Review & Audio Clip: Spring Fever by Mary Kaye Andrews (audio)

Spring Fever by Mary Kaye Andrews

Narrated by Kathleen McInerney
Macmillian Audio

2012

Length: 15.5 hours

From the back of the audio case: When you think the past is over and you’ve moved on in life, there’s no harm in catching a little spring fever…is there?

Annajane Hudgens truly believes she is over her ex-husband, Mason Bayless, and she has absolutely no problem attending his wedding to Celia, the woman everyone in town adores. 

When fate intervenes and the wedding is called to a halt – Annajane wonders if maybe she’s been given a second chance. Maybe everything happens for a reason. And maybe, just maybe, she wants Mason back.

But there are secrets afoot in this small town. Passcoe, North Carolina, is the home of the Quixie Cherry Soda, which has been in the Bayless family for generations. Anyone born in Passcoe is raised on cherry soda, but now, change is on the horizon.

Annajane soon sees that these changes can bring out the worst in people and uncover long-hidden family scandals. And even though there are people determined to keep Annajane from getting what she wants, happiness could be hers for the taking, and the life she once had with Mason in this sleepy little lake town could be in her future. That is, if she can find out what she’s really made of and what really matters to her.

My thoughts: I’ve only read a few books by Mary Kaye Andrews so far and find them to be fun, quick reads. This time I tried the audio version of her new book and I loved it. It has the characteristic southern charm that I’ve come to enjoy reading about in Mary Kaye Andrews’ books and is usually filled with some sassy characters.

Spring Fever is a book about second chances. Annajane and Mason were once married and now she’s sitting in the church waiting for him to be married to Celia. As luck would have it, the wedding is interrupted when Sophie, Mason’s daughter, gets ill. From that moment on, Annajane realizes she just might have another chance with Mason if she wants it. There are some bumps along the way and lots of twists and turns to keep you hooked, including many long-ago hidden secrets that come to light. Will Annajane and Mason be able to work out their past and find their way back to each before it’s too late? And what about Annajane’s impending wedding?

Mary Kaye Andrews does a great job of giving her characters unique personalities – there’s Pokey, Annajane’s best friend and Mason’s sister, who is filled with spunk; Sophie, Mason’s daughter is sweet and just a bit sassy at times; Celia, Mason’s fiance, who is all about greed and power; and Annajane, who is filled with determination and sass. The other thing that I loved was that the descriptions of Passcoe and the Quixie plant made me feel as if I was right there – all I needed was a glass of some ice cold Quixie!

I’m looking forward to reading some of Mary Kaye Andrew’s other books. I think they are the perfect books when you need something light to read or you just want to laugh out loud, which I did quite a few times while listening to Spring Fever. Have you read any books by Mary Kaye Andrews? If so, what’s your favorite?

Audio Thoughts: I’ve listened to Kathleen McInerney a few times in the past and she never disappoints. In Spring Fever, she was able to give each character their own distinct voice, many of which I thought were spot on. I think my favorite was the voice she gave Celia – it was just whiny enough to have you disliking her character and it couldn’t be more appropriate.

Bonus Material: Thanks to Esther Bochner at Macmillan Audio, I have a clip of Spring Fever to share with you –http://media.us.macmillan.com/video/olmk/macmillanaudio/springfeverch1.mp3

I received a complimentary copy of Spring Fever by Mary Kaye Andrews from Esther at  Macmillian Audio.