Christmas Bliss

November 4, 2013
In this delicious novel, best-selling author Andrews (Savannah Blues) brings back Weezie Foley and BeBe Loudermilk. Itâs Christmas time and Weezieâs wedding is a week away. Itâs a happy week of tastings and fittings, and finding prizes at estate sales for her antiques shop at home in Savannah. Her fiance Daniel Stipanek is in NYC working as a guest chef at a hot new restaurant. Meanwhile, BeBe is for the first time in her adult life âexactly where was supposed to be,â safe and loved by a good man and pregnant with his child. Then Weezie sees a copy of Page Six of the New York Post featuring a photo of Daniel with âa willowy dark-haired beauty in a spangly cocktail dress with a plunging neckline. Meanwhile BeBe discovers sheâs still married to Richard Hodges, that âsnakeâ of a husband who she thought had signed the divorce papers. Andrews sorts all of this out very neatlyâtoo neatly perhaps, but thatâs the only quibble with this fast and fun read. Agent: Meghan Walker, Tandem Literary.

October 1, 2013
Andrews (Ladies' Night, 2013, etc.) spreads tidings of comfort and bundles of joy in her latest Weezie Foley and BeBe Loudermilk romp, the fourth in her Southern series. Readers don't have to be familiar with Andrews' previous books about the Savannah-based best friends to enjoy this follow-up to Blue Christmas (2006). Jean Eloise Foley, aka Weezie, is finalizing plans for an intimate wedding ceremony on Christmas Eve, a scant week away, while her fiance's in New York serving as a guest chef in a prestigious restaurant. Unable to wait a week until Daniel returns home for the nuptials, especially when she spies a photo of him in a gossip sheet with the gorgeous owner, Weezie hops a plane to the Big Apple to surprise him, thanks to BeBe's frequent flier miles. Meanwhile, BeBe's experiencing a great deal of discomfort of her own. She and her boyfriend, Harry, are expecting a baby in six weeks' time, and she's feeling as huge as a whale, taking care of a business, trying to oversee renovations on a new home and hiding a disturbing secret from Harry--all while dogsitting Jethro, Weezie's dog, who's not exactly howling with delight to be in BeBe's care. As Weezie worries from afar about her dad's increasing forgetfulness, her mother's insistence on baking fruitcake for all the wedding guests and her friends' flamboyant decorating ideas, she revels in the magical feeling of exploring NYC during the holiday season. Then she's hit with a bombshell that may seriously impact her life. Important decisions loom for both couples as Weezie and Daniel's wedding and BeBe's due date rapidly approach, but will everyone live happily ever after? Readers can expect a delightful diversion that's fast paced, character-driven and extremely fun. Andrews delivers a blissfully divine holiday gift.

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October 15, 2013

Antiques dealer Weezie Foley and her best friend BeBe Loudermilk (last seen in Savannah Breeze and Blue Christmas) are feeling a little overwhelmed as the December holidays approach in Savannah. Weezie is trying to prepare for her Christmas wedding to Daniel Stipanek while he's off in New York City working as a guest chef for the beautiful Carlotta Carlucci. The very pregnant BeBe is set to deliver at any minute, although she refuses to marry the baby's father, even though she's in love with him. Andrews's holiday-themed novel is as warm and funny as usual, and the crazy antics of her two protagonists will entertain readers. VERDICT An essential Christmas read for anyone who likes amusing, Southern women's fiction. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, 4/8/13.]

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