I think Dee Montgomery is one of my new favourite characters. Though Reagan is the protagonist and she was great as well, Dee was just a beautifully layered character, with her showbiz persona of Lilah and her true self Dee, she brought a fantastic insight into how a showbiz persona can be both honest and different. Because Lilah was Dee in the end. The girl she showed to the public may have been a bit more polished and presented, but she was still completely recognisable as Reagan's best friend Dee. 

I love a good friendship story and Dee and Reagan's friendship made a really good one. It was good to see a friendship surviving the pressures of stardom and a boy coming in who wasn't in any way for the girls to fight over, which I thought might happen when he was first introduced. 

Dee and Reagan have such different stories as well. Their former relationships are full of heartbreak and upset, but they still face the same dilemma in the end. The question of whether it's worth it to put your heart out there. 

A good book for anyone who's a fan of strong friendships and a little bit of romance.

As a huge fan of Emery Lord's book The Start of Me and You I was so excited to be able to read this book. I am happy to report that it didn't disappoint. Emery has a way of writing that just draws me in from the very first chapter. Her characters are brilliantly written, in a way that makes you fall in love with them but also makes them realistic by giving you moments where you want to reach into the book and shake them silly. The storyline is like something out of a fan fiction story, anyone who dreams of travelling with a music tour or falling in love with a music star. Reagan is a fantastic main character, with faults and flaws that she is aware of and still falls into, but she's owning it and proves herself independent and strong. She has a connect with Matt and those moments are so lovely, and even though there was *that moment* (no spoilers) and I'm glad that Reagan stood her ground and kept to her new morals after everything she had been though with her ex, I still wanted to shout at her that she was making the wrong decision. These kinds of characters are the best kind because they're realistic and believable. I also loved the friendship shown through this book, especially as it's a unique circumstance that these girls are in. I definitely recommend this book, I'm so glad that I read it and I can't wait to see what's next from Emery Lord!

I love love love Emery Lord books, they are always great reads, this was a really lovely (almost summer) read! That I highly reccomend to YA lovers! :)

This novel was quite an enjoyable summer read. Get swept away on a road trip with Reagan, Lilah, and Matt and indulge yourself in a story of love, friendship, loss, and learning as these characters try to navigate adolescence.  

Thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for sending me this in exchange for an open and honest review.

Open Road Summer was a quick and easy feel-good music read. It follows Delilah and her best friend Reagan on Delilah's music tour of the US, told from Reagan's POV. I enjoyed reading about Dee and Reagan's friendship, and how they kept their friendship solid and real through all of life's changes associated with fame and performing. Unfortunately many times throughout the book I felt Reagan was completely childish, contradictory and rude. I really did not connect with her character at all. I'm not sure if it was because I'm older, and she is a teenager, but I thought many of her thoughts and actions were unnecessary, and at times painful to read. 

There was some swoon-worthy romance that I really enjoyed, and loved the development and slow burn of the character relationships and friendships. Matt was really well written and everything about his character seemed real to me. He was genuine and down to earth. He made me laugh. I wish we got to read more about Delilah and Jimmy. 

Overall this book was easy to read, with a wonderful romance, if slightly annoying main character. While I enjoyed reading this book, I am unsure if I would recommend it to everyone. If you like music, feel-good teen centered reads with good romance and somewhat prickly main characters, then this book is for you.

This is my first book by Emery Lord, and it's a good one to start with. I absolutely love the Notting Hill style romance trope, and this one I actually liked better than most. 

Reagan's best friend is Lilah Montgomery, country music star, and this is the summer that they are going on tour together. However, when some bad press comes up, speculating that Lilah may not be as clean cut as her public image presents, they need some damage control, fast.

Enter: Matt Finch. He used to be one of the Finch Four, but has since started a solo career that hasn't taken as well as his producer's had hoped. As he and Lilah work for the same company, the idea is born that he will open for her during the tour and let the press make whatever conclusions from that that they will. 

Prickly Reagan is annoyed that Matt will be intruding on her best friend time during the summer, but he quickly causes her to warm up towards him. Given that neither Matt nor Dee publicly state an actual relationship, there is no real problem with regards to the growing closeness that forms between Reagan and Matt. 

Something I really loved about this one was where the publicist, Lissa, comes to realise that throwing Matt and Dee together for favourable press alone may not have been the best idea she's ever had. It's such an overused trope in this kind of story, that I really loved seeing the 'Oh, wait...' moment here.

Apart from the inciting incident with the press, they don't actually cause huge problems for once in the romance between Reagan and Matt. Both of them have been broken by events in their recent pasts, and the kind of help each other to heal by giving each other permission to be broken for as long as it takes them to fix themselves. What's also amazing is the friendship between Regan and Dee, and how supportive they are of each other, and how important that remains even in the face of a romantic relationship. 

This book was heart-warming, simple and just lovely.

This is on my summer TBR (https://prettybooks.co.uk/2018/06/03/on-my-tbr-summer/) and I'll be reviewing the physical copy soon - thank you! :)

Open Road Summer by Emery Lord
And finally, a road trip novel that I’ve wanted to read for ages. After breaking up with her boyfriend, Reagan is ready to leave her rebellious ways behind. Her best friend, country superstar Lilah Montgomery, is nursing a broken heart of her own. Lilah’s 24-city tour is about to kick off, offering a perfect opportunity for a girls-only summer of break-up ballads and healing hearts.

This is the story of Taylor Swift going on tour with her best friend. Just kidding! Honestly though it is how I imagine Taylor Swift's tours would be like. 

Country singer Lilah Montgomery is about to go on tour for the summer. Her best friend Reagan has just broken up with her good for nothing boyfriend and decides the best way to get over a broken heart is to head off on tour with her best friend. What could be better than a girls road trip getting over heartbreak and just having a whole lot of fun. Enter Matt Finch, the opening act for Lilah who just might be the one to help Reagan get over her heartbreak and break down her walls.

While this book does have a romance element, it is mostly about sisterhood and friendship which is honestly just so refreshing! Plus there is so much about the singing industry that I never knew I needed to know and also makes you think about your favourite singer and what it must be like for them when they go on tour.

Emery Lord is such a wonderful writer and this is such a great quick read that will honestly leave you wanting more.

i like Emery Lords writing and this book was no exception. It was a fast light hearted read. great for summer!

4.5 stars.
Having to be so strict with myself and only give this 4.5 stars instead of the full 5 for one reason only - whilst I did love Reagan’s character for all of her sass and spunk, she wasn’t quite enough of a girl’s girl for me personally. There were quite a few occasions where she made pretty bitchy/judgmental comments about other girls. Maybe that’s realistic or whatever but I just like my female protagonists a little more girl-friendly.
Otherwise, this is pure Emery Lord gorgeousness. Suuuuuper chemistry in the romance that is built with slow perfection. Loved the tour bus/road trip setting/plot, the country music scattered throughout the narrative and the positive moves toward better family dynamics towards the end of the book. Made me want to read a new Emery Lord book IMMEDIATELY.

Reagan and Lilah are both freshly single and as best friends, it's the perfect time for a summer adventure after Lilah, a singer, gets bad press after a photo of her and her ex circulate a online and only when Matt a member of a former teen band shows up to help deter the rumour mill do things get crazier.



As the tour goes on the public root for Lilah and Matt to be a couple only Lilah wants Jimmy back and there's a growing spark between Reagan and Matt especially after confiding in each other about their absent mother's.



Reagan's a budding photographer who's dad's a former alcoholic and now has a new partner, Brenda. However despite Reagan and Matt growing closer during the tour, hoping the press don't spot them together, they also fall out after Matt's ex Corinne shows up and a typical YA situation occurs.



There's typical teenage action from drinking, singing, experiencing love and heartache/break as well as finding out you have to take a chance on things and people, it might just pay off and make you happy. It was a great country singer read and truly felt like we were in Nashville/Tennessee with the way the girls are named and where they go and their experiences once back home especially in Reagan's case.



A musical tale about heartache, healing and of course friendship!



Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Look, this is straight romance, predictable and angsty, but Lord does a really great job of creating two broken girls, who seize control and own their pain.

Maybe our narrator Reagan is a bit too antsy, and her reactions late in the novel a bit extreme, but the ending makes it all worthwhile. I liked her feisty, straight talking representation.

Dee is beautifully portrayed as an up and coming singer, dealing with a public life and the tabloids at 17. It's no easy feat to put yourself out there like this. But the joy she has being on stage, connecting with fans, you can see Lilah loves that and makes the sacrifices she has to.

Lovely debut novel.

5 Words: Music, fame, family, friendship, love.

This was a sweet little listen. I liked the narrator's performance, she really brought the characters to life.

Although it didn't really push any boundaries or challenge me in any way, this was quite enjoyable and ticked all of the right boxes for a summer read/listen. It was easy to dip in and out of, easy to like some of the characters. 

I loved how friendship was explored, and all of the little nuances in the writing that showed the relationships. I can understand Reagan being difficult to like, but I thought she was a fantastic character.

Also music is one of my bookish catnips.

I will definitely read more by this author. I just feel that this could have been more.

This was an easy read that had the cheesy good guy and unapproachable girl that went after bad guys. I loved they way the author introduced these characters in and exposed the characters pass throughout the book perfectly. Love the story shared between best friends and a great summer.