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kdurham2's review against another edition
4.0
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
Our main character, Julia Sullivan has been traveling the world for her job as a magazine writer. Upon returning from her latest adventure she is surprised by a new boss who is someone familiar. He decides to send her to a small town in Alabama on a small assignment, with trepidation she goes and a story begins. From the first page, I loved this Julia character, I wanted to read on to find out what mishaps she would endure and who she would meet. The author unraveled her story perfectly from beginning to end.
Our main character, Julia Sullivan has been traveling the world for her job as a magazine writer. Upon returning from her latest adventure she is surprised by a new boss who is someone familiar. He decides to send her to a small town in Alabama on a small assignment, with trepidation she goes and a story begins. From the first page, I loved this Julia character, I wanted to read on to find out what mishaps she would endure and who she would meet. The author unraveled her story perfectly from beginning to end.
shannon_cocktailsandbooks's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of those books that shocks you, because it is so different from what the book blurb reads, but then again it isn't. I was expecting a light hearted book about a clumsy, cute woman who is sent to Alabama to write her story and then gets caught up in all the funny "goings on" in the town. That is what happens, but what doesn't come across in the blurb is how this is really a gut-wrenching, emotional read about start over.
Julia Sullivan is a travel writer and spends very brief amounts of time at home. She's disorganized and clumsy, which leads to many mishaps on her travels but also serious repercussions at work with her new editor. She has a steady boyfriend who she isn't in love with, but isn't ready to let go of just yet because they get along well. She's estranged from her father and missing her mother terribly after her death two years ago.
But Julia's world does a complete 180 when she sets foot in Eufaula, Alabama. She finds the town charming, it's busy body residents irresistible and her tour guide, Shug Jordan. In this quaint little town, she finds what's been missing in her life: a relationship with her father, putting down roots and opening yourself up to all the joys and pains in life. Without knowing it, Eufaula, Shug and his family and the friends Julia made give her everything she didn't know she wanted, but in the end truly couldn't live without.
Julia Sullivan is a travel writer and spends very brief amounts of time at home. She's disorganized and clumsy, which leads to many mishaps on her travels but also serious repercussions at work with her new editor. She has a steady boyfriend who she isn't in love with, but isn't ready to let go of just yet because they get along well. She's estranged from her father and missing her mother terribly after her death two years ago.
But Julia's world does a complete 180 when she sets foot in Eufaula, Alabama. She finds the town charming, it's busy body residents irresistible and her tour guide, Shug Jordan. In this quaint little town, she finds what's been missing in her life: a relationship with her father, putting down roots and opening yourself up to all the joys and pains in life. Without knowing it, Eufaula, Shug and his family and the friends Julia made give her everything she didn't know she wanted, but in the end truly couldn't live without.
b00kr3vi3ws's review against another edition
4.0
This story is all about Julia – a travel magazine journalist. She enjoys her exotic trips that take her all over the world. She has problem maintaining focus and is very clumsy too – not very helpful characteristics when she has to meet deadlines! She returns from her trip to Italy, only to find out that her personal and professional lives have collided as her father is her new boss. Her missed deadlines and the recent below average articles land her into trouble and the only way to save her job is to take a trip to Alabama to cover an annual Pilgrimage. With her already planned trip to Bali cancelled, Julia has no other choice but to go to Alabama in order to save her career. Originally she plans to rush through her job there and return in time for her other assignment. However, once she lands in Eufaula, things are out of her control. She meets a family and her experience there might just change her life all over again!
Losing her mother couple of years back had really affected Julia. Though, I don’t really agree with her ‘hiding from reality’ method of coping, I empathize with her. Her commitment phobia is also not at all endearing. But in the end she feels real and not all that fictional and that is why I loved her. There’s a similar quality to almost all of the characters in the story. The author has also done an excellent job in describing the setting to us. It was almost as though I was watching a motion picture instead of reading a book. And though personally I know very little about the Southern Hospitality, I have read enough of books and watched enough movies to have an idea about what exactly the author was talking about. The craziest part is that I kept imagining Reese Witherspoon and Josh Lucas from “Sweet Home Alabama” in order to get the ‘southern drawl’!!
The story ended in and hopeful note and a warm feeling in my heart. I enjoyed reading this and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good chic-lit.
Losing her mother couple of years back had really affected Julia. Though, I don’t really agree with her ‘hiding from reality’ method of coping, I empathize with her. Her commitment phobia is also not at all endearing. But in the end she feels real and not all that fictional and that is why I loved her. There’s a similar quality to almost all of the characters in the story. The author has also done an excellent job in describing the setting to us. It was almost as though I was watching a motion picture instead of reading a book. And though personally I know very little about the Southern Hospitality, I have read enough of books and watched enough movies to have an idea about what exactly the author was talking about. The craziest part is that I kept imagining Reese Witherspoon and Josh Lucas from “Sweet Home Alabama” in order to get the ‘southern drawl’!!
The story ended in and hopeful note and a warm feeling in my heart. I enjoyed reading this and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good chic-lit.
cmcgowan76's review against another edition
4.0
Before I launch into the review of this fun southern novel, I first want to say how nice it is to read about places you've lived. I experienced this same phenomenon when I read Julie and Julia because some of the book was set in Austin, TX. I had a great time reading about street names, restaurants, and businesses that I'd frequented when I lived there. Dancing Naked in Dixie gave me that same satisfaction set in Eufaula, AL. I used to live in Daleville, work in Dothan and Geneva, and drove through Enterprise and Eufaula on a regular basis. These little areas were definitely some of the joys of LA (that's Lower Alabama for those not from the South). ROLL TIDE!
Dancing Naked in Dixie by Lauren Clark is a delightful read with a quirky, but relatable protagonist Julia Sullivan. She is a travel writer for Getaways magazine who is notably late, often jet-lagged, and can't seem to go anywhere without her steaming cup of Starbucks coffee. Her trips around the world keep her lifestyle mobile, fast-paced, and "oh-so-very" New York. Her latest article on the beautiful Belize will be her next feature in the magazine, or so she thought. While Julia thinks life has settled into a routine of fanciful travel, comfortable writing, and a not-so-serious but serious enough relationship with her boyfriend Andrew, a twister touches down and she is in its path. She finds herself with a new boss that doesn't care much about the awards she's won in that past for her writing, and it's not just any boss; it's her estranged father David Sullivan. "Damn it all" she often feels for going into the same field as him; writing.
David has a few new ideas in mind for Julia, and they don't include exotic trips to foreign countries. Nope. David wants to send her to Eufaula, AL to cover the Christmas Pilgrimage of this small, but quaint, southern town. Julia is crushed. After trips to the world's most beautiful places, what could Eufaula, AL have to offer? David is explicit though in his assignment and says it will be part of a new writing series focusing on road trips around the United States, a "Route 66, Back Roads to Big Dreams" kind of thing. Julia is less than amused.
But, ever the trooper, she takes herself into LA and much to her chagrin, discovers a world closer to her heart than she ever truly imagined. This small town is full of life, love, mystery, and deceit. The walls are as thin as the puff pastry used to make the town's soon to be famous dessert, and Julia finds herself smack dab in the middle of it all; everyone is involved in everything, rumors spread faster than melted butter, and lies are taller than meringue on a chocolate pie.
In the end, Julia learns not only the appreciation for the history of a small town, but for the lifestyle, the slower pace, and the connected and supportive family that's often spoken of over Sunday dinner.
When I first started reading, I admit I wasn't sure how I'd feel about Julia Sullivan. She was a little squeaky clean for me in some of her verbiage and seemed to lack a bit of a backbone. But, as I read I learned that part of Clark's development of the character. Julia Sullivan's strength comes from the experiences she has reinventing her life and her focus, even if it's against her will at times. I felt like the characters drawn in AL were wonderful and spot-on for a deep-South family. Clark has certainly done her homework on the dynamics of small town life and all the intricacies that go with it.
I would like to have seem more development and interaction between Julia and her father as they bob and weave through this novel. While in the end, I found myself satisfied with their relationships, I think some additional "ah-ha" moments for Julia about her dad throughout her time in Eufaula would have given the reader a bit more grasp on the dynamics.
This book is an easy read with characters you grow to love. Once I was half-way through the book, I found myself reading even faster because I wanted to know what was going to happen. This is a testament to good plot and conflict, and character connection. I would recommend this book to friends, not as a "beach read" but more as opening to Fall. It has more depth than the light-hearted romance seen on sandy shores. 4 out of 5 stars to this up and coming author!
And while I vow to keep my reviews strictly about the book, I must say that Lauren Clark is a lovely woman herself. We've had several email interactions and blog conversations about books we've both enjoyed and I know she is someone I'd considered a friend should we find ourselves at the same place at the same time.
For more information about Lauren Clark, visit her website at http://www.laurenclarkbooks.com
Dancing Naked in Dixie by Lauren Clark is a delightful read with a quirky, but relatable protagonist Julia Sullivan. She is a travel writer for Getaways magazine who is notably late, often jet-lagged, and can't seem to go anywhere without her steaming cup of Starbucks coffee. Her trips around the world keep her lifestyle mobile, fast-paced, and "oh-so-very" New York. Her latest article on the beautiful Belize will be her next feature in the magazine, or so she thought. While Julia thinks life has settled into a routine of fanciful travel, comfortable writing, and a not-so-serious but serious enough relationship with her boyfriend Andrew, a twister touches down and she is in its path. She finds herself with a new boss that doesn't care much about the awards she's won in that past for her writing, and it's not just any boss; it's her estranged father David Sullivan. "Damn it all" she often feels for going into the same field as him; writing.
David has a few new ideas in mind for Julia, and they don't include exotic trips to foreign countries. Nope. David wants to send her to Eufaula, AL to cover the Christmas Pilgrimage of this small, but quaint, southern town. Julia is crushed. After trips to the world's most beautiful places, what could Eufaula, AL have to offer? David is explicit though in his assignment and says it will be part of a new writing series focusing on road trips around the United States, a "Route 66, Back Roads to Big Dreams" kind of thing. Julia is less than amused.
But, ever the trooper, she takes herself into LA and much to her chagrin, discovers a world closer to her heart than she ever truly imagined. This small town is full of life, love, mystery, and deceit. The walls are as thin as the puff pastry used to make the town's soon to be famous dessert, and Julia finds herself smack dab in the middle of it all; everyone is involved in everything, rumors spread faster than melted butter, and lies are taller than meringue on a chocolate pie.
In the end, Julia learns not only the appreciation for the history of a small town, but for the lifestyle, the slower pace, and the connected and supportive family that's often spoken of over Sunday dinner.
When I first started reading, I admit I wasn't sure how I'd feel about Julia Sullivan. She was a little squeaky clean for me in some of her verbiage and seemed to lack a bit of a backbone. But, as I read I learned that part of Clark's development of the character. Julia Sullivan's strength comes from the experiences she has reinventing her life and her focus, even if it's against her will at times. I felt like the characters drawn in AL were wonderful and spot-on for a deep-South family. Clark has certainly done her homework on the dynamics of small town life and all the intricacies that go with it.
I would like to have seem more development and interaction between Julia and her father as they bob and weave through this novel. While in the end, I found myself satisfied with their relationships, I think some additional "ah-ha" moments for Julia about her dad throughout her time in Eufaula would have given the reader a bit more grasp on the dynamics.
This book is an easy read with characters you grow to love. Once I was half-way through the book, I found myself reading even faster because I wanted to know what was going to happen. This is a testament to good plot and conflict, and character connection. I would recommend this book to friends, not as a "beach read" but more as opening to Fall. It has more depth than the light-hearted romance seen on sandy shores. 4 out of 5 stars to this up and coming author!
And while I vow to keep my reviews strictly about the book, I must say that Lauren Clark is a lovely woman herself. We've had several email interactions and blog conversations about books we've both enjoyed and I know she is someone I'd considered a friend should we find ourselves at the same place at the same time.
For more information about Lauren Clark, visit her website at http://www.laurenclarkbooks.com
kaleys23's review against another edition
3.0
I read Clark's first novel Stay Tuned awhile ago and really enjoyed it so I was eager for her next book. Clark did not disappoint and delivered another enjoyable novel.
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 was the first of two books that I've read recently that featured a travel writer and I've decided that I love reading about travel writers. They seem to always have some sort of commitment issue that needs to be worked out and it allows for lots of pretty scenery along the way.
I think I needed more romance in this book. The focus of the book wasn't the love story but I think I needed just a bit more of a relationship between Julia and Shug. I knew they'd end up together but there weren't enough of those little moments for me. Or maybe it was that a situation came up that put his girlfriend out of the picture...it wasn't that he "chose" Julia as much as he liked her and then his girlfriend was conveniently out of the way. Sorry - it's hard to explain that without giving too much away!
My favourite part of this book was reading about Julia's journey. Her boss seems to know just what she needs to figure stuff out - even though he sort of has his own agenda. She's so unstable at the beginning of the book yet she doesn't quite realize that. It takes the wonderful folk in Eufaula to show her how to get back to solid ground.
Overall, I liked Dancing Naked in Dixie but I didn't love it. Have you ever read a book and wondered if you should have left it for a later date because you just weren't feeling it but knew you would normally enjoy it immensely? OK, that might just be me but that's how I felt about this one. I think many chick lit lovers would really like this one so I encourage you to pick up Lauren Clark's latest and find out for yourself.
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 was the first of two books that I've read recently that featured a travel writer and I've decided that I love reading about travel writers. They seem to always have some sort of commitment issue that needs to be worked out and it allows for lots of pretty scenery along the way.
I think I needed more romance in this book. The focus of the book wasn't the love story but I think I needed just a bit more of a relationship between Julia and Shug. I knew they'd end up together but there weren't enough of those little moments for me. Or maybe it was that a situation came up that put his girlfriend out of the picture...it wasn't that he "chose" Julia as much as he liked her and then his girlfriend was conveniently out of the way. Sorry - it's hard to explain that without giving too much away!
My favourite part of this book was reading about Julia's journey. Her boss seems to know just what she needs to figure stuff out - even though he sort of has his own agenda. She's so unstable at the beginning of the book yet she doesn't quite realize that. It takes the wonderful folk in Eufaula to show her how to get back to solid ground.
Overall, I liked Dancing Naked in Dixie but I didn't love it. Have you ever read a book and wondered if you should have left it for a later date because you just weren't feeling it but knew you would normally enjoy it immensely? OK, that might just be me but that's how I felt about this one. I think many chick lit lovers would really like this one so I encourage you to pick up Lauren Clark's latest and find out for yourself.
cubsfan3410reads's review against another edition
5.0
I was fortunate to get an ARC of this book!
What happens when a big city journalist gets sent to a small Southern town on an assignment she's dreading? Chaos, surprises, hilarity and good ole Southern hospitality. I loved Julia from the start, she's my kind of gal - busy, disorganized and honest to a fault. Shug and the Jordan family struck me as the stereotypical Southern family and I am ready to go visit them.
This book makes this Yankee long for Southern hospitality. :)
Thank you, Ms. Clark for asking me to preview this book, I feel honored. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait to see what you write next!
What happens when a big city journalist gets sent to a small Southern town on an assignment she's dreading? Chaos, surprises, hilarity and good ole Southern hospitality. I loved Julia from the start, she's my kind of gal - busy, disorganized and honest to a fault. Shug and the Jordan family struck me as the stereotypical Southern family and I am ready to go visit them.
This book makes this Yankee long for Southern hospitality. :)
Thank you, Ms. Clark for asking me to preview this book, I feel honored. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait to see what you write next!
bookwormreflections's review
5.0
What worked: This book was funny - laugh out loud funny! There were a couple of awkward moments where I would guffaw (yes I actually guffawed) and then realise I was in a flat on my own. Julia is a character that you will absolutely love: She's a bit scatter-brained, a problem with time keeping and she has morals. In a lot of Chick Lit books you find that the main character just does what she wants and doesn't care what other people think but Julia was a refreshing opposite!
As well as the main storyline, there were also a couple of subplots winding their way through it which added a little extra to the book.
What also struck me was that because a lot of the characters were from Alabama, I found myself hearing the accent in my head which is difficult to do but Lauren Clark does it with perfection. She's also got a talent for describing the scenery, I easily had an image of the streets that Julia would walk down.
What irked: To be honest, I couldn't think of anything that irked me about this book.
Recommended to: Fans of Sophie Kinsella and Jenny Colgan. Very big boots to fill but they fit Lauren Clark perfectly. 4 1/2 Stars!
As well as the main storyline, there were also a couple of subplots winding their way through it which added a little extra to the book.
What also struck me was that because a lot of the characters were from Alabama, I found myself hearing the accent in my head which is difficult to do but Lauren Clark does it with perfection. She's also got a talent for describing the scenery, I easily had an image of the streets that Julia would walk down.
What irked: To be honest, I couldn't think of anything that irked me about this book.
Recommended to: Fans of Sophie Kinsella and Jenny Colgan. Very big boots to fill but they fit Lauren Clark perfectly. 4 1/2 Stars!
bookishlyruby's review
5.0
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!
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!
leahmichelle_13's review
4.0
Last year I read Lauren Clark’s debut novel Stay Tuned, and I liked it. It was a quick, cute read, and so when I was offered the chance to read Lauren’s second novel Dancing Naked In Dixie for a blog tour, I jumped at the chance. Dancing Naked In Dixie was just as quick, and just as fun as Stay Tuned and I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend picking up the novel as it’s such a sweet novel.
Dancing Naked In Dixie tells the story of Julia Sullivan, who lives her life at 150mph, never stopping to appreciate anything and who spends her time flying from one place to another in her job as a travel writer. She gets the surprise of her life when she gets a new boss at Getaways, even more so when she realises who he is. When he sets her the task of going to Eufaula, Alabama, to preview their annual Pilgrimage, Julia sees it as a personal affront and can’t believe she’s being sent to somewhere so… Southern, so uninteresting. She’d rather dance naked then go to Alabama. However, with her job on the line, she duly heads to Alabama and as it turns out, Alabama isn’t uninteresting. In fact, throw in the Jordan family and Alabama turns out to be very interesting indeed.
I absolutely loved that the novel was set in Alabama. I’ve never read a book set in Alabama before and it’s not necessarily high up on my to-visit list (is it on anyone’s, to be fair?) however Clark presented Alabama in such a way that I’d quite like to visit it. What I like about novels set in such small towns is just how close the entire community is. It’s like a character in itself and the closeness of everyone in Eufaula was brilliant. I absolutely adored the Jordan family, particularly Shug and PD, and I liked how they quickly welcomed Julia to Alabama and how they all just got on so well. It’s so lovely to read and I liked the chemistry in particular between Julia and Shug.
Clark has such a brilliant voice. Dancing Naked In Dixie was just a pleasure to read. Generally when I read a book in bed it isn’t for very long as, well, I love sleep, however I stayed up ’til midnight just so I could finish the book and see what it was Julia had uncovered and if she could save the day in time. I would definitely recommend the book as Dancing Naked In Dixie is one of the sweetest, most readable books I’ve read this year. I don’t know what a moon pie is, but I’d certainly like to try one – it would been a perfect accompaniment to this novel, in fact. I can’t wait for Lauren Clark’s next novel as she’s definitely a writer to keep an eye on, with her easy writing and reading style, she could easily become a staple on my reading list.
Dancing Naked In Dixie tells the story of Julia Sullivan, who lives her life at 150mph, never stopping to appreciate anything and who spends her time flying from one place to another in her job as a travel writer. She gets the surprise of her life when she gets a new boss at Getaways, even more so when she realises who he is. When he sets her the task of going to Eufaula, Alabama, to preview their annual Pilgrimage, Julia sees it as a personal affront and can’t believe she’s being sent to somewhere so… Southern, so uninteresting. She’d rather dance naked then go to Alabama. However, with her job on the line, she duly heads to Alabama and as it turns out, Alabama isn’t uninteresting. In fact, throw in the Jordan family and Alabama turns out to be very interesting indeed.
I absolutely loved that the novel was set in Alabama. I’ve never read a book set in Alabama before and it’s not necessarily high up on my to-visit list (is it on anyone’s, to be fair?) however Clark presented Alabama in such a way that I’d quite like to visit it. What I like about novels set in such small towns is just how close the entire community is. It’s like a character in itself and the closeness of everyone in Eufaula was brilliant. I absolutely adored the Jordan family, particularly Shug and PD, and I liked how they quickly welcomed Julia to Alabama and how they all just got on so well. It’s so lovely to read and I liked the chemistry in particular between Julia and Shug.
Clark has such a brilliant voice. Dancing Naked In Dixie was just a pleasure to read. Generally when I read a book in bed it isn’t for very long as, well, I love sleep, however I stayed up ’til midnight just so I could finish the book and see what it was Julia had uncovered and if she could save the day in time. I would definitely recommend the book as Dancing Naked In Dixie is one of the sweetest, most readable books I’ve read this year. I don’t know what a moon pie is, but I’d certainly like to try one – it would been a perfect accompaniment to this novel, in fact. I can’t wait for Lauren Clark’s next novel as she’s definitely a writer to keep an eye on, with her easy writing and reading style, she could easily become a staple on my reading list.
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