This is a book that fits well with my niche interests, with songwriting stories from many of Nashville's legendary songwriters. The focus is very much on the songwriting and the individuals who do that. The only downside is that there's very little narrative structure (some of this may have been due to formatting in the e-galley so I'm not dinging it for that), it really is more interview style with the writers telling their stories in an authentic way.

This book takes us behind-the-scenes with country artists and the songs they wrote and/or sang. I like that it is a mix of people I have heard of and many I have not. The author interviewed the artists or people close to them (if they are deceased). There is a chapter on Jelly Roll and one on Girl Power featuring many of the great women writers (but not all - I would have liked to see Brandy Clark in here). This book effectively conveys both the passion and business of writing great country songs. I learned that Vince Gill was part of Pure Prairie League (I did not know that!) and he wrote one of his famous songs with Rodney Crowell and Guy Clark. There is also Randy Watson who wrote "Grandma got run over by a Reindeer" and the Texas Troubadour, Kinky Friedman (I had never heard of him!). One of my favorite songs is from Urban Cowboy - :Looking for Love in all the Wrong Places." by Wanda Mallette -- and she has her own chapter. A fun read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Diversion Books for an ARC and I voluntarily left this review.

This book is the backstory to all your favorite country songs . I love how this book takes you behind the scenes in Nashville with actual interviews with the songwriters and artists. The stories about how the hit songs were written are so interesting. Some hits took a long time to write and some were written in 20 minutes. It really does take a special gift to be a hit songwriter and they never get enough credit for it. If you are a fan of country music and you are interested in what goes into writing a hit song then this book is for you. Thanks @NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

This is a lovely collection of stories from a vast amount of country music artists from Jelly Roll to Vince Gill to Colt Ford to Clint Black and may more in between. Sharing stories of how songs we have come to know and love like Merle Haggards *Mama Tried*. I did enjoy the read. However I would have enjoyed a book like this, a collection of stories of country music history to have been compiled when more country music legends could have been included, which now alot of them have passed so that makes it impossible. However this let out artists like Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson which was really disinheartening to me in the long run. That said it's an interesting and informative read for anyone who enjoys country music and more of the new hit country as well that is more prominent now.

Great read to look inside the minds of some of the best artists. Jelly Roll says it best “The greatest gift that God has given me is I have the ability to change how people feel for three minutes and forty-five seconds at a time.”
I feel that can be true about any artist’s song that touch’s the listener

Another thing that stood out was Randy Brook’s “Grandma Got Rsn Over By a Reindeer”, it was a parody to a Merle Haggard song! The way he came up with the lyrics! I love the background of the stories behind the song. .

I good book that lets the reader behind the music.