I absolutely loved this book, the fact that we get actual interviews with the artists and get to hear their process on how they came up with some of their songs was very interesting. While I'm not a country music fan anymore I still know the artists and songs, learning about some of the most listened to songs in country music was educational and helped me understand the artists more. I love that we got the raw emotions from the artists as well because not all songs are happy and cheerful, some are super dark and based of trauma.

As a lifelong country music fan, I was hooked from the first page. I’ve always been curious about the stories behind the songs I love, and this book dives straight into the heart of Nashville’s songwriting scene. Through candid interviews with both songwriters and artists, it reveals how hits are born—sometimes from a fleeting feeling, a single line scribbled on a napkin, or a random idea that refuses to let go.

What amazed me most was the creative process: some songs came together in minutes, while others took weeks, months, or even years to fully take shape. I found myself captivated by every detail—the struggles, the setbacks, the flashes of inspiration that turned into chart-topping anthems. By the end, I had a whole new appreciation for the songs I already know and love.

The narration is engaging and effortless, drawing you straight into the heart of Nashville’s songwriting world. The reader’s delivery makes every story, every lyric, and every spark of inspiration come alive—perfect for fans who want to feel the music behind the words.

The book does go deep, with rich detail for each track, which might feel a bit of information overload for casual listeners. But for general music fans, or die-hard country fans like me, it’s a treasure trove—fascinating, immersive, and totally worth your time.

Thanks to the publisher via NetGalley for an advance e-galley of this book.

3.5 stars rounded up

Nice little light hearted listen with tons of fun stories from Country Music writers and singers. Narration is easy to listen to for the most part.

I'm not sure why I chose to listen to this book (apart from seeing it on Netgalley and thinking it sounded interesting), because country music isn't really my jam. I thought back-stories sounded cool though.

I didn't know a lot of the songs they were referring to (but I'm sure a country fan would) and there was the odd snippet of interesting ways the song came about but for the most part it was about the song writers (who I'm sure are all AMAZING) and how they wrote. There's a lot of information (an info dump in some parts) but, for me, it wasn't as engaging or as intriguing as I was hoping for.

Perfect for country fans.

I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to this.

I have been listening in small sections while completing household chores, going for walks, and managing my daily tasks, and I am thoroughly enjoying it.

The narrator is very good too.

This was a really fun timeline of country music and a really interesting insight to the songwriting process.
Sometimes I would get confused about who was speaking, but a good listen regardless

This was such an entertaining audiobook! I'm a true Country music fan at heart, having grown up in Oklahoma and Texas. The greats of Country music always played on records or radio in my house growing up. Jake Brown did an amazing job at narration. I'm partial to Vince Gill and Clint Black, so I especially enjoyed hearing their stories, but I also enjoyed learning about Jelly Roll! This is a great audiobook to listen to on a road trip. Enjoy!