Beloved author Molly Harper launches a brand-new contemporary romance series, Southern Eclectic, with this story of a big-city party planner who finds true love in a small Georgia town. Nestled on the shore of Lake Sackett, Georgia is the McCready Family Funeral Home and Bait Shop. (What, you have a problem with one-stop shopping?) Two McCready brothers started two separate businesses in the same … businesses in the same building back in 1928, and now it’s become one big family affair. And true to form in small Southern towns, family business becomes everybody’s business.
Margot Cary has spent her life immersed in everything Lake Sackett is not. As an elite event planner, Margot’s rubbed elbows with the cream of Chicago society, and made elegance and glamour her business. She’s riding high until one event goes tragically, spectacularly wrong. Now she’s blackballed by the gala set and in dire need of a fresh start–and apparently the McCreadys are in need of an event planner with a tarnished reputation.
As Margot finds her footing in a town where everybody knows not only your name, but what you had for dinner last Saturday night and what you’ll wear to church on Sunday morning, she grudgingly has to admit that there are some things Lake Sackett does better than Chicago–including the dating prospects. Elementary school principal Kyle Archer is a fellow fish-out-of-water who volunteers to show Margot the picture-postcard side of Southern living. The two of them hit it off, but not everybody is happy to see an outsider snapping up one of the town’s most eligible gentleman. Will Margot reel in her handsome fish, or will she have to release her latest catch?more
I know, I know, I JUST recced the book before this. But I HAD to add this one to the pile. Normally I am really not a fan of romances where we only get one POV. I really WANT that dual perspective of having the hero and shero. But Harper does a masterful and entertaining job in this fish out of water story that’s all about family. Double potato cannon salute (I feel like the McCready’s would appreciate that).
This was a funny homage to those who have a swath of redneck family we don’t really know and the size of their hearts despite our sour city skepticism. What’s not to love about cousins who run a funeral home and bait shop in one location? Priceless. This book also contained the only opening chapter of a book ever that I listened to twice because it was so amusing. The disaster at a party the main character Margot hosts goes terribly wrong in all the best ways… I especially love how she handled the situation with accountability and dignity. Those aren’t traits most authors would worry about instilling in a light-hearted comedy. I would listen to this whole book again someday for sure. Has anyone else had the pleasure?
Molly’s books are a cure-all to sour moods & blue days. I am sure to embarrass myself by snorting in laughter when I read her books–and then sighing at sweetness at other point. She is exactly what I need to read if ever my mood needs brightened. (Disclaimer: I liked the books BEFORE I met her, but just as a FWIW, she is as fabulous as her books. I giggle more around her than I can express. READ HER.)
GAH! Molly Harper has quickly become one of my auto one click authors!
The beginning of this book was a bit rough for me. But just because there are so many people right away and that was a bit overwhelming. But the more we get into the story the more fun it was. And actually come to think of it made us feel like Margot, who also was not used to such a bug family and the small town living.
This book was a fun, sweet and sexy story. But also with some heartbreak, and a lot of heartwarming moments. ‘
I really enjoyed the story, it was well written, a great pacing and was nicely balanced between humor and heartbreak.
Margot was a little annoying at the beginning but she grew on me. I did however enjoy Kyle right away. He was charming and funny and yet a bit of a mystery
The side characters where just as much part of the story as the main couple, which I really enjoyed.
Overall fun m entertaining and romantic book.
I rate it 4
I don’t usually read contemporaries but I liked all of Molly Harper’s PNR books so I gave this one a try. It is awesome. I didn’t regret taking the chance.
Very well written story involving long lost family and hope for a future. Margot loses her job, gets a strange offer from some small town business. She finds allot more than a new job. What a delightful, quick-paced piece by Molly Harper. Get ready to stay up all night with this one.
If you’ve been following the reviews on my blog, you’ve probably noticed I’m enamoured with books written in the Southern United States. And as I look out the window on this cold Wisconsin day, and see snow violently hurling itself down to the ground, I really wish I was in Georgia right now!
Years ago I remember reading some of the books in Molly Harper’s, Nice Girls series, and enjoying them, so when I came upon this ARC, I decided to give it a read. The Nice Girls series started in 2009, so that is why I don’t have reviews on my website for them. But I do know I liked the series, so if you like Paranormal Romance, you should definitely give it a try.
Harper does a fantastic job developing the main characters in this series. There are so many characters, that unless this book was an additional 200 pages, she would not have been able to do them all justice.
After finishing this book, I checked to see what the next full length novel in the series is about. It’s titled, Ain’t She a Peach, and focuses on Margot’s cousin, the mortician. So I was super excited to see that each book and novella in this series would focus on a different character. I know Harper will continue to shine with her character descriptions.
The humor interwoven in the story had me chuckling throughout. And I really appreciated that the author didn’t have Margot dwell on having to come to some ho-dunk town throughout the whole book. When Harper did write about it, it was mainly for the humorous effect.
Besides the wacky characters, and situations, there is also some deeper storylines, that got me in the feels. Especially the one involving Margot and her father. Margot really grew because of this, and I couldn’t help but feel that this was how a real daughter might react to the situation with her father. And of course there is the budding romance with Margot and the school principal, but Harper kept it on the lighter side because of all the family drama that was going on.
If you enjoy light romances that have family dramas and funny scenes throughout them, this is one you will want to read.
You may also want to check out the novella about Margot’s cousin, Marianne, that takes place about five years before this book. It’s called, Save a Truck, Ride a Redneck.
I already have, Ain’t She a Peach, on hold at my local library, and am looking forward to continuing this series, with Margot’s other cousin, Frankie, the mortician!
This was such a fun book to read! Margot was an event planner at the top of her game in Chicago. She was ready to nail the latest event and cement her chances at a partnership in the company. Unfortunately, thanks to a rogue chef, some shrimp, and some flamingos, her crowning event went spectacularly off the rails. To top it all off, a number of the cellphone videos of the incident went viral, causing an immediate loss of her job. Unemployed and blackballed in her chosen field, Margot was getting close to being broke and homeless when she received a call from a woman who claimed to be her great-aunt Tootie. Skeptical, because really, who has the name “Tootie,” Margot discovered that she had an entire family unknown to her in Lake Sackett, Georgia. She was invited to come to Georgia and work for the family business, McCready Family Funeral Home and Bait Shop (aka the Bait and Bury). Out of options, Margot accepted.
Talk about culture shock! Margot’s mother took her and left Georgia when Margot was a small child, remarrying and moving to Chicago. Mom and stepdad were not exactly the demonstrative type, and appearances were important to them. Margot was a bit uptight, entirely out of her element, and counting the days until she can get another job in a city. She was welcomed with open arms and (gasp!) hugs. I loved the enthusiastic welcomes, from Aunt Tootie and her motley collection of dogs to her aunt and uncle to the cousins who are determined to be friends whether she wanted it or not. I loved the scene where they took her to the local bar and introduced her to moonshine. It was great fun to see Margot attempt to adjust to a place where food is pork-based and/or deep-fried, and fruits and vegetables are nearly impossible to find.
I loved the small town atmosphere and quirky characters. The town itself has fallen on hard times because the drought has further lowered the level of the lake, leaving many tourist-based businesses struggling. Small town politics, especially in the PTA, are alive and well. When Margot was guilted into helping to straighten out the plans for the PTA-sponsored town festival, those politics created some hilariously funny moments. The current PTA president and the former principal do not want to relinquish one bit of control, and their passive-aggressive actions get on Margot’s last nerve. But Margot is used to much tougher opponents, and I loved watching her work her magic. I loved her final confrontation with Sara Lee, as the Chicago event planner merged with the newly minted Southern woman. It was a grand thing to witness.
Neither Margot nor Kyle expected the romance that grew between them. Their first meeting was unusual. The night that her cousins introduced Margot to moonshine, she encountered a big, bearded “lumberjack” with the saddest eyes she’d ever seen. An impromptu hug of sympathy turned into a hot makeout session in Kyle’s truck before Margot panicked and ran. Imagine her dismay when she discovered that her “lumberjack” was actually the elementary school principal and a single dad. Margot was determined to keep her distance, but it was a small town, and frequent encounters were inevitable. Kyle was a widower who still grieved for his late wife and had no plans to enter any new relationships. His occasional dates were kept far away from his family. Kyle was very good at keeping each part of his life separate – family, work, and social each had its place, and they didn’t overlap. I loved seeing the relationship between them grow. Though both claim they don’t want a relationship, they can’t stay away from each other. Margot is especially wary because she has no experience with kids and doesn’t want to do something wrong. In spite of her fears, she is actually very good with them, and I enjoyed seeing them together. Then an unexpected offer meant that Margot had to make some decisions. I ached for her and for Kyle as she struggled with those decisions. Margot’s big moment at the end was fantastic. The epilogue was great.
One of the things I liked best about the book was the family theme. I loved how the McCready side was so ready to embrace Margot, in spite of the events that had kept them apart for so long. It took a while for Margot to loosen up enough to appreciate each person’s unique traits. That was especially true of her father, Stan. Margot only had her mother’s side of the story when it came to their relationship, so her attitude seemed especially harsh. I ached for Stan, who was honest about his mistakes and regrets. There were times I was a bit irritated with Margot and her unwillingness to bend a little. However, time and exposure helped. I loved Margot’s reaction to Sara Lee’s comments about Stan, and the progress it showed in their relationship.
I can’t wait to read more in this series.
As this was the fist realistic fiction book I was reading from Molly Harper, I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy is as much as I did the Nice Girls, Naked Werewolf, and Half-Moon Hollow series’. I was quickly proven wrong. Harper has a way of creating situations that are almost too outrageous to believe without pushing past to the point of unbelievably. This makes her characters relatable and endearing in a way that makes it so you can’t help but root for them even as you’re cry-laughing at their misadventures.
This was my first Molly Harper book. It was recommended by my local bookseller and I am so happy I took her advice. This book had me laughing out loud and falling in love with the McCreadys!
LOVED this book!
Great read!
Sweet Tea and Sympathy by Molly Harper
Narrated by: Amanda Ronconi
Series: Southern Eclectic #1
3.5 Stars – This book is light and fun. I wish there was a bit more romance in it, but as I have never read Ms. Harper before, perhaps this is just what she writes. I laughed more than a few times, the family dynamics were interesting, the small town feel worked and I loved the quirky characters. I look forward to the other books in the series.
Amanda Ronconi did a good job narrating, Her southern accents I thought were fun to listen too and well done, however I am not from Georgia, so I have really no comparison. The sound quality for me was a bit “tin can” like. It’s not something that would make or break listening to the book for me, as I did get used to it, but when you first start listening it kinda stands out.
~Paragraphs and Petticoats~
Strange premise
Very predictable feel-good read. Good characters!
Probably one of my favorite reads this summer. I love the family the town and all the quirky characters. Good for a lazy summer day.
Kyle is not one to be deterred from something he wants, “yeah, I saw the news clips on YouTube. Don’t care. I need you.” Kyle has a tendacy to overreact at times, “that’s a huge increase over last year!” Kyle raised his hands in triumph and yelled. “Suck it, Jimmy Greenway!” Several people turned around to stare at Kyle’s display. He shooed them away. “As you were, people. Move along.” I really enjoyed this book, I’m going to love this series. It was different from her paranormal writing, but it still had that snarky, sassy and witty writting that I love from her.
This was the first book I have read by Molly Harper and it will not be my last. I love the south and “Sweet Tea and Sympathy” just nailed it. “Sweet Tea and Sympathy” is about family reunions, taking care of family, forgiveness, overcoming life’s obstacles, belonging, support, and good ole southern hospitality. Margot returns to her birthplace after a huge snafu leaves her jobless with no job in site. Margot’s southern roots bring her home and she needs to decide whether she wants to stay or return to the big city, leaving a father she is just reunited with and a possible love. A great read!
Sweet Tea and Sympathy by Molly Harper is the first book in Southern Eclectic series. Margot Cary is an event planner with Elite Elegance in Chicago until her latest soiree is sabotaged by the chef (he put out a shrimp tower). Margot loses her job and is unable to find another one after the party fiasco is posted on You-tube. She is shocked when she receives a call from Tootie, her great aunt, in Lake Sackett, Georgia. Tootie is offering Margot a job at the McCready Family Funeral Home and Bait Shop (you can bury your loved one and then pick up bait for fishing). Margot accepts the position, but she insists it is just temporary. Margot soon discovers that life in Lake Sackett is very different from Chicago. Everyone knows your name, your family and your personal business. Margot delves into her new position and finds romance with elementary school principal, Kyle Archer. But what happens when Margot gets offered a position out-of-state?
Sweet Tea and Sympathy is a quirky, zany over-the-top story. The author shoved too many characters into the story. There are numerous relatives and townspeople. I found it impossible to keep them all straight (I gave up after a while). The pace of the novel is slower than it needs to be (thanks to the numerous characters). It needed a snappier pace. I was not a fan of the humor. Instead of being funny, I just found it unbelievable (lots of eye rolling). The petty squabbling and backbiting got on my nerves. I did not like the main character. She thought she was better than her relatives (I found her annoying) and had the maturity level of a teenager (most of the time). Margot’s constant complaints about the town’s coffee got on my nerves (and wondering why she did go out and buy a coffee maker). Frankie, the mortician, was my favorite character. She is unique and embraces it (she also loves her job). The ending is expected and quickly wrapped up (with a nice big bow). It seemed like the author took every Southern stereotype and shoved them into this story. Moonshine, thick Southern accents, deep fried everything, and so on. I did not laugh once while reading the book (my mother thought it was hilarious and claims I have no sense of humor). Sweet Tea and Sympathy is a predictable Southern romance novel with the wacky factor ramped up. I will stick with Molly Harper’s vampire novels which I just love.