Review & Giveaway: Dancing Naked In Dixie, by Lauren Clark

Dancing Naked in Dixie by Lauren Clark follows fast-paced travel writer Julia Sullivan on an unlikely journey to Eufaula, Alabama. The pub­lisher is giv­ing away one copy of this book— use the Raf­fle­copter form at the end of the post to enter.

Dancing Naked in Dixie follows a typical chick-lit story arc: A young woman goes somewhere thinking she knows it all, discovers she doesn't, and finds true love - and herself - along the way. It's a nice way to spend an afternoon when the formula is executed well.

For the most part, Dixie is executed well: Julia Sullivan, the main character, is likeable enough, and the ways in which she is unlikeable - self-absorbed big city girl - the reader realizes immediately are the things that will be resolved by the end of the book. Julia is a travel writer who is constantly jet-setting to the world's vacation spots, a lifestyle that allows her to avoid any meaningful relationships, but who also pays little attention to the quality of her work. At the outset of the book, she is sent by a new editor - her father, with whom she has a strained relationship - not to another typical tourist destination, but to Eufaula, Alabama. He's taking her magazine in a "new direction," he tells her - and she's predictably furious about it.

The reader knows that Julia will find new meaning in her life in Eufaula and either realize her true feelings for her current boyfriend or find her true love in Eufaula, and the story is a gentle walk with her against the scenic old southern town, as she meets its inhabitants and discovers its small dramas and big secrets and finds that she actually likes these people and - surprise - this historic small town is actually quite charming. I particularly enjoyed the characters she met, including the handsome southern gentleman love interest Shug, and his beautiful scheming girlfriend Mary Katherine (think Amanda on Melrose Place).

Although some of the plot points strained my credulity - notably, Julia's father suddenly becoming her boss - by the end of the book, when everything is explained and resolved, I felt satisfied and my initial reservations were overcome. That said, I did feel the loose ends were tied up very quickly at the end - everything was explained all in a whoosh, where I would have preferred a slightly slower pacing. A fun beach read.

Other stops on the  Dancing Naked in Dixie blog tour:

Sept 10 Forget The Housework, I'm Reading Guest Post/Excerpt
Sept 11 Chick Lit Reviews And News- Review/Author Interview
Sept 12 Nette's Bookshelf Excerpt/Guest Post
Sept 13 Reflective Bookworm Review
Sept 14 Reflective BookWorm Author Interview
Sept 15 Chick Lit & WIne Review
Sept 16 The Thoughts Of A Girl, Review/Excerpt
Sept 17 Library Mosaic Excerpt
Sept 18 Desperado Penguin Review
Sept 19 Captivated Reading Excerpt
Sept 20 WV Stitcher Review
Sept 21 Kritters Ramblings Review/Author Interview
Sept 22 Steph The Book Worm Review
Sept 23 Aria's Dark Muse Review
Sept 24 Amy's Booket List Review
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