Nestled on the shore of Lake Sackett, Georgia is the
McCready Family Funeral Home and Bait Shop. (What, you have a problem with
one-stop shopping?) Two McCready brothers started two separate businesses in
the same building back in 1928, and now it's become one big family affair. And
true to form in small Southern towns, family business becomes everybody's
business.
Margot Cary has spent her life immersed in everything
Lake Sackett is not. As an elite event planner, Margot's rubbed elbows with the
cream of Chicago society, and made elegance and glamour her business. She's
riding high until one event goes tragically, spectacularly wrong. Now she's
blackballed by the gala set and in dire need of a fresh start -- and apparently
the McCreadys are in need of an event planner with a tarnished reputation.
As Margot finds her footing in a town where everybody
knows not only your name, but what you had for dinner last Saturday night and
what you'll wear to church on Sunday morning, she grudgingly has to admit that
there are some things Lake Sackett does better than Chicago -- including the
dating prospects. Elementary school principal Kyle Archer is a fellow
fish-out-of-water who volunteers to show Margot the picture-postcard side of
Southern living. The two of them hit it off, but not everybody is happy to see
an outsider snapping up one of the town's most eligible gentleman. Will Margot
reel in her handsome fish, or will she have to release her latest catch?
This was such a fun book to read! Margot was an event
planner at the top of her game in Chicago. She was ready to nail the latest event
and cement her chances at a partnership in the company. Unfortunately, thanks
to a rogue chef, some shrimp, and some flamingos, her crowning event went
spectacularly off the rails. To top it all off, a number of the cellphone
videos of the incident went viral, causing an immediate loss of her job.
Unemployed and blackballed in her chosen field, Margot was getting close to being
broke and homeless when she received a call from a woman who claimed to be her
great-aunt Tootie. Skeptical, because really, who has the name "Tootie,"
Margot discovered that she had an entire family unknown to her in Lake Sackett,
Georgia. She was invited to come to Georgia and work for the family business,
McCready Family Funeral Home and Bait Shop (aka the Bait and Bury). Out of
options, Margot accepted.
Talk about culture shock! Margot's mother took her and
left Georgia when Margot was a small child, remarrying and moving to Chicago. Mom
and stepdad were not exactly the demonstrative type, and appearances were important
to them. Margot was a bit uptight, entirely out of her element, and counting
the days until she can get another job in a city. She was welcomed with open
arms and (gasp!) hugs. I loved the enthusiastic welcomes, from Aunt Tootie and
her motley collection of dogs to her aunt and uncle to the cousins who are
determined to be friends whether she wanted it or not. I loved the scene where
they took her to the local bar and introduced her to moonshine. It was great
fun to see Margot attempt to adjust to a place where food is pork-based and/or
deep-fried, and fruits and vegetables are nearly impossible to find.
I loved the small town atmosphere and quirky characters.
The town itself has fallen on hard times because the drought has further
lowered the level of the lake, leaving many tourist-based businesses struggling.
Small town politics, especially in the PTA, are alive and well. When Margot was
guilted into helping to straighten out the plans for the PTA-sponsored town
festival, those politics created some hilariously funny moments. The current
PTA president and the former principal do not want to relinquish one bit of
control, and their passive-aggressive actions get on Margot's last nerve. But
Margot is used to much tougher opponents, and I loved watching her work her
magic. I loved her final confrontation with Sara Lee, as the Chicago event
planner merged with the newly minted Southern woman. It was a grand thing to
witness.
Neither Margot nor Kyle expected the romance that grew
between them. Their first meeting was unusual. The night that her cousins
introduced Margot to moonshine, she encountered a big, bearded
"lumberjack" with the saddest eyes she'd ever seen. An impromptu hug
of sympathy turned into a hot makeout session in Kyle's truck before Margot
panicked and ran. Imagine her dismay when she discovered that her
"lumberjack" was actually the elementary school principal and a
single dad. Margot was determined to keep her distance, but it was a small town,
and frequent encounters were inevitable. Kyle was a widower who still grieved
for his late wife and had no plans to enter any new relationships. His
occasional dates were kept far away from his family. Kyle was very good at
keeping each part of his life separate - family, work, and social each had its place,
and they didn't overlap. I loved seeing the relationship between them grow.
Though both claim they don't want a relationship, they can't stay away from
each other. Margot is especially wary because she has no experience with kids
and doesn't want to do something wrong. In spite of her fears, she is actually
very good with them, and I enjoyed seeing them together. Then an unexpected
offer meant that Margot had to make some decisions. I ached for her and for
Kyle as she struggled with those decisions. Margot's big moment at the end was
fantastic. The epilogue was great.
One of the things I liked best about the book was the
family theme. I loved how the McCready side was so ready to embrace Margot, in
spite of the events that had kept them apart for so long. It took a while for
Margot to loosen up enough to appreciate each person's unique traits. That was
especially true of her father, Stan. Margot only had her mother's side of the
story when it came to their relationship, so her attitude seemed especially
harsh. I ached for Stan, who was honest about his mistakes and regrets. There
were times I was a bit irritated with Margot and her unwillingness to bend a
little. However, time and exposure helped. I loved Margot's reaction to Sara
Lee's comments about Stan, and the progress it showed in their relationship.
I can't wait to read more in this series.
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