By: Mary Kay Andrews
ISBN: 9781250111791
Publisher: St Martin's Press
Publication Date: 4/5/2016
Format: e-book
My Rating: 5 Stars
This 100 page prequel novella to Mary Kay Andrews's bestselling novel Beach Town is sure to delight fans and new readers alike.
Greer Hennessy is a movie location scout whose latest project has literally gone up in flames. After an avocado field accidentally catches fire on the set of her new movie, she is out of a job and practically run out of town. With her feisty grandmother Dearie, a Golden Age starlet who still has a lot of vigor left in her, complicating her life, Greer needs a bit of a rest. But Greer's own mother then drops a bombshell on her that will change Greer's life completely, and raise questions about her own father that she can't ignore. In desperate need of a second chance, can Greer find what she's looking for in the one last job she can get: a movie called BEACH TOWN? But first, she needs to find the perfect spot...
My Review
A special thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Mary Kay Andrews combines her witty trademark southern style with CHANGE OF SCENE, a prequel to Beach Town (highly recommend), coming in paperback format, May 2016 with a sneak preview included- providing insights to the character, Greer Hennessy and what takes her from LA, to Florida’s Northwest Coastal area. An inter-generational witty tale of three strong women--all with a Hollywood background: A Feisty Grandmother: A Hollywood career, Dearie (Deidre)—eighty-seven, is still hanging on and gets kicked out of every nursing home. She is a non-conformist and does not follow rules. She is all about having fun. If they do not find her a new home, she will have to move in with daughter or granddaughter, Greer or Lise. Faced with long waiting lists, Lise says no to her apartment since she is doing phone sex. Greer lives in a one bedroom and her grandmother will not make the best housemate. Her grandmother wants in the Motion Picture Home. An Independent Mother Lise, now too old for Hollywood acting gigs, has turned to phone sex in order to keep up her expensive lifestyle, and pay for keeping her mom in a home. After all, she was performing a valuable service—in her mind it was just another acting gig. Plus she is not herself and her daughter is worried. What secrets is she hiding? What about Cary Grant? A Tenacious Granddaughter: Age thirty-six, a film location scout, Greer Hennessey was a city girl, born and raised in L.A. She could fake the seasons with spray paint and provide all kinds of movie magic, and props where needed. A talent scout-- her latest project has turned into a disaster. She was accustomed to dealing with difficult people; however, her gift was winning them over, persuading them that her way was the best way. Greer, is now jobless—turning into one ugly mess, she had allowed herself to get conned on location, there was a fire, and now Hank was blaming her. Now on to the next location and job. Her career, her mom, and now her grandmother to worry about. Trying to find Dearie a place to call home, while trying to take care of finances. Plus her mom wants her to look up her dad, Clint down in Florida Panhandle. She is looking for a small town beach, laid back location with palm trees, old motels, a pier, with a throw back feeling-- to shoot a film. Did her father even have any interest in reaching out to his daughter? Three strong independent and funny women, fighting all odds and many life lessons. As always, Mary Kay Andrews has the best summer beach reads, drawing you to the coastal seaside with fun, mischief, and sass. Highly recommend BEACH TOWN and just finished THE WEEKENDERS, one of her best, coming, May 17 (2016 Best Beach Cover)! Of course, I love books set in Florida and a long time fan of Mary Kay Andrews. Every time I think of this location she is searching for, I think of Palm Beach County's—1920’s Lake Worth Casino Building and Beach Complex, throwback, recently renovated.
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About the Author
Mary Kay Andrews is the New York Times bestselling author of SAVE THE DATE, LADIES’ NIGHT, CHRISTMAS BLISS, SPRING FEVER, SUMMER RENTAL, THE FIXER UPPER, DEEP DISH, BLUE CHRISTMAS, SAVANNAH BREEZE, HISSY FIT, LITTLE BITTY LIES and SAVANNAH BLUES.A former reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, she wrote ten critically acclaimed mysteries, including the Callahan Garrity mystery series, under her “real” name, which is Kathy Hogan Trocheck.
Her mysteries have been nominated for the Edgar, Anthony, Agatha and Macavity Awards.A native of St. Petersburg, Florida (and a diplomate of the Maas Bros. Department Store School of Charm), she started her professional journalism career in Savannah, Georgia, where she covered the real-life murder trials which were the basis of MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL.
As a lifelong “junker” the author claims to know the location of every promising thrift store, flea market and junkpile in the Southeastern United States, plus many parts of Ohio.She has a B.A. in newspaper journalism from The University of Georgia (go Dawgs!), and is a frequent lecturer and writing teacher at workshops including Emory University, The University of Georgia’s Harriet Austin Writer’s Workshop, the Tennessee Mountain Writer’s Workshop and the Antioch Writer’s Workshop.
Married to her high school sweetheart, Tom, she has two adult children and two grandchildren. After a three-year hiatus in Raleigh, NC, she and her husband moved back to their old neighborhood in Atlanta. She also owns two restored beach cottages on Tybee Island, GA, both of which are named for fictional locations in her novels. Read More
