Television talent producer Bailey Rhodes returns to rural
Virginia for a quick visit. She knows she won't be missing
her commitment-phobic boyfriend back in New York, who
recently panicked because she offered him an empty dresser
drawer for his toiletries. She's much more worried when she
can't get a signal for her cell phone to check up on her
scheming assistant back at Expedition Networks. Her main
concern is spending time with her mother, who's recovering
from a stroke.
Bailey's first surprise upon arrival is the quiet farmer
who chauffeurs her and her aunts in his battered truck. At
her aunts' house, Bailey discovers that her mother doesn't
want her help or her company. Aunt Bubble and Aunt Bits are
supposed to be taking care of her mother, but instead the
house is full of preening, singing and desperate young
ladies preparing for the Miss Tidewater Butter Bean
Pageant. Bailey refuses to help coach beauty contestants,
and she accepts rides into town from Taylor, the farmer
next door, so that she can get a cell phone signal and call
her assistant. Bailey feels more left out when her
rebellious younger sister turns up pregnant and is welcomed
with open arms.
With everyone in her family acting so different and the
house chaotic, Bailey finds solace in her conversations
with Taylor, who is more than just a simple farmer. As the
Butter Bean pageant approaches, Bailey's mother makes a big
request that the entire family has to carefully consider.
At the same time, Bailey's assistant creates a contract
negotiation nightmare, and Bailey's friends are on their
way south with a camera crew close behind. Can good old-
fashioned Southern manners and mile-high hair help Bailey
save her job, reunite her family and maybe even find love?
The natural and unhurried pacing of the developing romance
between Bailey and Taylor captivated my interest. In my
opinion, the most romantic scene amounted to little more
than handholding under the stars. Holding hands with the
right man can be very sexy though, and Taylor is an ideal
man -- handsome, intelligent, compassionate, hard-working
and charming. The sweet moments outweigh the sexy moments
in this love story, and laughter outweighs the tears in the
family drama between several generations of mothers and
sisters. Neale expands her story into a world beyond New
York City chick-lit without forcing her characters into
Southern stereotypes from "To Kill a Mockingbird" or "The
Dukes of Hazzard" or anything in between. I definitely
recommend picking up this delightful Southern romance,
although teasing your hair up really high and sitting on
the front porch with a big glass of sweet tea are optional.
In an effort to help her ailing mother, one woman tries to
reconcile her Southern roots with her Manhattan lifestyle--
and learns a few beauty pageant secrets along the way.
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