I’d read Savannah Breeze before picking up this book at the library. So I was already familiar with some of the characters, and it was fun to see them from a different angle.Newly divorced Weezie Foley is putting up with a lot. Her ex-husband is living in their townhouse with his new fiancé while she’s living in the carriage house on the same property. This is the townhouse she’d put the money down on, rehabbed on her own and decorated to the showplace it had become. She’s a picker, meaning she goes to garage and estate sales with an eye towards resale, and she’s really good at both it as well as decorating. It doesn’t help that she finds the body of the woman she hates and since she’d threatened the woman . . . she’s up on murder charges. Unfortunately, her alcoholic mother is adding to her stress with her denial of her alcoholism and constant harassment of Weezie.Add a couple of uncovered schemes involving an old house that’s about to be torn down when it should be considered the property of the historical society, a delicious chef, a best friend who likes to scheme, an ex-husband who wants her back and you’ve got a fun and funny chic-lit/mystery.I can’t help but comparing it to Savannah Breeze. There are parts of this book I like better and aspects of the second book I thought were done better. I expected a level of danger in this book, and we do get it to some extent, but not from the direction I was expecting. The story is mostly told from the points of view of Weezie and her Uncle James, a lawyer who used to be a priest. One thing done really well is the quirky, although realistic characters, the real-life situations and the resulting emotions which run the spectrum. I was somewhat disappointed in how one of the issues uncovered is handled, although it definitely works out good for the abused parties. We do learn something about the antiques business and pickers; the people who find the stuff for the dealers. And Daniel, the chef mentioned, is an interesting and steamy character.An enjoyable tale.
The good: Funny, almost (but not quite) laugh out loud funny. LOVED Daddy. You keep sweet now, y'hear?Impeccably researched details, including historical preservation, random legal nuts and bolts, and antique lore. Entertaining story lines and characters, especially the minor ones.The bad: The romance was weak and not very believable. In real life I would predict that Daniel and Weezy would last maybe 6 months. Ya gotta sell a happy ending sometimes, and I was definitely not sold here.This one is just me, but I have to be honest: my mom is a picker/smalltime dealer. After a childhood of not being able to touch ANYTHING, of tripping over junk everywhere, of sitting for hours in the car so my parents could comb antique malls and shops, I cannot stand antiques. It made it very hard to emphasize with the main character.The ugly:I agree with another reviewer: seriously, these Southern nicknames, wtf?!!!?!?!?!? Tal, Weezy, Bebe, Tater, and that's just the few that come to mind. Weird. Also, I hate when authors make a big deal out of giving a character a pet that they supposedly really love, then abandon the poor animal for hours or days on end. Look, Weezy, you don't want to walk your dog? Spend a few hours with him doing something besides sleeping? GET A FISH!!!!! I kept feeling bad for Jethro the whole book.Overall, because the book was so funny and lighthearted and because the side stories were so entertaining, I'd give it 3 stars. Mostly my issues with it are issues probably no one else shares, so in good conscience I can't grade lower.
What do You think about Savannah Blues (2012)?
While the book was readable and I did not have any trouble going back to it night after night, I found it to be poorly written. Maybe I'm getting jaded but I don't think so. I've enjoyed other books with simple plotlines and 1 dimensional characters. The book is presented as the story of a woman who has huge problems and needs to contend with her incredibly awful family. I didin't see that at all. Weezie (and what a really stupid name by the way) had very normal issue to deal with, newly divorced, no romantic social life, limited funds to work with, a job that she gets no credit for completing competently. So what? Welcome to everyone else's world. Her family problems? A mother who is alcoholic, a loving, patient father & a loving, caring uncle who happens to be gay & in the closet. I've seen much worse.
—Lori Baldi
This book is for all antique lovers, yard sale-a-holics, junkers & rummage goers! Even if you don't consider yourself to be one of the above, this book also comes highly recommended for all people who love a good whodunit chock full of quirky southern humor! This was a great book! A funny, quick, page turning read! The main character, Eloise "Wheezy" Foley, is an antiques dealer/picker...someone who goes to yard sales, thrift stores, etc looking for all things vintage & antique in Savannah, GA. She and her best friend, BeBe Loudermilk, get arrested and charged for murder while snooping around an estate after-hours that is going to be put up for auction. Andrews' writes wonderful female characters who are strong, brash, and a bit too prone to being in the wrong place at the wrong time. All the characters have the most colorful personalities - and if you know the South that's how it is. Her use of familiar sites in Savannah allows a reader, who has been to or lives in the South, to feel like they are part of the story. You can tell from her writing how much love she has for each of her characters as well as the South. This was a great book for quick, light reading. It was a fun story of life after divorce with a bit of Southern murder mystery thrown in. I love Savannah and the peculiar culture of old Southern cities, so the setting was perfect. The characters were developed nicely, and the story was one I felt a little sad to see end. I will definitely read more books by this author.
—Raina
I liked Deep Dish so much that I really expected more from this one. There were actually a few times when I thought about not finishing b/c I could not get into the story at all. Deep Dish had me captivated, this one had me frustrated. I may give Andrews another shot, but I'll definitely check the reviews more carefully before I pick the next one b/c it appears that she's hit and miss. Follow-up review:I was so conflicted about not liking this book, b/c I liked Deep Dish so much and Savannah Breeze got such good reviews,that I decided I would give MKA another shot. I liked Savannah Breeze much better than I liked Savannah Blues. The situation made more sense to me and, although I liked Weezie, I like BeBe better; she's more relatable to me as a character. I also liked Harry better than Daniel. You do not need to read Savannah Blues to enjoy Savannah Breeze and although there are a few references to it, they are minor and don't detract from the reader's understanding or enjoyment of the story in any way. I recommend you skip Savannah Blues and jump straight into Savannah Breeze instead.
—Jaclyn
