Audacity Book Club: September Read
By Celeste Daniels
TW: Fertility issues, childhood trauma, & mental health issues
Hello, audacious readers!
My best friend is getting married soon, so I’m in the mood for love. Last month, we explored theme of stories and control in the novel Death of an Author by Nneki Okorafor. This month, we’re exploring the power of love and healing in Once Upon a Time in Dollywood by Ashley Jordan.
Eve Ambroise needs a break. Though she is becoming a rising star playwright, her personal life is taking hit after hit. Desperate for a fresh start, she breaks up with her fiancé, cuts off her parents, and heads to the Tennessee mountains. She only has two things planned: clear her head and write a new play. Despite its simplicity, Eve finds her plans soon thwarted when she meets Jamie Gallagher.
A newly single dad, Jamie is trying to navigate his new relationship status while co-parenting with his ex-girlfriend. Desperate to fill his sudden free time, he heads to his cabin in Gatlinburg, quickly becoming captivated with his new prickly but beautiful neighbor.
What starts as a fling soon becomes a relationship that dares Eve and Jamie to navigate their new feelings and bad habits. Love is powerful but the pair will need a lot more than that to reach their happily ever after. But as the fireflies and fireworks fill the gaps between the two, they can’t help but wonder if love can be the first step in becoming someone better.
Honest and romantic, Once Upon a Time in Dollywood shows us the weight of unresolved truths and how love can be the first step in healing. This book is available online, at your local bookstore, on Bookshop.org as well as your local library. You can also check out the Audacity Book Club merch there as well. As always, make sure to read audaciously!
Audacity Magazine & Events is an affiliate partner of Bookshop.org. If you click the link and make a purchase, we receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. All books are selections of the Audacity Book Club curator.
