HISSY FIT

Author: Mary Kay Andrews ISBN: 0060564644 8/2004 FICTION Publisher: HARPER COLLINS

Keeley Murdock's wedding to A. J. Jernigan should have been the social event of the season. But when she catches her fiance doing the deed with her maid of honor at the country club rehearsal dinner, all bets are off. And so is the wedding. Keeley pitches the hissy fit of the century, earning herself instant notoriety in the small town of Madison, Georgia. Even worse is the financial pressure A.J.'s banking family brings to bear on Keeley's interior design business. But riding to the rescue -- in a vintage yellow Cadillac -- is the redheaded stranger who's purchased a failing local bra plant. Will Mahoney hires Keeley to redo the derelict antebellum mansion he's bought. Her assignment: decorate it for the woman of his dreams -- a woman he's never met. Only a designing woman like Keeley Murdock can find a way to clear her name and give her cheating varmint of an ex-fiance the comeuppance he so richly deserves.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

I made the mistake of trying to read this book while visiting relatives over Christmas. All I wanted to do was hide out from everyone with my nose in this book. I couldn’t put it down! From the minute I met Keeley, the heroine, at one of the worst moments of her life (throwing a hissy fit after finding her fiancé and maid of honor in a compromising position at her rehearsal dinner), I couldn’t help but like her. She is a smart, independent, but charming Southern lady, one that I wouldn’t mind having for a friend. While she does have to overcome some crushing disappointments, she manages to endure it all with spunk and her pride still intact.

I found the descriptions of life in the small southern town engaging and detailed and found the town dynamics quite believable. Keeley’s various relationships, both personal and professional, seem quite apt with her character. I especially enjoyed her friend Austin, the owner of the flower shop. Although I’ve never done much antique and junk shopping, I could visualize all of Keeley’s shopping expeditions and her purchases. While Keeley is definitely the star of this book, one can’t fail to mention Will Mahoney. Being the new man in town, he adds a fresh perspective to Keeley’s well-ordered life. He doesn’t seem to take anything seriously and is the one person that’s always able to get under Keeley’s skin.

Ms. Andrews has filled the book with many humorous scenes to keep me grinning or laughing until the end. While handling some difficult and heartbreaking issues, the author allows the reader to find humor in what otherwise would have been depressing. Ms. Andrews has written an amusing and delightful story in HISSY FIT. I highly recommend this book to fans of fiction set in the south. It has it all to keep you entertained – grace, charm and wit.

Kendra Patterson