Saturday Morning Review: Diva NashVegas by Rachel Hauck

This week’s CFBA tour has two books. The first is Diva NashVegas. If you read the review I wrote (conveniently reposted here) you know I LOVED this book. Rachel has a knack for writing funny but very touching books. To read an interview I had with Rachel last month, click here.

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

That’s exactly what happens to country super-star Aubrey James. The daughter of gospel greats who were killed while she was a teenager, she’s became a diva almost by accident. As a result she’s hidden from the media as much as possible. Until now.

Aubrey James is not your typical CBA heroine. Frankly, I loved breaking away from the stereotypes. Aubrey has spunk, but can’t get her life to calm down. She’s strayed far from her Gospel roots, as evidenced when her fiancé moves in. She’s also under attack from a former band member who wants to replace her. Then her record company puts pressure on her to produce an album quickly. And her love life isn’t going as smoothly as she’d expected when she accepted Car’s ring.

The book shows Aubrey’s journey back to herself. She’s pulled along that journey by her manager, best friend, and Connie, a mother figure. They encourage her to tell her story for the first time. She does and in the process rediscovers herself.

I could relate to Aubrey’s struggles. And through Aubrey’s journey, the author examines several of the imitations we settle for rather than seeking true acceptance and love from Christ. Whether it’s acclaim, human love, or belonging to a family, nothing material can fill the God-shaped void in our lives.

An interesting twist on this book is that there are two point of view characters, both told in first person. Rachel did a great job of writing each character, so that it was easy to tell which character’s perspective I was reading at any particular chapter. I also enjoyed the chance to get so deeply into the heads of the two main characters.

This story was a very satisfying read from page one to the end. I enjoyed the glimpse into the music scene in Nashville. It was fun to have a couple of the characters from Lost in NashVegas play roles in this book, yet it stands completely on its own.

So if you’ve ever lip-synched and dreamed about being a diva…this is a book you’ll enjoy! Rachel Hauck takes us behind the scenes in Nashville’s music world, and it’s a great journey.