Review: Christmas in Dixie by Beth Albright

Title: Christmas in Dixie     

Author: Beth Albright    

Series: In Dixie, #2      

Published: November 2014, Beth Albright  

Format: ARC e-book, 148 pages   

Source: Author 

“Christmas gifts aren’t always just a fun surprise. Sometimes they totally take your breath away.”

~ Blake O’Hara Bartholomew

From National Bestselling and award winning Author Beth Albright,
comes a new, funny, heartwarming southern Christmas tale —told as only
Beth Albright can tell.

Inheriting this old southern mansion might have been the best thing
to ever happen to Hollywood chef Rhonda Cartwright. It brought her back
home to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, her long lost hometown. Restoring the old
place to all its former glory, she is ready for the house to make its
debut as Tuscaloosa’s new finest B&B. The Tuscaloosa Christmas Gala
will be the stage for it all and it’s only a few days away. With her new
lover and old best friends surrounding her, she is poised to finally
get the life she has always dreamed of: safe and secure and predictable.

But just when Rhonda Cartwright thinks she has finally uncovered the
last of the family secrets, a woman from the past shows up on her
doorstep with secrets of her own. And just wait till Rhonda’s
unpredictable, unapologetic mother appears at the Christmas Gala with a
surprise date.

Christmas chaos ensues and Rhonda and her group of Belles will be on
the case, trying to pull it all together before the big night of the
Gala. Christmastime in the Deep South is almost always full of
surprises. Just not this kind of surprise.

Rhonda needs a miracle to pull off the Gala, or a real life Santa—well maybe she’ll find both, right here in Dixie.

My thoughts: I
fell in love with Beth Albright’s writing when I read her Sassy Belles
series and was excited when I heard she was going to be writing another series, In Dixie, that ties in with the Sassy Belles series. I find her books
to be quick, fun reads full of that Southern charm. This is the second of that new series and while I haven’t read the first one yet, I thoroughly enjoyed this installment and plan on picking up that first book soon!

I love Beth’s characters. They are all dynamic characters, full of life, sass and just plain fun! The Sassy Belles are definitely who you want in your corner when you need help, plus they just seem like good friends to have. Now that Rhonda is back in Tuscaloosa, she is grateful to have the belles around when trouble shows up at the B&B. And that trouble stems from the conniving ex of Rhonda’s new beau. 

This story is filled with secrets, family drama and a mystery. Can the gals get to the bottom of everything before the big Christmas Gala is ruined and becomes a media nightmare for the new B&B? And who’s been leaving Rhonda little presents around her house? 

Blending new characters with familiar favorites – besides the Sassy Belles we’ve already come to love, the Fru Frus, decorators extraordinaire, are back – we get a fun, festive holiday read that’s full of laughs and even a few tears. I can’t wait to go back and read the first book in this series, but I can already tell, it’s going to be another favorite series of mine by Beth Albright!

Books in this series:

1. Magic in Dixie
2. Christmas in Dixie