Book Review: Southern as a Second Language

Author: Lisa Patton
Publication Date: October 15, 2013
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Series: Dixie # 3

Since the debut of Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter, Lisa Patton's character Leelee Satterfield has entertained tens of thousands of readers. Watching the former-Southern Belle tackle life and love in Vermont was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to antics, charades, mischief, and romance. Now, back in Memphis and beginning a relationship with the namesake of Yankee Doodle Dixie, you'd think Leelee might just sit back and enjoy her newly-crafted life. But that just wouldn't be as much fun . . .

Opening up her restaurant with her boyfriend, Peter, proves to be harder than she originally anticipated—especially when her unpredictable best friends are involved! Toss in a lisping neighbor, a male dog named Roberta, and the return of her evil ex-husband who started the whole mess in the first place . . . Well, this is a recipe for just the kind of novel readers expect from Lisa Patton.

As life and love challenge Leelee's resolve and sense of humor, Southern as a Second Language is an endearing and chuckle-inducing conclusion to a very beloved character who keeps us guessing up to the very last page as to whether or not it all works out in the end. Whether in maple tree Vermont or magnolia-filled Memphis, Leelee's heart and laughter will delight readers of any climate!

Sometimes a little while lie is just the kindest thing.

I can always tell when I’m in trouble by that glare of hers.

I always assumed my husband would be there for me no matter what.

The South is definitely the life for me! This book is everything that I imagined it would be: Southern, lovable characters, witty humor, and a lot of Southern dialogue! This story follows Leelee Satterfield as she has moved back home to Memphis after a failed marriage and a no tolerance zone for life up North. She has opened the Peach Blossom Inn with her new boyfriend, Peter, the Yankee chef, so you would think that life would be a big, fat bowl of cherries for Leelee. Wrong! Not long after their grand opening, Leelee receives a court order shutting the inn down. Looks like someone is out for Leelee, but this Southern belle won’t let anyone get her down!

This book was filled with tons of humor and a lot of Southern and Northern comparisons. Leelee continues to make me laugh; I just love her spunk and tenacity. I enjoyed watching her and Peter grow and I enjoyed seeing the opening of the Peach Blossom Inn. I am glad that Leelee has found herself back in the South because like my dad always says, “you can take the girl out of the South, but you can’t take the South out of the girl.” Leelee is much better suited as a Southern belle!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has a love of Southern literature. I am a little bit biased, but I still think that the material, characters, setting, and plot are wonderful and should be read even if the South is not one of your choice settings for the books you read. You will notice that this book is listed as the third in a series, but I believe it can be read alone. If you have a chance and can read the other books in the series, then please do!

***A copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Thomas Dunne Books in exchange for my honest review***