Got this a couple of weeks ago. Look at what they had to say about it!
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Being an expatriate of the Deep South, I simply couldn’t resist when I saw Carolyn Gregg’s novella
Chicken Fried Beefcake. Because, well, there’s just nothing like a good ole boy on his best behavior. Assuming that he’s not demanding you fetch him a beer or make him a sandwich, of course. In this story, Ms. Gregg takes all the good qualities that you could ever want in a good ole boy – tight jeans, cowboy boots, quiet confidence, kindness, intelligence, and oh did I mention tight jeans? – and rolls them up into one fabulous package by the name of Billy.
In Beth, Ms. Gregg gives us a heroine who is likeable even if she seems somewhat lacking in the common sense department. Beth is incredibly clumsy, but I think that part of her clumsiness is a self-fulfilling prophesy. She expects to trip up, therefore she does. She is very “good” in a bumbling kind of way, and while I couldn’t quite figure out why she felt the need to break up with her fiancé in front of his parents (perhaps because she likes the parents better than the fiancé?), I had no doubt that she believed it was the right and honest thing to do. In addition, Ms. Gregg does a wonderful job making Wyatt an obnoxious jerk that the reader can revile. He is so over-the-top that it is not particularly believable; however, he does make a perfect foil for the almost angelic Billy.
Billy is the anti-Wyatt: sexy and gentle with a playfulness to him that is immensely appealing. After having lived in a borderline abusive relationship with her soon-to-be-ex fiancé, Beth needs some of that gentleness and a lot of his sexual adventure. The sex scenes between these two truly do steal the show in this story; they are sensual enough to curl your toes and will most likely have you reaching for the fan to cool off. They are spontaneous and uninhibited and definitely fun. Although it may require a bit of a stretch of the imagination to believe that Beth and Billy can fall in love almost overnight, they definitely prove themselves to be compatible.
Overall, I found
Chicken Fried Beefcake to be cute and sexy and fun. It made me root for Billy and Beth to find their happily-ever-after and for Wyatt (boo, hiss) to receive some sort of comeuppance. In fact, this story almost makes me want my very own pet redneck. I wonder if I’d have to travel all the way to West Texas in order to find one?
~ Reviewed by Bobby "BD" Whitney
Book Wenches
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If you're interested in reading the blurb and an excerpt, and maybe even buy the book, click on the cover on the lower left-hand side. Appreciate it!
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