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The Red-Hot Chili Cook-Off (2014)

by Carolyn Brown(Favorite Author)

3.92 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

1402287038 (ISBN13: 9781402287039)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Sourcebooks Landmark

series

Cadillac, Texas

review 1: This is one of those books that brought me outside my comfort zone. I don't normally read "chick-lit" so I was hesitate to accept this book. However, I decided it was time to branch out and I dove in. I found this book endearing and engaging. I never would have thought a book that chronicles a bunch of southern women (don't forget, I'm NY born and bred) and their trials and tribulations would interest me as much as The Red Hot Chili Cook Off did. I have not read any other of Carolyn Brown's books, so I can't compare, but I can say that the town of Cadillac and those who reside there is incredibly fun. I laughed and (gasp!) even teared up at some of the drama that ensues. Being from NY, it was also neat to be transported to a place that I have never experienced. After readi... moreng this book, I feel like I know Cadillac, Texas and totally get Southern living (yea yea, I know that I don't really, but that is just how good Brown did describing the town and the life of these women).The plot didn't draw me in as much as the characters and the whole idea of the rich southern belles did. I believe it was that aspect of the novel that kept me engaged more than the plot line of the divorcee one-upping her ex. However, the love and romance that was scattered throughout the book is great- not over done and just the right amount of spice. I was pleased with how it enhanced the story and wasn't just there for the hell of it.This is a very humorous book and I found myself giggling a lot. I was rooting for the girls and cheered on their efforts at their lingerie shoppe and their quest to win the cook off. Brown did a great job of making the reader align with Carlene - we hate Lenny and all that he stands for. The epic rivalries between the girls and families is also an addition to boost our hate for the ugly souls and mold our love for the good. When it comes down to it, this is a story of good versus bad and making your own way. Plugging along when you feel like you can't move another inch. It is inspiring, funny, and full of big bold characters!
review 2: Carolyn Brown has proven over and over again that she can write a great cowboy romance, but when she took on women's fiction in her Cadillac Texas series, she proved she could do humor with the best of them. The Red-Hot Chili Cook-Off is a tale of romance gone bad and revenge that is sweet. It is the second book in the Cadillac Texas series, which is full of southern charm and small town hilarity. Brown's use of humor is to die for and her down to earth characters are easy to relate to and so much fun to read about. When Lenny Joe decided to step out on his wife, Carlene, he never imagined she'd take her revenge on a corvette and his title as winner of the local chili cook-off. Now Lenny is feeling the heat!What I liked:Carolyn Brown is one of my favorite cowboy romance writers. She has this way with understanding the psyche of the cowboy and how they live. I wasn't quite sure how she would fair with women's fiction since I was so used to cowboy books. I shouldn't have worried, she took to it like a fish to water. And what totally surprised me was the addition of a ton of humor into her writing. Brown shows readers that romance doesn't always have to be sappy and full of long Shakespearean soliloquies. It can be fun, upbeat and down right funny. I laughed until my sides ached at some of the antics of Carlene and her family and friends in The Red-Hot Chili Cook-Off. Carolyn Brown can write humor. Who knew?Carlene was a typical southern belle, with all the charm and all the spitfire attitude one might expect. She thought she had it all figured out, her own lingerie shop business, a great husband and then it all falls apart. But does Carlene sit around and cry about it? Nope, she goes on the warpath. When she finds out Lenny Joe has been cheating with his secretary Carlene and her friends and family decide to hit him where it really hurts. The Red-Hot Chili Cook-Off is coming up and a women's team has never entered, let alone won. Lenny Joe is proud that he wins every year. Not this year!I loved the whole theme of this book. It reminded me of a good old country song, where the woman gets her revenge in an unexpected way. You know what they say about a woman scorned. Well, Carolyn Brown took that idea and ran with it and what resulted in one hilarious romp in Texas, with a determined set of ladies who are out to break Lenny's winning streak. There is everything from food poisoning to a very special batch of winning chili. And there is also a good deal of romance even though revenge is a meal better served cold. It was a fun book with a lot of humor and some fantastic characters. Brown does it again! A great new book.The overall theme may be revenge, but underneath it all this book shows the resilience of women and the deep bonds of family and friendship. Carlene's dysfunctional family got her into all kinds of hilarious situations but they stood together against whatever came their way. You mess with one, you mess with all of them. I thought Brown did a great job with that idea and gave readers not only a comical book, but one with heart and spirit. I loved it.What I didn't like:I had so much fun reading this one that I didn't notice a thing that I didn't like about it. The characters are fun and lovable and the theme was just hilarious. Bottom Line:If you are looking for great women's fiction with tons of humor this is the book for you. Carolyn Brown may know how to write about cowboys, but she also has a trick or two up her sleeve when it comes to writing books that women enjoy with small town charm and humor. less

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