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Keeley Murdock is ready to marry A.J. Jernigan until she finds him with her maid of honor during the rehearsal dinner. Keeley proceeds to have a temper tantrum that would put fear into a hurricane. Her resulting Hissy Fit is the basis of the title of the book. A.J. is surprised that Keeley is making such a big deal out of it. When she remains adamant about refusing to marry A.J., his family begins to put financial pressure on her father’s business as well as the interior design business she runs. Several lucrative clients cancel their contracts to avoid social suicide in the small town of Madison, Georgia.
Will Mahoney is the new guy in town. He’s bought the bra factory outside of town as well as an antebellum mansion. Will hires Keeley to redo the mansion for his future wife. The only problem is that Will has yet to meet the right woman. He has definite ideas, and Keeley
has her own, and as they clash and compromise, they grow to respect and
like each other.
But A. J. isn’t done making Keeley pay for humiliating him by canceling the wedding. And her former best friend is another thorn in her side. As Keeley tries to cope with social censure and pressure, she begins to investigate the disappearance of her mother many years ago. She wishes she could talk to her about the situation, but her mother ran away one day and was never heard from again.
The book starts out funny, but turns very serious. Keeley learns things about her mother that she isn’t sure she wants to know. And the closer she gets to the truth, the more her life is in danger.
Mary Kay Andrews is obviously very familiar with small towns. Her descriptions of the manipulations of A.J. and his banker daddy may seem fantastic to a life long city dweller, but are very realistic. Her writing packs a punch of emotion that took me aback at first. But I was quickly drawn into the story and savored it as I read. There are layers and quirks through the story that are too complex for a simple summary. Suffice it to say, I highly recommend this book. The romance is secondary in many ways, but there is a Happily Ever After, and this book is one I intend to keep and reread.
Reviewed by Nancy Riggins-Hume
for The Road to Romance
February 16, 2005
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