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.
"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’s debut is an exhilarating climb through Tennessee’s mountains and the depths of passion.”—LA Times
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.
View titles by Ashley Jordan
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.
Reviews
"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’s debut is an exhilarating climb through Tennessee’s mountains and the depths of passion.”—LA Times
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.
View titles by Ashley Jordan
