Christmas Bliss - Mary Kay Andrews

Mary Kay Andrews is an author whose books have passed over my library counter many times. But I had yet to read one. That changed with her latest release - Christmas Bliss. I snapped up the audio version when it came in - it's the time of the year when I love to read seasonal stories.

Andrews sets the story in Savannah, Georgia with two recurring characters featured in three previous 'Savannah' novels - Weezie Foley (an antiques dealer) and her best (and very pregnant) friend Be-Be Loudermilk. Weezie is set to be married on Christmas Eve, but her fiancée Daniel has been working in New York as a guest chef. Weezie decides to surprise him with a visit, leaving the rest of the wedding planning to her over the top friends and mother. Be-Be and Harry (baby daddy) are facing lots of changes in their lives as well.

Andrews writing style is light, breezy and chock full of southern charm. Christmas Bliss was a perfect holiday listen for the trip back and forth to work this week. Troubles are easily solved, there's a strong sense of family and friendship and despite setbacks you just know everything will work out fine - just in time for Christmas.

What I really liked however were Weezie's junk store tales of treasure and finds.  I too love pawing though old boxes at junk stores, auctions and flea markets. When reading about Andrews, I discovered the reason Weezie's junking  is so lovingly detailed. From Andrews's bio on her home page... "As a lifelong “junker” the author claims to know the location of every promising thrift store, flea market and junkpile in the southeastern United States, plus many parts of Ohio.

Kathleen McInerney was the reader. She had a lovely, gentle voice with a sweet Southern accent. I thought she really captured the setting and characters well. Listen to an excerpt of Christmas Bliss.

Great literature? No. Fun, fluff read to set the mood the week before Christmas? Yes!  Read an excerpt of Christmas Bliss.

Fans of Fannie Flagg's southern novels would enjoy Mary Kay Andrews. You can find Andrews on Facebook and on Twitter.