Gussie, Ina Mae, and Blanche have been best friends for
more than sixty years. From their humble beginnings of founding the Sunshine
Club when they were girls to becoming the matchmaking queens of Newton, Texas,
these three were inseparable. When Blanche passes away, Gussie and Ina Mae feel
the best way to honor their dearly departed is with a shot of whiskey, some
good music, and making a match for Blanche’s niece, Sissy.
Never mind that Sissy’s in town for only six weeks. Is
there a better reason for her to stay? And is there a better prospect than
handsome, charming, blue-eyed local preacher Luke Beauchamp? No and no. The
attraction is already there. Now it’s up to Gussie and Ina Mae to make sure the
sparks get to crackling by Christmas.
The Sunshine Club is back in business. Don’t
underestimate two feisty women who have their hearts set on a happy ending.
Good story of love, friendship, and healing. Gussie,
Blanche, and Ina Mae have been friends since they were children - more than
sixty years. The three women were sisters of the heart, and when Blanche
suddenly passes away, Gussie and Ina Mae don't know how they'll cope with their
grief and loneliness.
The story opens on the day of Blanche's funeral, as
Gussie, Ina Mae, and Blanche's niece Sissy carry out Blanche's last wishes. I
had to laugh at Blanche's last bit of shenanigans as her requested "jazz
funeral" shocked the townspeople, though Gussie, Ina Mae, and Sissy
enjoyed every minute of it. I loved the flashbacks/memories that each of them experienced
and how they provided insight into Blanche for the reader. Ina Mae and Gussie
continued their celebration of Blanche's life by inviting Sissy into their
clubhouse and sharing memories - and whiskey shots - for the rest of the day.
The three women's grief leaped off the page, and I ached for their pain.
I enjoyed the story of how they began the Sunshine Club
and the part it played throughout their lives. It was the support of Gussie and
Ina Mae that got Blanche through her disastrous and short-lived marriage. All
three were there for each other through their successful careers. They also
earned a reputation as the matchmaking queens of the town. Ina Mae and Gussie
agree that the best way to honor Blanche is to find a husband for Sissy. This
would have the added benefit of keeping Sissy in Newton rather than returning
to Louisiana.
Sissy had an unusual childhood, traveling the country with
her rock band parents in an RV. While she loved her parents and enjoyed the
travel, it was a lonely life. She enjoyed the time she got to spend with Aunt
Blanche, experiencing "normal" life. Sissy now lives in Louisiana and
has a job as a therapist that she loves. When Blanche died, Sissy took six
weeks of leave to settle Blanche's affairs. She received quite a shock when she
learned what Blanche left to her and decided to take her time deciding what to
do.
I loved seeing the interactions between the three women.
Ina Mae and Gussie think of Sissy as family since they have none of their own. They
also don't bother to sugarcoat anything at their ages and are forthright with
their opinions and advice. It was funny to see their plotting and planning to
throw Sissy and Luke, the preacher, together. They think they are subtle about
it, but Sissy figures it out right away. Sissy doesn't want to hurt their
feelings, so she goes along with their efforts. She has no intention of falling
in love as she plans to return to her job in Louisiana, but Luke certainly gets
her attention.
Luke has been the preacher in town for about two years, hired
when his Uncle Jimmy retired. He's a good-looking and charming young man who
loves what he does. He's successfully avoided the efforts of other matchmakers
but finds himself intrigued by and attracted to Sissy. I loved their
conversation about the matchmaking efforts and their agreement to be friends. I
enjoyed watching their relationship develop as friendship grew into more. It was
easy to see that their outlooks on life and helping others were compatible, and
I loved seeing them support each other. There are obstacles, however, as a few
people don't approve of Luke's interest in Sissy, and they are intent on making
trouble for the pair. I liked the reasoned and practical approach that Luke and
Sissy took to their options and that they found a way to have each other and
the life they wanted. I especially loved Luke's statement at church.
Ina Mae and Gussie do their best to help things along.
There are some terrific parts as they attempt to run interference against the
most vocal of the objectors. This woman is a real piece of work, and I wanted
to see her get her comeuppance at the end. I'm not sure she did, but it all
ended well anyway.
I also had fun watching Sissy turn the tables on Ina Mae
and Gussie. After getting wind of their plans to push her and Luke together,
Sissy figured that getting them involved with suitors of their own would keep
them out of her hair. She also recruited Luke to help her. They were much more
subtle than the two ladies. I had a great time seeing Jimmy and Paul become
more involved in their lives, and none of them suspected a thing. The scenes
involving them were often sweet and sometimes hilarious.
I liked how these activities helped all three women work
through their grief. Stories of Blanche frequently came up when some action
would remind them of her. In contrast to the tales of hijinks, Ina Mae and
Gussie also revealed the whole story behind Blanche's marriage. Their actions
to protect Blanche showed the depth of their love for her and their willingness
to go to any lengths to do so. One of the things I loved about the book was how
each one would hear Blanche's voice in their heads during times of stress or
confusion or just needing advice.
One of my favorite characters in the book was Blanche's
bird, Danny. His salty language and nightly drinks of vodka were hilarious.
Though each of the ladies frequently seemed disgusted with him and threatened
to give him away, none of them could. He reminded them too much of Blanche. I
also loved his relationship with the rooster.
I liked hearing stories about their Sunshine Club
activities, from how and why they started it to what they did during their meetings.
Ina Mae and Gussie's grief over Blanche's death made it difficult for them to
spend time there. I loved the decision they finally made about what they would
do.
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