Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ALC and Minotaur Books, #partner for the advanced copy of Wreck Your Heart in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Minotaur Books / Macmillan Audio
Published: January 6, 2026
Summary:
Dahlia “Doll” Devine had the kind of hardscrabble beginning that could launch a thousand broken-hearted country songs, but now she’s the star of her own stage at McPhee’s Tavern. As part of Chicago’s—yes, Chicago’s—country music scene, Dahlia is an up-and-coming singer in spangles and boots of classic country tunes. Up and coming, that is, until her boyfriend Joey up and went, taking the rent money with him.
So Dahlia is back to square one, relying on Alex McPhee—again. Alex helped her out of a bad situation when she was a kid living rough with her mother. Now he’s part landlord, part band booster, all-around rescuer. It’s just that Dahlia wishes she didn’t keep giving him reasons to have to do it.
Just as Dahlia suspects she’s scraped rock bottom, the mother she hasn’t spoken to in twenty years shows up with something to say. The next morning, a distraught young woman arrives at the bar, asking after her missing mother—Dahlia’s mother, too, even if the missing suburban PTA mom the girl describes sounds pretty different from the one who let Dahlia down all those years ago.
Though no one is using the word sister any time soon, Dahlia lets herself be drawn into reuniting the family that might have been hers. But when a body is discovered outside McPhee’s Tavern, the crime threatens not just the place Dahlia has made into a home, but everything she’s believed about her past, her dreams for the future, and the people she was just, maybe, beginning to let into her heart.
My thoughts:
I am no stranger to Lori Rader-Day, having read quite a few of her books — and even meeting her in person a few times, most recently in New Orleans at Bouchercon last September. I was thrilled to get my hands on her latest book and what a fun, endearing read this one turned out to be!
Little known fact about me — I love country music so this one already won me over just by having our MC, Dahlia “Doll” Devine be an up-and-comer in Chicago’s country music scene. Throw in some messy family drama, an unexpected murder and some unsavory characters and we have ourselves am entertaining mystery that sure kept me guessing all the way through. This went a little darker than the cover might lead you to expect, and it also is a little deeper emotionally, too. But it all comes together for a twisty, engaging read that solidifies my love of this author’s writing!!
Audio thoughts:
Lauren Ezzo nails this audiobook performance. Her ability to infuse just the right amount of heart, emotion and tension into her voice as well as give each character their own personality was amazing.
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