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katereads2much's review against another edition
3.0
Margot's career was flourishing... until it wasn't thanks to a chef who insisted on ignoring allergies and flamingos on the loose. The situation lands her seemingly unhireable in Chicago event planning.
Enter her father's estranged family, who, offer her a place job with them at the McCready Family Funeral Home and Bait Shop. Margot decides that maybe she'll take them up on their offer--her savings is getting low, and she would like some sort of explanation of why her father never came to find her. Margot believes she'll be gone from Georgia and her nosey family in no time, but she finds herself more embroiled in the town than she expected.
I love Molly Harper's humor and wit. The cast of characters in this is extensive but also hilarious. Frankie is easily one of the best parts of this book (and the prequel), in my opinion. The family is a little overwhelming, both to Margot and to me as a reader trying to keep up with everyone. Reading "Save a Truck, Ride a Redneck" first did help some. In a lot of book series, you get an introduction to a handful of characters and then more get added to the mix as the series continues. Here, you and Margot are dunked into an entire town worth of family and the rest of the town too.
It took me a while to get into this book. It was only because of how much I adore Molly Harper's other books that I stuck with it. I think had this been an author I didn't love already that I likely would've quit. The book did grow on me, but I just had trouble connecting with Margot and Kyle until over halfway through the book. But I did enjoy the humor and the family connections. Overall, I'm glad I read it, but the first half of the book was a bit of a struggle for me.
Thanks to Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Enter her father's estranged family, who, offer her a place job with them at the McCready Family Funeral Home and Bait Shop. Margot decides that maybe she'll take them up on their offer--her savings is getting low, and she would like some sort of explanation of why her father never came to find her. Margot believes she'll be gone from Georgia and her nosey family in no time, but she finds herself more embroiled in the town than she expected.
I love Molly Harper's humor and wit. The cast of characters in this is extensive but also hilarious. Frankie is easily one of the best parts of this book (and the prequel), in my opinion. The family is a little overwhelming, both to Margot and to me as a reader trying to keep up with everyone. Reading "Save a Truck, Ride a Redneck" first did help some. In a lot of book series, you get an introduction to a handful of characters and then more get added to the mix as the series continues. Here, you and Margot are dunked into an entire town worth of family and the rest of the town too.
It took me a while to get into this book. It was only because of how much I adore Molly Harper's other books that I stuck with it. I think had this been an author I didn't love already that I likely would've quit. The book did grow on me, but I just had trouble connecting with Margot and Kyle until over halfway through the book. But I did enjoy the humor and the family connections. Overall, I'm glad I read it, but the first half of the book was a bit of a struggle for me.
Thanks to Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
mx_manda's review against another edition
2.0
I have a small handful of authors who produce consistent "eh, good enough" content that I keep coming back, even though they never truly wow me. Molly Harper is one of them—as long as it's an audiobook with Amanda Ronconi narrating. (My one attempt at reading a Harper book was dreadful. The humor didn't come across when I read her versus listening. Never. Again.)
Sometimes the offerings are a bit better than others. This one was more on the less-so side of things.
It still has plenty of moments to laugh at. Harper is successful at staging absurd moments that are genuinely funny. And she's not too bad at writing "quirky" children, it turns out.
But.
This was one of the stories where her heroine—Margot—apparently is unable to think about anything but carbs 70% of the time. The other 30% of her thought process is equally as tedious.
Because who doesn't love a fatphobic heroine with serious daddy issues and an inability to connect to other human beings? UGH.
And being from the mostly-rural Midwest...we have a lot more in common with southern culture than huge cities like Chicago. So the "OMG THE SOUTH IS SO WEIRD! LIKE A FOREIGN COUNTRY!!" thing gets old really fast. About half of the US lives in larger cities, so I suppose y'all might experience culture shock, while the rest of us just stand by, confused, because, who doesn't try to deep fry literally everything or eat breakfast with all the potatoes and at least 2 types of meat product? Isn't this just a day ending in "y"?
So this one was underwhelming with enjoyable moments. The romance is pretty tepid and I wasn't feeling it. Especially the ONE near-fade-to-black scene we get in this story. The familial issues felt forced, and the reunions did not feel satisfying because Margot doesn't really seem to learn anything or gain new insight. I had really hoped there would be a better fleshed-out version of what happened on her dad's end—including clarifying if he did, in fact, sign away his parental rights, or if that was something Margot's "sociopathic" mother had made up to discourage her ever seeking him out. (Sociopathic is in quotation marks because it's never verified, but Margot's mother only seemed concerned about herself and Margot in relation to how Margot reflected on her. Ground work was laid to suggest her mother lied about things all the time, but then it was just dropped for a sloppy, quick tie-up? Lazy.)
The side cast are pretty colorful characters. It's a shame the same can not be said for the leads.
Real Rating: 2.5 stars
Sometimes the offerings are a bit better than others. This one was more on the less-so side of things.
It still has plenty of moments to laugh at. Harper is successful at staging absurd moments that are genuinely funny. And she's not too bad at writing "quirky" children, it turns out.
But.
This was one of the stories where her heroine—Margot—apparently is unable to think about anything but carbs 70% of the time. The other 30% of her thought process is equally as tedious.
Because who doesn't love a fatphobic heroine with serious daddy issues and an inability to connect to other human beings? UGH.
And being from the mostly-rural Midwest...we have a lot more in common with southern culture than huge cities like Chicago. So the "OMG THE SOUTH IS SO WEIRD! LIKE A FOREIGN COUNTRY!!" thing gets old really fast. About half of the US lives in larger cities, so I suppose y'all might experience culture shock, while the rest of us just stand by, confused, because, who doesn't try to deep fry literally everything or eat breakfast with all the potatoes and at least 2 types of meat product? Isn't this just a day ending in "y"?
So this one was underwhelming with enjoyable moments. The romance is pretty tepid and I wasn't feeling it. Especially the ONE near-fade-to-black scene we get in this story. The familial issues felt forced, and the reunions did not feel satisfying because Margot doesn't really seem to learn anything or gain new insight. I had really hoped there would be a better fleshed-out version of what happened on her dad's end—including clarifying if he did, in fact, sign away his parental rights, or if that was something Margot's "sociopathic" mother had made up to discourage her ever seeking him out. (Sociopathic is in quotation marks because it's never verified, but Margot's mother only seemed concerned about herself and Margot in relation to how Margot reflected on her. Ground work was laid to suggest her mother lied about things all the time, but then it was just dropped for a sloppy, quick tie-up? Lazy.)
The side cast are pretty colorful characters. It's a shame the same can not be said for the leads.
Real Rating: 2.5 stars
bibliobabe94's review against another edition
4.0
There is just something about this big ol' messy family that I love! Classic fish out of water tale, and so much fun!
mimicry's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
kmpuzzled's review against another edition
4.0
I was a little afraid after an "I Love Lucy" start and moving the city girl to the South that this would be the typical fish-out-of-water story, but should have trusted Molly Harper. Every character may have their quirks, but they're smart about it and don't play into stereotypes. Smart banter and quality snark, plus romance. A fun read.
setaian's review against another edition
5.0
As a high end event planner Margot can handle just about anything. But when her crowning glory in the Chicago event planning scene goes horribly awry she finds herself unemployed and unemployable. So when her aunt who she has never met offers her a job in the family business in Georgia she has little choice but to accept.
She quickly discovers the family business is a Funeral Home and Bait Shop, she has dozens of relatives and a father who abandoned her as a child. With spotty internet and cell phone reception, no Starbucks or even a shop that sells fruit, Margot is well out of her comfort zone but with the help of a brooding school principal, his two young daughters and her crazy family she gradually finds a place. The only problem is Lake Sackett is a dying town. The tourists have abandoned them, businesses are closing and there isn't much of a future for someone with her skills.
I read a lot of books and honestly I've read pretty much every story before, usually more than once. There aren't too many books I wished would just keep going indefinitely. There aren't too many authors I'll buy just because their name is on the cover.
But this is that book and Molly Harper is that author.
I loved everything about this book. I wanted more of every single character. So much love for Sweet Tea and Sympathy
She quickly discovers the family business is a Funeral Home and Bait Shop, she has dozens of relatives and a father who abandoned her as a child. With spotty internet and cell phone reception, no Starbucks or even a shop that sells fruit, Margot is well out of her comfort zone but with the help of a brooding school principal, his two young daughters and her crazy family she gradually finds a place. The only problem is Lake Sackett is a dying town. The tourists have abandoned them, businesses are closing and there isn't much of a future for someone with her skills.
I read a lot of books and honestly I've read pretty much every story before, usually more than once. There aren't too many books I wished would just keep going indefinitely. There aren't too many authors I'll buy just because their name is on the cover.
But this is that book and Molly Harper is that author.
I loved everything about this book. I wanted more of every single character. So much love for Sweet Tea and Sympathy
msalane's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0