Once Upon a Time in Dollywood Reese..., Ashley Jordan
Once Upon a Time in Dollywood Reese..., Ashley Jordan
List: $26.00 | Sale: $18.20
Club: $13.00

Once Upon a Time in Dollywood: Reese's Book Club

Author: Ashley Jordan

Narrator: Matt Haynes, Adenrele Ojo, Ashley Jordan

Unabridged: 13 hr 29 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Published: 08/05/2025


Synopsis

AN INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER ∙ A REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK ∙ AN NPR 2025 BOOK WE LOVE ∙ AN AMAZON BEST ROMANCE BOOK OF THE MONTH!

“A moving, captivating, beautiful debut! I can’t wait for the whole world to read it."—Jasmine Guillory, New York Times bestselling author of Flirting Lessons

A playwright must grapple with her difficult year and writer's block while falling for the single dad living next door in this emotional debut novel from Ashley Jordan.

Eve Ambroise may be a rising star playwright, but her personal life is falling part. Desperate for a fresh start, she breaks up with her fiancé, cuts off her parents, and heads to the Tennessee mountains. But keeping up the lie that she’s just on a writing retreat becomes near impossible when faced with the well-meaning townspeople and a neighbor who has just as much baggage as she has.

Coming off a contentious custody battle, Jamie Gallagher is restructuring what his life looks like as a single dad, and spending more days at his cabin makes his new “free time” a little less empty. Especially when he meets the beautiful—and prickly—woman next door. The last thing he needs is a new romance to shake up his family dynamics even more, but there’s something about Eve.

What starts out as a fling quickly becomes more serious, and it’s not long before Eve is running scared once again. She’s loved and lost in every possible way, and risking it one more time could finally break her. But like the fireflies that fill the mountains around them, Jamie's and Eve’s lives keep falling into sync. A fairy-tale ending could be in the cards, but only if the new couple can get out of their heads and put their hearts first.

“An entertaining, sexy novel that boldly explores trauma and healing yet still manages to be laugh-out-loud funny”—Library Journal STARRED review

About The Author

Ashley Jordan (she/her) is a millennial from Atlanta by way of Brooklyn. She attended Spelman College, obtaining a degree in Psychology and a lifelong love and appreciation for women’s stories. While she currently works in public health, she has embraced writing as a hobby since penning her first short story in second grade. When Ashley isn't at the day job or writing, she is either at a Beyoncé concert, rewatching Mad Men, or arguing about basketball with anyone who will listen. In 2023, she became a Reese's Book Club LitUp Fellow.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Cydney on August 05, 2025

Thanks so much to Berkley Publishing Group for the free book! #BerkleyPartner Once Upon a Time in Dollywood is an ambitiously deep and compelling debut. Eve and Jamie are two people drawn to each other in extremely challenging times in their lives and they're able to plant the seeds for a beautiful......more

Goodreads review by Dana on August 19, 2025

Absolutely loved it. Layers and depth and love and hurt and sadness and fear and courage and joy and becoming. Looking forward to reading more from this author.......more

Goodreads review by April on August 04, 2025

4.5 ⭐️ | Ashley Jordan definitely unpacked a lot in this story and took us on an emotional roller coaster. She dove into some series topics such as childhood traumas and complicated parental relationships, yet at the same time gave us characters like Maya for some comic relief. It was simply a perfe......more

Goodreads review by Angie on August 06, 2025

This one was not for me. Didn’t love the tropes nor the chemistry. I wanted to love it because I was excited about the mental health representation. I think the MMC not having a southern accent bothered me a bit. He was supposed to be from Gatlinburg, TN.......more

Goodreads review by DIVINITY🌙 on August 26, 2025

This was emotional whiplash😭😩 but we did get a happy ending......more


Quotes

"Once Upon a Time in Dollywood is a moving, captivating, beautiful debut! Ashley Jordan is a star in the making. This book and these characters will stick in your head for a long time. I can’t wait for the whole world to read it."—Jasmine Guillory, New York Times bestselling author of Flirting Lessons

“Amusing one minute and heart-wrenching the next, Ashley Jordan’s deeply emotional debut is a lesson in learning to forgive, heal, and love. It is, in a word, breathtaking.”—Farrah Rochon, New York Times bestselling author of Pugs & Kisses

“[A] masterfully wrought and tender romance about rediscovering joy after heartache.”—Noué Kirwan, author of Frequent Fliers and Long Past Summer

“Tender and sexy all at once, Once Upon a Time in Dollywood is a beautiful story about learning how to face who we truly are and what we truly want. A heartfelt, emotional journey, and one I would take over and over again."—Ashley Herring Blake, USA Today bestselling author of Dream On, Ramona Riley

“Ashley Jordan’s debut is a richly emotional romance between two people with guarded hearts who find solace in each other. Once Upon a Time in Dollywood is the perfect reminder that sometimes new beginnings require a change of perspective and the courage to let someone in.”—Regina Black, author of The Art of Scandal

“Jordan has crafted an entertaining, sexy novel that boldly explores trauma and healing yet still manages to be laugh-out-loud funny." —Library Journal (STARRED)

“Jordan’s debut is an exhilarating climb through Tennessee’s mountains and the depths of passion.”LA Times

"A raw and passionate journey that will leave readers breathless and captivated until the very last word.” —Amazon Book Review

“Once Upon a Time in Dollywood is a highly readable novel, grappling directly with what love can and can’t do, transcending every cliche and elevating the genre while never sacrificing its romantic and erotic appeal...Once Upon a Time in Dollywood succeeds in fulfilling all the juicy expectations of its genre, while also giving us a maximum amount of heart."—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“This is part rom-com and all heart. Watching these two forge ahead and try to put the pain of their pasts behind is refreshing and well-written. This is the debut novel from author Ashley Jordan, it’s a winner.”—Red Carpet Crash