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Dixie #2
Yankee Doodle Dixie
A charmingly funny testament to second chances in life and love from the acclaimed author of Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter
Lisa Patton won the hearts of readers last year, her book Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter became a sleeper-success. Building on a smashing debut, Lisa's poised to go to the next level―because whether in Vermont snow or in Memphis heat, Dixie heroine Leelee Satterfield is never too far from misadventure, calamity...and ultimately, love.
Having watched her life turn into a nor'easter, 34-year-old Leelee Satterfield is back home in the South, ready to pick back up where she left off. But that's a task easier said then done…Leelee's a single mom, still dreaming of the Vermonter who stole her heart, and accompanied by her three best friends who pepper her with advice, nudging and peach daiquiris, Leelee opens another restaurant and learns she has to prove herself yet again. Filled with heart and humor, women's fiction fans will delight in Yankee Doodle Dixie .
Lisa Patton won the hearts of readers last year, her book Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter became a sleeper-success. Building on a smashing debut, Lisa's poised to go to the next level―because whether in Vermont snow or in Memphis heat, Dixie heroine Leelee Satterfield is never too far from misadventure, calamity...and ultimately, love.
Having watched her life turn into a nor'easter, 34-year-old Leelee Satterfield is back home in the South, ready to pick back up where she left off. But that's a task easier said then done…Leelee's a single mom, still dreaming of the Vermonter who stole her heart, and accompanied by her three best friends who pepper her with advice, nudging and peach daiquiris, Leelee opens another restaurant and learns she has to prove herself yet again. Filled with heart and humor, women's fiction fans will delight in Yankee Doodle Dixie .
304 pages, Paperback
First published August 16, 2011
141 people are currently reading
1807 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Patton
6 books520 followersLisa Patton, author of Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter, Yankee Doodle Dixie, Southern as a Second Language, and Rush, and Kissing The Sky is a Memphis, Tennessee native who spent time as a Vermont innkeeper until three sub-zero winters sent her speeding back down South. She has over twenty-five years of experience working in theater, radio, TV, and music, including a decade with Doobie Brother Michael McDonald, who, along with his wife Amy, helped Lisa cowrite and produce “If Not for You,” an original song for Kissing the Sky. A graduate of the University of Alabama, Lisa is the proud mother of two sons, eight bonus children, and twelve grandchildren. She and her husband live in the rolling hills of Nashville with their four-legged furry son named Ziggy, and furry daughter named Daisy.
To find links to the original song “If Not for You,” please visit Lisa’s website at www.lisapatton.com or go to the streaming platform of your choice: Amy Holland/ If Not for You Connect with Lisa on Instagram, @lisapattonbooks, and on Facebook, Lisa Patton.author.
To find links to the original song “If Not for You,” please visit Lisa’s website at www.lisapatton.com or go to the streaming platform of your choice: Amy Holland/ If Not for You Connect with Lisa on Instagram, @lisapattonbooks, and on Facebook, Lisa Patton.author.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 307 reviews
March 27, 2012
I liked Whistlin Dixie enough to want to read this follow-up. This book was awful - and here are some reasons why:
- the timeline made no sense. For example, the main character is 33-34. The book takes place sometime after 2001 since there is mention of Ground Zero in NY but there is also mention that the main character remembers attending a James Taylor concert in 1970. There are several other problems like this that just drove me nuts.
- there is a lot of writing about the quirky next door neighbor but it is not in anyway part of the plot
- there are many references to the wild partying of Leelee and her friends but then a couple of odd statements about her knowing her limits with alcohol because her mother was an alcoholic - very inconsistent.
- Leelee is simultaneously destitute but also sitting on enough cash to buy a new inn and renovate it?
- the timeline made no sense. For example, the main character is 33-34. The book takes place sometime after 2001 since there is mention of Ground Zero in NY but there is also mention that the main character remembers attending a James Taylor concert in 1970. There are several other problems like this that just drove me nuts.
- there is a lot of writing about the quirky next door neighbor but it is not in anyway part of the plot
- there are many references to the wild partying of Leelee and her friends but then a couple of odd statements about her knowing her limits with alcohol because her mother was an alcoholic - very inconsistent.
- Leelee is simultaneously destitute but also sitting on enough cash to buy a new inn and renovate it?
August 10, 2016
This book was so poorly written it made Mary Higgins Clark sound like Jane Austen. The ending was so predictable, I just wished Patton would get on with it so I could go to bed already. Definitely literary junk food -- something to do between hearty meals. But everyone likes a spoonful of Cool Whip from time to time. Yankee Doodle Dixie has almost as much substance as Cool Whip, but is equally harmless and easy. I didn't hate it, but I can't possibly recommend it.
July 31, 2012
The inaccurate details are starting to distract me from this book.
Just what year is this book set in? Because if LeeLee is 33 as she states on page 80, then there is no way that she was watching American Bandstand and dancing along to The Supremes singing Stop in the Name of Love.
On page 91, LeeLee asks herself "why has it taken him over two weeks to call me?" Then on page 93 - in the same conversation! - she says to Peter, "What about our good-bye, just a little over a week ago?"
On page 158 she remembers going to a James Taylor concert in 1970. But later on in the book, it says she was born in 1976 or something.
I really really wanted to like this book more. I thought LeeLee was pretty bland in the first book. It was her YaYa-esque BFFs that made the story. LeeLee is lucky to have Kissie and the YaYas to keep her afloat. But now that LeeLee is home it just seems like she's back to her bland ways. That random fling with the rock star was just so unlikely.
I also don't understand how she bought a 3 bedroom house to turn into an Inn but is also planning to live in it. Will there only be one guest room? And her kids will have to share a room? I get that it keeps the story going and gets that guy from Peter back into the picture.
It seems like there will be a 3rd book in this series. Maybe with Peter around it will be a more interesting story?
Just what year is this book set in? Because if LeeLee is 33 as she states on page 80, then there is no way that she was watching American Bandstand and dancing along to The Supremes singing Stop in the Name of Love.
On page 91, LeeLee asks herself "why has it taken him over two weeks to call me?" Then on page 93 - in the same conversation! - she says to Peter, "What about our good-bye, just a little over a week ago?"
On page 158 she remembers going to a James Taylor concert in 1970. But later on in the book, it says she was born in 1976 or something.
I really really wanted to like this book more. I thought LeeLee was pretty bland in the first book. It was her YaYa-esque BFFs that made the story. LeeLee is lucky to have Kissie and the YaYas to keep her afloat. But now that LeeLee is home it just seems like she's back to her bland ways. That random fling with the rock star was just so unlikely.
I also don't understand how she bought a 3 bedroom house to turn into an Inn but is also planning to live in it. Will there only be one guest room? And her kids will have to share a room? I get that it keeps the story going and gets that guy from Peter back into the picture.
It seems like there will be a 3rd book in this series. Maybe with Peter around it will be a more interesting story?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 4, 2013
Ugh. I don't remember the first book being this bad. Terrible writing, poor editing ("tale" when it was supposed to be "tail"? Really??) timeline inconsistencies, inconsistencies with a character who supposedly pronounces his Rs as Ws, but some will get missed IN THE SAME SENTENCE (more lazy editing, I'm thinking,) completely unbelievable plotlines, and a pretty annoying main character. Her nickname is "Fiery," presumably because she's a fiery redhead, but there is absolutely nothing "fiery" about her. She and her friends are really quite obnoxious. I was looking for a light, fluffy, fun summer read after a string of dark books. I was not looking for completely inane, but that's what I got with this one. I think I'll take a pass if there's a third book in this series.
August 30, 2017
After finishing this book I was ready to give it a lower than 3 rating. This is one instance where waiting a bit and letting things settle was beneficial to the author. The writer is obviously a wonderful storyteller but she needs help. So I've decided to focus on what was good about the book in order to assign a rating and for that reason it's gets 3 stars. Mind you it only just barely eeked out those stars. Let me do my best to explain.....
As you may be able to see from my first update I was quite irritated at the very beginning of this book. I was about 38 pages in and my mind was wandering. I could not get interested in this thing. I will be completely honest and say I'm not sure if it was the book, or me. You, know, the old tired excuse-- It's not you, it's me! Ultimately, I persevered and the book did get substantially more interesting. It still lacked the "something" that I really loved about it's prequel Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter. I already have a physical copy of the third book in the series and I am honestly still undecided whether or not I'll read it. But back the reason for my rating of THIS book. In my humble opinion it felt too forced, too contrived, almost like the publisher called and yelled into the phone "Patton we NEED a sequel STAT!" I just simply do not feel the author's heart was in it. Certainly her mind wasn't. Mostly for this reason this book didn't boost back over a 3 star rating. As eluded to earlier the middle and end of this book was ok, interesting enough, and the characterizations were fun and had so much potential. Well, that is except for the author's obsession with body odor. I lost count of the times she mentioned it in dialogue. But the real stinker was the lack of care. Yes, I truly think that is what it was. What I am trying to say is my first impression held out that this book seemed forced. I got the sneaky suspicion the author may have begun work on another book with different characters and a completely different TIMELINE but then decided or was coerced perhaps to hurry up with a sequel as you know the the old saying says "you better strike while the iron is hot. " Maybe it was easier to use all the work she had put into her new book and try to change it to fit the old characters. Hmm, maybe? Sounds like a plausible excuse to me. I say that because the entre timeline in this book was skewed, so out of whack, it became humorous to find the discrepancies. I stopped counting the numerous impossibilities so I can't give you a final total but can give a very obvious example. While the main character, Leelee, is working at a radio station she believes she is hearing an interview being conducted by a disc jockey with James Taylor. She then proceeds to wax nostalgically for three pages about an instance when she and her friends attended a JT concert in 1970. Several times in the book it was either stated or an eluded to fact that Leelee was in her early 30s. Then definitively while Leelee was in New York another character gives her directions to the area of NY she wants to visit and very plainly tells her it's near "Ground Zero". So no doubt about it, it would have been nearly mathematically impossible she could have been at that James Taylor concert in 1970 as she and her friends would have been 3 or 4 years old if we liberally take the earliest "ground zero" could have existed and subtract her age. (2001-34 =1967 birthdate). And as I said this is only one example!! Also the characterizations of Leelee and her friends and especially Kissy (the baby nurse who raised her) harkened back to an earlier time. They were just "off" and did not mesh with contemporary characters. What I really do not understand is why not one single solitary soul listed as a "best girlfriend ever" in the Author's Acknowledgments did not call her up after proofreading (because I believe a true friend would proofread for you!) and lay it to her like this: "Lisa honey, it just plain don't work. Don't go makin' a fool of yourself. You need to fix that silly ol' timeline, shoog!"
As you may be able to see from my first update I was quite irritated at the very beginning of this book. I was about 38 pages in and my mind was wandering. I could not get interested in this thing. I will be completely honest and say I'm not sure if it was the book, or me. You, know, the old tired excuse-- It's not you, it's me! Ultimately, I persevered and the book did get substantially more interesting. It still lacked the "something" that I really loved about it's prequel Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter. I already have a physical copy of the third book in the series and I am honestly still undecided whether or not I'll read it. But back the reason for my rating of THIS book. In my humble opinion it felt too forced, too contrived, almost like the publisher called and yelled into the phone "Patton we NEED a sequel STAT!" I just simply do not feel the author's heart was in it. Certainly her mind wasn't. Mostly for this reason this book didn't boost back over a 3 star rating. As eluded to earlier the middle and end of this book was ok, interesting enough, and the characterizations were fun and had so much potential. Well, that is except for the author's obsession with body odor. I lost count of the times she mentioned it in dialogue. But the real stinker was the lack of care. Yes, I truly think that is what it was. What I am trying to say is my first impression held out that this book seemed forced. I got the sneaky suspicion the author may have begun work on another book with different characters and a completely different TIMELINE but then decided or was coerced perhaps to hurry up with a sequel as you know the the old saying says "you better strike while the iron is hot. " Maybe it was easier to use all the work she had put into her new book and try to change it to fit the old characters. Hmm, maybe? Sounds like a plausible excuse to me. I say that because the entre timeline in this book was skewed, so out of whack, it became humorous to find the discrepancies. I stopped counting the numerous impossibilities so I can't give you a final total but can give a very obvious example. While the main character, Leelee, is working at a radio station she believes she is hearing an interview being conducted by a disc jockey with James Taylor. She then proceeds to wax nostalgically for three pages about an instance when she and her friends attended a JT concert in 1970. Several times in the book it was either stated or an eluded to fact that Leelee was in her early 30s. Then definitively while Leelee was in New York another character gives her directions to the area of NY she wants to visit and very plainly tells her it's near "Ground Zero". So no doubt about it, it would have been nearly mathematically impossible she could have been at that James Taylor concert in 1970 as she and her friends would have been 3 or 4 years old if we liberally take the earliest "ground zero" could have existed and subtract her age. (2001-34 =1967 birthdate). And as I said this is only one example!! Also the characterizations of Leelee and her friends and especially Kissy (the baby nurse who raised her) harkened back to an earlier time. They were just "off" and did not mesh with contemporary characters. What I really do not understand is why not one single solitary soul listed as a "best girlfriend ever" in the Author's Acknowledgments did not call her up after proofreading (because I believe a true friend would proofread for you!) and lay it to her like this: "Lisa honey, it just plain don't work. Don't go makin' a fool of yourself. You need to fix that silly ol' timeline, shoog!"
July 22, 2011
I won this book as a first reads giveaway on Goodreads. To preface my review, this novel is the sequel to an earlier novel by Lisa Patton, which I have not read, so that may have skewed my perspective somewhat. When I first received this novel, I took a glance at it and automatically assumed that it was just like dozens of other books I've read before - cute and semi-entertaining beach reading material, but nothing too memorable. But what set this novel apart is its quirky characters and humor; I definitely laughed multiple times. This is a feel good novel due to Patton's lovable narrator LeeLee.
My main complaint with Yankee Doodle Dixe was lack of characterization concerning LeeLee's three best friends and her two children, who were all fairly static and just along for LeeLee's ride. If I had been the editor (in my dreams) on this book, I would have recommended nixing the kids from the plotline altogether. LeeLee, as a narrator and character, is adorable, but clearly all about herself, which just makes her come across as a bad and rather absentee mother. But I did love Kissie and Riley (Wiley haha) and the unapologetically southern vibe to this entertaining little novel. 3.5 stars.
My main complaint with Yankee Doodle Dixe was lack of characterization concerning LeeLee's three best friends and her two children, who were all fairly static and just along for LeeLee's ride. If I had been the editor (in my dreams) on this book, I would have recommended nixing the kids from the plotline altogether. LeeLee, as a narrator and character, is adorable, but clearly all about herself, which just makes her come across as a bad and rather absentee mother. But I did love Kissie and Riley (Wiley haha) and the unapologetically southern vibe to this entertaining little novel. 3.5 stars.
January 14, 2015
This is not a literary piece that will live on through the ages and become a classic. It IS an entertaining way to spend an afternoon on the beach or a cold rainy day. I didn't feel the need to pick apart the book as some of the other reviews. This is a book that feels a bit like a Lifetime Movie so if you don't like to simply be entertained, choose something else.
I thought it was a quick, easy and fun read. I've read the first one and I'm getting ready to lose myself in the 3rd one this rainy, cold afternoon with warm cup of tea.
I thought it was a quick, easy and fun read. I've read the first one and I'm getting ready to lose myself in the 3rd one this rainy, cold afternoon with warm cup of tea.
June 13, 2020
Definitely chick-lit, which is not my usual book genre, but a cute, if a tad far-fetched, story overall. I did not read Whistlin' Dixie In A Nor'easter, Patton's first book of her Dixie trilogy but this story stands fine on its own.
One note: Whoever was the editor for this book should have to refund their salary because there are so many glaring timeline inconsistencies that are truly annoying. For example: if Leelee saw Elvis in Graceland's yard she would have to be in her mid to late 40's not only 34 years old.
One note: Whoever was the editor for this book should have to refund their salary because there are so many glaring timeline inconsistencies that are truly annoying. For example: if Leelee saw Elvis in Graceland's yard she would have to be in her mid to late 40's not only 34 years old.
June 14, 2020
I enjoyed the first book in this series, Whistlin Dixie in a Nor'easter, so I was eager to get my hands on this one. It was just... Meh. First of all, there seem to be some timeline inconsistencies regarding the main character's age and some events of her childhood. Secondly, the characteristics that drew me to liking LeeLee in the first book were absent in this book. She seems to have lost her fiesty attitude and charm. I wish we could have seen more character development with her, especially involving her new role as a single mother. I feel that it was glossed over and showed little adjustment or struggle. The next door neighbor was annoying and I don't really see much point to his character other than a little quirky comedy, although his interactions with Kissie were amusing. Overall, the book was fine- I did read it in one night, after all- but I hope the third book brings back more elements that I enjoyed in the first one.
April 26, 2016
I felt a little annoyed at the bait and switch of the series. The first book is about how a youngish middle aged mom, LeeLee, reinvents her life after her husband uproots the family to follow his dream. It was not a deep introspective, but a light, fun (and a bit basic) read showing the power of friendship and finding inner strength. However, this book is all about boys. . . and they all decide how and when to be part of LeeLee's life because she is incapable of standing up to any of them, setting boundaries or simply saying no. I mean seriously, the man of her dreams can't come to Memphis because he doesn't have a job and she never says, "Have you looked for one?" Her interactions with her girlfriends are long, inane, unbelievable and boring scenarios. Yes this series is Chick Lit, but the first book indicated it was about a woman finding her voice instead it is chick lit of silly girls who grow up to be silly girls.
February 28, 2015
In my opinion this was a light, entertaining read, just like the first one. No better, no worse. It had an engaging plot line, some fun escapades and adventures, and was a nice light read. Yes, LeeLee's nickname totally didn't fit her, Riley's speech impediment was completely irritating, LeeLee definitely didn't seem only 34 year old so there were many timeline inconsistencies/impossibilities, and the characters were rather flat-- they were either good or bad, with no depth. So yes, I agree with the majority of the criticism from the other reviews, but honestly, if you read the first one, like I did, you know this is not a literary masterpiece. I read this one to find closure to the first. It served it's purpose and was entertaining.
February 7, 2012
Perhaps I might have cared a little if I had read this book's predecessor, Whistling Dixie in a Nor'easter. Unfortunately, the characters are far too shallow and clichés of southerners. They were easy for me to dismiss like any people I meet on the street and I don't take an immediate liking to them. As it is, there is minimal plot, so it's more of a series of episodes in Leelee's life that don't really amount to much, other than my thinking, "Hey, this lady's problems are so common, why would anybody write a book about them?"
November 17, 2011
I think this story wasn't as good as the first--and I wished that a lot of the characters from the first one (Pierre & Roberta) would have emerged in the second. I did enjoy Leelee's job and her escapades while working for her loser boss, but I felt that the book just didn't have the charm of the first book. I also wonder if this is the end of the "Dixie" series or if Patton will write any more...this book was unclear about that.
January 15, 2012
As a recent transplant to the mid-South, was looking forward to reading this novel, which is set in Memphis. Unfortunately, I found it to be predictable--much like a movie on Lifetime. The characters (she's even incorporated a loyal family maid/nanny who seems transplanted from THE HELP), and plotting feel re-heated. Just cannot recommend it.
January 3, 2017
Leelee was an inn keeper in Vermont, she wanted change and to go back to her Southern roots which were in Tennessee.
Through many trials, Leelee finds a large home in Tennessee to make into her Peach themed Inn. She also finds the perfect cook.
This was a charming Southern novel
Through many trials, Leelee finds a large home in Tennessee to make into her Peach themed Inn. She also finds the perfect cook.
This was a charming Southern novel
March 9, 2012
Great sequel to - Whistlin’ Dixie in a Nor’easter. The end feels a bit rushed but still a good one.
October 28, 2015
Funny and interesting because I lived in Memphis so long, it was familiar.
Read
July 20, 2018We read this for book club.
July 6, 2013
So boring. Took me 6 months to finish it. Seriously.
May 29, 2022
Leelee has finally be reached Memphis, but she is homeless, a single mother of two girls and jobless. She moves in with her beloved nanny Kissie while she enrolls her daughters in school, finds a rental home near a good public school in a section of town called Germantown, and through an old friend, gets a referral to a radio station for a job.
The rental home needs paint and her special decorating touches, but she works on that with the help of Kissie. The next door neighbor Riley (Wiley) is a Tupperware salesman with a lisp. He is relentlessly in her face all of the time. He talks her into holding a Pampered chef party, now that he is also their representative.
She doesn't like her boss at the station, or the hours away from her girls, but at least she is working and she is home again.
Little Issie likes preschool more than Sarah likes her school, but Leelee has arranged for aftercare and it's going smoothly.
Unfortunately Leelee's love life isn't working. Peter seems to have cooled and professes that he just wants to be friends since neither one is going to move from where they live.
Leelee does have some fun at the radio station because some well known figures pass through. However the popular D.J. Johnny is a prankster and they can cause a lot of trouble for the office.
In the end, there are some life changing decisions that Leelee has to make about a self centered rock star, an egotistic boss, an obnoxious coworker and her true compass of how she wants to live her life. This made me look back at decisions I have made about love and work. Confrontation is difficult for Leelee and it is extremely difficult for me also. I realize that at the time it was confusing, but in the end I also had to follow my true path in life and turn away from bad situations.
This book is not a frivolous look at a sheltered Southern woman. I think it is an honest story of a woman who was raised in a protected environment, but eventually had to learn how to live the life that she and her daughters deserved without the approval of others.
Leelee isn't like me at all. She has lived in the same place for her entire life, she was very sheltered, never had to work for a living, wealthy, she was in a sorority in a very Southern school, Ole Miss, she is impeccably groomed, hair, nails, fancy clothes, very conservative and traditional. But, I completely related to her and her struggles. I credit the author with creating a very realistic Southern woman who is understood by someone not from that environment.
The rental home needs paint and her special decorating touches, but she works on that with the help of Kissie. The next door neighbor Riley (Wiley) is a Tupperware salesman with a lisp. He is relentlessly in her face all of the time. He talks her into holding a Pampered chef party, now that he is also their representative.
She doesn't like her boss at the station, or the hours away from her girls, but at least she is working and she is home again.
Little Issie likes preschool more than Sarah likes her school, but Leelee has arranged for aftercare and it's going smoothly.
Unfortunately Leelee's love life isn't working. Peter seems to have cooled and professes that he just wants to be friends since neither one is going to move from where they live.
Leelee does have some fun at the radio station because some well known figures pass through. However the popular D.J. Johnny is a prankster and they can cause a lot of trouble for the office.
In the end, there are some life changing decisions that Leelee has to make about a self centered rock star, an egotistic boss, an obnoxious coworker and her true compass of how she wants to live her life. This made me look back at decisions I have made about love and work. Confrontation is difficult for Leelee and it is extremely difficult for me also. I realize that at the time it was confusing, but in the end I also had to follow my true path in life and turn away from bad situations.
This book is not a frivolous look at a sheltered Southern woman. I think it is an honest story of a woman who was raised in a protected environment, but eventually had to learn how to live the life that she and her daughters deserved without the approval of others.
Leelee isn't like me at all. She has lived in the same place for her entire life, she was very sheltered, never had to work for a living, wealthy, she was in a sorority in a very Southern school, Ole Miss, she is impeccably groomed, hair, nails, fancy clothes, very conservative and traditional. But, I completely related to her and her struggles. I credit the author with creating a very realistic Southern woman who is understood by someone not from that environment.
June 30, 2017
This book was a supreme disappointment. I'm giving it two stars because I finished reading it. The only reason I started it in the first place was to find out how the romance between Peter and Leelee turned out. It turns out to be a long-winded, convoluted adventure of self-discovery that has nothing to do with Peter, except as an occasional soulful longing. The first third of the book is basically a reiteration of the first book, probably because they were written years apart. After that, it's the girlfriends getting drunk and doing stupid things (what Elvis week had to do with anything is anybody's guess). The whole adventure of the job at the radio station and the obnoxious and irritating people involved with that is part of the whole self-discovery thing, I suppose, but I really hated that Peter wasn't brought back into the story until the last 30 minutes of the audio version of the book -- basically the last chapter, and even THAT was mostly directly copied and pasted from the epilogue of the previous book. None of my questions that I had from the previous book were answered.
What happened to Helga and the restaurant? Did she run it into the ground? Did all the customers desert her? Peter refers to the reason he never followed Leelee is that he had to deal with personal business. What personal business? And why didn't he ever call or write? He's madly in love with her, but can't be bothered to call? The epilogue of the previous book told us that she was going to open another Peach Blossom Inn, but that doesn't happen until the last couple of chapters, almost as an afterthought to bring it together. I was seriously disappointed in all of this. I hated her idiotic, useless neighbor. He seemed to serve no purpose in the story except as an irritant. And why the speech impediment? What did that add to the story? And then at the very in, Prince Charming swans into her life and they all live happily ever after? I would much rather have had something else with him that started earlier on, had some drama, details of opening the inn. The whole thing was contrived and weird.
What happened to Helga and the restaurant? Did she run it into the ground? Did all the customers desert her? Peter refers to the reason he never followed Leelee is that he had to deal with personal business. What personal business? And why didn't he ever call or write? He's madly in love with her, but can't be bothered to call? The epilogue of the previous book told us that she was going to open another Peach Blossom Inn, but that doesn't happen until the last couple of chapters, almost as an afterthought to bring it together. I was seriously disappointed in all of this. I hated her idiotic, useless neighbor. He seemed to serve no purpose in the story except as an irritant. And why the speech impediment? What did that add to the story? And then at the very in, Prince Charming swans into her life and they all live happily ever after? I would much rather have had something else with him that started earlier on, had some drama, details of opening the inn. The whole thing was contrived and weird.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 20, 2024
Audible
Not a fan of this sequel to the Dixie series. I read the first book a few years ago and thought it was cute. I don't know if the fact that I listened to this one made this so bad for me. I may read the last in the series and see if that impacts my experience.
I did not like the narrator for this. She sounded much older than LeeLee was supposed to be. I picture Blanche Devereaux instead of an early 30s redhead. I also hated the overly done Scarlett O'Hara southern accent. I have lived in the South my whole life. We have a ton of different accents, but I have never heard an actual southerner talk like a character from Gone with the Wind. Also, the author wrote in a lot of little sayings that the character uses to describe just about every situation, which aged the character a lot. Once again, I never here 30 something year olds talk like that. And some were offensive. "I was as nervous as a portly girl lying on the beach surrounded by size 4s." The writing was really terrible.
The stereotypes were so ridiculous and once again sometimes really offensive. The way Riley and Kissie were written made this book kind of uncomfortable to listen to. LeeLee's timeline doesn't make sense at all. The rockstar storyline was awful and completely unrealistic. If you are waiting for the love story, you will be very disappointed. This was overall just badly done.
Not a fan of this sequel to the Dixie series. I read the first book a few years ago and thought it was cute. I don't know if the fact that I listened to this one made this so bad for me. I may read the last in the series and see if that impacts my experience.
I did not like the narrator for this. She sounded much older than LeeLee was supposed to be. I picture Blanche Devereaux instead of an early 30s redhead. I also hated the overly done Scarlett O'Hara southern accent. I have lived in the South my whole life. We have a ton of different accents, but I have never heard an actual southerner talk like a character from Gone with the Wind. Also, the author wrote in a lot of little sayings that the character uses to describe just about every situation, which aged the character a lot. Once again, I never here 30 something year olds talk like that. And some were offensive. "I was as nervous as a portly girl lying on the beach surrounded by size 4s." The writing was really terrible.
The stereotypes were so ridiculous and once again sometimes really offensive. The way Riley and Kissie were written made this book kind of uncomfortable to listen to. LeeLee's timeline doesn't make sense at all. The rockstar storyline was awful and completely unrealistic. If you are waiting for the love story, you will be very disappointed. This was overall just badly done.
October 18, 2023
**Spoilers**
This book is painful. I’m listening to the end as I write this. I skipped about 3 chapters and it didn’t matter because the writing is so so so repetitive (which I knew from trudging through the 1st book). Like, so repetitive. The beginning is even inserted at the end and I had the listen, word for word, what I’d already heard.
Writing is choppy. There is a lot of wasted time on details that don’t matter. Also, the entire book is Leelee stressing about money and then all of a sudden at the end she’s loaded with enough cash to buy a house and renovate it to be a restaurant and inn. Where. Did. All. That. Money. Come. From?
Also, and I don’t know why this bugs me so much but Leelee keeps referring to her “good friend Roberta” who she misses but does she ever call her?! No. Also, the characters are often described as breaking into laughing fits except… what they are laughing at isn’t funny, in my opinion. One last thing. Leelee and her besties are supposed to be in their early 30’s but they sound like older ladies. Anyway - didn’t like it. Not my cup of tea, bless its heart.
This book is painful. I’m listening to the end as I write this. I skipped about 3 chapters and it didn’t matter because the writing is so so so repetitive (which I knew from trudging through the 1st book). Like, so repetitive. The beginning is even inserted at the end and I had the listen, word for word, what I’d already heard.
Writing is choppy. There is a lot of wasted time on details that don’t matter. Also, the entire book is Leelee stressing about money and then all of a sudden at the end she’s loaded with enough cash to buy a house and renovate it to be a restaurant and inn. Where. Did. All. That. Money. Come. From?
Also, and I don’t know why this bugs me so much but Leelee keeps referring to her “good friend Roberta” who she misses but does she ever call her?! No. Also, the characters are often described as breaking into laughing fits except… what they are laughing at isn’t funny, in my opinion. One last thing. Leelee and her besties are supposed to be in their early 30’s but they sound like older ladies. Anyway - didn’t like it. Not my cup of tea, bless its heart.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2023
I loved the first book Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'Easter, and was really looking forward to this sequel. I came so close to DNF'ing (Did Not Finish) the book, and the only reason I continued was because I was reading to complete several prompts to complete challenges that end in March. I was disappointed with LeeLee's attitude and actions. I realize that she was at a crossroads, and that her economic status has changed along with her social status, but she came across time after time as someone who thinks that rules don't apply to her, that exceptions should be made for her... I'm in my 60's, she was in her 30's and just "finding herself" after a divorce, and yet...she was acting like a pre-teen/young teen when dealing with romantic interests and work obligations. There is a third book in the series, but I won't be continuing the series to find out what happens next...the interest is just not there.
August 10, 2017
I'm about to add a new shelf called "couldn't get through it" or "couldn't tolerate it". I swear I've read the first book, Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter, but apparently I didn't log it into GoodReads. Probably because I wanted to forget I had. Sigh. Regardless, I started Yankee Doodle Dixie and made it to page 27 before I just gave up. I like a quick read fluffy summer read as much as anyone but good grief, this one was too much. Full of crazy outmoded southern stereotypes, lunching at the country club, (the friend) clicking her french manicured nails, being served by Johnson at the club who's been there for decades, staying at her old black nanny Kissie's house (in a neighborhood where there are bars on the windows)....I'd had enough. It's The Help in 21st century Memphis. Yes, there are people who live like this but I've got better things to do than read about them. Ugh.
April 23, 2018
Leelee has moved back to Memphis after about a year away in Vermont. Her husband left her after talking her into the move. Just as she started to fall for Pete, she got the chance to move home and she jumped on it.
Now she’s back with her best friends and her mother figure Kissie.
She starts work at a radio job which introduces some entertaining storylines when she meets some famous musicians.
It took me awhile to get into it. But I enjoyed it. I think the portions of the story at the radio station, with Kissie and with her best friends were my favorite parts.
I knew this was book two, I didn’t read book one because I didn’t want to read about her dog dying. And I probably won’t read book three. But I enjoyed this as a stand-alone.
Now she’s back with her best friends and her mother figure Kissie.
She starts work at a radio job which introduces some entertaining storylines when she meets some famous musicians.
It took me awhile to get into it. But I enjoyed it. I think the portions of the story at the radio station, with Kissie and with her best friends were my favorite parts.
I knew this was book two, I didn’t read book one because I didn’t want to read about her dog dying. And I probably won’t read book three. But I enjoyed this as a stand-alone.
November 7, 2020
Well I didn’t like this one nearly as much as the first one. For one thing, too much of it is spent on her job at the fictional Memphis radio station FM99- which isn’t nearly as charming or interesting as running a Vermont inn. Plus, knowing the author did work at the actual Memphis radio station FM100 makes you wonder who up there is the bully boss and who is the smarmy DJ with the fat ass and stinky breath.
The whole Elvis week section seemed added for the sake of having more stereotypical Memphis stuff since it served no purpose and certainly did not move the plot.
Her hyperbolic writing - especially when it came to groups of people laughing & meeting rock stars at the station - gets a bit annoying in this book. It wasn’t nearly so bad in the first one.
The whole Elvis week section seemed added for the sake of having more stereotypical Memphis stuff since it served no purpose and certainly did not move the plot.
Her hyperbolic writing - especially when it came to groups of people laughing & meeting rock stars at the station - gets a bit annoying in this book. It wasn’t nearly so bad in the first one.
August 8, 2021
It’s very … Southern. Prim and proper and preachy 🙄
It’s also full of so many inconsistencies that nothing makes sense and it’s almost like a game picking them all out…
It’s also full of so many inconsistencies that nothing makes sense and it’s almost like a game picking them all out…
• This woman can’t make up her mind if she has piles of Daddy’s money or if she’s flat broke.
• She gets annoyed that some dude hasn’t called her in 2 weeks, when she only said goodbye to him 1 week ago.
• It’s suggested several times that she doesn’t drink because her mother was an alcoholic, yet she often talks about her wild-child college partying days.
• And idk when on earth this broad was born — she went to a concert in 1970 and watched Diana Ross and the Supremes on American Bandstand, but is somehow only 33 in some unspecified year that is definitely after 2001.
January 19, 2024
I liked this sequel to “Whistlin Dixie in a Nor’Easter!” It’s the continuing story of Leelee as she moves on from Vermont and back to her hometown in Memphis and leaves behind a chance at a new love, but she needs to get back to her first love; Memphis and to continue to work on herself. I wondered if she would ever find love again or if her potential love she said goodbye to would ever happen for her later on. I loved the character development of Kissie, who is LeeLee’s “mother.” She was LeeLee’s maid growing up but really is a true mother to LeeLee. Part of the book I skimmed through (the Elvis party) as it seemed a little drawn out. But the continuing strength of LeeLee as she puts back her life after the fiasco in Vermont was so great. A happy ending too.
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