Rating: 
Summary: NICE STORY
Review: I found this story very predictable. Small time girl, Tess McPhael is a big country singer from Nashville who goes home to Wintergreen, Missouri to take care of her elderly mother who just had a second hip replacement......Everyone in Wintergreen,except her sister Judy, are excited to see her again after many years away. Judy has always been jeleous of her since they were children......The "boy next door", Kenny Kronek always had a crush on Tess, but she taunted him all their growing up years......Kenny is now divorced with a long time girlfriend and a daughter who has always dreamed of becoming a country singer....Guess what? Jess becomes her mentor (surprise, surprise}........Tess becomes a big part of the community during her month's stay in town and guess what again? Her and Kenny become quite "close".....This is kind of a "feel good" story, but no big surprises.
Rating:
Summary: NICE STORY
Review: I found this story very predictable. Small time girl, Tess McPhael is a big country singer from Nashville who goes home to Wintergreen, Missouri to take care of her elderly mother who just had a second hip replacement......Everyone in Wintergreen,except her sister Judy, are excited to see her again after many years away. Judy has always been jeleous of her since they were children......The "boy next door", Kenny Kronek always had a crush on Tess, but she taunted him all their growing up years......Kenny is now divorced with a long time girlfriend and a daughter who has always dreamed of becoming a country singer....Guess what? Jess becomes her mentor (surprise, surprise}........Tess becomes a big part of the community during her month's stay in town and guess what again? Her and Kenny become quite "close".....This is kind of a "feel good" story, but no big surprises.
Rating: 
Summary: FABULOUS!!!
Review: I have been a romance reader for about 10 years. "Small Town Girl" is absolutely-without-a-doubt my favorite modern-day romance novel. Tess and Kenny prove how much we change from high school--and Kenny becomes every girl's dream. Suave, dignified, anticipatory, kind, discreet, refreshingly direct...and the list goes on. Tess's sophistication is not hard core snobbishness, and therefore she is able to bring herself back to enjoying and appreciating the simple things--so Kenny is perfect! Throw in the added realism of the Nashville music industry and you have an engaging, powerful, and moving story. "Small Town Girl" is simply fabulous!!!
Rating:
Summary: Too many negatives
Review: I have enjoyed each of Spencer's books, and although this story did keep me going, there were several things about this book that "just plain bugged me".
First of all, I really don't get into books about celebrities that much. I just can't relate to their lives very much and they usually come across as selfish and rather uncaring. No different here. I also do not like to have real-life celebrities mixed in with fictional characters (such as the scenes from Tess's wedding). When I read a fictional book, I like the characters to all be fictional. Which is probably one of the main reasons I don't like celebrity books.
Another thing that irked me was the portrayal of Judy. The scene in the hospital cafeteria was especially annoying, like what you eat makes you the person you are. I am only a size 4, but I still get annoyed at the way society sees skinny people as better than overweight people. No wonder so many teen-age girls have eating disorders. And why did Judy hate Tess so much? We never know.
I also didn't think the author did very much with the character of Kenny, she didn't take me inside his thoughts very much so I really couldn't tell how he was really feeling. The whole book focused on Tess's thoughts and she was a very shallow person.
I also agree with another reviewer that it's hard to get past the fact that the hero was stolen from someone else. Come to think of it, that's very common in Spencer's books. Think of Bittersweet, Separate Beds, Vows, Spring Fancy....
Tess's relationship with her mother was the redeeming quality for this book. I think many people can relate to leaving home for a long time and being irritated by our parents when we return. That was the one relationship in the book that really progressed well. And I also liked the relationship between Tess and Casey, though I do question whether it's realistic or not.
Overall, it's good because it's Lavyrle Spencer, but I don't think I'll be buying this one.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: I just finished reading this book and absolutely loved it. I'm from the country originally and can very much relate it to the small town that my parents are from. This book, like many of Mrs. Spencers others barely make it through the weekend. I love her stories so much that I can't bare to put them down but am very upset when I'm finished reading them because I have nothing good to do.
Rating:
Summary: A much needed escape to a simpler life
Review: I just read the book and I loved it! I could not put it down. I love how the author goes into such detail, yet the book is written simply and is very tasteful. I was really brought into the story, and enjoyed the escape to a much simpler life. I found this book by chance. This is the first one I have read of Lavyrle's and will definately read others.
Rating:
Summary: Unbelievably romantic- a great summer read!
Review: I love LaVyrle Spencer, and have read each and every one of her books. this one is yet another winner. The characters are real, the scenes and situations are realistic, and the attraction that grows slowly between Kenny and Tess is really believable. It is a great book..be careful not to take it to the beach! You will become so engrossed, you will surely burn!!
Rating:
Summary: One of my favorites from Lavyrle Spencer!
Review: I loved listening to the audio cassette recording of Small Town Girl the one that was read by Lavryle Spencer herself (I haven't listened to the one read by singer/actress Melissa Manchester), the story was wonderful my second favorite with Morning Glory being my #1 favorite. Small Town Girl is wonderful and is about Tess a famous Country singer who comes home to take care of her mother after she has surgery on her hip and runs into Kenny from across the street the guy who was a nerd in high school and had a crush on her but she being one of the cool kids didn't want any part of Kenny and ignored him but now Kenny is handsome and no longer the gawky geek she remembers. I liked most of the characters in this story, Tess, her Mom Mary and her sister Renee, and Kenny and his daughter Casey, the only character I didn't like too much was Judy the other sister of Tess who was a little too bitter and a little too jealous of Tess, I know Judy had a lot of things to deal with like taking care of her own family as well of have taking care of Mary before Tess came home but really did she need to be so petty and catty and rude? Anyway I liked this audio cassette recording so much I went to a used book store and bought the book but have't read it yet but since I liked the audio recording I certainly have to like the book too.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I read another of LaVyrle Spencer's books before, and really loved it (Twice Loved), so I started this one with high expectations.The writing was fluid, the characters were interesting, but I just couldn't get past the idea that the heroine stole the hero away from another woman (whom he had been seeing for 8 years -- and was happy with until the millionaire superstar heroine came onto the scene.) The hero didn't enter his new relationship cleanly, either. There were a few instances of kissing (one while rolling on the grass) while his girlfriend was kept in the dark. I don't know about other readers, but I can't admire a hero who cheats on his girlfriend, or a heroine who steals a man from another woman. I have another book by Spencer waiting for me to read, and I don't know if I'll bother.
Rating:
Summary: A must read
Review: I really enjoyed reading this book. I thought it was wonderful how Tess and her mom worked out their problems and learned how to appreciate each other for who they really were. I think she did her best with Judy but realized that Judy had issues with herself that went deeper than jealousy. I recommed this book to everyone especially country music lovers.
|
