The Blue-Ribbon Jalapeño Society Jubilee by Carolyn Brown

Carolyn Brown has caused me many sleepless nights.

After reading the first page of her latest release, The Blue-Ribbon Jalapeño Society Jubilee, I knew it was going to happen again. Brown’s flare with words and situations makes you feel you know the characters. You’re drawn in to share in their joys and sorrow and can’t turn back.

In this, her first mainstream fiction novel, Brown captures true friendship, small town living, and the adventurous journey love takes us on. The characters are well-blended and realistic. The story, while having several components, flows smoothly with its share of surprises, laugh-out-loud moments, and twists along the way.

The story revolves around four young women, a crazy but crafty great-aunt, and an elite ladies society club battle lines have been drawn over. Welcome to Cadillac, Texas, were the summers are hot but the jalapeño peppers are hotter.
Twin sisters Cathy and Marty, along with their friend Trixie, own and operate Miss Clawdy’s Café. Using a pen name, Marty secretly writes erotic romance which Cathy thrives on. Trixie continues to see her ex-husband once a week for fun sex while he’s living with Anna Ruth, the reason they divorced. Cathy is engaged to the son of her great-aunt’s worst enemy, Violet. A force to be reckoned with and president of the ladies society club, Violet has the wedding and Cathy’s life all planned out. (Great) Aunt Agnes is a spit-fire of a woman who says what she feels and does what she wants. She may appear crazy, but there is a method to her madness that sees results.

Across the street from the café Darla Jean, a former-escort-turned preacher, operates a church in a renovated gas station. She helps the trio with Agnes and finds she also has a knack for helping abused women.

The story may sound a bit confusing, but it’s not. The lives of the main characters and those of the eclectic townspeople are intertwined in such a way as to make you think of people around you. The highs, the lows; the fun, the sadness; the hilarious, the can-I-just-slap-her moments make for a delightful and heartwarming read.

Brown continues her down-home style mixed with quirky new characters for a refreshing entry into the world of women’s fiction. The Blue Ribbon Jalapeño Society Jubilee has sass, southern charm, steamy romance, friendship, and loyalty. Now that I’ve met the gang, I can’t wait to see what they’re up to in The Red-Hot Chili Cook-Off (slated for release in April 2014).

The intriguing characters of The Blue-Ribbon Jalapeño Society Jubilee and their zany look at life will stay with you long after you’ve finished the last page.

Author Carolyn Brown’s website is http://carolynlbrown.com/. 

The Blue-Ribbon Jalapeño Society Jubilee by Carolyn Brown, Sourcebooks Landmark, @2013, ISBN: 978-1402281266, Trade Paperback, 336 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.
 
Thanks for taking time to stop by today. Do you enjoy reading about a group of people that reminds you of friends and neighbors? Do you ever get so involved in reading a book that you find yourself talking to the characters?