Review & Giveaway - - A Wedding in the Lowcountry

A Wedding in the Lowcountry

by Preslaysa Williams

Publisher: Avon

Release Date: February 18, 2025

Reviewed by PJ

 

When Avila's mother passes away, Avila must return to Charleston to get her mother's house ready to put on the market. Returning home means that she'll have to face relationships that were best left behind. Her feelings are complicated, to say the least. 

Things get even more complicated when she runs into her childhood friend, Terence, who is now a professor at the local college. Years ago, when Terence left Charleston to attend Hampton University, Avila felt abandoned, but it’s clear that their connection hasn’t faded… and may even be something more than the friendship they once shared.

As Terence supports Avila in the wake of her mother’s passing, they have to deal with the feelings that they have for one another. Avila is wary of trusting others - she’s used to taking care of herself and her daughter alone - but could Terence hold the key to opening her heart?

PJ's Thoughts:

Just like William's first two books, this third novel sets a leisurely pace, much like the city in which it's set. A character-driven story, it centers on reunited childhood friends, Terence and Avila and Avila's twelve-year-old daughter Ebony. 

I enjoyed the characters of Ebony and Terence and connected with them fairly quickly. I tried to connect with Avila but, wow, did she make it tough. She is one complicated woman with a whole host of issues to work through. Those issues add emotional depth to the story and to her character growth, which is the most significant of the main characters, but they sure didn't make it easy to root for her during the process. 

Anyone who has ever been around a pre-teen girl should appreciate the character of Ebony. Williams checks all the boxes in her crafting of a hormonal girl and her single, stage mama. 

I like a friends-to-lovers trope and Terence is a very good friend to Avila, but I was a little put off by how strongly - and quickly - Terence pushes things forward romantically between them. Given that these two haven't seen one another in more than ten years, it felt a bit too "insta-love" for me. He does eventually slow down and I ultimately felt good about their relationship but it's one of the stumbling blocks that kept this book from being rated higher. Please keep in mind that these are my thoughts. Other readers may have a totally different reading experience. 

My small issues aside, I did enjoy the overall story as well as the growth of the characters though I did not enjoy it as much as the author's first two books. 

Have you read Preslaysa Williams?

Have you ever visited Charleston?

Do you enjoy a slow-burn romance?

One randomly chosen person posting a comment before 11:00 PM, April 16 will receive a print copy of A Wedding in the Lowcountry. 

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

Review & Giveaway - - Love and Hot Chicken

Love and Hot Chicken: A Delicious Southern Novel

by Mary Liza Hartong

Publisher: William Morrow

Release Date: February 20, 2024

Reviewed by PJ

 

The Chickie Shak is something of a historical landmark. Red clapboard walls, thriving wasp population, yard-toilets resplendent with sunflowers. My best friend Lee Ray and I used to come after our softball games and snag a picnic table while our mammas ordered the home team special. Truth is, most people around here order the same thing until the day somebody throws their ashes off a roller coaster at Dollywood. The line snakes around the building as far as you can see, the grimiest bunch of Jessies, Pearls, and Scooters you ever did behold, hobnobbing in the parking lot from noon until night.

When PJ Spoon returns home for her beloved daddy’s funeral, she doesn’t expect to stick around. Why abandon her PhD program at Vanderbilt for the humble charms of her hometown, Pennywhistle, Tennessee? Mamma’s broken heart, that’s why. But truth be told, PJ’s own heart ain’t doing too good either. She impulsively takes a job as a fry cook at Pennywhistle’s beloved Chickie Shak, where locals gather for Nashville-style hot chicken. It may not be glamorous, but it’s something to do.

Fate shakes up PJ’s life again when the town rallies around the terribly retro and terribly fun Hot Chicken Pageant. PJ finally notices her cute redheaded coworker Boof, a singer-songwriter with a talent as striking as her curly hair, and learns to fear her smack-talking manager, Linda.

As PJ and Boof fall for each other, Boof’s search for her birth mother—a Pennywhistle native—catapults the budding couple into a mystery that might be better left unsolved. The Chickie Shak pageant takes off, spurring old rivalries and new friendships in this tale of unexpected connections and new beginnings.

PJ's Thoughts:

The perfect, unabashedly Southern, blend of hilarity and heart, this feel-good, small-town debut had me laughing out loud in places and wiping away tears in others. It's a story about family, friendship, searching for your place when your world's been turned upside down, uncovering your beginnings, overcoming grief, and forging new connections in unlikely places...in life, in love, within family, even in a treehouse while on your way to the Hot Chicken Beauty Tour with an unlikely cadre of two and four-legged companions, including the woman you're falling for.

The pace of the book is on the slow side, like a meandering ride down a lazy river, but that fits with the pace of life in PJ's small Tennessee town where everyone knows you and your business. Anyone who grew up in a small rural town will be able to relate, whether Southern or not. Those Southern roots though are on full display with plenty of local wisdom and humor that comes through in a deep Tennessee twang. At least in my mind. I can't be the only one who heard Dolly Parton's voice in my head as I read. 

The (closed door) romance is endearing with enough emotional layers to keep it interesting but not the primary focus of the book. I enjoyed all of the relationships revolving around PJ that are explored, including her lifelong friendship with her (gay male) bestie, her supportive dean at Vanderbilt, the wise elderly town librarian, even her abrasive co-worker, Linda. But I especially enjoyed the evolution of the relationship between PJ and her mother. After being a daddy's girl all her life, watching her slowly bond with her momma was one of my favorite parts of the book.  

If you enjoy Southern, slice of life stories that are brimming with character, humor, and heart, I enthusiastically recommend picking up a copy of Mary Liza Hartong's debut novel: Love and Hot Chicken. She's a sparkling new voice in Southern fiction that I'll be keeping an eye on. 

 

Do you enjoy humorous Southern fiction?

Who are some of your favorite authors writing in this genre?

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, February 25 will receive a hard cover copy of Love and Hot Chicken. 

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

Spotlight Giveaway - - A Sweet Lowcountry Proposal

A Sweet Lowcountry Proposal

by Preslaysa Williams

Publisher: Avon

Release Date: November 8, 2022

It was supposed to be the happiest day of Jaslene Simmons’ life, the day she’d say “I do” to Marcus Clark. But when her sister dies in a tragic accident everything changes—including her once rosy future with Marcus. Jaslene instead pours all of her energy into caring for her now-motherless niece and running the wedding planning company she and her sister had built, wanting to honor her sister’s dream even if she has to sacrifice her own.

As an archivist at Charleston’s Black history museum, Marcus shines a light on the stories of forgotten people. Researching history is better than dealing with his own heartache—and the guilt he has over the role he may have inadvertently played in the death of Jaslene’s sister.

Jaslene never thought she’d cross paths with Marcus again, but her need for an affordable office space brings her to the museum which is faced with the threat of closure. As they work together to save it, their buried feelings slowly reignite. They soon realize there is still room in their hearts for love...if only they can overcome their past. 

PJ Says:

In this follow up to her heart-tugging debut, A Lowcountry Bride (read my review here), Williams brings readers a slow-burn, second-chance romance about healing and moving forward in the wake of grief. Once again set against the lush and historic backdrop of Charleston, South Carolina, the book not only shines a light on the lead couple but also on the Black history and culture of the Lowcountry as well as the author's own Afro-Filipina heritage.

I'm looking forward to reading A Sweet Lowcountry Proposal. 

Have you read Preslaysa Williams yet?

Do you enjoy reading stories that focus on diverse cultures?

Have you ever visited Charleston?

One person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM (EST), December 12 will receive a print copy of A Sweet Lowcountry Proposal. 

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

*Void where prohibited

Review - - A Lowcountry Bride

A Lowcountry Bride: A Novel

by Preslaysa Williams 

Publisher: Avon

Release Date: June 1, 2021

Reviewed by PJ

Maya Jackson has worked for Laura Whitcomb, Inc, a renowned New York City bridal gown brand for years and dreams of becoming Head Designer. She has the talent, she just needs a chance to showcase her unique style. Due to an illness, she’s always prioritized her career over her personal life until Maya’s father fractures his hip and she returns to Charleston, SC. While home for only a few months, she’s thrilled to find an opportunity at the local bridal gown boutique, never expecting sparks to fly with its owner...

A military veteran and widowed father, Derek Sullivan hopes to save Always a Bride from bankruptcy in order to preserve the legacy of his family. He also wants to reconnect with his estranged, twelve-year-old daughter, who is still recovering from the loss of her mother. The last thing he needs is a relationship with a beautiful, smart, complicated woman who will be leaving soon.

When Derek begins to fall for the lovely Maya, he knows there’s no future. But destiny has its own plans, and these two lonely people with big hearts discover that coming home to love is the best gift life can give.

PJ's Thoughts:

A Lowcountry Bride is much like Charleston, South Carolina, the city in which it is set. It moves along at a leisurely pace, much like sultry, summer days in the Lowcountry, with history, heritage, and humanity at its core. 

At first glance the book may seem to be a sweet story of coming home and finding love, and it is that, but it's also so much more. Williams explores some deeply emotional topics through her characters. Derek and his daughter are struggling to recover from two tragic losses in a short period of time, one of them sudden and violent. Derek is also attempting to navigate the unexpected change of career that has brought him home to deal with bridezillas, the realities of single parenthood, and the possibility of healing, and loving, again. 

While Maya returns home to help her injured father and open his eyes to the realities of growing older, she slowly begins to realize that she might be the one who needs to reevaluate. When is it time to put someone else's dreams aside and follow your own? What will it take to open her eyes to the importance of being true to her heritage and not allow it to be subsumed by the narrow vision of her racist employer? Will she learn to not limit her life because of the chronic illness she has had since childhood but instead open her heart to the love and joy being offered? Weighty topics Williams handles with sensitivity and grace. 

Williams has assembled a cast of characters in this book who each help make the reading of it a richer experience, especially the vibrant community of color within Charleston whose history and heritage is brought to life with this story. I especially enjoyed the tribute the author pays to her own Afro-Filipina heritage through her depiction of Maya and the design techniques used by her in the story. She made me want to learn more. And she made me want to spend time in Charleston. It's been too long. I don't know what will be coming from this author next but I'll definitely be watching. 

If you're looking for a diverse, heart-tugging romance about coming home, surviving tragic loss, being true to yourself, following your dreams, and choosing each day to open your heart to love and happiness, add A Lowcountry Bride to your summer reading list.