Do you ever crave a truly LOL funny novel to enjoy and finish in a day or two? I certainly do, on a regular basis actually. ;<) But these kinds of books are not always easy to find.
There's nothing like unwinding and de-stressing and being transported far, far away with memorable characters and an engaging and humorous story.
I recently read
Spring Fever by Mary Kay Andrews, and it had all of the attributes I've mentioned above and then some. I read this book in a couple of days and I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish.
Set in the small town of Passcoe, North Carolina the story begins at the wedding of Mason Bayless and his soon to be second wife: Celia Wakefield. But fate lends a hand and the marriage is (literally) stopped just short of the altar, by Mason's young daughter/flower girl Sophie, who is having issues of her own on that special day.
What follows is a hilarious, sometimes touching, always entertaining story that reveals the secrets of many of Passcoe's colorful residents including Mason's first wife: Annajane Hudgens and Pokie Bayless, her best friend and coincidentally, sister to her now ex-husband Mason.
From the Amazon product page:
"The New York Times bestselling author of Summer Rental delivers
her delicious new escapist novel about small towns, old flames, and deep
secrets.
Annajane Hudgens truly believes she is over her ex-husband, Mason Bayless.
They’ve been divorced for four years, she’s engaged to a new, terrific guy, and
she’s ready to leave the small town where she and Mason had so much history.
She is so over Mason that she has absolutely no problem attending his wedding to
the beautiful, intelligent, delightful Celia. But when fate intervenes and the
wedding is called to a halt as the bride is literally walking down the aisle,
Annajane begins to realize that maybe she’s been given a second chance. Maybe
everything happens for a reason. And maybe, just maybe, she wants Mason back.
But there are secrets afoot in this small southern town. On the peaceful
surface of Hideaway Lake, Annajane discovers that the past is never really
gone. Even if there are people determined to keep Annajane from getting what
she wants, happiness might be hers for the taking, and the life she once had
with Mason in this sleepy lake town might be in her future. "
I can't remember when I laughed so much recently, reading a novel.
Mary Kay Andrews (click to visit her website) has a real gift for bringing characters to life. Her writing is first-rate. Fast-paced but with just enough detail to set the stage perfectly for each chapter to unfold. This was a page-turner at it's entertaining best. I hadn't been familiar with
Ms. Andrews work before this but I will certainly be reading more of her books in the future.
If you are looking for a good "escape" novel with plenty of laughs, romance, small-town intrigue and some surprises along the way, do check this one out. I think you'll be glad you did. :<)
Overall rating for this book: Excellent. 5 out of 5.
