A Little Bit Country

Ages 13 And Up, Grades 8 And Up

Dumplin' meets Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda in this heartfelt and funny LGBTQ+ contemporary romance about two teen boys who fall in love against the backdrop of a fictional Dollywood-esque amusement park—from debut author Brian D. Kennedy. A pitch perfect next read for fans of Phil Stamper, Julie Murphy, and David Levithan. Now in paperback!

Emmett Maguire wants to be country music’s biggest gay superstar—a far reach when you’re seventeen and living in Illinois. But for now, he’s happy to do the next best thing: Stay with his aunt in Jackson Hollow, Tennessee, for the summer and perform at the amusement park owned by his idol, country legend Wanda Jean Stubbs.Luke Barnes hates country music. As the grandson of Verna Rose, the disgraced singer who had a famous falling out with Wanda Jean, Luke knows how much pain country music has brought his family. But when his mom’s medical bills start piling up, he takes a job at the last place he wants: a restaurant at Wanda World.Neither boy is looking for romance, but sparks fly when they meet – and soon they’re inseparable. Until a long-lost secret about Verna and Wanda comes to light, threatening to unravel everything.Will Emmett and Luke be able get past the truths they discover…or will their relationship go down in history as just another sad country love song?

About the Author

Brian D. Kennedy was born and raised in Minnesota,and now lives in New York City with his husband and their miniature Schnauzer. When not writing, he can be found working at an LGBTQ nonprofit. His slightly unhealthy obsessions include: seeing as many Broadway shows as possible, buying weird trinkets off eBay, and all things Dolly Parton. A Little Bit Country is his debut novel.