Soon to be turned into a film, the book Run, Rose, Run tells the story of a young woman, AnnieLee who heads to Nashville and dreams of pursuing music. There, she gets help from a very famous female musical icon. They both have their own secrets that are the sources behind their heart-wrenching songs.

I gave this book a 3.5 because it was easy to listen to and the beginning and middle kept me engaged. The pacing of the book was quick and it was never boring, however I thought it would have more thriller elements. There were moments when it felt like a thriller, but they were sprinkled throughout the beginning and middle of the book.

The ending of the book all of a sudden felt very suspenseful and more of how I envisioned the entire book to feel. The first section felt like it was Dolly’s influence with the honky tonks and music industry descriptions. The ending felt more like a James Patterson book. I liked the strong musical influences and the behind the scenes feeling that the recording studio scenes gave.

When AnnieLee’s secret is revealed, I didn’t see it coming. It was very sad, but it felt like something that would give AnnieLee’s character a reason to want to make a better life for herself. I listened to the audiobook and Dolly Parton read the role of Ruthanna so it was like she was there with me. It was fun having different readers for each role, it helped me start to form the movie in my head. I can’t wait to see who they’ll cast for AnnieLee.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and look forward to the movie!