Author: Lauren Clark
My Rating: 5 cups
Blurb: (from Goodreads)
Travel writer Julia Sullivan lives life in fast-forward. She jet sets to Europe and the Caribbean with barely a moment to blink or sleep. But too many mishaps and missed deadlines have Julia on the verge of being fired.
With a stern warning, and unemployment looming, she's offered one last chance to rescue her career. Julia embarks on an unlikely journey to the ‘Heart of Dixie’—Eufaula, Alabama—home to magnificent mansions, sweet tea, and the annual Pilgrimage.
Julia arrives, soon charmed by the lovely city and her handsome host, but her stay is marred by a shocking discovery. Can Julia's story save her career, Eufaula, and the annual Pilgrimage?
This is the first Lauren Clark book I've read and I know for sure I'm going to add her on my auto-buy list. It's been a while since I had this much fun reading a book. I love chick lit and Dancing Naked in Dixie reminded me of why I fell in love with this genre in the first place. You get humor, romance, sad moments, happy moments, some really strong characters and some life lessons if you pay extra attention, all in one package. I really think this book had these and more.
There were some very funny moments where I laughed out loud (actually, I tried to muffle the giggles because it was really late and every sane person was asleep, but that's another story). The point is you will laugh a lot while reading this book!
But more than a humorous story, you get to read a story about self discovery. You get to see Julia, used to traveling the world, going to all these cool places like Bermuda, Spain, Italy, Belize, Hawaii, (but she's not actually seeing those places), discover herself and discover the little things in life that are amazing. And she does that in a very small town, Eufaula, Alabama, a town so rich with history.
Speaking of history. I loved those parts of the book, where you get to learn about the town and how if was built and when. I also loved the fact that it wasn't like a history lesson, boring and full of unnecessary details. On the contrary, it was fun and I was looking forward to learning more about the town.
I also loved the characters. You meet some interesting people in this book and I enjoyed getting to meet each and everyone of them.
I couldn't put this book down. It was one of those "I hope the world goes away until I finish reading" books. If you love chick lit and contemporary romance, do check this book out. You won't be disappointed!
