Singer-Songwriter captures both the excitement and the uncertainty that come with chasing a creative dream. I especially enjoyed seeing how songwriting itself became part of the story instead of simply serving as a backdrop. The moments spent writing music, working through lyrics, and figuring out what the songs were really trying to say gave the novel an authenticity that I appreciated. Those scenes made the characters feel like musicians rather than people who were simply described as musicians.

Music, friendship and romance!
What more could you want?
I like well written characters, and we have those, in Dolly and Adam.
It also helps to have a cast of supporting characters, who add a little 'je ne sais quoi' to the story.
This, for a debut novel, was a great easy and enjoyable read!

A very nice, easy read for a summer beach day - made you want to keep reading to see how the relationship between Dolly and Adam plays out considering she is still married to Oscar. And you want to know if she makes her big comeback or stays and becomes a small-town girl again. Keeps you curious throughout!

Singer-Songwriter is a heartfelt romance that beautifully captures the intersection of music, ambition, and love. Marshall creates emotionally rich characters whose personal and creative journeys feel authentic and compelling. The romance develops naturally alongside the story's exploration of dreams and self-discovery, making for a memorable read.

When her life and career start to flounder, successful singer-songwriter Dolly Mack returns home to find a new purpose, new hope, and a new sound.

I really enjoyed this! It was short and sweet and the characters felt well developed. Adam and Dolly’s relationship had a lot of history and that added so much depth to their characters. I loved reading the bits and pieces of Dolly’s past sprinkled throughout.

Because this story was shorter, I almost felt like some of the big moments could have been explored more, especially the ending. Even so, it was a charming story and I would definitely recommend if you’re looking for a sweet read.

Being a singer-songwriter is a daunting career undertaking...it's not just about the business side of it, or even the creative side of it, but putting every bit of yourself, privately, out into the public eye for scrutiny. This book does a good job of relating the ups and downs of such a career, including the rise to fame, the challenges that come with that rise and with the height of fame, and the tenuous relationships that stem from it. Fortunately, Dolly and Adam have a long and storied past, albeit with an unexpected mutual connection, As Dolly's career takes a turn, she returns home to find her roots and who she has truly been all along. As a songwriter, the musical elements, including working on lyrics, melodic arrangements, and things just coming to you in the middle of the night, were all authentic.

I picked it up expecting a straightforward small-town romance, but there was a lot more going on than I anticipated. The mystery surrounding Dolly's past kept me turning the pages, and I liked that the story focused just as much on her figuring out who she was as it did on the romance.

Adam and Dolly already had so much history that I never questioned why they belonged together. You could feel there was years of love, hurt, and unfinished conversations between them, which made their relationship feel really natural.

I do think the shorter length worked against the story a little. A few emotional moments came and went so quickly that I wanted to sit with them longer, especially toward the end. I also had to reread a couple of chapters because the jumps between past and present caught me off guard.

Still, I flew through this in one sitting. It's emotional without feeling overly dramatic, and I loved that music felt like an actual part of the story instead of just a character trait. Definitely one I'll be recommending to anyone who enjoys second-chance romance with a little mystery mixed in.

I really liked this book, and felt like it was very sweet.
My one point would be, that because it is such a short book, some of the emotional moments feel like they are cut a bit short (such as finding the plane ticket in Nathan’s journal).
Other than that I think it conveys all the ideas and the characters well and is a very enjoyable and engaging book.

Have you ever wondered what life would look like if you’d chosen a different path?

Dolly Mack has hit rock bottom – and everyone gets to watch as it happens. In an attempt to escape the fallout from punching a paparazzi on camera after an album leak causes the album to flop, Dolly flees to her hometown of Iris Beach. While there, she reconnects with her old life – the one she gave up chasing her dream of becoming a pop star. As she uncovers secrets from her past, Dolly is forced to decide if the life she chose is enough, or if happiness was the life she gave up all along. Kelsey Jayne Marshall masterfully walks her reader through the deeply relatable experience of asking “what if?”

More than just a friends-to-lovers romance, Singer Songwriter is a thoughtful exploration of self-realization through simplicity and authentic connections. The author’s depiction of Dolly’s anxiety and the burden of expected perfection feels realistic; it was easy to empathize with Dolly as she evaluates her sense of worth derived from superficial success, in comparison with the joy that comes from being loved as her authentic self.

Dolly’s relationship with her childhood friend, Adam, is the soul of the story. Normally, a shorter book might have issues because it doesn’t give the characters enough time to build a solid connection; Marshall solves that problem by giving us glimpses into Dolly and Adam’s earlier relationships that help translate their connection as adults. While I think the book may have benefited from a longer page count to delve deeper into Adam’s perspective, we understand that Dolly and Adam are intimately bound together by shared grief and secrets.

Kelsey Jayne Marshall’s prose is simple, yet powerful, carefully choosing words that elicit an emotional response and quiet reflection. This writing style allows the reader to experience the tension and conflict between characters without the heaviness of overly complicated dialogue or descriptions. The book moves at a decent pace, making it easy to get sucked into the story. There are few technical flaws, but I did notice the word “son” where “grandson” should be printed in one place. Fortunately, this typo did not detract from my immersion into Dolly’s story.

Overall, Singer Songwriter is a sweet, contemporary romance that is highly relatable given that questioning decisions is a universal human experience. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars and think most contemporary romance readers would find it to be an easy, enjoyable read. I would especially recommend this book to readers who enjoy second chances, cozy small-town settings, and plots that center on emotional healing.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for providing me with an Advance Reader Copy (ARC). I am leaving this review voluntarily, and all opinions are my own.

I enjoyed the journey that the FMC went on to try and decide what she wanted out of life. I was surprised by the mystery and suspense elements of the book. The one loose end was one that I was okay with in the end (not giving any more details so there isn't any spoilers).

I do with that there was a bit more structure on the formatting of past and present events.

Who I'd recommend this to readers who enjoy some romance with a little bit of mystery.

Overall, I found this book to be engaging and suspenseful. I enjoyed the book and would gladly recommend it to other readers. I look forward to seeing what this author writes next.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Kelsey Jayne Marshall for the opportunity to read this ARC! I love the small celebrity retuning to her small hometown to find herself trope but found Dolly’s journey interesting. I found seeing the jumps from past to present a bit confusing to follow personally, as it felt like there was so much information and so many things happening all at once that took me a long time to understand. I did enjoy the tension and suspension this book had.

The beginning was a bit rough for me. The pace felt slow yet rushed at the same time, making it hard to follow what was happening, but it steadied out by chapter seven.

What kept me reading was the mystery surrounding Dolly and Adam. Adam’s behavior was so strange it made me frown, but it successfully made me want to figure out what was wrong with everyone.

Dolly is… something else. She constantly tip-toes around conflict. It’s exactly like breaking a plate in the kitchen and choosing to walk around the broken glass every day instead of cleaning it up just to avoid getting hurt.

The structure might be tricky for some. Chapters jump between past and present without warning. I actually didn’t mind the shifts, but the character chemistry felt a bit rushed and confusing, leaving me with mixed feelings. However, I loved how realistic the characters felt—some are clearly dislikeable, while others are just normal, morally gray people. The built-in suspense and a hunch I had kept me hooked until the end. Not every single mystery gets solved, but we get enough answers to feel satisfied.