Ain’t She a Peach
Author: Molly Harper
Reviewer: Jen
Rating: B+
What I’m Talking About:
Picking up where the prelude novella, Peachy Flippin’ Keen, left off, we meet back up with Lake Sackett’s embalmer and county coroner, Frankie McCready. As Halloween approaches, the juvenile pranks on her family’s funeral home and bait shop intensify. Frankie is certain it’s the doings of her teenaged nemesis, and the new sheriff, Eric, is the first law enforcement officer to take her concerns seriously, it’s just too bad she and Eric don’t see eye-to-eye on much else. However, as the pair spend more time working together and getting to know one another, the carefully constructed walls start to falter, and Frankie realizes she may actually have feelings for Eric.
After finishing Peachy Flippin’ Keen, I was equal parts excited at the prospect of Frankie and Eric and frustrated with the fact that the novella should have been incorporated into Ain’t She a Peach since it wasn’t really a complete story. While this book can be read without it, Peachy Flippin’ Keen adds value to the overall story and the budding relationship between Frankie and Eric; therefore, I strongly encourage one to pick it up prior to reading Ain’t She a Peach.
Much like the first full-length book in the series, Ain’t She a Peach is more about the protagonist’s journey as she grows into the person she was meant to be and finds herself while connecting with her family and friends. Frankie discovers that she has the strength to say no to her parents after letting them run so much of her life. As a child, Frankie had a rare form of leukemia, and her parents never lost their fear of losing their only child. Frankie has indulged her parents’ every whim to keep her safe and the conflict low while sacrificing her own happiness. Their over-protectiveness comes from love, not control, but it is way past time for Frankie to grow up and stand on her own. Her budding relationship with Eric and seeing her cousin Margot go through her own transformation gets the ball rolling for Frankie. Sometimes it’s small steps and at others, huge leaps. I enjoyed seeing her come into her own, while accepting both her positive attributes and her flaws.
Ms. Harper’s trademark humor is peppered throughout the story. I found myself laughing at or right along side the characters. With Frankie’s occupation, there were plenty of dark and gruesome jokes. Here is only one such gem:
“There is a distinct eye-sex vibe,” Margot agreed.
“There is no eye sex!” Frankie insisted.
“Who’s havin’ sex with people’s eyes?” Bob [Frankie’s father] asked from the opposite end of the table. “Honey, have you been readin’ those crazy forensics journals again? I told you they’ll give you nightmares.”
While not the central focus of the story, the slow-burn romance between Frankie and Eric is both lovely and sexy. I adore Eric’s moral compass and his desire to be the best he can be. But it’s his genuine affection for Frankie and her quirks that makes him the perfect match for our heroine. And the HFN finish of the book is a perfect fit for the nature and feel of the story.
As with the previous stories, Ain’t She a Peach just flows. It’s not fast-paced, but neither is it dragging. With each page, we learn a bit more about Frankie: her likes and dislikes, hopes and fears… This drew me in and kept me hooked. The subtle and even outright humor made me belly laugh, and I just wanted to get to know the citizens of Lake Sackett a bit more. Even with the mystery of who is destroying the McCready property and playing pranks didn’t wasn’t high on my list to solve because I wanted the story just to continue to play out. I loved the lazy river feel of the story.
Overall, I strongly enjoyed the story and the ride. Ain’t She a Peach is another wonderful addition to Ms. Harper’s Southern Eclectic series.
My Rating: B+ Liked It A Lot
About the Book:
An Atlanta ex-cop comes to sleepy Lake Sackett, Georgia, seeking peace and quiet—but he hasn’t bargained on falling for Frankie, the cutest coroner he’s ever met.
Frankie McCready talks to dead people. Not like a ghost whisperer or anything—but it seems rude to embalm them and not at least say hello.
Fortunately, at the McCready Family Funeral Home & Bait Shop, Frankie’s eccentricities fit right in. Lake Sackett’s embalmer and county coroner, Frankie’s goth styling and passion for nerd culture mean she’s not your typical Southern girl, but the McCreadys are hardly your typical Southern family. Led by Great-Aunt Tootie, the gambling, boozing, dog-collecting matriarch of the family, everyone looks out for one another—which usually means getting up in everyone else’s business.
Maybe that’s why Frankie is so fascinated by new sheriff Eric Linden…a recent transplant from Atlanta, he sees a homicide in every hunting accident or boat crash, which seems a little paranoid for this sleepy tourist town. What’s he so worried about? And what kind of cop can get a job with the Atlanta PD but can’t stand to look at a dead body?
Frankie has other questions that need answering first—namely, who’s behind the recent break-in attempts at the funeral home, and how can she stop them? This one really does seem like a job for the sheriff—and as Frankie and Eric do their best Scooby-Doo impressions to catch their man, they get closer to spilling some secrets they thought were buried forever.
Release Date: June 12, 2018
Publisher: Gallery Books
Series: Southern Eclectic #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format(s): paperback (304 pages), e-book, audiobook
Book Source: Netgalley
Purchase Info:
Amazon
Reviews in the Series:
Save a Truck, Ride a Redneck by Molly Harper (Southern Eclectic #0.5)
Sweet Tea and Sympathy by Molly Harper (Southern Eclectic #1)
Peachy Flippin’ Keen by Molly Harper (Southern Eclectic #1.5)