Restless in Carolina

Title: RESTLESS IN CAROLINA
Author: Tamara Leigh
Publisher: Multnomah
July 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4-60142-168-5
Genre: Inspirational/contemporary

Bridget Pickwick-Buchanan is a widow at thirty-three. It’s been four years since her husband died and she’s just not ready to move on. But after she terrorizes her five-year-old niece by telling her that there is no happy-ever-after, that the hero dies, she is forced to start coming to terms. First to go is the dreadlocks that she had in memory of her late husband who loved them.

Now, Bridget needs to find a buyer for her family’s estate—a Biltmore-inspired mansion surrounded by hundreds of acres of unspoiled forest. Bridget is hoping to find an eco-friendly developer to buy the land—one who won’t turn it into single-family homes or a cheesy theme park.

J. C. Dirk is a developer from Atlanta whose green property developments have earned him national acclaim. But he isn’t returning Bridget’s calls. Forced to act, she visits him in Atlanta. But J. C. is neither amused nor interested until she mentions her family name. But there are things Bridget doesn’t know about J. C. and it could mean the end of everything she worked for.

RESTLESS IN CAROLINA is a contemporary novel, written in first person, in kind of a chick-litty way. Bridget is still in mourning after her husband’s death four years earlier, but life has a way of going on, and now Bridget is getting everything dumped on her lap at once. Including babysitting her twin niece and nephew, approaching the developer about the family estate, babysitting her senile uncle, and chasing down a developer who may or may not be interested in the acreage, but seems to be interested in the widow.

Bridget is a rather pushy character, used to getting her way, and not used to being told no, or worse, ignored. It was rather amusing in parts watching her do whatever it takes to get the attention she requests and needs. Discussion questions are included at the end of the book. $14.99. 352 pages.