Book Review: "Diva NashVegas" by Rachel Hauck

What do you do when the past you've been skirting shows up at your door with cameras rolling?

Aubrey James ruled the charts as the queen of country for over a decade. She'd rocketed to fame in the shadow of her parents' death-both of them pioneers in Gospel music. But while her public life, high profile romances, and fights with Music Row execs made for juicy tabloid headlines, the real and private Aubrey has remained a media mystery.

When a former band member betrays Aubrey's trust and sells an "exclusive" to a tabloid, the star knows she must go public with her story. But Aubrey's private world is rocked when the Inside NashVegas interviewer is someone from her past-someone she'd hoped to forget.

All the moxie in the world won't let this Diva run any longer.

Let me first start out by saying I am NOT a fan of country music. I'm sorry to all those that are but it is a genre that has just never appealed to me. Not even the pop-country crossovers are enough to sway me over. That being said, I really enjoyed this book even though country music was all it was about!

I was really pleased without how Aubrey's celebrity status is handled throughout the book. I've read other books where it was so obvious no research was done at all in regard to what goes on with an actor or musician. This book however made me really feel like I was there in Aubrey's shoes and being able to see everything from her eyes. It really felt like she was a true star and even little details like what's in a gift basket back in the green room made the story seem refreshingly realistic while having that fun touch of glamour.

Aubrey is not your typical Christian fiction heroine. She has a live in boyfriend (gasp!) which while conservative readers will frown upon adds a layer to her character you don't see in many Christian books. Nothing graphic is told or even really implied so it's not a huge factor in the book. Her faith does strengthen towards the end of the book to the point where she truly begins to believe what she is actually singing. It's not preachy though by any means. While it is a factor of the book, never does it feel as if anything is being pushed at you.

Overall I really enjoyed reading this book. Like I said, I'm not a fan of country music but this book just could convert me into a fan of Aubrey's music. I had a blast learning about the country music world as well as what it's like to be a music superstar. If you are a fan of singers like Carrie Underwood or Taylor Swift, you will love reading this book.

Diva NashVegas by Rachel Hauck is published by Thomas Nelson (2007)

This review copy was provided by the publisher