Somebody’s messing with the wrong recluse!Irascible, unfiltered Bea Sickles is living happily ever after as a chain-smoking hermit in Napa Valley — until an amateur crook named Cash barges into her home and her life.Cash’s get-rich-quick scheme: Steal a Betty Snickerdoodle manuscript, publish it, and pocket the proceeds. Bea’s made millions off those syrupy holiday romance novels — and now Cash … romance novels — and now Cash wants a piece of the action!
What Cash doesn’t know is that Bea’s no ordinary septuagenarian millionaire. She’s a fearless, wily ex-poker pro who loves nothing more than being underestimated. And now she’s concocted a high-stakes plan to teach Cash a lesson.
It’s a gamble that just might blow up in Bea’s face. Luckily, she has a friend in her corner — Angela Garcia, the brilliant, beautiful marketer who used social media to make Betty Snickerdoodle a publishing phenomenon.
Cash will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Can Bea and Angela stop him – and save their publishing enterprise – before it’s too late?
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What a hoot! Bea is a cranky, old funny lady! After taking a 3 year hiatus retiring Betty book, does she really want to write another book about her? Another hilarious, fun-filled story well written by the fabulous Pepper! A must add to your reading stack!!
Definitely unexpected and totally hilarious. Not the typical cozy or mystery or romance but so hard to put down because you just need to find out how it’s going to end. Bea and Angela make a great team and get some help from family and friends. Lots of twists and surprises and can’t wait to read more from this wonderful group. Awesome ending – or is it the beginning of more fun things to come. It was definitely my pleasure to read such a fun book.
Bea Sickles is a cantankerous old lady — she lives alone in a shabby Napa Valley home cluttered with stacks of paper; wears her nightgown all day and thinks dressing up means velour track suits; cracks bawdy jokes; types her manuscripts on an IBM Selectric; and lives on pizza, fast food breakfast sandwiches, and iced coffee. By every definition, she’s a hermit, rarely leaving her small house, unless she wants to empty pockets and flirt with her friend Perry at Valley Card Room, where she plays a mean hand of Texas Hold ‘em. No one would ever guess that this ribald recluse is the author of the Treacle Town books, a sentimental Christmas series authored by the sweet, pseudonymous Betty Snickerdoodle.
Trouble comes when Bea is attacked by a young man named Cash, who claims to be the son of Charlie Carter, her longtime agent. He demands she hand over her latest manuscript, but there isn’t one. She fends him off by summoning the police with her alert device and calls Charlie to ask what’s going on, but all she gets is his answering machine. Later, when she and her assistant, Angela, stop by Perry’s place to play a few hands and fool the regulars, Cash breaks in and grabs one of the stacks, a parody book Bea wrote years earlier, meant only for her and Charlie’s eyes. However, Cash hires a tech wiz, Aseem — a friend of Angela’s — to help him rush Sleigh Ride to Hell to publication, so he can turn a quick, dishonest profit on someone else’s work.
Angela and Bea had already been planning a new book, but Cash’s theft prompts them to not only speed up publication, but undertake several radical steps in order to reestablish Betty’s authenticity. In the process, Bea blossoms from a cranky caterpillar to an affably colorful butterfly, proving that it’s never too late to spread your wings, buy some fluffy sheepskin boots, and embrace the Betty Bros.
I was lucky enough to get an ARC of The Return of Betty Snickerdoodle by Pepper Frost and let me just say I love this book ! The characters are wonderful, and a mixed range of ages that I really liked – the main character is in her 70’s. I tried to guess how it would all work out, but just could not do it. The sub-stories dealing with greed and prejudice are wonderful and enhance the overall story. I sure hope there are a lot more books to come by this author. My opinion is honest and not at all influenced by having received the book for free. If you knew me, you would know that if I didn’t like the book I would say so.
The book was very entertaining. The dominant character was a senior woman who portrayed being frail, hard of hearing, slumped-over, a card shark and a helpless woman who really was quite the opposite. Bea/Betty was hilarious at times, and I was laughing out loud about how she acted, the things she did and her attitude. I liked how she became true to herself and announced who she was and why she valued her privacy. I could see Bea/Betty being a friend of mine and having an interesting conversation about life. I loved her tenacity of handling thing in her own way.
A rollicking romp through the “behind the scene” of an author’s life. Boisterous, lively, and endearing characters take you on a journey that will leave you laughing, crying, dreaming, and scurrying for cover.
I actually laughed out loud while reading this book. Bea is a hoot!
I ran across this author through another author’s promotion. I am so glad that I did. It is wonderful when I find an author who is able to pull me in so quickly to their story. Her ability to weave such an engaging and well written story that is also laugh-out-loud funny at times is so refreshing. I love the characters in this series! If I am only half as insightful, feisty, and productive as Bea is when I become an octogenarian, I will be blessed.
My favorite quote from the book is from Oscar Wilde, “Be yourself – everyone else is taken.” I don’t give away spoilers in my reviews, so, you will just have to read the book to appreciate this quote. I do not believe you will be disappointed. I read this book in one sitting and highly recommend this book. I am looking forward to reading more from Pepper Frost.
I received an advance reader’s copy of this book; but this review is my voluntary and honest opinion.
Love Bea hope she goes on to write both kinds of books.