Sunday Salon: My Give A Damn’s Busted by Carolyn Brown

Author Carolyn Brown continues to prove you can’t judge a book - or a person - by first sight.

In her latest release, MY GIVE A DAMN’S BUSTED, the protagonist is a sassy bar owner named Larissa Morley, who was given the Honky Tonk by it’s previous owner Daisy O’Dell Henry. Larissa came to Mingus, Texas, to find herself and found a completely new lifestyle instead. 

Finally feeling at peace with herself and who she has become, Larissa wasn’t looking for love when a deer caused her and the cowboy in the old pickup truck to almost collide.

Hank Wells was hoping to run into Larissa, but he didn’t mean to do it literally. Hank was on a mission to find out as much as he could about Larissa and what her weaknesses were.

Sparks erupt from their first run-in and continue to grow with each encounter.

Larissa has enough to worry about without getting involved with a cowboy. There’s an out-of-town businessman who’s been trying to buy the Honky Tonk from every owner and now he’s after Larissa. Seems he wants to turn the entire town into an amusement park.

Staying at his father’s ranch, Hank begins to see more and more of Larissa. He knows he has to come clean with her soon, but once she finds out what he’s hiding in Dallas, he’ll lose her for sure.

Larissa and the folks of Mingus pull together to keep their small town just as it is despite the large sums of money offered. It costs Larissa far more when she finally learned who and what was waiting for Hank in Dallas. Now Hank has to decide what’s really important in his life before you ever has a chance to redeem himself in Larissa’s eyes.

The story, like the great book cover, is about sexy cowboys, a bar and dancing until 2 in the morning. But there’s also a story of how friends pull together to save what they value most, how family can come through when you need them, and how family doesn’t always have to be related to matter.

Author Carolyn Brown has gathered another great group of characters together and brought them to life through their actions, words and emotions. There are moments that will take your breath away, while others will have you ready to help with the lynching party, and still others that will bring tears to your eyes because you’re laughing so hard.

This is the third installment in the Honky Tonk series. However, this is a stand alone book. For those who have followed the series, you have a chance to visit with some old friends while meeting new ones. If you’re new to the series, you won’t feel left out. But you will probably be enticed enough to find out how the Honky Tonk charm/curse got it’s start with book one and two (I LOVE THIS BAR and HELL, YEAH).

Some of the eclectic regular patrons remain at the Honky Tonk - Merle Avery, continues to play a mean game of pool and look after the owner of the bar since she was best friends with Ruby Lee, the original owner; and Amos and his motorcycle buddies drop in from time to time. Tinker has retired as the bouncer and now Luther’s checking Ids at the door and Tessa’s helping out some behind the bar.

New to the crowd are Linda, Janice, and Betty, along with their husbands J.C., Elmer and Frank. There’s also Sharlene Waverly who can talk a mile a minute while filling mason jars with beer. She lost her job as a newspaper reporter writing obits, now she’s working for Larissa at the bar.

Just when Larissa thought she had what she’d been looking for, she found there was more to family than she ever imaged.

It’s time to turn the radio down as Jo Dee Messina sings, “MY GIVE A DAMN’S BUSTED,” settled back with a copy of Carolyn Brown’s version and enjoy a delightful book of romance, suspense and just pure fun.

Carolyn Brown's website is www.carolynlbrown.com

My Give A Damn’s Busted by Carolyn Brown, Honky Tonk series, Sourcebooks Casablanca, @2010, ISBN: 978-1-4022-3928-1, Paperback, 384 pages

FTC Full Disclosure - I requested this book and it was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.