Not what I was expecting from James Patterson but highly enjoyable. Dolly Parton has brought a more emotional journey through challenging times.

3.5 stars

James Patterson is always a 'go to' for me . The short chapter style really captures me, as I'm someone who likes to read to the end of the chapter before putting a book down.

Collaborations don't always work for me but you can most definitely 'hear' Dolly Parton's voice throughout the novel.

Matching the expertise they both have in their respective fields, should have been a sure fire recipe for success for Run Rose Run.

For me, this was more Dolly than James and that showed on how the story progressed. The 'thriller' aspects were disappointingly few which made the overall experience not what I was expecting.

However, it was still an interesting read and fans of Dolly Parton will love to read this alongside the accompanying soundtrack.

Fans of James Patterson however might be feeling a bit dissatisfied and left wanting a bit more!

I really enjoyed this book, fabulous short chapter which make the book read faster. A great story with string characters which ties Roses past up nicely at the end. I will definitely be looking for the next one by Dolly.

Thankyou for giving me the chance to read in advance. Had me enthralled from start to finish. Fast paced and a definite good read!!

James Patterson knocking it out the park again with a total new twist thanks to Dolly Parton co-writing. I fell in love with the characters right away, Its a slow burner in comparison to Pattersons other work but it works well and you become very invested in the characters.

Watching Ethan fall in love with Annie Lee as your own personal curiosity about her grows is great.

I have since seen there is an audio book version and even though I have read this, I will be buying it! JPs audiobooks are always full scale production and great entertainment.

Thanks NetGalley, Publisher & Dolly(!) for the ARC version of Run Rose Run.

I had high hopes for this book when I first saw it, I mean Dolly Parton and James Patterson teaming up to write a book sounds amazing. Both are amazing writers in their own fields and they both have had amazing success over the years.

Run Rose Run is a wonderful story about a young singer, AnnieLee Keyes. She hitches her way to a run-down bar and asks if she can sing on their small stage. A random bloke happens to be there and has a slot after AnnieLee. A chance meeting or fate, either way, is the start of something for them both.

So, who is Rose, and why is she running? That is something that you will soon discover for yourself.

The authors have mixed the goings-on of Nashville and Country music with a fabulously tense mystery. I really enjoyed the way that the older legends of country music get a mention and how the industry is explored in this novel. Yeah, there is the glamour, glitz and rhinestones. There is also the damp bars, the hitch-hiking, and being one of the thousands hoping to see their name in lights. The balance between the up and coming singer against an established legend was great.

Around the music is an underlying mystery, this starts in quite a subtle way. If you are like me and don't tend to read the synopsis for books, then the obvious title kind of hints at things. Quite how we get there though is an addictive and compelling story.

As this is Dolly, there are snippets of songs and these can be found in full at the end of the book. There is also an album that she has recorded with the same songs on, and the title is the same as the book.

This story was all I had hoped it would be. It is a mix of contemporary fiction, a journey of discovery and a mystery. If you are a fan of all things Dolly then I do think you are going to love this. It was a cracking read with some wonderful heartwarming and heartbreaking moments. At times dark and it is one I would definitely recommend.

I hope Dolly Parton and James Patterson are going to write other books together as this one was highly entertaining and gripping.
I was fascinated by the characters, the description of the country music world, and the solid mystery.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Run Rose Run is a stand-alone thriller set in Nashville.

Written by Dolly Parton and the best selling writer James Patterson, AnnieLee Keyes is in Nashville to fulfil her dream of being a country and western singer, but she’s also fleeing from her past. Much of the novel revolves around AnnieLee’s rise to stardom. She makes some strong connections and friends with a legend of the country music scene who sees her potential. The book is atmospheric, redemptive and inspiring. Riveting and eye-opening, I came away with the impression that Dolly Parton was maybe revisiting some of the choices she might have made for herself. With some very strong characterisation as well as excitement and tension, this is a truly magnificent read, an adventurous trip and a contender for my 2022 favourites.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Random House UK, Cornerstone via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I really enjoyed this book, which was a surprise, I liked the Audio as Dolly was part of the "team" of narrators.
The reason I was surprised was because I am not a massive Country fan but I do like James Patterson, the story was fast moving, I love short chapters, the characters were very likable.
I would recommend this book.

Not a book I would have picked for myself but curiosity got the better of me as I like Dolly Parton and the book pleasantly surprised me it was a good read from start to finish. A young girl hitchhiking to Nashville to make her claim to fame as a singer songwriter but her past keeps following her tripping her up and eventually she attacks it head on

Love both authors so was excited to see what this collaboration would be….. Nashville came alive in this book through the songs that the main character, AnnieLee, writes, as well as the bars and venues that she visits and the journey that she goes on. I really loved that. I fell in love with music again…..recommend you get a copy of this book!

As someone whose car radio is always tuned to a country music station there was no question about me reading this book. Obviously with a collaboration you can’t be sure who wrote what but there were definitely times when I could ‘hear’ the narrative in Dolly’s voice. It’s not an over complicated story but it is well told and characters that felt just right. For me it definitely stepped up a gear from about the halfway point. I love that there is a songbook at the end with all the songs featured in the book and that Dolly has also recorded them as an album - genius! I guess fans of James Patterson are pretty accustomed to his collaborations now but I would expect that this book will attract plenty of Dolly fans.

If I could give this book 10 stars I would. Not only is the book an asset to country music, but it is beautifully written, as well as being captivating with mesmerising characters.
Run Rose Run is the new novel written by non-other than Dolly Parton herself! Well, I’d like to say ‘herself’, but it was in fact, co-authored by the one and only James Patterson!
Honestly, when I first heard that these two were co-writing a novel, I had to pinch myself several times. Even when I got approved for the ARC, I STILL couldn’t quite believe it. And to be honest, even AFTER I’ve read the book, I STILL can’t believe it.
Run Rose Run is essentially a novel about a young woman trying to make it in the country music business. But, once you’ve read it, you’ll come to realise it’s so much more than that. It’s about having the grit to keep on going, it’s about having the drive to keep pushing forward, it’s about stoking the fire inside you.
One of the reviews I’d read before reading this book myself was, “It’s like having Dolly in the room with you.” To be honest, I didn’t really believe that – how could one book bring The Dolly Parton into the room? Well, for those of you who are fans of hers, let me tell you, it does!
Also, for those of you who aren’t Parton fans, you don’t have to worry; the incredible Patterson Prose flows throughout this book, bringing the characters, and the story, to life.
For those of you who are Parton fans, you’re in even more luck. We get plenty of personality from the Queen of Country Music shining through.
I’m pretty sure I hitchhiked to Nashville along with AnnieLee Keyes while I read Run Rose Run. I could smell the dive bars, taste the grease from the bar fries, and feel the burn of the whiskey in my mouth. Not to mention, hear the soulful voices of the most-loved country stars.
At the end of the book, there’s an accompanying song sheet, where all the lines which were composed during the story are transformed into songs. I think this is just beautiful, and I can’t thank Ms. Parton enough, for reminding me not just of my love for country music, but of my appreciation of her beautiful song writing.
Anyway, if you haven’t already ordered this book, I urge you to do so, as you won’t be disappointed. Honestly, I’m excited to hear the songs from the album, which came out on the 4th March 2022. For me, my masochistic side came out, because I’m making myself wait a little longer for it to be released on vinyl (and I will reiterate, it has been pre-ordered).
Before I sign off for today, I want to say a huge thankyou to Netgalley for giving me the ARC, sorry it took me so long to read it. Turns out, book nerds get technical issues too!
Massive thanks to James Patterson and Dolly Parton. I don’t know how this co-authorship came to be, but I’ve been sending prayers of thanks to the gods of literature ever since I heard about it.

With an author of the talent of Dolly Pardon this book was not going to be about anything other than Nashville and country music. Dolly writes about what she knows best - working her way up the ranks of the country music scene and all that it means to be a woman in the industry. Thrown into the mix is the poor, back water upbringing of her main character. Throughout it is difficult not to imagine Dolly's voice and story.
I don't think the writing or story are ground breaking but it was an enjoyable read. Constant reference to country music and its stars might be confusing if you don't follow the genre but I found it refreshing as country is under-represented in the UK.

I had so much fun reading this book. The second I saw it on here, I knew I had to have it, I mean it’s Dolly, ‘nuff said!

I did approach Run Rose Run cautiously, I’ll admit, as I didn’t love James Patterson’s earlier collaboration with Bill Clinton. So I was pleasantly surprised that this Nashville-thriller was full of wit, snark and Dolly-isms.

I was as fascinated by the insight into the business of country music as I was by the (fictitious) insight into Dolly’s life and career, channeled here via Ruthanna Ryder. Perhaps the thriller element dragged on a bit in the middle and was then rushed a bit at the end but I’m in a forgiving mood as I just adored the “ornery” gals of this story. Ruthanna’s relationship with Ethan Black, AnnaLee and Jack are full of snark and wit and I simply had a blast reading it.

This book just grabs you from the start and keeps you coming back for more.
It's easy to imagine your in Nashville with the characters, the dive bars all a little different but familiar.

Annielee is so likeable and you just want her to succeed in the business, and for only good thing to come from the people around her.. her challenges, courage and secrets make this book my favourite read of the year so far.
I just wish i could read it in the country accent it was written in (and maybe heard the songs she writes!)

Dolly Parton and James Patterson have come together to create a highly emotional and exhilarating story about a young lady with dreams of stardom in the home of country music, Nashville.
She has left her troubles behind and starts to live her dream, but her past is never too far behind. Can Rose fulfil her destiny and be the next big country star or will her dark past destroy her life and those closest to her?
This is a beautifully written story with a great insight into what life is like behind the scenes of country music. Mix James Patterson’s ability to craft a story and Dolly Parton’s superb talent to write a song and this book could only turnout to be a massive success. I was thoroughly charmed by this story and highly recommend it.

What an absolutely fabulous read!!
I loved every minute of it and it left me with a warm fuzzy feeling. Who knew that this collaboration between Dolly Parton and James Patterson will bring us such an awesome book?! It's a 400-page book that I finished in half a day! I found the writing easy and flowing and it captured my attention from the beginning to the end. It's a story of a young girl from the bad side of town trying to make a name for herself, trying to escape all the horrors that happened to her, trying to live her dream. She is discovered by chance when she convinced a barman to give her a go at singing in a bar. This leads to her meeting her idol and suddenly fame is around the corner but at what cost? Will her past catch up with her?
I loved the feistiness of Rose (maybe some characteristics of Dolly and both are pintsize)
I also can't wait to listen to the 12 songs that Dolly wrote for this novel and having read the lyrics at the back of the book it's going to be awesome!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I absolutely adored this book and flew through it. I’m a big fan of Patterson and I love reading his dual novels. This one with Dolly was everything I wanted it to be: fast paced, dark and about music!
10/10 for this one. I’ll be recommending this for ages! Thank you @netgalley!

I love all things Dolly and this didn’t disappoint!

One of the best books I’ve read in a while. Dolly Parton and James Patterson have superbly written this novel about a young girl with her hidden past

The prologue shows her jumping off a hotel window but why is she jumping?!

Read on and you’ll sure find out why!