Third in the Cadillac, Texas trilogy!

The Yellow Rose Beauty Shop 

by Carolyn Brown

I love this cover!

Piper, Charlotte, and Stella have been best friends...well, forever! They each know the others' deepest and darkest secrets...or do they? Evidently not...as we discover in the beginning of this story about poor Stella and her mother, Nancy's, determination to 'marry her off'! Nancy should have known better than to enlist the help of the Prayer Angels led by Heather when she spoke up:

  "Pray for my daughter. She needs a husband." (1)

Which was then posted verbatim on the sign in the churchyard the very next morning, and set off the 'shit storm' with which both Stella and Nancy must deal over the next few months. As Piper so elegantly put it,
"Hey, Stella, have you seen the billboard in front of the church? I saw it when I took the boys to day care. Who's got a pregnant daughter in town?" (6)
Then Charlotte echoes the same sentiments as she walks in:
"...what does that sign mean? Who's pregnant? Who is getting a baby by Mother's Day? Boone and I've decided to wait two years to get pregnant. Mama says that I shouldn't start a family when I'm past thirty, but if we wait two years then I'll only be twenty-nine when the baby comes. Now, would somebody please tell me whose daughter needs a husband because she's pregnant?" (7)
And, like Piper, Charlotte immediately believes Stella IS pregnant! 
  "Some friends you are. I'll say it one more time--I am not pregnant. I can't believe Mama did this. She's lived here her whole life and she knows how folks talk. This could ruin our business. You know what small-town gossip can do. We don't need a scandal like this." ...
  "The town is barely big enough for two beauty shops as it is, and we've just now got things built up and..." (7) 
And then she bursts into tears. Though Trixie reminds them,
"I understand how you feel, but don't worry about the shop. If we've proven anything up at Clawdy's, it's that gossip is damn good for business." (8) 
(See The Blue-Ribbon Jalapeño Society Jubilee for proof of that.) The same proved to be very true for Carlene, Alma Grace, and Patrice at Bless My Bloomers, too (The Red-Hot Chili Cook-Off)! 

  "I've never seen you cry like this," Charlotte said.
  "Not since that rotten boy ruined your reputation our sophomore year," Piper said.
  "I'd almost forgotten about that son of a bitch," Charlotte said. (8)
Awww...but Stella certainly had not forgotten, not one bit, which explained her reluctance to tell all about her love life! Piper said she should be pissed...and:
"She was pissed--God almighty, but she was pissed--but a tiny little part of her heart understood that her mama only had her best interests at heart. Too bad that little 10 percent couldn't do anything about the pissed-off 90 percent." (9)

Nancy enters the shop and no one says a word...until she asks why everyone's so quiet. She brings out her favorite saying, "Lord love a duck," (13) and admits she had no idea the other Angels would react this way and spread such gossip. When she tries to get the others to trim her hair (Piper whispers to her, "I wouldn't trust her with scissors if I was you." (14)), Piper states aloud,
  "Not on your life. I wouldn't touch anyone's hair who's prayin' for a marriage to take place. I wouldn't wish a damn husband on my worst enemy, and Stella is my friend." (14) 
You see, Piper is still in the throes of bitterness due to her ex-husband's adultery and unwilling to believe any woman could ever be happy married, or that it will last! (I could relate to that belief, since it required years for me to soften up on that hard-core attitude following my own spouse's betrayal and resulting divorce!) However, Charlotte is currently engaged and planning a wedding, so Piper must tamp down her own negativity to support one of her very best friends. And Charlotte politely declines the offer to cut Nancy's hair:
  "No, ma'am. I have to work every day with Stella. If I cut your hair she'll think I'm on your side. I wish Stella could find someone to love her like Boone loves me, but it would be wise if you'd take her name off the list and let her do her own husband hunting." (14)

However, in so many ways, her mother needn't worry... Just because her daughter has chosen not to inform anyone of recent changes in her own personal life, that doesn't mean she needs help, at least not this kind of 'help'! :) Ah...the dangers of exposing your own personal hopes and fears to others, especially in Cadillac, Texas! 

Agnes befriends Stella in her battle against Heather (and Violet): "Us redheads got to stick together." (32) And they do! The shit storm truly heats up when Heather decides this is her 'golden opportunity' to establish a 'marriage ministry' with Stella to be the first woman she successfully marries off, and to raise money she plans a 'barbecue ball' ("glorified barn dance" according to Agnes) with single women on one side and single males on the other, to be paired off for the evening through a random drawing of names. Once Violet becomes her staunch ally in this plan, Agnes makes her own plans! And when Agnes plans...well, let's just say, I would always want her to be on 'my side'! :) Who comes out the winner in this battle of wills? 

Piper finally has the opportunity to directly stand up to her ex-husband after he literally and figuratively infiltrates her personal space and demands his summer visitation with their sons, taking them away with him. I loved how she worked this all out: moving and not giving him her new personal address, insisting they always meet at the shop in the future. And Stella's parents get to spend their time helping Piper and her sons...in preparation for their own grandchildren? Well, who knows? 

I admit I initially found it just a wee bit difficult to fully 'suspend my disbelief' with some aspects of this book, though I suppose anything is possible. Cadillac is such a small town and yet twice now (the first time was in The Blue-Ribbon Jalapeño Society Jubilee) a man has been sneaking into a woman's house to make love to her and no one notices! Ah, well...okay, I'm in, regardless of my first reaction! :) And I admit I found it a bit strange that your two best friends would not only have keys to your house, but would feel free to wonder in and out of it at will. Not me! I want my house to myself unless I specifically invite someone to visit! ;) It worked well for the three of them, well, perhaps not so much at times for Stella and her man... :)

What happens in the end, you might ask? Well, you should read it to find out! It even seems that Piper has softened up a bit regarding males toward the book's end! There are many other surprises, too, and most people appear to be quite happy, well, perhaps not Heather...or Violet...but did they deserve to have their dreams come true? And I'm really anxious to see what the new flower shop owner has to contribute to Cadillac! (Hint to Carolyn's editor!)  However, until then, The Wedding Pearls is due to be released December 15th! Another women's fiction entry for Brown. Perhaps a nice gift suggestion? 

As Charlotte's grandmother always said, 
  When life gives you lemons, make chocolate chip cookies and make the whole world wonder what you've been up to." (81) 
Ah, yes, make 'em wonder...that is my plan! :)

Not just any old Cadillac Jubilee! :)

The Blue-Ribbon Jalapeño Society Jubilee

by Carolyn Brown

I was quite curious about this book as I began reading it for our Borders Book Club meeting in June 2015. I try to never 'research' a book much before reading it because I want my reaction to be as unbiased as possible; my goal is to always open myself to the reading experience with as few preconceived notions as possible. However, I did know that Carolyn Brown had written a ton of romance, so I was a bit hesitant since romance is a genre I typically do not read or enjoy much. I was pleasantly surprised by Brown's enjoyable writing style with that southern humor built in. 

All members really liked this book! It was great fun to discuss all the humorous (and some serious) incidents and comments!! It made for lots of laughter and shaking of heads! 

And how did this Jalapeño Society start? 
  More than forty years ago, Grayson County and Fannin County women were having a heated argument over who could grow the hottest jalapeños in  North Texas. Idalou Thomas, over in Fannin County, had won the contest for her jalapeño cornbread and her jalapeño pepper jelly for so many years that most people dropped plumb out of the running. But that year, Claudia's mamma decided to try a little something different, and she watered her pepper plants with the water she used to rinse out her unmentionables. That was the very year that Fannin County lost their title in all of the jalapeño categories to Grayson County at the Texas State Fair. They brought home a blue ribbon in every category that had anything to do with growing or cooking jalapeño peppers. That was also the year that Violet Prescott and several other women formed the Blue-Ribbon Jalapeño Society. The next fall they held their first annual Blue-Ribbon Jalapeño Society Jubilee in Cadillac, Texas. 

...Idalou died right after [that] first Jubilee, and folks in Fannin County almost brought murder charges against Claudia's mamma for breaking poor old Idalou's heart. (9)
Hah! That's probably not far from the truth! Some people take their State Fair competitions very seriously! 

We all pretty much agreed that Agnes was our favorite character. There was no-thing and no-one she wouldn't tackle--literally and figuratively! As Marty mused
  God Almighty, but she'd be glad when her great-aunt died and she could quit the club. but it looked like Agnes was going to last forever, which was no surprise. God sure didn't want her in heaven, and the devil wouldn't have her in hell. (4)
Hah! My kinda woman! :) And there was the time she almost shot Trixie:
  "We heard a gunshot," Jack said.
  "That would be my shotgun. It's up there on the floor. Knocked me right on my ass. I forgot that it had a kick. Loud sumbitch messed up my hearing." Agnes hollered and reached up to tough her kinky red hair. (15) 
Agnes had rushed across the street to 'save' Trixie from the man Agnes saw attacking her in her upstairs bedroom, shot a hole in the upstairs hall ceiling just outside Trixie's room, and immediately had the town cops in Trixie's house. There was no love lost between Agnes and Trixie. Trixie realized it was the candlelight that threw two shadows against her window shades and got Agnes all upset.  
Lord, Agnes Flynn was a meddlesome old witch. Claudia Burton Andrews had taken care of Agnes like she was her mother instead of her aunt, and she'd passed the legacy of looking after her on down to Cathy and Marty. But Trixie damn sure hadn't taken on the job of caring for the nosy old toot, so she could keep her red hair, stinky getup, and shotgun across the street. (19)
Darla Jean helps Trixie debrief,
"You almost got caught, girl! God is talkin' to you pretty strong. He's sayin' that if you don't give up your wickedness, he's goin' to stop talkin' and let Agnes take care of things. You want that?"
  "Hell no! I'd rather face off with the devil as that old girl. But I'm not giving up my Wednesday nights either. I'll just be more careful." (25)
And exactly what is she doing on those nights? 

Then when Violet lies about Agnes's niece, Catherine, right in church no less...
  Damn! Where was that shotgun when Agnes needed it, anyway? Well, a woman worked with what she had and since her shotgun was at home, she doubled up her fist and decked Violet right there in front of the people, the preacher, and even God. ...dead silence reigned. It damn near broke her knuckles, but it was worth every bit of it. (163)
Oh, Agnes, if only I could just once let loose like that with no recriminations or paybacks! :) Haven't we all had times when we would have loved to do just that?!? 

And what would happen if (or perhaps more accurately when) Cadillac discovered the true identity of Candy Parker? Better yet, who would admit to knowing about Candy's books? 
  When her first book sold and her editor asked her if she was going to write under her name or an assumed one, she made the decision to use the pseudonym Candy Parker. She didn't intend for anyone in Cadillac ever to know that she was writing erotic romance. So Candy Parker...was her second secret. The first being keeping...Agnes out of the social club, no matter what the cost. (33) 
And why is it so very important that Agnes not become a member of the 'social club'? Granted, Violet is the president and that would undoubtedly lead to trouble...but...

What about Ethan and Anna Ruth? And where do Andy and Catherine fit into all this? Ah, and several different triangles: Violet, Ethan, and Catherine AND Catherine, Andy, Anna Ruth...and... `So many secrets--so little time! 

  Marty waited until she heard the back door slam and pulled out her phone. "I'll call Jack. You call Cathy. This is too damn good to wait until morning."
  Trixie giggled as she dialed the phone.
  Blue-Ribbon Jalapeño Society--who gives a shit?
  Friendship--always and forever priceless. (321)

I admit to feeling as if there were perhaps a few too many truly evil/bad characters in this book who appeared to have not one redeeming quality. In my experience, each of us is a mixture of 'good' and 'bad'...but that certainly didn't diminish my enjoyment of the book overall, and I was so curious to see what the second installment in this trilogy, The Red-Hot Chili Cook-Off, had in store. Here is what Carolyn Brown had to say in our interview with her!

Bonds can be formed in many ways...

A Single Thread by Marie Bostwick

This is the first in the Cobbled Court Quilt series, 

which currently consists of 6 books: 

A Single Thread 

A Thread of Truth 

A Thread So Thin 

Threading the Needle 

Ties That Bind 

Apart at the Seams 

Prequel (published 2013): 

Between Heaven and Texas 

See the author's website here.

Ms. Bostwick's descriptions are so realistic I feel as if I am right beside the characters experiencing the same thing, whether it is Evelyn as she first walks through New Bern and discovers the old Pharmacy building which she immediately envisions as a quilt shop (though its current condition is in need of much rehabilitation and repair), or Mary Dell barging into her bedroom to get her out of the doldrums and back into life! I found the characterization to be concise and quite compelling, as were the themes: illness, betrayal of marriage vows, recreating your life from scratch, etc. I truly love this woman's writing style, but disliked what I felt to be a distinct "preachiness" that unless you believe in God and attend church regularly, you cannot be truly happy. I don't believe that, but in addition, I believe it to be rude to try to "convert" others to your belief system, though I'm sure I am in the minority on this. Additionally, I found it just a bit tough to believe that everything literally turned out so perfectly happy in the end.

One of our book club members wanted us to read this book because it reminded her so much of our own group; the close friendships formed among and between us, after having met as total strangers for the "Borders" Fiction Book Club. Once I read it, my reaction was "Awwww...that is just so sweet!" It is remarkable how we can bond so closely through one common interest, although amongst our group, we vary greatly in many other areas of our personalities! This was one of the realizations as we answered the discussion questions. I always remember what I learned from an introductory Sociology course: the variation among the members within any one group is just as great as the variation between/among different groups! That's rather amazing when you consider...diversity is with us at all times; we must decide whether to embrace it, and others...or not. 

I believe this book prompted one of the best discussions our book club has had! Reactions to the book overall varied from "I just LOVED it!!" to "I really liked it." to "It was a bit too religious and Pollyanna-ish for me." to "I found the religious content to be quite disruptive and everything just ended up way too perfect for me." Isn't that neat? I love it when we can discuss our different reactions and better understand others' perspectives! I was a bit relieved that I was not the only person who felt the ending was a bit too perfect, and that everyone achieved happiness only by attending church and discovering or confirming a belief in "God." (The Christian definition of God, of course.) 

Many times the discussion questions in the back of a book are not the best at prompting good discussion. Sometimes they are rather confusing, and other times they just seem silly, but the questions for A Single Thread seemed quite pertinent. As a result, I believe we each learned new things about each other, although we have been meeting at least once a month for over four years! Now that's sayin' something!  

Have you read this book? Or the series? I have now read all 6 books in the series and the prequel, and will post a follow-up review of the series overall. 

Would I recommend this book? Yes...but with the understanding that I felt Bostwick's management of themes and the realities of life improved with each book following this one. This series is definitely worth the time and effort of reading it and I am so very glad I persevered beyond this first installment! 

Let us know your thoughts...now that we have shared ours with you! :)