by Mandy Baggot 
Published by: Harper Impulse
Publication date: February 6th 2014
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

An on-stage attack left Honor Blackwood with more scars than just the one on her face. It’s been ten years since she left her spot as Nashville’s brightest country music star. Is now the time to return? And is she brave enough to do it?Country rebel and rock star, Jared ‘Jed’ Marshall is hot property on the Tennessee music scene in more ways than one. He’s wild, he’s sexy and everybody wants a piece of him. But when he sets his sights on Honor, is it pure attraction or just distraction on his mind?Honor’s record label sign the ex-boyfriend that dumped her and suddenly going back to her old life is harder than she thought. Can she get a new contract? Will she get to perform at the Marlon Festival? Or will Dan Steele destroy everything?When a secret from the past becomes public knowledge it’s no longer just about the music. Are all the people in her life lying to her to get what they want? And who is really behind the anonymous gifts she keeps getting sent?Join the country scene to find out!

Made in Nashville is a story about second chances and having the courage to take those chances when they present themselves. Mandy Baggot shares with us a story of love, loss, life, and redemption. Made in Nashville starts by introducing us to Honor Blackwood. The story begins with her last day on stage ten years ago when she was brutally attacked by a stalker fan, an act that left her scared both emotionally and physically. Ten years later she is living under the radar, working at a music store with her best friend and putting one foot in front of the other. She is debating on returning to the music scene with her record label but is hesitant due to the fears and insecurities that have been building since the attack. Then a man enters her life. Jared Marshall is like a twister of attitude, emotions, soulful singing and lust. He comes barreling into Honor’s life, causing her carefully constructed plans to fly out the window. Together they embark on both a professional and personal relationship, one that allows both Honor and Jared to heal and face their demons.

Mandy Baggot’s story takes the reader deep into the South and the hustling scene of the Country music world. Being from Oklahoma, it was like stepping into a familiar world. It made me smile when they talked about country favorites and reference different artists throughout the story, how the artists and characters embraced their roots in such a real and honest way. When the story begins, you feel a connection with Honor as we see the attack and the aftermath of the event. Still ten years later she is trying to get over her fears and move on with her life. She has never set foot on stage or been in the lime light since everything happened. When her label wants to do a greatest hits album, she decides to take the challenge and add a few more new songs to the mix. I enjoyed reading about this side of the music industry. This book gives you a glimpse into the working of record labels, something I knew very little about. It displays how new artists are discovered, the stipulations on singers and the stress they entail from the reigning business looming over them. We see both the positive and the negative. It was an interesting world to explore and I loved seeing how things worked.

Honor and Jared seemed to be the perfect country music couple, truly written for each other. Their chemistry is well written and developed. They both carry around emotional baggage and scars from their past, yet they choose to preserve and continue on in their life. Watching them fall in love was a journey filled with moments of sweet gestures and moments filled with passion. Their connection is deep and it is portrayed through both their romantic relationship and their professional singing relationship. They inspire each other and cause creativity to flow in the music. As they grow closer and deeper, their pasts come back with a vengeance and create heartache and drama that cannot be ignored. I was surprised and happy to see that the twists in the story were well written and I didn’t see them coming until it was all happening.

This contemporary romance about two musicians was such a great read! I enjoyed the characters, their personalities and relationships, as well as the storyline and country music themes. It made me want to throw on my favorite flannel and rock out to some Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, and Lady Antebellum! This story was the right amount of romance, drama, and emotion to create a story that I enjoyed every minute of! Make sure to check out Made in Nashville by Mandy Baggot today!