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Night Songs
In this haunting family saga, a young woman must delve into her country star mother’s music to break a curse that has plagued the women in her family for generations—before her time runs out.
On the morning of Rhea’s eighteenth birthday, she makes a shocking discovery—her mother was the famed singer of some of country music’s most iconic tunes, the legendary Lulabelle “Belle” Powers, and she’s just inherited her massive estate. Eager to know more about this woman she barely remembers, Rhea travels to Nashville to retrace her mother’s footsteps. But as she gets to know Belle’s closest friends and learns more of her story, she can’t help but think something is being kept from her.
It isn’t until years later that her mother’s best friend Hess reveals the truth—her mother believed all the women in her family were cursed to die at thirty-three—Belle’s exact age when she passed away in a mysterious plane crash. Hess dismisses the curse as pure superstition, but Rhea feels something sinister stalking her, her own life beginning to mirror her mother’s as she gets closer to her thirty-third birthday. Desperate for answers, Rhea delves deeper into her mother’s music, uncovering Belle’s last unpublished album Night Songs, which leads her back to her roots in ways she never could have imagined.
Alternating between Rhea’s journey and Lulabelle’s untold rise to country queen, Night Songs is an electric story of inheritance and resilience, love and freedom, and the power of music to connect across generations.
On the morning of Rhea’s eighteenth birthday, she makes a shocking discovery—her mother was the famed singer of some of country music’s most iconic tunes, the legendary Lulabelle “Belle” Powers, and she’s just inherited her massive estate. Eager to know more about this woman she barely remembers, Rhea travels to Nashville to retrace her mother’s footsteps. But as she gets to know Belle’s closest friends and learns more of her story, she can’t help but think something is being kept from her.
It isn’t until years later that her mother’s best friend Hess reveals the truth—her mother believed all the women in her family were cursed to die at thirty-three—Belle’s exact age when she passed away in a mysterious plane crash. Hess dismisses the curse as pure superstition, but Rhea feels something sinister stalking her, her own life beginning to mirror her mother’s as she gets closer to her thirty-third birthday. Desperate for answers, Rhea delves deeper into her mother’s music, uncovering Belle’s last unpublished album Night Songs, which leads her back to her roots in ways she never could have imagined.
Alternating between Rhea’s journey and Lulabelle’s untold rise to country queen, Night Songs is an electric story of inheritance and resilience, love and freedom, and the power of music to connect across generations.
384 pages, Hardcover
Published August 11, 2026
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November 15, 2025
⭐️ 3.5 ⭐️ Rhea is haunted by a family curse where all women die by age of 33. Rheas mother died by that age too and now that Rhea is approaching the same age, Rhea is in a rush to investigate this curse and get to the bottom of things. On her eighteenth birthday, Rhea discovers that her mother, Lulabelle 'Belle' Powers, was a known country singer who left the estate in her name. She comes across her mothers' unpublished album, Night Songs, which serves as a breakthrough in her investigation. The novel unravels between two timelines that eventually converge and reveal the meaning of a 'curse'.
I picked this book up because based on the premise it seemed like the main focus would be a Southern-Gothic/supernatural mystery. I thought this would be a dark, horror based novel but it turned out to be a deep story of inherited trauma, mother-daughter relationships and some folklore mixed in with light horror elements. While I enjoyed the alternating mother-daughter chapters, I found Belle's story and character development to be more compelling than Rhea's. I actually was a bit bored with Rheas story as I felt that the only drive she had was getting to know who her mother was vs who Rhea actually is/was becoming. Her story was definitely more quieter than her mother's.
Belle's story was probably the most strongest part of the book. I loved how she was truly the emotional center of the story. She's a mystery and one I had absolute pleasure getting to know. She comes from Tennessee and becomes a legendary Nashville country singer. Set in 1970's Nashville, her story is full of ambition, love/relationships, the music scene/industry. Belle's story was overall very touching and Dyer captured the 1970's era really well. I'm a 1980's baby but I'll never forget the imprint that the music industry left even in my era!
What didn't work for me was how the curse was handled. The explanation did NOT deliver on the build up, how Rhea 'breaks' the curse, and the rushed ending. I think it would benefit if the book dropped the 'supernatural/horror' tag and put a 'contemporary fiction' on it instead.. On Goodreads, I see 'Fantasy' and 'Horror' and it's so far from that!
If you enjoy family sagas with a heavier lean towards agency, relationships and inherited trauma, then this would be a book for you!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books and the author, Alli Dryer for sending me this eARC!
Publication date: August 11, 2026
I picked this book up because based on the premise it seemed like the main focus would be a Southern-Gothic/supernatural mystery. I thought this would be a dark, horror based novel but it turned out to be a deep story of inherited trauma, mother-daughter relationships and some folklore mixed in with light horror elements. While I enjoyed the alternating mother-daughter chapters, I found Belle's story and character development to be more compelling than Rhea's. I actually was a bit bored with Rheas story as I felt that the only drive she had was getting to know who her mother was vs who Rhea actually is/was becoming. Her story was definitely more quieter than her mother's.
Belle's story was probably the most strongest part of the book. I loved how she was truly the emotional center of the story. She's a mystery and one I had absolute pleasure getting to know. She comes from Tennessee and becomes a legendary Nashville country singer. Set in 1970's Nashville, her story is full of ambition, love/relationships, the music scene/industry. Belle's story was overall very touching and Dyer captured the 1970's era really well. I'm a 1980's baby but I'll never forget the imprint that the music industry left even in my era!
What didn't work for me was how the curse was handled. The explanation did NOT deliver on the build up, how Rhea 'breaks' the curse, and the rushed ending. I think it would benefit if the book dropped the 'supernatural/horror' tag and put a 'contemporary fiction' on it instead.. On Goodreads, I see 'Fantasy' and 'Horror' and it's so far from that!
If you enjoy family sagas with a heavier lean towards agency, relationships and inherited trauma, then this would be a book for you!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books and the author, Alli Dryer for sending me this eARC!
Publication date: August 11, 2026
December 2, 2025
I received a free copy of, Night Songs, by Alli Dyer, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Rhea found out who her real mother was a famous singer, when she was 18. Rhea wanted to learn more about her mother. This was a n interesting read, I dont know if I liked it though. So many family secrets and lies.
August 17, 2026
Night Songs by Alli Dyer is a hauntingly unique story about found family, music, and motherhood. At its center is Rhea, who, upon her eighteenth birthday, discovers that her late mother was none other than Lullabelle “Belle” Powers, a legendary country singer who died tragically at thirty-three—the result of a supposed curse that also took the life of her own mother.
Night Songs is told through a dual timeline, revealing bits and pieces of Belle’s past and what awaits Rhea’s future before tying them together beautifully by the end. Each character and relationship is richly developed, with not a single note left flat.
Most notable about Night Songs is Dyer’s skillful writing. Her immersive, evocative prose elevates this coming-of-age story into a moody, atmospheric Southern Gothic tale.
The pacing in the beginning could have been stronger—I almost felt like the book could have started a few chapters in. Regardless, this is a small criticism of what is otherwise a compelling exploration of complicated women, generational trauma, and resilience.
If you enjoy Southern Gothic and female-centered literature, this one is worth picking up.
Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for an advanced copy of Night Songs in exchange for an honest review.
Night Songs is told through a dual timeline, revealing bits and pieces of Belle’s past and what awaits Rhea’s future before tying them together beautifully by the end. Each character and relationship is richly developed, with not a single note left flat.
Most notable about Night Songs is Dyer’s skillful writing. Her immersive, evocative prose elevates this coming-of-age story into a moody, atmospheric Southern Gothic tale.
The pacing in the beginning could have been stronger—I almost felt like the book could have started a few chapters in. Regardless, this is a small criticism of what is otherwise a compelling exploration of complicated women, generational trauma, and resilience.
If you enjoy Southern Gothic and female-centered literature, this one is worth picking up.
Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for an advanced copy of Night Songs in exchange for an honest review.
October 2, 2026
Something about the vibe of this book with the Appalachian roots and the singing reminded me of the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Hunger Games book-- specifically of the FMC, Lucy Gray. In Night Songs, we follow two separate POVs and timelines, a mother and a daughter, and all of the women in their family are cursed to die at 33. In the mother's timeline, set in the 70s, she faces challenges of forbidden love, trying to make a name for herself in the music industry, and some substance abuse as she tries to cope with her impending doom of the 33 curse (that no one believes). In the daughter's timeline, set in the early 2000s, she works to uncover her mother's buried secrets in an effort to try and break the curse before her 33rd birthday. In speaking with her mother's old friends and finding her unreleased album, she discovers information that could help her. I can't say much else without spoiling but, if you like family secrets, kind of a gothic/witchy vibe, and a deep connection to music, this one is worth checking out! Trigger warnings for mental health.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC to review!
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC to review!
September 30, 2026
3.5 Stars ✨
Night Songs is a haunting beautiful story about music, found family, and motherhood. The story is told in multiple generations and ties together beautifully at the end. The characters and relationships are well developed. The writing style is very poetic. My only complaint is the pacing. The book started very abruptly and is was hard to get into it. Recommend if you like dark southern gothic and female centered literature.
Night Songs is a haunting beautiful story about music, found family, and motherhood. The story is told in multiple generations and ties together beautifully at the end. The characters and relationships are well developed. The writing style is very poetic. My only complaint is the pacing. The book started very abruptly and is was hard to get into it. Recommend if you like dark southern gothic and female centered literature.
June 18, 2026
wow, what a beautiful book! i loved the trials and tribulations of these women’s lives. i like how she was able to make this curse turn into something bigger. it reminded me of the seven husbands of evelyn hugo in ways. they got to learn themselves and figure it all out. it was a quick and great read!!
Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for a copy of this eARC.
Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for a copy of this eARC.
July 26, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Alli Dyer for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
Despite the fact that I went into this expecting a little more “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” and a little less “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo,” I really enjoyed reading it. Alli Dyer’s writing is fantastic.
That said, this is incredibly dark and covers a lot of tragic subject matter that could be triggering for a lot of readers, so before I dive into the story aspects, here is a list of some content warnings.
Sexual harassment and attempted sexual assault; suicidal ideation and planning (on page); suicide (off page); drug abuse including cocaine and heroin (on page, extensive); overdose death (on page); infertility (on page); pregnancy; grief; childbirth (on page, in detail); miscarriage at 20 weeks and D&C (on page); involuntary commitment (on page); homophobia (discussed); mental illness
While it is dark, it is all handled really well. But, for many of them, I could see the detail being hard to read if you experienced it.
The story follows a mother and daughter, Belle and Rhea.
1970’s, Belle: 18 year old Lulabelle runs away from her aunt and uncle’s home in a small Tennessee holler after committing a catastrophic crime. She ends up in Nashville with dreams of being a country music star in the time she has left. Because the women in Belle’s family have been cursed, and Belle knows she will die on her 33rd birthday. She meets and falls in love with another 18 year old woman named Hess who lives in a boarding house with several other unmarried with women who want to be involved with the Nashville music scene. They make promises to work towards those goals.
1990’s, Rhea: On Rhea’s 18th birthday, a man shows up on the doorstep of her aunt and uncle’s home, telling her that her mom was famous country music star Belle Powers and, now that she is 18, she has access to her inheritance. He takes her to Nashville, where she was born but taken from around age 5 after her mother’s funeral. She is re-introduced to all her mother’s friends, including her best friend Hess who Rhea becomes really close with. That first summer, she falls in love with a man named Micah and they begin to build a life together. But Rhea begins to have a feeling that something is wrong, and she starts to slowly remember her mother telling her about the curse. Rhea, with the help of Hess and several others, tries to find a way to stop it.
This story was so good, and also absolutely heartbreaking. And it was even more so when I started to put things together and thought of everything in Rhea’s timeline from Hess’s perspective. Her character had me crying by the end of this (for two spoilery reasons).
This is a story that heavily focused on mental illness as well as motherhood, both of blood and of love.
Despite the fact that I went into this expecting a little more “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” and a little less “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo,” I really enjoyed reading it. Alli Dyer’s writing is fantastic.
That said, this is incredibly dark and covers a lot of tragic subject matter that could be triggering for a lot of readers, so before I dive into the story aspects, here is a list of some content warnings.
Sexual harassment and attempted sexual assault; suicidal ideation and planning (on page); suicide (off page); drug abuse including cocaine and heroin (on page, extensive); overdose death (on page); infertility (on page); pregnancy; grief; childbirth (on page, in detail); miscarriage at 20 weeks and D&C (on page); involuntary commitment (on page); homophobia (discussed); mental illness
While it is dark, it is all handled really well. But, for many of them, I could see the detail being hard to read if you experienced it.
The story follows a mother and daughter, Belle and Rhea.
1970’s, Belle: 18 year old Lulabelle runs away from her aunt and uncle’s home in a small Tennessee holler after committing a catastrophic crime. She ends up in Nashville with dreams of being a country music star in the time she has left. Because the women in Belle’s family have been cursed, and Belle knows she will die on her 33rd birthday. She meets and falls in love with another 18 year old woman named Hess who lives in a boarding house with several other unmarried with women who want to be involved with the Nashville music scene. They make promises to work towards those goals.
1990’s, Rhea: On Rhea’s 18th birthday, a man shows up on the doorstep of her aunt and uncle’s home, telling her that her mom was famous country music star Belle Powers and, now that she is 18, she has access to her inheritance. He takes her to Nashville, where she was born but taken from around age 5 after her mother’s funeral. She is re-introduced to all her mother’s friends, including her best friend Hess who Rhea becomes really close with. That first summer, she falls in love with a man named Micah and they begin to build a life together. But Rhea begins to have a feeling that something is wrong, and she starts to slowly remember her mother telling her about the curse. Rhea, with the help of Hess and several others, tries to find a way to stop it.
This story was so good, and also absolutely heartbreaking. And it was even more so when I started to put things together and thought of everything in Rhea’s timeline from Hess’s perspective. Her character had me crying by the end of this (for two spoilery reasons).
This is a story that heavily focused on mental illness as well as motherhood, both of blood and of love.
November 22, 2025
I was contacted by the publisher to review this book and gave it my best shot. I liked the premise very much and was eager to be drawn into the world promised by the book's summary. however, from a beginning that I found reminiscent of Harry Potter, the writing didn't connect for me. I found the two characters voices nearly identical, and yes, I know they are mother and daughter, but I still wanted something that took me to a different time and state of mind for each. I also didn't find many of the scenarios plausible enough to feel emotionally moved by them. It's almost as though this was a book in an earlier stage of writing, waiting to develop more depth.
I really hate writing a poor review and I hope the three stars reflects my belief that many will find this book engaging.
Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for a chance to read the advanced copy.
I really hate writing a poor review and I hope the three stars reflects my belief that many will find this book engaging.
Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for a chance to read the advanced copy.
January 1, 2026
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I really enjoyed this book. Dyer captured Nashville across time. I liked how the city was treated as a character. It was written with an insider’s eye.
Belle and Rhea were both intriguing in their own right. I appreciated that their stories intertwined, but also stood alone. I was truly interested in the development of each. Also, often in dual-perspective stories, one character can feel more forced than the other, but that was not the case with Night Songs. Both were believable.
The supporting cast was also really well executed. Hess and Micah especially stood out. The same can be said of Clayton, Tate, and all the ladies of Mom’s. Dyer told us enough to make the characters real, but then left any judgements or conclusions up to the reader. Very well done.
Finally, the story didn’t conclude how I thought it would. I was expecting something more fantastical, but I was satisfied with the final direction. Everything was tied up nicely.
I really enjoyed this book. Dyer captured Nashville across time. I liked how the city was treated as a character. It was written with an insider’s eye.
Belle and Rhea were both intriguing in their own right. I appreciated that their stories intertwined, but also stood alone. I was truly interested in the development of each. Also, often in dual-perspective stories, one character can feel more forced than the other, but that was not the case with Night Songs. Both were believable.
The supporting cast was also really well executed. Hess and Micah especially stood out. The same can be said of Clayton, Tate, and all the ladies of Mom’s. Dyer told us enough to make the characters real, but then left any judgements or conclusions up to the reader. Very well done.
Finally, the story didn’t conclude how I thought it would. I was expecting something more fantastical, but I was satisfied with the final direction. Everything was tied up nicely.
July 16, 2026
A spellbinding and intricately layered story crossing multiple timelines across two generations. Dyer really deftly handles two distinct voices in this story, while allowing the characters experiences to mirror each other in a way that slowly ratchets up tension, both women flee their childhood homes, Mary Young, and struggle with internal darkness that may or may not have external origins but the mirroring is subtle enough that it does not feel heavy-handed. And I appreciated how much of the complexity of the good and bad of the 1960s and 70s country and larger musical scene we get to see, both in terms of artistic disenfranchisement, and in terms of the systemic marginalization of even successful marginalized artists. Bell is in many ways, the larger voice in this novel and while her daughter is definitely flushed out enough to be a solid anchoring character I might have liked a bit more building out of her life beyond seeking out her mother‘s story.
October 8, 2026
I loved the premise of this one and thought the audio was great. Amanda Stribling and Jesse Vilinsky did an amazing job with this story. I loved how music and Nashville were the backdrop as Rhea is trying to learn more about her mother and her family in order to break the generational curse plaguing the women in her family before her time runs out.
Told in multiple POVs and dual timelines, I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. I found that once I started I did not want to stop; the audio kept me going and I finished this in a day. I liked both Rhea and Lulabelle’s storylines equally, which helped to keep me vested in the overall slower pacing throughout. It picks up towards the end, and when both plot lines came together it was all resolved satisfactorily for me. Overall I enjoyed this one; I do think audio is the way to go, and loved that this was a bit of an unexpected gem.
Thank you Atria Books #atriapartner for the gifted copy.
Told in multiple POVs and dual timelines, I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. I found that once I started I did not want to stop; the audio kept me going and I finished this in a day. I liked both Rhea and Lulabelle’s storylines equally, which helped to keep me vested in the overall slower pacing throughout. It picks up towards the end, and when both plot lines came together it was all resolved satisfactorily for me. Overall I enjoyed this one; I do think audio is the way to go, and loved that this was a bit of an unexpected gem.
Thank you Atria Books #atriapartner for the gifted copy.
July 24, 2026
💭I loved the premise of this one! A family believes they are cursed. Many, many years ago, one of the women made a promise with the devil. A singing voice, for an early death. Ever since then, all the women in that family have died on their 33rd birthday. On Rhea’s 18th birthday, she finds out her mother was a famous country singer and goes to Nashville to learn more about her, where she learns of the curse. Her mother died when she turned 33. This books follows her path trying to stop the curse, told in multiple POV, in past and present tense. It was written so beautifully. There were many dark and possibly triggering moments in the plot, but it was handled with grace. It is focused on motherhood and mental illness and is a must read.
September 14, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 stars!
Night Songs is the story of a line of women who have all died at age 33 as the result of a family curse. The reader follows Rhea, a young orphan, and the story of her mother, Lulabelle, who was a famous country music star. Spanning decades, Night Songs ushers us through the life and rise to stardom of Lulabelle, and her struggles navigating the curse looming over her and her daughter. We also follow Rhea, who doesn't remember her mother or the curse, and her journey in figuring everything out and trying to stop the curse.
The premise is intriguing, and I did find myself enjoying a lot of parts of this. I found Lulabelle to be the more interesting character as we spend a lot of time with her in the first half of the book, and her past is largely a mystery to us. I loved the found family aspect of the story, as well as her path to fame. The relationships she has with her friends are really lovely, I particularly liked Martha as a character. The relationship that Lulabelle has with Hess was also well done, and I appreciated the commentary around it.
Rhea's story was much less interesting to me. She doesn't have as much personality as Lulabelle, and her chapters dragged a lot more for me, particularly in the beginning where it is largely focused on Lulabelle. It sort of felt like we start with her as a teenager who I didn't feel that I knew much about, and then she grows up a bit more and I still didn't really feel like I knew her very well. A lot of her story seemed to revolve around her love interest, Micah, which made her seem more distant from the reader. I think this might have been alleviated if I bought into their love story more, but it wasn't a highlight for me.
There were some inconsistencies as well; two characters meet at the grave of Johnny Cash, but this happens almost 10 years before he actually dies? I'm not sure if this was a mistake or not, but if it wasn't a mistake I don't understand why a different icon wasn't chosen (or even a made up star like Lulabelle!). The mystery of the curse also fell a bit flat for me, which I can't really get into without going into spoilers. To put it vaguely: I liked the general idea of the mystery, and even the things that we learn were interesting, it just didn't feel like it was done as well or as believably as it could be (and yes I know the idea of a curse is already not necessarily "believable", but even in the context of the story I still felt that way). I think that the ideas behind it had potential but it just wasn't something I loved or felt worked.
Overall I do think this book will have a lot of fans, because there is a lot to like about it. The setting is quite well done, the music aspects add a lot to the overall story and atmosphere, and there are even some parts that are pretty spooky (I actually think this setting and the general ideas would be a lot of fun for a horror book). I would definitely be interested to see what Dyer writes in the future.
2.5 stars!
Night Songs is the story of a line of women who have all died at age 33 as the result of a family curse. The reader follows Rhea, a young orphan, and the story of her mother, Lulabelle, who was a famous country music star. Spanning decades, Night Songs ushers us through the life and rise to stardom of Lulabelle, and her struggles navigating the curse looming over her and her daughter. We also follow Rhea, who doesn't remember her mother or the curse, and her journey in figuring everything out and trying to stop the curse.
The premise is intriguing, and I did find myself enjoying a lot of parts of this. I found Lulabelle to be the more interesting character as we spend a lot of time with her in the first half of the book, and her past is largely a mystery to us. I loved the found family aspect of the story, as well as her path to fame. The relationships she has with her friends are really lovely, I particularly liked Martha as a character. The relationship that Lulabelle has with Hess was also well done, and I appreciated the commentary around it.
Rhea's story was much less interesting to me. She doesn't have as much personality as Lulabelle, and her chapters dragged a lot more for me, particularly in the beginning where it is largely focused on Lulabelle. It sort of felt like we start with her as a teenager who I didn't feel that I knew much about, and then she grows up a bit more and I still didn't really feel like I knew her very well. A lot of her story seemed to revolve around her love interest, Micah, which made her seem more distant from the reader. I think this might have been alleviated if I bought into their love story more, but it wasn't a highlight for me.
There were some inconsistencies as well; two characters meet at the grave of Johnny Cash, but this happens almost 10 years before he actually dies? I'm not sure if this was a mistake or not, but if it wasn't a mistake I don't understand why a different icon wasn't chosen (or even a made up star like Lulabelle!). The mystery of the curse also fell a bit flat for me, which I can't really get into without going into spoilers. To put it vaguely: I liked the general idea of the mystery, and even the things that we learn were interesting, it just didn't feel like it was done as well or as believably as it could be (and yes I know the idea of a curse is already not necessarily "believable", but even in the context of the story I still felt that way). I think that the ideas behind it had potential but it just wasn't something I loved or felt worked.
Overall I do think this book will have a lot of fans, because there is a lot to like about it. The setting is quite well done, the music aspects add a lot to the overall story and atmosphere, and there are even some parts that are pretty spooky (I actually think this setting and the general ideas would be a lot of fun for a horror book). I would definitely be interested to see what Dyer writes in the future.
July 20, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for inviting me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Part of the reason why I didn’t love this book is probably a me problem. Someone else may get a lot out of it.
The writing was good, and I was invested in the characters for the most part. The story aspect of it is what I had issues with.
To start with what I liked, I loved Belle. Her story and timeline was so interesting to me. I didn’t dislike Rhea by any means, but I wasn’t as invested in her life. It probably didn’t help that I never really cared for Micah and didn’t ever truly believe in their relationship, and that was a big part of her storyline. But everything about Belle’s journey I was so invested in! I was always happy to read her chapters.
I liked the motherly love and bonds with the children. That theme throughout the novel was so special.
I also loved Hess. She was such a strong part of the book, in both timelines. She played such an important roll. She wasn’t perfect, but she was there for people when they needed her most and learned from her mistakes.
This next bit I have to get a little bit into spoilers. It can’t really be helped because this is why I had an issue with the book, and where the me problem comes in. They are slightly out of context spoilers, but it may reveal stuff about the book that you may not want to know.
I thought it was a very unique take on mental illness. That was very well done in my opinion. The only thing I had a hard time with was we didn’t know it was that. Which I know is the point of the book, I do realize that. We were supposed to go through the journey with these women to find that out together. But I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I am never a fan of when a book is making us wonder the whole entire time if it is magical or if it is all real and actually happening. In my head, there was actually a curse involved, so at the end, when it was revealed to be mental illness in the family, it almost feels like the whole journey we went through to “stopping the women from dying” was for nothing.
Which may sound harsh and I don’t mean it to be. It is important Rhea figured out the cause of what was happening. I am happy with how things turned out at the very end. I even didn’t mind the slight open ending on one aspect of the story. I just don’t love that we went through most of the book thinking it was one way when it wasn’t. And maybe other readers knew that all along, but I didn’t catch onto it, so I was disappointed in that regard.
I still think a lot of the aspects of this book were very raw and touched on a lot of things people in real life go through. It was all important to discuss. It wasn’t a bad book by any means. Some of my enjoyment was just taken out of it because I thought one thing but we got another.
Part of the reason why I didn’t love this book is probably a me problem. Someone else may get a lot out of it.
The writing was good, and I was invested in the characters for the most part. The story aspect of it is what I had issues with.
To start with what I liked, I loved Belle. Her story and timeline was so interesting to me. I didn’t dislike Rhea by any means, but I wasn’t as invested in her life. It probably didn’t help that I never really cared for Micah and didn’t ever truly believe in their relationship, and that was a big part of her storyline. But everything about Belle’s journey I was so invested in! I was always happy to read her chapters.
I liked the motherly love and bonds with the children. That theme throughout the novel was so special.
I also loved Hess. She was such a strong part of the book, in both timelines. She played such an important roll. She wasn’t perfect, but she was there for people when they needed her most and learned from her mistakes.
This next bit I have to get a little bit into spoilers. It can’t really be helped because this is why I had an issue with the book, and where the me problem comes in. They are slightly out of context spoilers, but it may reveal stuff about the book that you may not want to know.
I thought it was a very unique take on mental illness. That was very well done in my opinion. The only thing I had a hard time with was we didn’t know it was that. Which I know is the point of the book, I do realize that. We were supposed to go through the journey with these women to find that out together. But I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I am never a fan of when a book is making us wonder the whole entire time if it is magical or if it is all real and actually happening. In my head, there was actually a curse involved, so at the end, when it was revealed to be mental illness in the family, it almost feels like the whole journey we went through to “stopping the women from dying” was for nothing.
Which may sound harsh and I don’t mean it to be. It is important Rhea figured out the cause of what was happening. I am happy with how things turned out at the very end. I even didn’t mind the slight open ending on one aspect of the story. I just don’t love that we went through most of the book thinking it was one way when it wasn’t. And maybe other readers knew that all along, but I didn’t catch onto it, so I was disappointed in that regard.
I still think a lot of the aspects of this book were very raw and touched on a lot of things people in real life go through. It was all important to discuss. It wasn’t a bad book by any means. Some of my enjoyment was just taken out of it because I thought one thing but we got another.
July 30, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Night Songs wasn’t on my radar until I was offered a widget on NetGalley. After reading the synopsis, I decided to accept it because it sounded right up my alley, and I enjoy being surprised by authors I’ve never read before. For the first half, I was completely invested and convinced I had found a new favorite. Sadly, that changed around the halfway mark.
Night Songs follows Lulabelle, a young woman who flees her home after a traumatic event and goes on to become a country music superstar, and Rhea, a young woman who, on her eighteenth birthday, discovers that Belle was her mother. After Belle’s tragic death at the age of thirty-three, Rhea inherits not only her fortune and estate but, perhaps, a family curse that causes every woman in their bloodline to die at the age of thirty-three.
Told through dual POVs, the first half alternates between Belle’s journey from poverty to country music stardom and Rhea’s discovery of her mother's identity, culminating in her move to Nashville to learn more about her roots. I was completely hooked for the first half of the novel. Although the style is very different, Belle’s rise to fame reminded me a little of Daisy Jones & The Six and The Future Saints. I especially appreciated how the novel explored unexpected themes such as queer relationships in the American South during the 1960s. I wasn’t quite as invested in Rhea’s perspective, which felt a little more disjointed, but it remained engaging nonetheless.
After the halfway point, however, the story begins to lose momentum, and the central plotline hinted at in the synopsis still hasn’t properly begun. It isn’t until almost the 80% mark that Rhea finally starts investigating her mother’s unreleased songs, setting the final act in motion. For me, this is a classic case of too little, too late. Up to that point, the novel feels like contemporary fiction infused with touches of magical realism, but it suddenly shifts into paranormal territory with strong elements of rural horror. The tonal shift is quite jarring, and because the investigation starts so late, the ending feels rushed and ultimately less satisfying than it could have been.
Although it didn’t quite live up to the expectations set by its excellent first half, I’m still curious to read the author’s debut novel.
Night Songs wasn’t on my radar until I was offered a widget on NetGalley. After reading the synopsis, I decided to accept it because it sounded right up my alley, and I enjoy being surprised by authors I’ve never read before. For the first half, I was completely invested and convinced I had found a new favorite. Sadly, that changed around the halfway mark.
Night Songs follows Lulabelle, a young woman who flees her home after a traumatic event and goes on to become a country music superstar, and Rhea, a young woman who, on her eighteenth birthday, discovers that Belle was her mother. After Belle’s tragic death at the age of thirty-three, Rhea inherits not only her fortune and estate but, perhaps, a family curse that causes every woman in their bloodline to die at the age of thirty-three.
Told through dual POVs, the first half alternates between Belle’s journey from poverty to country music stardom and Rhea’s discovery of her mother's identity, culminating in her move to Nashville to learn more about her roots. I was completely hooked for the first half of the novel. Although the style is very different, Belle’s rise to fame reminded me a little of Daisy Jones & The Six and The Future Saints. I especially appreciated how the novel explored unexpected themes such as queer relationships in the American South during the 1960s. I wasn’t quite as invested in Rhea’s perspective, which felt a little more disjointed, but it remained engaging nonetheless.
After the halfway point, however, the story begins to lose momentum, and the central plotline hinted at in the synopsis still hasn’t properly begun. It isn’t until almost the 80% mark that Rhea finally starts investigating her mother’s unreleased songs, setting the final act in motion. For me, this is a classic case of too little, too late. Up to that point, the novel feels like contemporary fiction infused with touches of magical realism, but it suddenly shifts into paranormal territory with strong elements of rural horror. The tonal shift is quite jarring, and because the investigation starts so late, the ending feels rushed and ultimately less satisfying than it could have been.
Although it didn’t quite live up to the expectations set by its excellent first half, I’m still curious to read the author’s debut novel.
August 27, 2026
This was my first time reading Alli Dyer, and I thought it was well written. The dual timeline worked for me. One thread follows Rhea as she pieces together her mother Belle’s life, and the other goes back to Belle herself—how a girl from a Tennessee holler became Lulabelle “Belle” Powers, the country star. Those two stories kept circling each other until they actually landed somewhere that felt earned.
What I liked most was following Rhea. She barely knew her mother, then suddenly she’s inherited the estate, the music, the fame, and all the questions that come with it. Watching her dig through Belle’s world—friends, songs, the unpublished album that gives the book its name—felt like the heart of it. You get why she’d keep looking even when it starts to scare her.
The thing that really stuck with me is the family curse: the women in this line are supposed to die on their 33rd birthday. Belle did. Rhea is heading straight toward the same age, and you can feel it closing in. The days leading up to her 33rd birthday were the strongest part of the book for me. The tension is quiet but constant. You start noticing the same patterns showing up in Rhea’s life that showed up in Belle’s, and it makes the curse feel less like folklore and more like something she might not outrun.
It’s a mix of family saga, country-music world, and that uneasy folkloric edge. Not everything is spelled out early, which I appreciated. By the end it comes together in a way that felt satisfying without being too neat.
If you like mother-daughter stories with some mystery and a little dark Southern atmosphere, this one’s worth picking up. I’ll be looking at Dyer’s other work after this.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Atria Books and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
What I liked most was following Rhea. She barely knew her mother, then suddenly she’s inherited the estate, the music, the fame, and all the questions that come with it. Watching her dig through Belle’s world—friends, songs, the unpublished album that gives the book its name—felt like the heart of it. You get why she’d keep looking even when it starts to scare her.
The thing that really stuck with me is the family curse: the women in this line are supposed to die on their 33rd birthday. Belle did. Rhea is heading straight toward the same age, and you can feel it closing in. The days leading up to her 33rd birthday were the strongest part of the book for me. The tension is quiet but constant. You start noticing the same patterns showing up in Rhea’s life that showed up in Belle’s, and it makes the curse feel less like folklore and more like something she might not outrun.
It’s a mix of family saga, country-music world, and that uneasy folkloric edge. Not everything is spelled out early, which I appreciated. By the end it comes together in a way that felt satisfying without being too neat.
If you like mother-daughter stories with some mystery and a little dark Southern atmosphere, this one’s worth picking up. I’ll be looking at Dyer’s other work after this.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Atria Books and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
August 7, 2026
Every woman in Rhea's family dies at the age of 33 because of a generations-old family curse. The catch is that Rhea has no idea the curse even exists. Raised by her aunt and uncle on her father's side, she's never known much about her mother's family.
Everything changes on her eighteenth birthday when she learns that her mother was the legendary country music superstar Lulabelle Belle Powers. Suddenly, Rhea finds herself the sole heir to Lou's sprawling Nashville estate. Hoping to understand the mother she never knew, she moves to Music City and begins retracing Lou's life. There, she meets the people who loved her mother—the friends who knew her simply as Lou and can reveal the woman behind the glamorous public persona.
As the years pass, Rhea settles into her new life, but as her thirty-third birthday draws closer, she can't shake the feeling that something is terribly wrong. When one of Lou's oldest friends finally confesses the truth about the family curse, Rhea embarks on a desperate journey to break it before she becomes its next victim.
At first, Night Songs reads like a fun, somewhat campy rags-to-riches story. As the novel unfolds, however, Rhea's search for the truth and Lou's past reveal a much deeper—and often darker—story. Themes of resilience, love, freedom, family, and the transformative power of music give the novel emotional weight. While the opening felt a little cheesy to me, both Rhea's and Lou's journeys ultimately rang true, making the ending far more satisfying than I expected.
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and author Alli Dyer for the advance review copy. Night Songs is out on August 11th. All opinions are my own.
Everything changes on her eighteenth birthday when she learns that her mother was the legendary country music superstar Lulabelle Belle Powers. Suddenly, Rhea finds herself the sole heir to Lou's sprawling Nashville estate. Hoping to understand the mother she never knew, she moves to Music City and begins retracing Lou's life. There, she meets the people who loved her mother—the friends who knew her simply as Lou and can reveal the woman behind the glamorous public persona.
As the years pass, Rhea settles into her new life, but as her thirty-third birthday draws closer, she can't shake the feeling that something is terribly wrong. When one of Lou's oldest friends finally confesses the truth about the family curse, Rhea embarks on a desperate journey to break it before she becomes its next victim.
At first, Night Songs reads like a fun, somewhat campy rags-to-riches story. As the novel unfolds, however, Rhea's search for the truth and Lou's past reveal a much deeper—and often darker—story. Themes of resilience, love, freedom, family, and the transformative power of music give the novel emotional weight. While the opening felt a little cheesy to me, both Rhea's and Lou's journeys ultimately rang true, making the ending far more satisfying than I expected.
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and author Alli Dyer for the advance review copy. Night Songs is out on August 11th. All opinions are my own.
September 18, 2026
Night Songs has no idea what it wants to be, so it attempts to be everything at once -- to disastrous effect. There are family curses and country music stars and sapphic love stories and demon children (???) and southern spiritualists and drugs and miscarriages. Like a poor interior design job, there are too many patterns and everything clashes. Rhea is an insufferable character to follow (made worse by an aggravating audiobook narrator), and the book suffers from a severe case of telling-not-showing. You're hammered over the head with Rhea and Belle's "dark and twisted minds" but are never clued into what that actually means. Night Songs' one saving grace is Belle who carries the weight of this entire novel on her back. Had Night Songs been about Belle's rise and fall as a country music star grappling with a haunted past, I might have been more forgiving. But throw Rhea and ghosts and devils and witches into the mix and suddenly all sense of plot and clarity goes out the window. Too many flavors and none of them all that appetizing.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Alli Dyer takes such quiet and ordinary moments and writes them in such a way that although they remain those same quiet moments, they are given a tender edge with her writing. Oddly enough I didn't think enough of the story was given to the music and the role it was said to have with the different generations. That was my biggest issue with the book. Yet I would still recommend it to readers that enjoy a reference to music as a part of their magical realism novels.
Thank you to the publisher for allowing me a free eARC through Netgalley.
Thank you to the publisher for allowing me a free eARC through Netgalley.
July 1, 2026
Thank you NetGalley and Alli Dyer for an advanced copy of this book, this is an honest review.
So, admittedly, I wanted to give this story a 2/5 ⭐️ for my personal enjoyment of the story, but I think the writing and messages it conveys deserves a hesitant round up to 3/5 ⭐️. Why the difference? I don’t know that I fully understood what the story was about and trying to convey, and I didn’t personally enjoy the storyline, I think others would more than me.
In this story, a mother and daughter (told in dual timelines) are facing the family curse where all the women die at age 33. Going into the book, I thought the majority of it was going to be about the daughter as she approaches her own 33rd birthday, but the majority of the book was primarily flashbacks of her Mom’s experience experiences as a country singer (VERY Dolly Parton coded). There are parts later where the daughter is trying to figure out what exactly happened as her mother approached her death, and she uses her mother’s music history to do so- her last, unrecorded album “Night Songs”.
Where are the story fell flat for me was mostly the pacing of the story. The mother definitely had a difficult upbringing and a rough start to her singing career, but it seems like she quickly went from struggle to success back to struggle before mega success just before her death?
Now, if you are somebody who is a fan of drama style stories or “women’s fiction“, I think that this book could be enjoyable for you. I thought there was going to be more action or mystery at the very least, but it ends up being much more about generational trauma. There were moments where the writing was very beautiful, so I think if you were looking for a slow emotional story, this really could be a good option for you to try!!!
So, admittedly, I wanted to give this story a 2/5 ⭐️ for my personal enjoyment of the story, but I think the writing and messages it conveys deserves a hesitant round up to 3/5 ⭐️. Why the difference? I don’t know that I fully understood what the story was about and trying to convey, and I didn’t personally enjoy the storyline, I think others would more than me.
In this story, a mother and daughter (told in dual timelines) are facing the family curse where all the women die at age 33. Going into the book, I thought the majority of it was going to be about the daughter as she approaches her own 33rd birthday, but the majority of the book was primarily flashbacks of her Mom’s experience experiences as a country singer (VERY Dolly Parton coded). There are parts later where the daughter is trying to figure out what exactly happened as her mother approached her death, and she uses her mother’s music history to do so- her last, unrecorded album “Night Songs”.
Where are the story fell flat for me was mostly the pacing of the story. The mother definitely had a difficult upbringing and a rough start to her singing career, but it seems like she quickly went from struggle to success back to struggle before mega success just before her death?
Now, if you are somebody who is a fan of drama style stories or “women’s fiction“, I think that this book could be enjoyable for you. I thought there was going to be more action or mystery at the very least, but it ends up being much more about generational trauma. There were moments where the writing was very beautiful, so I think if you were looking for a slow emotional story, this really could be a good option for you to try!!!
September 7, 2026
To view on Rainy Day's Books, Video Games and Other Writings: https://rainyday.blog/2026/09/07/book...
Ratings: 3 stars
I received a digital copy of this book through the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review.
Night Songs was an okay read for me. When I started reading this book, I was initially enjoying it. What I enjoyed about it when I started was the different perspectives of Belle and Rhea and wanting to find out more about this curse that killed the women in their family when they turned thirty-three. As a thirty-three-year-old woman myself, this plot line intrigued me because I was curious to find out what caused this curse in their family and what was going to happen in the story that would cause Rhea to put a stop to it.
I especially enjoyed Belle’s chapters because I was interested to find out how she became a famous country singer. I also just found out of the two family members in the story, she had a more interesting story to tell. For me, Rhea’s story was interesting in the sense of finding out more about the curse and how it ended up being broken. But for Belle, I enjoyed her perspective more because of the people she had in her life because you really got a good introduction to what they were like in the past verses what they are like when the story is told from Rhea’s perspective. I especially enjoyed seeing her relationships with Hess and Clayton and how both those relationships impacted her career as a musician.
I also enjoyed getting to see the world through Belle’s eyes because of how strong of a woman she is. In this book, she doesn’t put up with shit, and I loved that about her character. I also loved seeing her experiences in Nashville as I felt like this book was a great way to travel there without having to leave your home. Even though I’ve been to Nashville myself several times, I still enjoyed reading about her experiences there.
Now to talk about what I didn’t like about Night Songs. The biggest issue I had with this book for me would be with how the curse ends up being handled. I’m not going to go into all the details in case anyone reading this review decides they want to read this book themselves, but I felt like this book doesn’t really give too much away when it comes to the curse. At all. Initially, I didn’t mind this because it added to the mystery surrounding this curse that impacted generations of women in their family. But I figured with the curse, there at least would’ve been stories about it passed down by the men in their family or something. But there isn’t even that when Rhea eventually finds out that this curse exists. The only explanation she gets from a family member about what this curse actually could be ends up frustrating me because it feels like it comes from out of nowhere in the story. I also found it to be a cop out because out of everything that could’ve been the cause of their family’s curse, the author made this decision and didn’t give a good explanation for it. I wouldn’t have minded it so much if there had been more family history given for it from past generations that explained it. Instead, it felt like the explanation was rushed and left me disappointed. Especially because there were some horror elements in this book that could’ve been used in the story instead that would’ve made for a better plot in the story.
Then, there’s the fact she doesn’t even find out about the curse until six months before she turns thirty-three. So she meets her mother’s friends when she’s eighteen, but they keep this curse a secret from her up until that point of her life. I get that they more than likely didn’t believe that the curse was real, but they didn’t even tell her about it until she was near her thirty third birthday. So they kept it completely secret from her too even though she had more than a right to know.
And that’s not the only issue I have with Night Songs. I also wasn’t the biggest fan of Rhea’s relationship with Micah along with how she ended up breaking the curse. So the reason I’m not the biggest fan of Micah is because I feel like she gets involved in this book with the very first guy she meets when she gets to Nashville. Because when she meets him, she knows next to nothing about him and the way she describes him doesn’t endear him to me as a reader. She initially finds herself uncomfortable when she’s around him, yet for some reason can’t stop herself from engaging in conversation with him. Like their whole relationship in this book never makes sense to me because she never describes him in a way that sounds like she’s in love with him.
I’m also not the biggest fan of how Rhea breaks the curse in Night Songs. Without giving too much away, she basically doesn’t make any choices that could cause her death. I feel like she lives out of force of will and while that can be a powerful motivation, I don’t feel like it leaves a huge plot hole in this story. Again, I feel like the author could’ve used the horror elements she had captured in the story here to make this curse more interesting or at least provided a deeper explanation with what she gave us readers. But since she didn’t, I’m disappointed as a result by what the curse ends up being and how its handled in this book.
Not to say I didn’t still enjoy reading Night Songs though. I just enjoyed it because I found I enjoyed reading the story from Belle’s and Rhea’s perspectives and the characters that can be found within this book’s pages. I especially enjoyed reading about Belle’s relationships with Hess and Clayton and seeing Nashville through her eyes. So if you enjoy reading a book with strong women that flips between multiple perspectives, you could potentially enjoy reading this book. Otherwise, this book might not be for you.
Night Songs published on August 11, 2026, for those interested in giving this book a read.
Ratings: 3 stars
I received a digital copy of this book through the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review.
Night Songs was an okay read for me. When I started reading this book, I was initially enjoying it. What I enjoyed about it when I started was the different perspectives of Belle and Rhea and wanting to find out more about this curse that killed the women in their family when they turned thirty-three. As a thirty-three-year-old woman myself, this plot line intrigued me because I was curious to find out what caused this curse in their family and what was going to happen in the story that would cause Rhea to put a stop to it.
I especially enjoyed Belle’s chapters because I was interested to find out how she became a famous country singer. I also just found out of the two family members in the story, she had a more interesting story to tell. For me, Rhea’s story was interesting in the sense of finding out more about the curse and how it ended up being broken. But for Belle, I enjoyed her perspective more because of the people she had in her life because you really got a good introduction to what they were like in the past verses what they are like when the story is told from Rhea’s perspective. I especially enjoyed seeing her relationships with Hess and Clayton and how both those relationships impacted her career as a musician.
I also enjoyed getting to see the world through Belle’s eyes because of how strong of a woman she is. In this book, she doesn’t put up with shit, and I loved that about her character. I also loved seeing her experiences in Nashville as I felt like this book was a great way to travel there without having to leave your home. Even though I’ve been to Nashville myself several times, I still enjoyed reading about her experiences there.
Now to talk about what I didn’t like about Night Songs. The biggest issue I had with this book for me would be with how the curse ends up being handled. I’m not going to go into all the details in case anyone reading this review decides they want to read this book themselves, but I felt like this book doesn’t really give too much away when it comes to the curse. At all. Initially, I didn’t mind this because it added to the mystery surrounding this curse that impacted generations of women in their family. But I figured with the curse, there at least would’ve been stories about it passed down by the men in their family or something. But there isn’t even that when Rhea eventually finds out that this curse exists. The only explanation she gets from a family member about what this curse actually could be ends up frustrating me because it feels like it comes from out of nowhere in the story. I also found it to be a cop out because out of everything that could’ve been the cause of their family’s curse, the author made this decision and didn’t give a good explanation for it. I wouldn’t have minded it so much if there had been more family history given for it from past generations that explained it. Instead, it felt like the explanation was rushed and left me disappointed. Especially because there were some horror elements in this book that could’ve been used in the story instead that would’ve made for a better plot in the story.
Then, there’s the fact she doesn’t even find out about the curse until six months before she turns thirty-three. So she meets her mother’s friends when she’s eighteen, but they keep this curse a secret from her up until that point of her life. I get that they more than likely didn’t believe that the curse was real, but they didn’t even tell her about it until she was near her thirty third birthday. So they kept it completely secret from her too even though she had more than a right to know.
And that’s not the only issue I have with Night Songs. I also wasn’t the biggest fan of Rhea’s relationship with Micah along with how she ended up breaking the curse. So the reason I’m not the biggest fan of Micah is because I feel like she gets involved in this book with the very first guy she meets when she gets to Nashville. Because when she meets him, she knows next to nothing about him and the way she describes him doesn’t endear him to me as a reader. She initially finds herself uncomfortable when she’s around him, yet for some reason can’t stop herself from engaging in conversation with him. Like their whole relationship in this book never makes sense to me because she never describes him in a way that sounds like she’s in love with him.
I’m also not the biggest fan of how Rhea breaks the curse in Night Songs. Without giving too much away, she basically doesn’t make any choices that could cause her death. I feel like she lives out of force of will and while that can be a powerful motivation, I don’t feel like it leaves a huge plot hole in this story. Again, I feel like the author could’ve used the horror elements she had captured in the story here to make this curse more interesting or at least provided a deeper explanation with what she gave us readers. But since she didn’t, I’m disappointed as a result by what the curse ends up being and how its handled in this book.
Not to say I didn’t still enjoy reading Night Songs though. I just enjoyed it because I found I enjoyed reading the story from Belle’s and Rhea’s perspectives and the characters that can be found within this book’s pages. I especially enjoyed reading about Belle’s relationships with Hess and Clayton and seeing Nashville through her eyes. So if you enjoy reading a book with strong women that flips between multiple perspectives, you could potentially enjoy reading this book. Otherwise, this book might not be for you.
Night Songs published on August 11, 2026, for those interested in giving this book a read.
August 24, 2026
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ebook in exchange for my honest review.
Summary
Rhea has grown up knowing very little about her mother, but everything changes when she turns eighteen and learns that her mother was Lulabelle “Belle” Powers, a famous country singer who left behind not only her music and a massive estate, but also a complicated history.
Once Rhea has access to her inheritance, she travels to Nashville and begins meeting the people who knew Belle best. The more she learns about her mother, though, the more she realizes there are pieces of Belle’s life that no one seems willing to talk about.
Eventually Rhea learns about something much darker running through the women in her family: a supposed curse that says they will die at thirty-three. Belle died at that exact age in a plane crash, and as Rhea gets closer to thirty-three herself, the curse becomes much harder to dismiss.
Searching for answers leads Rhea back through her mother’s life, her music, and an unpublished album called Night Songs. The story moves between Rhea’s search for the truth and Belle’s life as she becomes a country music star, slowly revealing how the two women’s stories are connected.
My Review
I really enjoyed this one. Night Songs has this dark, haunting feeling running underneath the entire story that immediately worked for me. I already love books involving folklore, family legends, curses, and things that may or may not be supernatural, so the idea of generations of women supposedly being cursed to die at thirty-three completely pulled me in. I kept wanting to know whether there really was something supernatural happening or whether the truth would turn out to be something entirely different.
I also really liked the mother-daughter aspect of the story. Belle and Rhea are connected even though Rhea barely remembers her mother, and I loved watching Rhea slowly piece together who Belle actually was instead of only knowing the famous country singer everyone else remembers. Meeting Belle’s friends gives Rhea little pieces of her mother, but it also becomes obvious that these people know more than they are telling her. That added a mystery element that kept me curious because every new piece of information made me feel like there was still something hiding underneath everything.
The alternating timelines worked really well for this story because we aren't only hearing about Belle through other people's memories. We actually get to go backward and experience her story too. I enjoyed seeing Belle's rise as a singer while Rhea, years later, is trying to understand the choices her mother made. The music also felt important rather than just being a backdrop. Belle's songs become part of the mystery and part of what she has left behind for her daughter, especially once Night Songs itself enters the story.
What I enjoyed most, though, was definitely the curse and folklore. That was the part that gave the book its darker edge and made it stand out for me. There is something so creepy about a belief being passed through generations until nobody really knows where the truth ends and the fear begins. And when you're approaching the exact age when you're supposedly destined to die? Yeah, I would absolutely be questioning every weird thing happening around me too.
This wasn't straight-up horror for me, and I wouldn't go into it expecting something terrifying. It felt much more like a dark family mystery with folklore, supernatural elements, music, generational secrets, and a little bit of dread hanging over everything. There were moments where I wanted the story to move a little faster, but overall I thought this was pretty good and I stayed invested in Rhea discovering the truth about Belle, the women who came before them, and the curse that had followed their family for generations.
Would I Recommend?
Yes! Especially if you enjoy dark family sagas, folklore, generational curses, complicated mother-daughter relationships, music, and mysteries that have a supernatural edge. I really liked the combination of Nashville and country music with the darker folklore elements. It was different, atmospheric, and definitely my kind of weird.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ebook in exchange for my honest review.
Summary
Rhea has grown up knowing very little about her mother, but everything changes when she turns eighteen and learns that her mother was Lulabelle “Belle” Powers, a famous country singer who left behind not only her music and a massive estate, but also a complicated history.
Once Rhea has access to her inheritance, she travels to Nashville and begins meeting the people who knew Belle best. The more she learns about her mother, though, the more she realizes there are pieces of Belle’s life that no one seems willing to talk about.
Eventually Rhea learns about something much darker running through the women in her family: a supposed curse that says they will die at thirty-three. Belle died at that exact age in a plane crash, and as Rhea gets closer to thirty-three herself, the curse becomes much harder to dismiss.
Searching for answers leads Rhea back through her mother’s life, her music, and an unpublished album called Night Songs. The story moves between Rhea’s search for the truth and Belle’s life as she becomes a country music star, slowly revealing how the two women’s stories are connected.
My Review
I really enjoyed this one. Night Songs has this dark, haunting feeling running underneath the entire story that immediately worked for me. I already love books involving folklore, family legends, curses, and things that may or may not be supernatural, so the idea of generations of women supposedly being cursed to die at thirty-three completely pulled me in. I kept wanting to know whether there really was something supernatural happening or whether the truth would turn out to be something entirely different.
I also really liked the mother-daughter aspect of the story. Belle and Rhea are connected even though Rhea barely remembers her mother, and I loved watching Rhea slowly piece together who Belle actually was instead of only knowing the famous country singer everyone else remembers. Meeting Belle’s friends gives Rhea little pieces of her mother, but it also becomes obvious that these people know more than they are telling her. That added a mystery element that kept me curious because every new piece of information made me feel like there was still something hiding underneath everything.
The alternating timelines worked really well for this story because we aren't only hearing about Belle through other people's memories. We actually get to go backward and experience her story too. I enjoyed seeing Belle's rise as a singer while Rhea, years later, is trying to understand the choices her mother made. The music also felt important rather than just being a backdrop. Belle's songs become part of the mystery and part of what she has left behind for her daughter, especially once Night Songs itself enters the story.
What I enjoyed most, though, was definitely the curse and folklore. That was the part that gave the book its darker edge and made it stand out for me. There is something so creepy about a belief being passed through generations until nobody really knows where the truth ends and the fear begins. And when you're approaching the exact age when you're supposedly destined to die? Yeah, I would absolutely be questioning every weird thing happening around me too.
This wasn't straight-up horror for me, and I wouldn't go into it expecting something terrifying. It felt much more like a dark family mystery with folklore, supernatural elements, music, generational secrets, and a little bit of dread hanging over everything. There were moments where I wanted the story to move a little faster, but overall I thought this was pretty good and I stayed invested in Rhea discovering the truth about Belle, the women who came before them, and the curse that had followed their family for generations.
Would I Recommend?
Yes! Especially if you enjoy dark family sagas, folklore, generational curses, complicated mother-daughter relationships, music, and mysteries that have a supernatural edge. I really liked the combination of Nashville and country music with the darker folklore elements. It was different, atmospheric, and definitely my kind of weird.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5 ⭐️ | Night Songs was definitely much darker and more emotionally layered than I expected. It blends family secrets, generational trauma, country music, and the possibility of an old curse into one haunting narrative.
I really loved the dual timelines, especially Belle’s. Her journey from a difficult childhood in Tennessee to becoming Lulabelle Powers, a country music legend, was such an interesting thing to read. There was something so intriguing about watching her find her voice, build a life for herself, and navigate love, motherhood, and the complicated realities of becoming a woman in the music industry. Her story had that larger-than-life, almost legendary quality that made her chapters memorable.
Rhea’s storyline was more of a miss for me. I loved her desire to understand the mother she barely remembered and uncover the truth behind her family, and I thought the themes surrounding motherhood, inheritance, and the things we unknowingly carry from the generations before us were beautifully handled. But I often found myself wishing she would simply talk to someone instead of allowing so many secrets and misunderstandings to pile up. This refusing to communicate got reallyyyyyyy frustrating.
My biggest issue was the pacing. The synopsis makes it sound like Rhea’s race against the family curse is going to be the driving force of the story, but the curse itself doesn’t truly come to the forefront until way later than I expected. I was completely invested in the first half, but somewhere around the middle, the story began to lose its momentum and feel like it was circling the same things over and over. By the time the central mystery really kicked into gear, there wasn’t quite enough time for it to unfold as fully as I wanted, which made the final portion feel rushed. I also went into this expecting a little more magical realism, so the direction the story ultimately took surprised me. Still, I appreciated what the book was ultimately saying about generational trauma, mental illness, and how easily pain can become mythology when families don’t have the tools or willingness to confront it.
The writing was definitely a highlight for me. There’s a beautiful, lyrical quality to Dyer’s writing, and she created such an eerie atmosphere around Nashville, Belle’s music, and this looming sense that something was always just beneath the surface. The story felt especially strong when it focused on the emotional connections between these women and the ways they loved, protected, and sometimes failed one another.
Overall, Night Songs wasn’t quite the thriller or supernatural mystery I expected, but it was a poignant story about mothers and daughters, the stories we inherit, and the things we have to unravel in order to understand where we came from. Belle’s story alone made this worth the read for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for this eARC!
I really loved the dual timelines, especially Belle’s. Her journey from a difficult childhood in Tennessee to becoming Lulabelle Powers, a country music legend, was such an interesting thing to read. There was something so intriguing about watching her find her voice, build a life for herself, and navigate love, motherhood, and the complicated realities of becoming a woman in the music industry. Her story had that larger-than-life, almost legendary quality that made her chapters memorable.
Rhea’s storyline was more of a miss for me. I loved her desire to understand the mother she barely remembered and uncover the truth behind her family, and I thought the themes surrounding motherhood, inheritance, and the things we unknowingly carry from the generations before us were beautifully handled. But I often found myself wishing she would simply talk to someone instead of allowing so many secrets and misunderstandings to pile up. This refusing to communicate got reallyyyyyyy frustrating.
My biggest issue was the pacing. The synopsis makes it sound like Rhea’s race against the family curse is going to be the driving force of the story, but the curse itself doesn’t truly come to the forefront until way later than I expected. I was completely invested in the first half, but somewhere around the middle, the story began to lose its momentum and feel like it was circling the same things over and over. By the time the central mystery really kicked into gear, there wasn’t quite enough time for it to unfold as fully as I wanted, which made the final portion feel rushed. I also went into this expecting a little more magical realism, so the direction the story ultimately took surprised me. Still, I appreciated what the book was ultimately saying about generational trauma, mental illness, and how easily pain can become mythology when families don’t have the tools or willingness to confront it.
The writing was definitely a highlight for me. There’s a beautiful, lyrical quality to Dyer’s writing, and she created such an eerie atmosphere around Nashville, Belle’s music, and this looming sense that something was always just beneath the surface. The story felt especially strong when it focused on the emotional connections between these women and the ways they loved, protected, and sometimes failed one another.
Overall, Night Songs wasn’t quite the thriller or supernatural mystery I expected, but it was a poignant story about mothers and daughters, the stories we inherit, and the things we have to unravel in order to understand where we came from. Belle’s story alone made this worth the read for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for this eARC!
November 26, 2025
📚Night Songs
✍🏻Alli Dyer
Blurb:
In this haunting family saga, a young woman must delve into her country star mother’s music to break a curse that has plagued the women in her family for generations—before her time runs out.
On the morning of Rhea’s eighteenth birthday, she makes a shocking discovery—her mother was the famed singer of some of country music’s most iconic tunes, the legendary Lulabelle “Belle” Powers, and she’s just inherited her massive estate. Eager to know more about this woman she barely remembers, Rhea travels to Nashville to retrace her mother’s footsteps. But as she gets to know Belle’s closest friends and learns more of her story, she can’t help but think something is being kept from her.
It isn’t until years later that her mother’s best friend Hess reveals the truth—her mother believed all the women in her family were cursed to die at thirty-three—Belle’s exact age when she passed away in a mysterious plane crash. Hess dismisses the curse as pure superstition, but Rhea feels something sinister stalking her, her own life beginning to mirror her mother’s as she gets closer to her thirty-third birthday. Desperate for answers, Rhea delves deeper into her mother’s music, uncovering Belle’s last unpublished album Night Songs, which leads her back to her roots in ways she never could have imagined.
Alternating between Rhea’s journey and Lulabelle’s untold rise to country queen, Night Songs is an electric story of inheritance and resilience, love and freedom, and the power of music to connect across generations.
My Thoughts
Rhea finds out that she’s the daughter of a famous country singer (Lullabelle/Belle) who died at the age of thirty three. Rhea’s mother was a legendary country music artist, who always believed the women in the family were cursed to die at that age. It is years later and Rhea is now thirty three herself and is still unsure if the curse is true. Told in Rhea and Bell’s POV in past and present timelines, this book comes together nicely. The book did drag on a bit in the middle and the ending wasn’t really what I expected. There was a decent twist at the end. I’m not sure how I’d categorize this book. It feels more literary fiction, but I wanted more magical realism and suspense.
Thanks NetGalley, Simon&Schuster and Author Alli Dyer for the advanced copy of Night Songs" I am leaving my voluntary review in appreciation.
#NetGalley
#Simon&Schuster
#NightSongs
#AlliDyer
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✍🏻Alli Dyer
Blurb:
In this haunting family saga, a young woman must delve into her country star mother’s music to break a curse that has plagued the women in her family for generations—before her time runs out.
On the morning of Rhea’s eighteenth birthday, she makes a shocking discovery—her mother was the famed singer of some of country music’s most iconic tunes, the legendary Lulabelle “Belle” Powers, and she’s just inherited her massive estate. Eager to know more about this woman she barely remembers, Rhea travels to Nashville to retrace her mother’s footsteps. But as she gets to know Belle’s closest friends and learns more of her story, she can’t help but think something is being kept from her.
It isn’t until years later that her mother’s best friend Hess reveals the truth—her mother believed all the women in her family were cursed to die at thirty-three—Belle’s exact age when she passed away in a mysterious plane crash. Hess dismisses the curse as pure superstition, but Rhea feels something sinister stalking her, her own life beginning to mirror her mother’s as she gets closer to her thirty-third birthday. Desperate for answers, Rhea delves deeper into her mother’s music, uncovering Belle’s last unpublished album Night Songs, which leads her back to her roots in ways she never could have imagined.
Alternating between Rhea’s journey and Lulabelle’s untold rise to country queen, Night Songs is an electric story of inheritance and resilience, love and freedom, and the power of music to connect across generations.
My Thoughts
Rhea finds out that she’s the daughter of a famous country singer (Lullabelle/Belle) who died at the age of thirty three. Rhea’s mother was a legendary country music artist, who always believed the women in the family were cursed to die at that age. It is years later and Rhea is now thirty three herself and is still unsure if the curse is true. Told in Rhea and Bell’s POV in past and present timelines, this book comes together nicely. The book did drag on a bit in the middle and the ending wasn’t really what I expected. There was a decent twist at the end. I’m not sure how I’d categorize this book. It feels more literary fiction, but I wanted more magical realism and suspense.
Thanks NetGalley, Simon&Schuster and Author Alli Dyer for the advanced copy of Night Songs" I am leaving my voluntary review in appreciation.
#NetGalley
#Simon&Schuster
#NightSongs
#AlliDyer
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
September 1, 2026
⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (3/5 stars)
Night Songs by Alli Dyer was beautifully written and definitely had a strong atmosphere, but I think I liked the idea of the story a little more than the actual experience of reading it.
The book follows Belle and Rhea across two timelines, with Rhea learning on her eighteenth birthday that her mother was actually famous country singer Lullabelle “Belle” Powers. From there, the story slowly reveals Belle’s past, Rhea’s present, and the supposed family curse that has followed the women in their family for generations.
Belle’s storyline was probably the strongest part for me. Her life in 1970s Nashville, her relationships, her ambition, and everything she goes through had a really haunting quality to it. I also loved Hess and thought she was one of the most important and memorable characters in the book. There is so much here about found family, motherhood, grief, trauma, and the different ways people show up for one another.
Rhea’s storyline didn’t pull me in quite as much, especially some of the romance, but I did like watching her piece together the truth about her mother and her family. The dual timeline worked well overall, and I appreciated that both women had their own distinct stories instead of one timeline feeling like filler.
The writing itself is probably what stood out to me the most. Dyer creates such a moody, Southern Gothic feeling, and Nashville almost feels like another character in the story. There are some really beautiful passages and some very emotional moments.
Where it lost me a little was with the mystery surrounding the curse. I spent a lot of the book expecting the story to lean more into the supernatural side of things, so the direction it eventually took didn’t completely work for me. I understand what the book was trying to do, and I think the themes behind that choice were meaningful, but I was still left feeling a little disappointed by the payoff.
Overall, Night Songs is a dark, emotional story about mothers and daughters, generational trauma, love, loss, and the families we create for ourselves. I can absolutely see why some readers will love this one, and I thought the writing was excellent, but the story itself didn’t fully connect with me. A solid 3-star read.
A big thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Night Songs by Alli Dyer was beautifully written and definitely had a strong atmosphere, but I think I liked the idea of the story a little more than the actual experience of reading it.
The book follows Belle and Rhea across two timelines, with Rhea learning on her eighteenth birthday that her mother was actually famous country singer Lullabelle “Belle” Powers. From there, the story slowly reveals Belle’s past, Rhea’s present, and the supposed family curse that has followed the women in their family for generations.
Belle’s storyline was probably the strongest part for me. Her life in 1970s Nashville, her relationships, her ambition, and everything she goes through had a really haunting quality to it. I also loved Hess and thought she was one of the most important and memorable characters in the book. There is so much here about found family, motherhood, grief, trauma, and the different ways people show up for one another.
Rhea’s storyline didn’t pull me in quite as much, especially some of the romance, but I did like watching her piece together the truth about her mother and her family. The dual timeline worked well overall, and I appreciated that both women had their own distinct stories instead of one timeline feeling like filler.
The writing itself is probably what stood out to me the most. Dyer creates such a moody, Southern Gothic feeling, and Nashville almost feels like another character in the story. There are some really beautiful passages and some very emotional moments.
Where it lost me a little was with the mystery surrounding the curse. I spent a lot of the book expecting the story to lean more into the supernatural side of things, so the direction it eventually took didn’t completely work for me. I understand what the book was trying to do, and I think the themes behind that choice were meaningful, but I was still left feeling a little disappointed by the payoff.
Overall, Night Songs is a dark, emotional story about mothers and daughters, generational trauma, love, loss, and the families we create for ourselves. I can absolutely see why some readers will love this one, and I thought the writing was excellent, but the story itself didn’t fully connect with me. A solid 3-star read.
A big thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Unfortunately, this was a very quick DNF for me. I loathe the book The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and, had I known that this book would have the exact same vibe, I wouldn't have even attempted it. Perhaps some of my issues with the story at around 35% in will feel petty, or perhaps you're exactly the same as me, and this will serve as signs to avoid.
My biggest issue with this book - do not write about music in a historical context if you cannot do basic research. Within the first 20% of the book, the FMC in the year 1995 visits Johnny and June Cash's gravesite. They both died in 2003. Then, a short while later, they are singing along to "Man I Feel Like a Woman", a song released in 1997. It's simple things like this-things rooted in history, things tied to actual dates, things with deep historical context-that were carelessly thrown into the story and made the whole book feel like a lazy, sloppy attempt. If you could not do the basic research, then why should I be invested in the rest of the story?
The other issues I had from the jump was the repetitive nature of the writing. It's like the author found words that they really liked and just ignored the possibility that other descriptors exist. The plot is pushed to a very quick pace. One minute she's bemoaning her situation and the next she's flush with cash, flying to Nashville with a man she's met once and has chosen to believe fully. We experience a very pointless, insignificant to plot attempted rape within the first couple of chapters that felt like a complete waste of shock value. When the story switches to Belle, a lot of her whole vibe felt like a complete rip of Dolly Parton. Her character felt too rooted in other characters or historic figures to the point of losing any originality or likability.
In my opinion, this book is a hastily written and poorly executed read. I really hate when authors are blaise about the minute facts because it stands as a bright red flag to me. If you're jonesing for a story that is similar to Evelyn Hugo or if you can look past factual errors, then this might be a recommendation.
Thank you to Netgalley and Atria books for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
My biggest issue with this book - do not write about music in a historical context if you cannot do basic research. Within the first 20% of the book, the FMC in the year 1995 visits Johnny and June Cash's gravesite. They both died in 2003. Then, a short while later, they are singing along to "Man I Feel Like a Woman", a song released in 1997. It's simple things like this-things rooted in history, things tied to actual dates, things with deep historical context-that were carelessly thrown into the story and made the whole book feel like a lazy, sloppy attempt. If you could not do the basic research, then why should I be invested in the rest of the story?
The other issues I had from the jump was the repetitive nature of the writing. It's like the author found words that they really liked and just ignored the possibility that other descriptors exist. The plot is pushed to a very quick pace. One minute she's bemoaning her situation and the next she's flush with cash, flying to Nashville with a man she's met once and has chosen to believe fully. We experience a very pointless, insignificant to plot attempted rape within the first couple of chapters that felt like a complete waste of shock value. When the story switches to Belle, a lot of her whole vibe felt like a complete rip of Dolly Parton. Her character felt too rooted in other characters or historic figures to the point of losing any originality or likability.
In my opinion, this book is a hastily written and poorly executed read. I really hate when authors are blaise about the minute facts because it stands as a bright red flag to me. If you're jonesing for a story that is similar to Evelyn Hugo or if you can look past factual errors, then this might be a recommendation.
Thank you to Netgalley and Atria books for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
August 17, 2026
(3.5/5)
Night Songs by Alli Dyer was a very intriguing story with a unique plot and interesting characters. This book is perfect for those who love a story with complex women, and even more complex relationships with a hint of magical realism.
One of my favorite aspects of the book was the characters and relationships between those characters within the two different timelines. I loved getting to see the dynamic of how the characters like Clayton and Hess interacted with Rhea, Belle, and each other for example throughout the years. Dyer did a wonderful job of capturing how I believe those relationships would shift and change as their lives intersect and history leaves its mark. I also really loved the relationships between the girls from Mom's house, and Belle and Hess's relationship and love specifically. My heart ached for them and I truly wished for them to find a happy ending.
I will say that I struggled slightly with the beginning of the book, and some of the word choices (dirt child especially). It felt like the beginning to middle was slightly slow, and I wish we lingered less on the beginning of Belle's story and tied Rhea's story more in the beginning as well. To me, the best parts were when lore about the curse was explored and explained, and the characters were dealing with the effects. So, I think more of that tied in throughout the story would have captured my attention even more. I also didn't love the relationship between Rhea and her partner, but maybe that's just the Hess in me thinking she was making a wild decision so young lol.
I do think that Dyer captured the different eras well within her writing, especially during Belle's perspectives. Sometimes it can be difficult to make readers feel fully immersed in a time period, but I truly felt like I could envision Tennessee and the other locations during this time. There were many moments where the writing was absolutely beautiful, and I enjoyed the lyricism throughout as well. I almost wish I could've heard Belle sing them so I too could be haunted by her voice.
In summary, this is a story that is unlike anything I've ever read, and I think there are many people who will enjoy this book. Thank you to Atria Books, Alli Dyer, and NetGalley for this ARC!
Night Songs by Alli Dyer was a very intriguing story with a unique plot and interesting characters. This book is perfect for those who love a story with complex women, and even more complex relationships with a hint of magical realism.
One of my favorite aspects of the book was the characters and relationships between those characters within the two different timelines. I loved getting to see the dynamic of how the characters like Clayton and Hess interacted with Rhea, Belle, and each other for example throughout the years. Dyer did a wonderful job of capturing how I believe those relationships would shift and change as their lives intersect and history leaves its mark. I also really loved the relationships between the girls from Mom's house, and Belle and Hess's relationship and love specifically. My heart ached for them and I truly wished for them to find a happy ending.
I will say that I struggled slightly with the beginning of the book, and some of the word choices (dirt child especially). It felt like the beginning to middle was slightly slow, and I wish we lingered less on the beginning of Belle's story and tied Rhea's story more in the beginning as well. To me, the best parts were when lore about the curse was explored and explained, and the characters were dealing with the effects. So, I think more of that tied in throughout the story would have captured my attention even more. I also didn't love the relationship between Rhea and her partner, but maybe that's just the Hess in me thinking she was making a wild decision so young lol.
I do think that Dyer captured the different eras well within her writing, especially during Belle's perspectives. Sometimes it can be difficult to make readers feel fully immersed in a time period, but I truly felt like I could envision Tennessee and the other locations during this time. There were many moments where the writing was absolutely beautiful, and I enjoyed the lyricism throughout as well. I almost wish I could've heard Belle sing them so I too could be haunted by her voice.
In summary, this is a story that is unlike anything I've ever read, and I think there are many people who will enjoy this book. Thank you to Atria Books, Alli Dyer, and NetGalley for this ARC!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Think The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, but make it country music instead of old Hollywood.
The story follows a woman who finds out her mother was a famous country star. When her own life starts to unravel, she digs into her mother's past and the curse that plagued the women in her family.
The dual POV moves between past and present, mother and daughter, and it kept the narrative flowing. I could not put it down. Both perspectives were intriguing. The mother's journey to stardom included the darker side of fame, her heartbreaks, and the price she paid. The daughter's coming-of-age story led into her grappling with infertility and a complicated relationship with her mother's friends.
That daughter's timeline ran decades after her mother's rise, and the distance between the two showed in how the industry itself changed. The Nashville country music scene felt vivid, and the book captured what it was like for women trying to make it as singers in the 60s and 70s. The portrayal of hiding same-sex relationships was true to the time, with the real risk of career ruin and social stigma.
It was against that backdrop that Belle, the mother, intrigued me from the moment she entered the page. She had a secret, a passion for music and songwriting, and a curse to boot. I was enthralled reading her POV, especially the darker side of the curse. It kept me asking, is it really a curse? That question carried straight into Rhea's chapters, the daughter whose own childhood mirrored her mother's in ways that felt too close to be coincidence. Her unraveling was visceral, and I kept wondering if it was memory, or the curse.
The best moment for me, the one that made me teary, was when the truth about the curse came out and the daughter learned she was not alone. It was a powerful, tender scene.
This novel explores the different facets of family and the generational impact of mental health. It's profound, moving, and unputdownable.
Dyer's sophomore novel is a must-read for fans of historical fiction and family sagas.
Thank you, Atria Books and NetGalley, for my Advance Reader’s Copy for review. All opinions are my own.
The story follows a woman who finds out her mother was a famous country star. When her own life starts to unravel, she digs into her mother's past and the curse that plagued the women in her family.
The dual POV moves between past and present, mother and daughter, and it kept the narrative flowing. I could not put it down. Both perspectives were intriguing. The mother's journey to stardom included the darker side of fame, her heartbreaks, and the price she paid. The daughter's coming-of-age story led into her grappling with infertility and a complicated relationship with her mother's friends.
That daughter's timeline ran decades after her mother's rise, and the distance between the two showed in how the industry itself changed. The Nashville country music scene felt vivid, and the book captured what it was like for women trying to make it as singers in the 60s and 70s. The portrayal of hiding same-sex relationships was true to the time, with the real risk of career ruin and social stigma.
It was against that backdrop that Belle, the mother, intrigued me from the moment she entered the page. She had a secret, a passion for music and songwriting, and a curse to boot. I was enthralled reading her POV, especially the darker side of the curse. It kept me asking, is it really a curse? That question carried straight into Rhea's chapters, the daughter whose own childhood mirrored her mother's in ways that felt too close to be coincidence. Her unraveling was visceral, and I kept wondering if it was memory, or the curse.
The best moment for me, the one that made me teary, was when the truth about the curse came out and the daughter learned she was not alone. It was a powerful, tender scene.
This novel explores the different facets of family and the generational impact of mental health. It's profound, moving, and unputdownable.
Dyer's sophomore novel is a must-read for fans of historical fiction and family sagas.
Thank you, Atria Books and NetGalley, for my Advance Reader’s Copy for review. All opinions are my own.
August 21, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.
I’m always drawn to generational stories about women, especially where the characters slowly learn more about themselves and each other as the story moves between the past and the present.
Night Songs follows Rhea, who learns on her eighteenth birthday that her mother was legendary country singer Lulabelle “Belle” Powers and that she has inherited her estate. As she begins digging into Belle’s life and music, she also learns about a family curse that dooms the women in her family line to die at age thirty-three, the same age Belle was when she died in a plane crash.
The book alternates between Rhea learning about her mother’s life in the present and Belle as she rises to fame in the country music world of the 1970s. Running through both timelines is the idea of the cursed woman, and that belief becomes about more than the fear of dying young. There’s something powerful in the idea of a woman growing up believing that suffering has been passed down to her, and that no matter how hard she tries, she may never fully escape what came before her. You really feel for both Rhea and Belle as they struggle against that idea, and the looming possibility that Rhea will die at thirty-three adds an element of suspense and tension throughout the story.
There’s a lot going on here—mental illness, addiction, abuse, sexuality, family history, and the music industry—but it never feels like too much. At its heart, this is a story about relationships and love between women, whether that’s romantic love, sisterhood, mothers and daughters, or found mothers and daughters. There’s also a beautiful LGBT romance that is especially powerful within the world of 1970s country music, when these relationships were far less accepted. There’s a real sense throughout the book of women fighting to find lives and relationships that make them happy in a world that keeps pushing against them.
Music ties all of it together. It becomes a way for these women to understand one another, connect across generations, and heal. Watching Rhea learn who her mother really was through the life and music Belle left behind is extremely touching. I was more drawn to Belle’s sections overall because her story is so compelling, although Rhea’s storyline became much stronger for me toward the end.
I do think it’s worth mentioning that Night Songs has been described in places as horror, folklore, and fantasy. There are elements of all three, but they’re fairly light. If you go into this expecting a straightforward horror or fantasy novel, you may be disappointed. The story stays much more grounded in reality, which worked well for me because it makes what these women go through feel more palpable and gives you a tremendous amount of empathy for both Rhea and Belle.
The writing is strong and the characters are rich and layered, even the secondary characters. It’s a dark story in a lot of places, but ultimately a very touching one. It made me want to put on a Patsy Cline album and hug my mom, which is probably the best way I can describe how it left me feeling. I’d definitely read more from Alli Dyer.
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I’m always drawn to generational stories about women, especially where the characters slowly learn more about themselves and each other as the story moves between the past and the present.
Night Songs follows Rhea, who learns on her eighteenth birthday that her mother was legendary country singer Lulabelle “Belle” Powers and that she has inherited her estate. As she begins digging into Belle’s life and music, she also learns about a family curse that dooms the women in her family line to die at age thirty-three, the same age Belle was when she died in a plane crash.
The book alternates between Rhea learning about her mother’s life in the present and Belle as she rises to fame in the country music world of the 1970s. Running through both timelines is the idea of the cursed woman, and that belief becomes about more than the fear of dying young. There’s something powerful in the idea of a woman growing up believing that suffering has been passed down to her, and that no matter how hard she tries, she may never fully escape what came before her. You really feel for both Rhea and Belle as they struggle against that idea, and the looming possibility that Rhea will die at thirty-three adds an element of suspense and tension throughout the story.
There’s a lot going on here—mental illness, addiction, abuse, sexuality, family history, and the music industry—but it never feels like too much. At its heart, this is a story about relationships and love between women, whether that’s romantic love, sisterhood, mothers and daughters, or found mothers and daughters. There’s also a beautiful LGBT romance that is especially powerful within the world of 1970s country music, when these relationships were far less accepted. There’s a real sense throughout the book of women fighting to find lives and relationships that make them happy in a world that keeps pushing against them.
Music ties all of it together. It becomes a way for these women to understand one another, connect across generations, and heal. Watching Rhea learn who her mother really was through the life and music Belle left behind is extremely touching. I was more drawn to Belle’s sections overall because her story is so compelling, although Rhea’s storyline became much stronger for me toward the end.
I do think it’s worth mentioning that Night Songs has been described in places as horror, folklore, and fantasy. There are elements of all three, but they’re fairly light. If you go into this expecting a straightforward horror or fantasy novel, you may be disappointed. The story stays much more grounded in reality, which worked well for me because it makes what these women go through feel more palpable and gives you a tremendous amount of empathy for both Rhea and Belle.
The writing is strong and the characters are rich and layered, even the secondary characters. It’s a dark story in a lot of places, but ultimately a very touching one. It made me want to put on a Patsy Cline album and hug my mom, which is probably the best way I can describe how it left me feeling. I’d definitely read more from Alli Dyer.
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January 2, 2026
I received an advanced copy of Night Songs by Alli Dyer from NetGalley and Atria books in exchange for my honest review. I chose this book because its premise is vastly different from what I’ve been reading lately. The story vacillates between two different points of view from two different time periods. We begin with Rhea in 1995, who lives with her aunt and uncle in a very Harry Potter-esque scenario: unwanted child, mean aunt, creepy uncle, scourge of the earth dead parents. We soon learn that Rhea is the orphaned daughter of country music legend Lulabelle Powers (her personality and lewk as big as Dolly Parton herself), and the story shifts back and forth in time between Lulabelle’s and Rhea’s lives. Both women fear a familial curse that kills all women in the family by the age of 33. Lulabelle suffers alone, but Rhea finds (and sometimes evades) support from her husband and her mother’s best friend (and love of her life, we later learn), Hess.
I actually enjoyed the shifting, and sometimes mimicking, viewpoints between mother and daughter. The twist was foreshadowed from the start and I think it was handled well. I liked the premise a lot because it is so different from what I have been reading - it was fun to read about Nashville and country music. My only complaints are that the writing and character development are, at points, a little bit clunky. You can tell that there are a few kinks to work out. I went back and re-read the beginning chapter of the book and it felt like a totally different story than the end. I also liked Rhea’s character a lot more than her mother, who was self-absorbed, self-serving, and kind of annoying.
Still, a nice book with an entertaining story. It was so fun to read something in advance of its publication date!
I actually enjoyed the shifting, and sometimes mimicking, viewpoints between mother and daughter. The twist was foreshadowed from the start and I think it was handled well. I liked the premise a lot because it is so different from what I have been reading - it was fun to read about Nashville and country music. My only complaints are that the writing and character development are, at points, a little bit clunky. You can tell that there are a few kinks to work out. I went back and re-read the beginning chapter of the book and it felt like a totally different story than the end. I also liked Rhea’s character a lot more than her mother, who was self-absorbed, self-serving, and kind of annoying.
Still, a nice book with an entertaining story. It was so fun to read something in advance of its publication date!
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