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Pleating For Mercy by Melissa Bourbon

October 31, 2012 by bubblebathbooks 4 Comments


Harlow Jane Cassidy thinks she is happy as a fashion designer in New York City. But when her great-grandmother passes away, she leaves her turn-of-the-century farmhouse to Harlow. Harlow decides to move back to Bliss, Texas and open up a dressmaking boutique called “Buttons and Bows” in her grandmother’s house. Her first customer is her old friend Josie who orders a custom wedding gown and bridesmaids dresses for her upcoming wedding. Everyone is thrilled until Josie’s boss and maid-of-honor turns up dead in Harlow’s flowerbed. To complicate matters, Harlow’s family has always secretly had a touch of “magic” and people are starting to ask questions. Add to this an intriguing handyman and the fact that Great-Grandma’s spirit may not have actually left the building and you get one enchanting book.

Pleating for Mercy (Magical Dressmaking Mystery, Book 1)

Sissy: First of all, I wish my name was Harlow Jane Cassidy and that I had a magical gift.

Bubby: You DO have a magical gift! You sing like a choir of angels!

Sissy: I knew there was a reason I kept you around, Bubby. I also love Texan accents, beautiful clothing and goats. Maybe not so much on the goats. But this is a good new series, a good new heroine, and they don’t say curse words or have tempestuous sexual encounters.

Bubby: Note to self – in the future, blogging must occur BEFORE 7 p.m. or else Sissy’s brain has already gone to sleep. “I love goats?” Really? Let me explain: all the women in the Cassidy family have a magical gift. There is a family legend about how these gifts were acquired, but I’ll let the reader find that out. Harlow’s grandma’s gift is, well, for lack of a better term, goat whispering. Yep. Bet you wish you were a goat whisperer too, right Sissy?

Sissy: Actually I would be completely devastated if that were my gift. Goat meat. Have you ever tasted goat? It’s nasty. Same with goat cheese.

Bubby: I don’t know, a little chevre on a rye cracker with a touch of-

Sissy: I wasn’t finished. (Chevre? When Bubby says this word she pronounces it “Shev-ruh gut rumble”. She should just call it what it is – goat schmutz.) Anyway, all the women in this book are quirky, funny and strong, even if the woman if a ghost. I am a huge proponent of books with strong female characters.

Bubby: I think you may have mentioned that before, but I do agree. Strong women rule! This story had all my favorite elements. It had fashion, (not that I personally have any fashion sense but I like to pretend) diamonds, romance, magic and mystery. Fabulous. Just right for a Halloween read.

Sissy: Yes, perhaps I am repeating myself, but at this time of night I am half-blind and a quarter deaf.

Bubby: Oh, so many opportunities in that statement, Sissy. I will refrain from asking how that is any different than usual and just mention to our readers that it is all of 8:39 p.m. Wow. Bring out the curfew police!

Sissy: You have no respect for my advanced age and frailty. I appreciated how Ms. Bourbon wrote characters who connected so well with one another and how she gives us a glimpse of Harlow’s evolution from city girl back to country girl.

Bubby: I agree. I think my favorite character was Great-Grandma, even though she never says a word and is dead before the book starts. She communicates with Harlow through the house – a banging pipe here, a falling shelf there and is just as feisty in death as we are told she was when alive. I also enjoyed the storyline about the Cassidy’s lineage – I hope that more is revealed in future books.

Sissy: Yes. The author hints at family mysteries and treasure to be revealed at some future date. My favorite character was Grandma Coleta because she is old and crusty and I liked the goat named Thelma Louise.

Bubby: I can sense it! You DO want to be a goat whisperer! Just because your cat abandoned you for a pampered indoor life with the neighbors doesn’t mean you should turn to a life of goat herding. I was initially concerned that there was no romance in this story but it starts creeping in about half-way through and I really enjoyed the interplay between Harlow and “the man”. Don’t want to reveal too much, now. I think this is a great read. I rate Pleating for Mercy a solid 4 bubbles.

Sissy: This has nothing to do with Lucy the traitor cat. At least I don’t spend my days trying to make snooty foods like shev-ruh-(guhguh) – whatever. I will be reading the next books in this series for sure. (Book two is A Fitting End and #3 is Deadly Patterns.) The rating from me is 3.5 bubbles.

© Bubble Bath Books 2012

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: dressmaking, Fashion, Magic, mystery, Romance, Southern Fiction

Want to Win Free Author Signed Books? We Got Some!

October 27, 2012 by bubblebathbooks 1 Comment

 Slow Dance in Purgatory, Prom Night In Purgatory and Running Barefoot 

Bubby: Hey Sissy! Let’s run a contest!

Sissy: Good idea, Bubby. Let me get you an Advil for the headache that must have given you!

Bubby: Ptthbbt! (Raspberry in Sissy’s general direction)

Sissy: Good thing one of our very favorite authors, Amy Harmon, has given us three books, signed by her! to give away.

Bubby: Fantastic! So what does one have to do to win an author-signed book, dearest Sissy-lou?

Sissy: Clean one of my toilets, make me dinner and give me a foot rub.

Bubby: Um, no, I don’t think so. How about instead, everyone who likes us on our Facebook page ( just type in Bubble Bath Books and you’ll find us) and comments on one of our reviews is entered into the contest?

Sissy: Very good! And I shall take all the names and place them in my Bingo Ball Roller Cage, swirl them around and allow you to pick one out with your eyes closed.

Bubby: You have REALLY got to quit ordering things at midnight from the Shopping Channel. But it is a good plan. I think we should have two winners, though. One for Running Barefoot and one for the Purgatory series.

Sissy: So, all one has to do is LIKE us on our Facebook page and COMMENT on one of our fabulous reviews to be entered to win a free book!

Bubby: Contest starts NOW (Saturday, October 27) and runs through Friday, November 2 at the stroke of midnight. Winners will be announced on Saturday, November 3 unless we are attacked by Zombies during Halloween.

Filed Under: Fun Stuff

Exciting News From One of Our Favorite Authors

October 27, 2012 by bubblebathbooks Leave a Comment

We got a lovely message from Amy Harmon, author of Running Barefoot, Slow Dance In Purgatory and Prom Nights in Purgatory yesterday.  She wants everyone to know that one of her fantastic books, Slow Dance In Purgatory (previously reviewed right here thank you very much) is currently available for FREE as an e-book at Amazon.com. Click here to get it! Bubby and Sissy love, love, love this book – go get it!

Filed Under: Fun Stuff

Friday Favorite: The Ladies of Missalonghi by Colleen McCullough

October 26, 2012 by bubblebathbooks 3 Comments

This story is set at the Wright family’s small homestead Missalonghi, in the town of Byron in Australia’s Blue Mountains. Missy Wright is the stereotypical spinster daughter in this tale from the author of the Thorn Birds. Plain and shy, she cowers in the shadows of her pretty cousin Alicia and her domineering mother Drusilla.  But it’s the 20th century and time for brave new thoughts and actions. Missy Wright is done with her wallflower days and is ready to change things for the better, no matter what anyone else might think. With the help of the beautiful, mysterious new librarian she sets her sights on an unsuspecting newcomer who just might be her prince charming.

Sissy: This is one of my favorite books of all time. I’m not sure why but it could be because I always love witty, bantering women. It could be because I love a fairy tale ending. It could be because I cheer when good women triumph over evil men (or just plain good triumphing over evil, period.) Maybe it’s the bit of magic or the touch of paranormal that is necessary in every good fairy tale. Whatever it is, I read it for the first time a million years ago and have read it many times since.

Bubby: So let me tell you about when Sissy introduced me to this book. At the time, we were attending a women’s book club together. We were each asked to bring our favorite book to one of the meetings. Sissy scandalized all these poor church ladies with her choice of The Ladies of Missalonghi. Just remembering it makes me laugh so hard I just snorted my Diet Coke out my nose and all over my shirt!

Sissy: What a bunch of prissy bottoms! (Sissy is wiping Coke spit off of her shoe as she speaks.) The book is as tame as rice pudding by today’s standards. Bubby, do you care to explain yourself?

Bubby: Yes, MOST of the book is perfectly appropriate. It’s just that one little bit – you remember, the part where she, well, you know, and she’s in the river and then what’s-his-name is there and she’s not quite deep enough and she’s showing some, well, bits and he tells her that if she stays much longer she won’t be a, um, “maiden” anymore? (Bubby is now blushing furiously.)

Sissy: Yes. Missy, who does not know any better, has this glorious moment when her heretofore unacclaimed flat chest becomes an object of interest. Yes, she should have married him before showing off her “nuptials” but there it is. Get over it, Bubby.

Bubby: You, madame, are just shameful. Shameful. That’s all there is to it. Actually it’s not that big of a deal. I just find it funny the way the incident is described, causing Sissy to become the outcast of the book club. I think they still refer to her as “that painted hussy.” I do appreciate this book, though. It is well written with a great storyline and plenty of surprises. My favorite moment is when Missy throws off the drab, outdated clothing that is all she’s ever been allowed to wear and steps out in a crimson red silk dress full of ruffles and embellishments. I’m gonna get me one of those red dresses some day.

Sissy: I have one. I wore it on Tuesday. With my tiara.

Bubby: (Looking at Sissy with a slightly alarmed expression) Oh, good. Did you take pictures so I can post them on Facebook?

Sissy: No. It was a private wearing.

Bubby: And there goes the rest of my Diet Coke. *Snort!*

Sissy: My favorite part of the book is the end. And what happens at the end, you ask? Let’s just say that the evil “suits” get what’s coming to them and the women reclaim their rightful place at the top of the food chain. I give it 5 bubbles just for nostalgia’s sake.

Bubby: Sometimes I think Sissy’s tiara is on too tight. Just saying. Or maybe she read this book during her “She-Woman Man-Haters” period. Not sure. Not sure I want to know. At any rate, it’s definitely worth reading. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry (o.k., probably not), you’ll cheer for the women! But it’s not my all time favorite. 3 1/2 bubbles. Be sure to check back next Friday for MY pick on Friday Favorites!

Click HERE to buy The Ladies of Missalonghi by Colleen McCullough at Amazon.com

Click HERE to buy The Ladies of Missalonghi by Colleen McCullough at BookDepository.com

© Bubble Bath Books 2012

Filed Under: Friday Favorites, Reviews Tagged With: Australia, Colleen McCullough, family, Romance

From the Back of the Shelves Comes . . . Friday Favorites!

October 26, 2012 by bubblebathbooks Leave a Comment

We, the eminently knowledgeable and sophisticated staff here at Bubble Bath Books . . . O.K. There is no staff.   No staph either.  (That last gem was from Sissy, NOT Bubby. Just saying.) Where was I? Oh, yes. We, Bubby and Sissy, have decided that while we like to focus on newer releases in our reviews, that leaves out some of our old favorites. You know, the ones you go back to year after year because they are just THAT good. (We may have to translate some of Sissy’s picks from the original Egyptian scroll they were written on. She’s THAT old, you know). From now on, each Friday we will feature an oldie but goodie in a segment called “Friday Favorites.” (Sissy will make sure that Bubby isn’t allowed to choose the board books she still chews on!) Bubby and Sissy don’t always agree on what Friday favorites should be so Sissy threw a fit and decided she should get to choose first. We will alternate choosing a Favorite each week, starting, of course, with Sissy’s pick. Hope you enjoy!

Filed Under: Friday Favorites, Fun Stuff

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Bubby and Sissy (aka Talei Lawson and Leslee Preece) are sisters who love to escape through a great read (and any other way we can think of!). We would like to share with you our favorite books, products, and destinations to help you get away from it all, if only in your mind!
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