In the story, the protagonist Katy Jo--a commercial ads star from Hot Springs, Arkansas, who was practically forced by her mother into a bad marriage to a rich car dealer at the age of sixteen--is physically thrown out of the dealership by her husband’s employees, since her husband Eddie Ray has found another woman to be the model-spokesperson for the dealership. Being clueless about money, finances, and her own best interests even after years of marriage to Eddie Ray, Katy Jo returns to her mother’s home, contemplating revenge.

Then, although Katie Joe doesn’t admit to or recognize it, some in Hot Spring’s female population lend her a helping hand, because as a famous society woman, Katy Jo is supported by a group of women who invest in race horses under the title of Arkansas Preservation Society. How Katy Joe gets her revenge and if she finds a love interest or not will be up to the readers to find out.

The most dazzling aspect of this novel is the voice that tells it, which belongs to Katy Joe. In my opinion, very few authors can come up with such a wonderfully local and fantastic voice. My only problem with Katy Jo’s character is her cluelessness, as I don’t care much for the depiction of clueless women. Granted, she does change somewhat by the end of the story.

There are several unexpected twists and turns in the plots that in any other story would shock a reader, but Katy Jo’s overpowering voice makes up for that. I would also like to see a better constructed ending. This ending felt like a sudden wrap-up as if the author felt tired and wanted to finish the story. Also, I thought, a copy editor and a proofreader could have helped the book in some ways.

Katy Jo's voice.

see what happened next to the other women in the story if not Katy Jo.

is Lisa Louise and this is her first published book

It is an enjoyable read, but it isn't free of flaws; those flaws, hoowever, may be overlooked in a first book.

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Created May 13, 2017 at 6:02pm • Submit your own review...