Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Hale Street #11

Heartstrings

Rate this book
“This story of Gin and Tucker sucked me in on page one and did not let go.”—Reader reviewA distraction could cost him everything… Country music is singer-songwriter Tucker Steele’s lifeblood. When his band’s record label smacks them with a setback, Tucker’s strategy is to hit the studio hard and create the best album of their career. Problem is, the songs are coming out shallow and uninspired, no matter what he tries…until he meets a girl named Gin who has a way with music.Cello virtuoso Gin Verdinelli recently dropped out of a prestigious music conservatory, walking away from everything she’d worked toward for most of her life. After a move to Nashville, she yearns to build a “normal” life, one where she—and others—can discover who she is outside of music. Catching a country singer’s attention is far from normal, but she can’t resist being drawn into Tucker’s world.Tucker can’t afford a distraction, can’t afford to notice anything but Gin’s talent, but the more he spends time with her, the more time he wants to spend with her…until the band suffers a devastating blow. Can he give the band the dedication it requires and still be the man Gin deserves?Heartstrings is a stand-alone story with a heartwarming HEA in the Hale Street series, which includes these books by Amy SpotSweet DreamsSoft SpotOne and OnlyLast First KissHeartstringsThe North Brothers series is a spin-off of Hale Street and includes these stand-alone NorthTrue ColorsTrue BlueTrue HarmonyTrue HeroImmerse yourself in the Hale Street world instantly!

280 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 5, 2018

129 people are currently reading
204 people want to read

About the author

Amy Knupp

98 books591 followers
Amy Knupp is a USA Today Best-Selling author of contemporary romance and a freelance copy editor. She loves words and grammar and meaty, engrossing stories with complex characters.

Amy lives in Wisconsin with her husband, and has two sons, four cats, and a box turtle. She graduated from the University of Kansas with degrees in French and journalism. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, breaking up cat fights, watching college hoops, and annoying her family by correcting their grammar.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
146 (58%)
4 stars
73 (29%)
3 stars
26 (10%)
2 stars
4 (1%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
Profile Image for Wendy Keel.
419 reviews47 followers
June 6, 2018
Okay I have to first admit that I have NOT read the other Hale Street books...........sad I know, but now I want to....and will soon! With that said I can say that I was not lost, there are recurring characters and I know their stories are told in previous books but I didn't feel like somehow I was missing part of the story. Ms. Knupp has done a great job writing a book that keeps you turning pages, eager to learn more, and yet a little worried about finishing too soon. The characters are engaging, well written and believable. I was fascinated by Ms. Knupps characterization of not just the characters, but the setting, and the world of Country Music, music, and all that goes into it. She made it all seem so very real, I did wonder just which Country star she may have followed to learn all of this. HEARTSTRINGS will in fact pull at your heart strings and make you smile, sigh, and at times dream. I loved everything about this great story. I highly recommend HEARTSTRINGS to one and all. Fans of contemporary romance, small towns (even though it's not a "small" town the story reads as such), great characters, and stories that pull you in from the first word, you need to add this one to your shopping list TODAY! Can't wait to read more!!!! Great job Ms. Knupp.
Profile Image for BookAddict.
2,073 reviews207 followers
May 26, 2018
A relationship is the last thing Gin or Tucker has in mind. Gin has put her cello career behind her and is settling into the Nashville music scene, working as the manager of a guitar and drum store. Tucker is focused on revitalizing his band, Steele Hearts, after their third album’s mediocre success and a canceled tour. But Gin seems to have an intuitive knack about what the band's work in progress needs, and her genuine, humble, down-to-earth personality draws Tucker in.

Gin says about Tucker's music, “It’s the kind of song that resonates from the first notes and doesn’t let you go until the last one fades away.” That’s how Heartstrings is – resonating from the very first word and hanging on long after the last. This author has fast become a favorite of mine due to her masterful, lyrical writing and the pure perfection of her finished product. I’ve read several of the Island Fire books, but the early copy I read of Heartstrings is my first in the Hale Street series . This book is Knupp's best work yet! The colorful descriptions make the scenes come alive, the emotion and chemistry between Gin and Tucker is a sight to behold, the there's so much heart and emotion that the reader is drenched in it as she finds herself fully immersed in the story and invested in seeing Gin and Tucker on their way to happily ever after.

I loved both of these characters! Aside from falling victim of doing the right thing for the wrong reason, Tucker was a genuinely good guy with a surprising amount of humility for a rock star and a huge heart, and his grand gesture was epic and beautiful enough to make even the most jaded heart swoon. Gin was so perfect – sweet and smart but figuring out who she was after a major life change, and the kind of girl we'd all love to have for a BFF. Together, they were amazing, and this quote from the book sums it up perfectly: “She let those words sink in, fill up all the cracks and tears in her heart. It was as if her soul clicked into its rightful place in the universe, entwined with his.”

With a compelling, heartfelt storyline and endearing, realistic secondary characters, I loved everything about Heartstrings and plan to visit Hale Street again soon. Head over to the 1-Click and prepare to be sucked into this fantastic book world!

*I reviewed this book freely and voluntarily, having made no commitment to provide a review and receiving no compensation of any kind from any source for this review.
Profile Image for Kristen Johnson.
1,173 reviews48 followers
June 6, 2018
Heartstrings sucked me in from the first page, I was drawn to Tucker and Gin and the undeniable connection between them. From the start, I was curious to know more about Gin, to understand who she was and how music was a part of her and why she wasn't letting that part of her out completely. I was enamored by Tucker and his heart torn in two - the band he loved, the music that fulfilled him and what was happening between him and Gin.



Amy Knupp did a great job of building up the tension between these two, of adding just the right amount of angst to keep you guessing if things would work out or not. Gin wanted nothing more than to find a "normal" in Nashville and Tucker wants to get things back on track with his band, neither is looking for love, but somehow Love finds them anyways as happens in the real world.



These two have such a unique bond between them, a perfect fit if you will but that doesn't mean their path isn't without it's problems. Knupp handled that with vivid writing and characters who not only feel real - they are relatable. There's a clear connection to be made between reader and characters which only adds to the emotions the story brings out.



With a cast of fun side characters, Hale Street always feels like joining a family and becoming a part of the intricate lives of it's residents.
Profile Image for Marija.
698 reviews45 followers
June 6, 2018
It is my first Hale Street book and I fell in love with this music world that the author created and she is becoming one of my favorite authors to read.
This story is about Tucker and Gin Verdinelli, both musicians, one is lead singer and writer of his bands music.Their tour is canceled and he plans to make andother album that will be better and filled with hits.
Gin is ex chello virtuoso that decided to change her life and leave it all behind and start something fresh.
They both meet in the music shop where she is playing one of Tucker's songs with her boss but changing it in her own way and he realises that he needs to change something in his music.
Hot this story will continue and how it will develop, you will have to read it by yourself, I'm not gonna give you any spoilers here.
I enjoyed reading this book and can't wait for the next one.
178 reviews2 followers
June 7, 2018
Heartstrings is a story about music, about exploring and understanding emotions, about friendship, love and family.
The result is an incredibly enjoyable, joyful book that inspires and moves the soul.
It features a group of lively, captivating and vividly depicted characters, many of them the protagonists of the previous books in the series. Their constant presence, often in key roles, fills the storyline with little cameo episodes that add depth to the narration and make the plot rich and engaging.
The two protagonists are beautiful characters.
I particularly loved Gin, the heroine. She is a sweet, selfless and caring soul, but also an intelligent and determined woman. After deciding to abandon a promising career as a classical cellist, she moves to Nashville to find her true self and figure out her real life aspirations. Gin is an extremely talented individual, but never boasts her abilities. Of course, her musical sensitivity is an important part of her personality that permeates through all her behaviours and actions. Normally a shy and reserved person, Gin bravely summons the courage to speak her mind revealing her thoughts and feelings when necessary. Her relationship with Tucker is open, happy and luminous. They challenge and support each other, bringing out the best in each of them.
Tucker is also intelligent, sensitive and extremely talented. A musician with a knack for science, he is committed, hard working, sensitive and, as every other poet, tormented. Overall, he has pretty unusual traits for a rising country music star, and these make his character original, interesting and fresh. I loved the lively pictorial descriptions of his outfits, where hats and T-shirts are always a mirror of his personality and of his moods.
In the end, Heartstrings leaves the reader with the feeling of having attended a well written and orchestrated choral piece, with two captivating lead roles. A convincing performance, full of credible emotions, permeated by the music that transpires from every single word.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book. Opinions and comments are solely my own.
799 reviews3 followers
June 6, 2018
I received the ARC of Heartstrings from the author in exchange for an honest review. First I am a fan of this writer and have enjoyed her other series but have only read one other book in this series. Heartstrings is everything a book that takes place in Nashville should be. In this story we meet Gin, who has moved to Nashville to escape her life of classical cello studies and performing. She is working in a musical instrument store, but has tried to move away from her musical past as she felt it defined all of her life. While working at the store, she meets Tucker Steele, who is the lead singer of a somewhat successful band. I pictured Luke Bryan, but up to your interpretation.

They meet because of his music and they begin a friendship that has an underlying attraction. As their relationship develops, Gin is worried that he only sees her for her musical talents, and does not want to go backwards in her process to move away from her former all encompassing musician's life. As much as I liked the book and the characters, this was the point that I had a hard time understanding. First because I don't have that type of gift, so I did not understand that she felt it was a burden or overshadowed the rest of her life. I mean would she rather he wants her just for her body?!?

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and the characters. The story line was great and made me want to read more books in this series. The secondary characters not only make me want to read their stories, but move to Hale Street so they will be my friends!!
1,649 reviews5 followers
June 5, 2018
Fall in love with Hale Street!

Tucker Steele needed to write some new music for the next album or he felt his band would be dropped from the label after their third record didn’t sell well and their concert tour was cancelled after the first half. After not being able to write a new song, Tucker heard Gin Verdinelli playing a song with his drummer that he had written and improved it. Tucker wanted to know her better but he was so focused on his music he almost missed on a relationship with Gin. Gin hadn’t played her cello since she had dropped out of her conservatory program in her final year when she felt she couldn’t do it for the rest of her life. Gin was very interested in Tucker but she felt he was out of her league.

Heartstrings by Amy Knupp is another book in the Hale Street series that are all centered on stories about people who live and work together. I love to read books that are all standalone but are interconnected in the same world where I don’t have to read the books in order.
Profile Image for Ann-Maree.
1,105 reviews10 followers
June 3, 2018
What a wonderful story this book was I have only read one other book by Amy Knupp at this time and it was not from this Hale Street Series. This book is about following your dreams and heart as well as learning to take the advice of other on your journey to find your true self. Who doesn’t love a country singer that has a heart of gold and the desire to make it big? I received an ARC copy of this book and this is my voluntary and honest review of it. As this book is number 11 in the series it is safe to say it can be read as a stand-alone but I am sure if you had read some of the other books you would we familiar with some of the great characters in this book. There seems to be a great close group of friends in this series that gives this story a great feel and want you to go back and read the other stories to find out more about them all.
My full review can be read at www.readingfortheloveofbooks.com
2,024 reviews8 followers
June 5, 2018
Even if you are not a country music fan, you will still want to read this book. I was so drawn in by the realness of the characters and the struggles that both of them went through - also loved the humor, the sense of family among the members of the band/their significant others, and seeing some of the characters from previous Hale Street books.

Tucker felt the pressure to write more hit songs since the band's last album didn't do as well as their first two. He also felt like he needed to concentrate on his music to the exclusion of having a relationship - but was that true? Gin left being a cello virtuoso to start her life over in a new city and wanted nothing more than to lead a "normal" life. But did that mean she had to totally avoid music? And were her parents disappointed by her decision?
1,174 reviews12 followers
June 4, 2018
I love this book and this series. I love how these books are interconnected but still can be enjoyed as standalones. This book is one of my favorite in the series. Even though Gin walked away from studying the cello, she is passionate about music and very gifted. When Tucker, a country music star, hears his music a new way, Tucker wants to know Gin better. As Tucker spends more time with Gin, he becomes captivated. I received a free copy of this book from the author. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. Amy Knupp draws her characters so well, I feel like I know them. Hale Street is a creative energizing place to visit. I recommend this book and series.
Profile Image for Angel.
137 reviews3 followers
June 5, 2018
I absolutely loved this book. Tucker Steele is the songwriter and lead singer of the group Steele Hearts. He has writers’ block. Gin manages Micah’s music store. She’s a woman of secrets and along with Tucker we get to uncover them, one by one. Gin is a genius with music and gives Tucker some pointers. Spending time with Gin gets the creative juices flowing again. This was a sweet, smooth-flowing, emotional story about two people finding themselves and each other. I think this is the best Hale Street story yet. They just keep getting better and better.
I received an ARC copy and am voluntarily providing an honest review.
864 reviews8 followers
February 15, 2024
A country music hit

This was a tremendously fun read where classical cello meets country music, people learn to fllow their heart, and lives are transformed. I love the way Gin impacted country artist Tucker's music, his creativity, and his life. She grew from being a runaway from a classical music program, into a 'normal' girl making friends and starting a new career in the vibrant, urban renewal community of Hale Street. It was rather interesting to meet so many of the entrepreneurs and friends who call Hale Street home. It was clear that this book was providing a wrap for the series.

I bought a copy of this story from Amazon and voluntarily chose to share my review.
55 reviews2 followers
June 5, 2018
Wonderful Story!

I enjoyed this up-close look at songwriting and the music industry--but I loved watching Gin "grow into herself" and discover who she really was even more; it was like watching a bud unfurl and come into full bloom. It took the swoon-worthy Tucker awhile, but he also figured out what was most important.

Amy is offering a terrific prize with the release of this book--and it includes a pair of earrings I made! (Offer available only to U.S. residents.) http://preview.mailerlite.com/j1g6x1

To see my custom jewelry, visit Facebook: @BarbsOutlet.
4,504 reviews38 followers
June 6, 2018
I am a huge music fan and a huge Amy Knupp fan so I knew I would love this book. The firefighters books are great but my heart belongs to Hale Street. This story of Gin and Tucker sucked me in on page one and did not let go. I believe it was 5:30 am when I got to bed. I I know better than to start a Hale Street book late but did not want to wait another day! I loved Gin's list of things to do. This is another amazing book about the wonderful world on Hale Street. The characters are complex and believable. The story is well done. I highly recommend all the Hale Street books.
1,136 reviews2 followers
July 25, 2023
Loved this book. Loved all of the Nashville references. Tucker is such a sweetheart, but is determined to put his career first and does not have time for love. He will do friends though. He respects Gin musically and they click on that. He accepts, even asks for, her creative input to his songs. The more time he spends with here the better his songs become, because now, he is writing with feelings, he just does not realize it. Then he is dealt a blow and turns away from Gin. Finally realizing it was a big mistake. Well done.


Profile Image for Janet Graham.
2,506 reviews11 followers
June 5, 2018
Nashville Romance
What a warm and heart-felt romance! This is a wonderful and satisfying romance set with a country music -Nashville background. The story is totally believable and satisfies the soul. The 'X' rated bits are easily passed over without losing any of the story. Realistic, emotional and well thought out plot!
I received this book for free and voluntarily chose to post my honest review.
Profile Image for Ashley Shannon.
37 reviews
June 6, 2018
This is the first of the Hale Street series I have read and I plan on reading more. I was drawn into Tucker and Gin’s story from page 1 and enjoyed learning about them. There are recurring characters from previous books, I will have to get them as well. Overall, the storyline was something different from what I’ve been reading lately, the characters were well written and I look forward to the next in this series. A book was given for an honest review.
Profile Image for Lorie - Bookaholic.
364 reviews19 followers
July 11, 2025
Something's missing

Country music, cello style. Dip your toes into some country music.

I love Amy Knupp' books, and the Hale Street Series is one of my favorite, but I was looking for something like 'Nashville meets the Symphony' ....but didn't happen. Being the last book in the series, I had hoped it would have been a knockout. Maybe I missed something.

Anyway, happy reading everyone.


Profile Image for Ruby.
190 reviews5 followers
June 5, 2018
I just finished reading an ARC of Heartstrings, and decided to write my review while my heart was still smiling. Heartstrings is a fast paced involved romance that takes you through the start of a relationship, heartache, and onto a happily ever after, that you will remember for a long time to come. Don't miss one of the best books of the Summer. A must read.
82 reviews1 follower
May 30, 2018
This book is amazing! You are taken on a behind the scene glimpse into the world of a county music singer. He comes to a crossroads when he feels pressured to choose between his career and his heart. Watching these two come together really shows how love can find you when you least expect it. Such a great love story!
Profile Image for BP34.
6,278 reviews46 followers
June 4, 2018
This is the eleventh book in the Hale Street Series. You'll enjoy the story of Gin and Tucker. Heartwarming and emotional. Follow the life of a country music singer and all the demands on him. Great characters and an entertaining read. I read a reader copy and voluntarily chose to write a review.
863 reviews12 followers
June 7, 2018
This is one more fantastic book by Amy Knupp! It is the first Hale Street series book I have read but I enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed the firefighter books. Amy pulls you in on the first page and you stay up way too late reading. I love her characters and their interactions. I am always sorry when the book ends.
23 reviews
April 25, 2023
last book in The Hale Street series.

I’ve loved reading this series, love how the characters from each book continue into all the books. If this was an actual place I would love to visit it. Really came alive in my imagination. The three authors wrote a wonderful series, if you ever write anymore I for one will read them. Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous ❤️
168 reviews
April 10, 2024
The Story of Tucker, the lead singer in Steel Hearts, and Gin, a world-renowned cellist who walked away from her career. Hunter's writer's block for his songs is helped along by Gin and she adds a certain recognition of what's wrong with the songs to help Hunter. This was my favorite of the Hale Street books, but I loved them all.
Profile Image for Nikki.
734 reviews7 followers
June 5, 2018
Heartstrings by Amy Knupp is a 5 star read.
What I love most about Amy Knupp is that I’m guaranteed an amazing story every time I pick up one of her books, each is different but equally good. I would highly recommend her books every time.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book
1,246 reviews10 followers
May 10, 2022
Looking

Tucker is the lead singer and working on his next album only problem is he doesn't have any material. Enter Gin a sexy girl who helps him out. Their story is full of complications. Great story though.
Profile Image for Katheryn Bargas.
310 reviews
February 11, 2025
Omg! This blew me away!

Amy Knapp is pure magic. This story has all the feels, keeps you hooked from the beginning and never lets you go!
!I've and heartbreak and HEA! You never want the story to end.
94 reviews
October 3, 2025
I love these books! This story has ups and downs like any relationship and gives the reader a view of the music business. It always feels good with a HEA story. Can't wait to read another book by thos amazing author!
4,534 reviews29 followers
January 13, 2023
Likeable characters and a satisfying story. I think I liked this one best of the series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.