source: ARC from Publisher
Amazon-Indiebound
Goodreads
For Sophie, small town life has never felt small. With her four best friends—loving, infuriating, and all she could ever ask for—she can weather any storm. But when Sophie’s beloved Acadia High School marching band is selected to march in the upcoming Rose Parade, it’s her job to get them all the way to LA. Her plan? To persuade country singer Megan Pleasant, their Midwestern town’s only claim to fame, to come back to Acadia to headline a fundraising festival.
The only problem is that Megan has very publicly sworn never to return.
What ensues is a journey filled with long-kept secrets, hidden heartbreaks, and revelations that could change everything—along with a possible fifth best friend: a new guy with a magnetic smile and secrets of his own.
My Thoughts:
This might be my new favorite Emma Mills book. Which is saying a lot because I really loved This Adventure Ends. And Foolish Hearts. And First & Then. So, yeah. All of her books. 🙂
I adored the small town setting in Famous in a Small Town. As someone who grew up in a somewhat small town in Wisconsin there was just so much I could relate to! Having a designated hangout place at someone’s house, going to school together pretty much your whole life, babysitting for the same families, driving to a bigger town to find something to do (although we did have a small town movie theater!) So much of this book could have been pulled from my high school years. I love that feeling.
The friendship aspect was another thing I loved. Books about best friends are great, but I love it when there is a larger friend group featured (like Stephanie Perkins’ Anna and the French Kiss or Emory Lord’s The Names They Gave Us!) It’s always interesting to see how the dynamic works… especially when you introduce a new person to that group. Mills did such a great job with that in this one.
I also really related to Sophie. She was a delight and I loved how very earnest she was. It was endearing and I immediately cared about her and was invested in her story and the things she cared about.
And the family relationships! Especially between siblings! Ugh. So great. And quick to go to my heart. Again, so relatable!
So, yeah. All of the book. 🙂
Morgan @ The Bookish Beagle
I love all of her books SO much! This was no exception; I don’t think it’s my favorite but I still enjoyed it so much. The friendships are amazing and I was a big fan of all the kissing in this one haha! Can’t wait for whatever she writes next 🙂