Keeley Murdock's wedding to A.J. Jernigan should have been the social event of the season. But all bets are off when she catches her fiancé doing the deed with her maid of honor at the country club rehearsal dinner. The wedding's off, too, as Keeley pitches the hissy fit of the century, earning herself instant notoriety in the small town of Madison, Georgia.
Now A.J.'s unscrupulous banking family is bringing financial pressure to bear on Keeley's interior design business. But a redheaded stranger in a vintage yellow Cadillac is riding to her rescue. Will Mahoney, the new owner of a failing local bra plant, is about to offer the designing woman just what she needs: a plum decorating assignment, a chance to clear her name, and a golden opportunity to give her cheating varmint of an ex-fiancé the comeuppance he so richly deserves.
Nashville Tennessean
A good old-fashioned romp with a modern Southern belle taking no prisioners...entertains on many levels.
Entertainment Weekly
Southern-fried romp...the furnishing descriptions are scrumptious and the love story’s sweet.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Laced with humor and a sense of place that oozes the aroma of magnolia blossoms.
Memphis Commercial Appeal
Aimed at the shopaholics among us.
Fort Myers (Fla.) News-Press
There’s plenty of substance here for fans of dark comedy and high-end interior design.
St. Petersburg Times
Sweet and light and fun.
Star News (Wilmington
When Andrews throws a fun ‘Hissy Fit,’ just give up, give in...entertaining.
Star News (Wilmington))
"When Andrews throws a fun ‘Hissy Fit,’ just give up, give in...entertaining."
Star News (Wilmington)
"When Andrews throws a fun ‘Hissy Fit,’ just give up, give in...entertaining."
Publishers Weekly
Interior decorator Keeley Rae Murdock has designed her whole life, right down to the antique Oriental rug planned for the foot of her bed. What she never counted on was discovering her fiance, A.J. Jernigan, cavorting with her maid of honor in the middle of her rehearsal dinner. She pitches a hissy fit that reverberates through her tiny hometown of Madison, Ga., and captures the attention of Will Mahoney, a newcomer who recently purchased an antebellum plantation house. Headstrong, freckled Will pressures Keeley to restore the rundown mansion within six months. His plan: to woo a woman whom he has seen only on television by designing the house of her dreams by Christmas. Keeley knows it's an insane plan, but the Jernigans are now trying to put her out of business, so she begrudgingly accepts. As the house comes together, Keeley discovers links between the Jernigan legacy of infidelity and her mother's disappearance many years ago. Darker than the book's fluffy title suggests, this black comedy is riven with shocking secrets. And Keeley's vast knowledge of all things antique offers a fascinating peek into the luscious world of designer home furnishing, sure to make readers drool with envy over sideboards and sofas. Agent, Stuart Krichevsky. (Aug. 22) Forecast: Andrews's Little Bitty Lies built on the success of Savannah Blues, and this sharp Southern treat should bump Andrews up another notch. 12-city author tour. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Library Journal
When 28-year-old interior designer Keeley Murdock catches her fianc with her maid of honor at her wedding rehearsal dinner, she pitches a hissy fit worthy of the Guinness Book of World Records. Then she meets Will Mahoney, the cute new owner of the town's local bra plant, who offers her a ride home. The next day, he gives her something else-a contract to decorate the historic home he's just purchased. Money is no object, but Keeley has to figure out how to make the d cor reflect the lofty visions of Will's prospective bride (the hitch: he's never met her). Readers who enjoy books set in the South that deal with love, friendship, and getting even (e.g., Anne Klein's The Ride to Dinah's Wedding) will find themselves laughing out loud at this latest novel by Andrews (Little Bitty Lies). For fiction collections of all sizes. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/15/04.]-Shelley Mosley, Glendale Community Coll. Lib. Media Ctr., AZ Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
Southern belle raises a ruckus. Keeley Murdock always had the best of everything-and her upcoming wedding to A.J. Jernigan is just going to be peachy. Why, each guest will receive a precious little Limoges box with the names of the bride and groom hand-lettered in genuine 14-karat gold, just for starters. They've got to do things right, since it seems like everybody spent a small fortune on her and A.J.-and when the guests get done pawing through the heap of expensive wedding gifts at the Sip 'N See tea, maybe Keeley will calm down a little. Or maybe not. Just what is her best friend and bridesmaid Paige doing with A.J. on the boardroom table at the Oconee Hills Country Club? Why is A.J. hiccupping the way he always does when he has an orgasm? It's time to burst through that door and have a good old-fashioned-you guessed it-hissy fit. The wedding is off! A.J. decamps, using their honeymoon tickets not long after. Keeley will survive, though this is a mess that even her doting daddy can't fix. He's been trying to make her life perfect ever since her mother disappeared 25 years ago. And so has Keeley, an upscale interior decorator who's awfully particular about details. But her heart's in the right place. She complains that her latest and richest client, Will Mahoney, owner of the Loving Cup bra company, is trying to export local jobs overseas (she takes his money anyway). By the way, what the hell ever happened to her mama? Did that no-account relative of slutty Paige kill her and put the body down a well? Time to dig a little deeper-in this uneasy mix of chick lit, melodrama, and little-bitty mystery from the author of Savannah Blues (2002). Competently written, but not at all sure whatit wants to be. Author tour. Agent: Stuart Krichevsky
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