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89th out of 691 books
—
1,045 voters
The Devil in the Junior League
The Junior League of Willow Creek, Texas, is tres exclusive.Undesirables need not apply. Fredericka Mercedes Hildebrand Ware (Frede to her friends) is a member beyond reproach...until her life begins to unravel. When her husband betrays her, steals her money, and runs off to places unknown, it's something Frede would rather keep under wraps. The last thing she needs is to...more
Hardcover, 336 pages
Published
August 22nd 2006
by St. Martin's Press
(first published August 1st 2006)
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What can I say? The organizational "controversy" surrounding this book really made me smile (or was it smirk?). Without telling too many (unladylike) tales out of school, I'll share that I learned at my Junior League book club (for "retired" leaguers) that this book was banned by the National organization. (for book sales that is the small world parallel to the Catholic church banning The DaVinci Code---i.e. "let's run out and buy it"!)
I wouldn't even dream of commenting on whether the author's...more
I wouldn't even dream of commenting on whether the author's...more
"She had forgotten that it was possible, and decidedly more desirable, to wrap one's true feelings up in "bless your hearts" and "aren't you sweets"....Now don't misunderstand, it's not that Texas women don't have opinions or share them. We do. It's just that we wrap them up in honey and smiles and hugs until a sharp rebuke can feel like a compliment, the true meaning not sinking in until later, hitting like a left hook to the jaw. As the saying goes, a Texas woman can tell you to go to hell, an...more
It was very upsetting to me when Olivia Goldsmith passed away several years ago as I had loved her wry sense of humor so. I do believe Linda Francis Lee must be channeling Olivia Goldsmith in this wonderful book, The Devil in the Junior League. She has the same fast pace and quick wit that were the hallmarks of so many of Goldsmith's bestsellers. I just loved this book from beginning to end and could hardly stand to put it down once I started it. It was just too much fun to see Gordon get what h...more
This is the only book I have ever recycled. And by that I mean into the recycling bin because I couldn't bear to give it away. Books are sacred to me and I never thrown them away. Except this one.
Disclaimer #1: I usually hate "chick lit," especially books that emphasize petty, shallow females. Disclaimer #2: I have been a long term Junior League member and never witnessed any of this. Which leads to my "however" Disclaimer #3: However, I have never been a member of a Southern League (Northeast a...more
Disclaimer #1: I usually hate "chick lit," especially books that emphasize petty, shallow females. Disclaimer #2: I have been a long term Junior League member and never witnessed any of this. Which leads to my "however" Disclaimer #3: However, I have never been a member of a Southern League (Northeast a...more
Southern women really are different. Even when their lives are imploding—the mistress shows up just after the wife (finally!) gets pregnant with her husband’s child—they maintain their cool. Then they plot revenge.
Fredericka Mercedes Hildebrand Ware struggles to turn the trashy Nikki Grout into someone the Junior League of Willow Creek will accept into their ranks because she needs the help of Nikki’s husband the lawyer and this is his price. In doing so, she obtains a little of Nikki’s joie de...more
Fredericka Mercedes Hildebrand Ware struggles to turn the trashy Nikki Grout into someone the Junior League of Willow Creek will accept into their ranks because she needs the help of Nikki’s husband the lawyer and this is his price. In doing so, she obtains a little of Nikki’s joie de...more
Reviewed at : Mama Kucing Meow : The Devil In The Junior League By Linda Francis Lee
Reviewed on : September 28, 2010
Fredericka Mercedes Hildebrand Ware(wow...what a mouthful), Frede to her friends have the perfect life. She is rich and from the old money group in Taxes. She is a member of Junior League of Willow Creek and is expected to be the next president-elect of JLWC. The members of JLWC are consist of those rich and high power women in the society. They are the trend setter.
She have a hand...more
Reviewed on : September 28, 2010
Fredericka Mercedes Hildebrand Ware(wow...what a mouthful), Frede to her friends have the perfect life. She is rich and from the old money group in Taxes. She is a member of Junior League of Willow Creek and is expected to be the next president-elect of JLWC. The members of JLWC are consist of those rich and high power women in the society. They are the trend setter.
She have a hand...more
A cute book. I enjoyed reading this book. Not too deep, but entertaining, and sometimes true-to -life.
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As active league member I always give my new provisional member a copy of this book. It's a fun look into how some of the more rigid leagues run and how it effects it's current members
There is southern prissiness on ever page as we watch Fredia have to find a way out of the mess her husband left her In. I loved the two characters come in to save Fredia! The obnoxious lawyer & and his new wife who still lives and dresses as if she were in the movie cluless.
And what does miss clueless want mor...more
There is southern prissiness on ever page as we watch Fredia have to find a way out of the mess her husband left her In. I loved the two characters come in to save Fredia! The obnoxious lawyer & and his new wife who still lives and dresses as if she were in the movie cluless.
And what does miss clueless want mor...more
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Aug 02, 2009
Gaia
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone
Recommended to Gaia by:
found it at the library
Shelves:
chick-lit
This book was a complete surprise. I picked it up, hoping for a light, no-brainer read. It is a light read...quick, very witty and likable. And any book that gets banned by the National Junior League is A-Ok in my "book."
Frede Ware is someone I would completely dislike, but I ended up really liking and rooting for her by the end of the novel. The rest of the characters are fun, especially Nikki and Howard.
One of my few complaints echoes another reviewer. Frede is supposed to be 28 years old...more
Frede Ware is someone I would completely dislike, but I ended up really liking and rooting for her by the end of the novel. The rest of the characters are fun, especially Nikki and Howard.
One of my few complaints echoes another reviewer. Frede is supposed to be 28 years old...more
1 like · like · see review
I added this to my "to read" list when this first came out and I saw what a fit the Junior Leagues of American were throwing. Never having been in a Junior League in Texas but with friends that were, I was curious. This was fun, easy, "escape" reading. I actually started it twice because when I first began, it just seemed too lightweight for me to care. I listened to this one and the obviously not-from-Texas accent was initially very distracting for me since I am a Texan and NO ONE native to thi...more
The deal with this book is not with the dealings with the plot line, more so of the author's voice. And you know what? I actually liked reading it. The character, Frede, was very fun to read about. This isn't just a fling thing of a books as everybody would suggest. It's voice is much more important than the plot or how the events planned about. If you had to agree with something, would you not agree that this was some sort of fun book to read? Unless, well of course you don't have this suitable...more
I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did. Initially, I wasn't fond of the main character, Frede (pronounced Freddy). As the story progressed, I did become quite fond of her. She had some quirks that I wasn't too keen on—for example, her tendency for a smattering of French words or her use of "verra." I grew to accept her quirks because I found her to be quite likeable in the end.
I liked Frede's growth as an individual and her willingness to try new things even though it made her uncomf...more
I liked Frede's growth as an individual and her willingness to try new things even though it made her uncomf...more
...She was born and bred a Southern lady so the way that she handled the whole betrayal drove me up the effing wall. I wanted to slap some damn sense into Frede more than once while reading this book. Her whole "must be a lady at all costs and at all times" drove me insane. It took her a while but she finally got mad enough (and humiliated enough) that she went to the one person that is not popular by any means in her world.
She went to Howard Grout, attorney at law to help her with her case agai...more
She went to Howard Grout, attorney at law to help her with her case agai...more
Oh my god...how lame is this book????? The worst kind of chick lit! I think I lost IQ points just reading it.
Honestly, I didn't see a devil - I saw a spoiled lady who, though claiming she was used to getting everything and that this experience was such a shock to her system, still got everything she wanted. When I see "devil" in the title, I want a Miranda Priestly, not Frede Ware who smiles and doesn't even scheme - where's the fun in that.
I honestly wouldn't even recommend this book to my Chick-lit Book Club, that's how much I didn't like it. I orginally gave it two stars - after writing this, I real...more
I honestly wouldn't even recommend this book to my Chick-lit Book Club, that's how much I didn't like it. I orginally gave it two stars - after writing this, I real...more
I loved the book. It was funny and spunky. A great story and loved the characters. I was looking forward to a great ending, and was D I S A P P O I N T E D !
I hated the very end. Why did she not hook up with the Artist? At the start of the book we KNOW that she wants to start a family and have a baby. Why was that dropped?
Getting with the Artist would have taken her out of her element (HER GOAL) and she would have been able to start the family she had been wanting (also probably getting her out...more
I hated the very end. Why did she not hook up with the Artist? At the start of the book we KNOW that she wants to start a family and have a baby. Why was that dropped?
Getting with the Artist would have taken her out of her element (HER GOAL) and she would have been able to start the family she had been wanting (also probably getting her out...more
This book was everything it promises to be. Of course, it's no literary masterpiece, but I HIGHLY recommend the audiobook--sheer entertainment. At first the actresses' overdone Southern accent was a bit annoying, but I got used to it and her talent for different voices for each character was impressive. My friend and I listened on our hour commute to and from our classes, and it was so much fun and a great distraction from econometrics. If you've ever moved even a little through Southern and/or...more
Love it, love it, love it...
Maybe it's because I just finished my first new-member year with the Junior League of Minneapolis but I found this book absolutely delicious! The author writes as if you were there with her, and talks to you a la "Clarissa Explains It All" sort of way (Yea for Melissa Joan Hart!).
I would definitely recommend it... some parts get a bit boring, but there is always another juicy twist. Texas seems like a foreign country after reading this book, and beings that there are...more
Maybe it's because I just finished my first new-member year with the Junior League of Minneapolis but I found this book absolutely delicious! The author writes as if you were there with her, and talks to you a la "Clarissa Explains It All" sort of way (Yea for Melissa Joan Hart!).
I would definitely recommend it... some parts get a bit boring, but there is always another juicy twist. Texas seems like a foreign country after reading this book, and beings that there are...more
This is the most delightful piece of fluff fiction I've read in years. Witty, fast-paced, and, as the writer might put it, just north of Total Trash. The references to the moneyed classes and their idiosyncratic ways come off as amusing, rather than just plain yukky, a la "The Devil Wears Prada." Somehow, the protagonist is lovable, despite her blatant snobbery. The biggest disappointment is the hunk-o'-burnin'-love artist character, who is not as believable as the rest of the characters. But, h...more
Of course, Texans are larger than life in their stories and in general. This story centers on the perfect "Southern" lady with impeccable manners, lifestyle, and clothes. Then a carpetbagger, in the form of a misguided mistress of a wayward husband threatens all Frede holds dear. The story starts slowly and does not gather steam until the final chapters. Frede lists may be cute to some, but become boring and trite as the book progresses. And of course, the book is being adapted into a movie with...more
Meh. Just meh.
I had no illusions about "The Devil...". In fact, I was looking for some very light, mild chick lit after venturing into A Song of Ice and Fire territory. (And before embarking on a Jacqueline Kennedy biography.) Call it a palate cleanser.
This was too light, if that's possible. I blame a boring love interest who said "Hell" too many times instead of an actual curse word (or nothing at all) and a protagonist whose inner monologue sounded like something Miss Piggy would say.
Not to kn...more
I had no illusions about "The Devil...". In fact, I was looking for some very light, mild chick lit after venturing into A Song of Ice and Fire territory. (And before embarking on a Jacqueline Kennedy biography.) Call it a palate cleanser.
This was too light, if that's possible. I blame a boring love interest who said "Hell" too many times instead of an actual curse word (or nothing at all) and a protagonist whose inner monologue sounded like something Miss Piggy would say.
Not to kn...more
Full of cliches and trite phrases, this book read like a cheap romance novel. I was looking for something light and entertaining, so I was really disappointed by this implausible, poorly written book. In addition, the author's characterization of The Junior League was completely inaccurate. She exploits all of the myths of the League, and her description of the League's selection process looks more closely like it did in my grandmother's day and age (the 1950's and 60's) than it does today. I to...more
This is an entertaining little piece of fluff. My friend Linda read it a few years ago and said she enjoyed it more than she expected, so it's been on my list ever since. I think the author has nailed the world of the Junior League in a well-to-do Texas town, which is not that surprising since it's the world she has come from. The plot is improbable, but entertaining, and the characters are well-conceived. There's a romance thrown in for good measure, so altogether it's a good choice for the hot...more
Apr 14, 2012
Allie Schembra
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
beach-books,
favorites
What can I say? I pretty much loved this book. As a member of the Junior League (though not in Texas) this story had me laughing out loud and rooting for Frede. The Junior League of Willow Creek, Texas is described in exactly the way I imagined the Junior League to be. Exclusive and snobby with back-stabbing women who had nothing better to do all day than sip tea and think up ways to one-up another. Thankfully, my Junior League Chapter is nothing like that.
Frede Ware is the Queen of JLWC. The l...more
Frede Ware is the Queen of JLWC. The l...more
I first read The Ex-Debutante by Linda Francis Lee earlier this year and I adored it. I adored it so much that I couldn't wait to read this book but then you know how those things go. A couple of weeks pass and the book falls off your radar until you see something somewhere and you're like, "Oh yeah, I wanted to read that book"...well that's what happened with me and this book.
I started it a couple of nights ago and it started out pretty good. There was a lot of stuff going on in the book betwee...more
I started it a couple of nights ago and it started out pretty good. There was a lot of stuff going on in the book betwee...more
From Amazon:
"Former Junior Leaguer Linda Francis Lee has crafted a scandalously delicious novel that takes you deep into the heart of Texas blue-blood society.
The Junior League of Willow Creek, Texas, is très exclusive. Undesirables need not apply. Fredericka Mercedes Hildebrand Ware (Frede to her friends) is a member beyond reproach...until her life begins to unravel. When her husband betrays her, steals her money, and runs off to places unknown, it's something Frede would prefer to keep under...more
"Former Junior Leaguer Linda Francis Lee has crafted a scandalously delicious novel that takes you deep into the heart of Texas blue-blood society.
The Junior League of Willow Creek, Texas, is très exclusive. Undesirables need not apply. Fredericka Mercedes Hildebrand Ware (Frede to her friends) is a member beyond reproach...until her life begins to unravel. When her husband betrays her, steals her money, and runs off to places unknown, it's something Frede would prefer to keep under...more
I picked this book up because I belong to the Junior League of St Louis, and curiosity got the better of me. My problems with the book, though, have little to do with her portayal of the Junior League, but more with the book's weird feeling of anachronism. While her main character is supposed to be 28 in a book published in 2007 and set in contemporary time, everybody in the book, and some of the details feel at least 10-20 years out of date.
- I am about the same age as the main character, and w...more
- I am about the same age as the main character, and w...more
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This is a fun romp through Texas society. And if you think Lee's characters are over the top, you've never been to Dallas, Houston, or Austin during debutante season or at any of the major private schools during rush.
I don't want to add a spoiler, but main character Freddie must get back all her husband stole from her when he left her for a younger model. Along the way, she gets the help of some unusual characters. This is a great beach read, but not exactly inspiring literature.
I don't want to add a spoiler, but main character Freddie must get back all her husband stole from her when he left her for a younger model. Along the way, she gets the help of some unusual characters. This is a great beach read, but not exactly inspiring literature.
I normally read classics and contemporary literature but decided I needed a break and decided to try some lighter fare. I picked this book up at the library and it was exactly what I was looking for. This is an easy, breezy, fun read that you can complete in a day or two. I thought it was a perfect summer selection that I enjoyed reading by the pool. I especially enjoyed all the fashion talk and dos and don't s for the Willow Creek Junior League members (pure escape and fantasy). I look forward...more
Listened to the audio of this one too, and it might have helped a lot. The narrator's Texas accent and sensibilities were right on target, made it a delightful tale to listen to. I gave it four stars not because it's great literature, but because it's really good at being what it is, a light-hearted and entertaining tale about how the former miss everything in a small Texas town rises from the ashes because she's not really the uber *itch she's been bred to be.
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Linda Francis Lee is a native Texan now calling New York City home. Linda's writing career began when her article "There Is No Finish Line" was published in her university's quarterly magazine. But she got sidetracked from writing when she started teaching probability and statistics. Later she found her way back to writing, and the Atlanta Journal Constitution called her breakout novel, Blue Waltz...more
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