Dancing Naked in Dixie

by Lauren Clark

• ISBN10: 0984725040
• ISBN13: 9780984725045
• Publish Date: 15 May 2012
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Monterey Press
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 324
• Language: English

Reviews

[Leah]

Last year I read Lauren Clark’s debut novel Stay Tuned, and I liked it. It was a quick, cute read, and so when I was offered the chance to read Lauren’s second novel Dancing Naked In Dixie for a blog tour, I jumped at the chance. Dancing Naked In Dixie was just as quick, and just as fun as Stay Tuned and I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend picking up the novel as it’s such a sweet novel.

Dancing Naked In Dixie tells the story of Julia Sullivan, who lives her life at 150mph, never stopping to appreciate anything and who spends her time flying from one place to another in her job as a travel writer. She gets the surprise of her life when she gets a new boss at Getaways, even more so when she realises who he is. When he sets her the task of going to Eufaula, Alabama, to preview their annual Pilgrimage, Julia sees it as a personal affront and can’t believe she’s being sent to somewhere so… Southern, so uninteresting. She’d rather dance naked then go to Alabama. However, with her job on the line, she duly heads to Alabama and as it turns out, Alabama isn’t uninteresting. In fact, throw in the Jordan family and Alabama turns out to be very interesting indeed.

I absolutely loved that the novel was set in Alabama. I’ve never read a book set in Alabama before and it’s not necessarily high up on my to-visit list (is it on anyone’s, to be fair?) however Clark presented Alabama in such a way that I’d quite like to visit it. What I like about novels set in such small towns is just how close the entire community is. It’s like a character in itself and the closeness of everyone in Eufaula was brilliant. I absolutely adored the Jordan family, particularly Shug and PD, and I liked how they quickly welcomed Julia to Alabama and how they all just got on so well. It’s so lovely to read and I liked the chemistry in particular between Julia and Shug.

Clark has such a brilliant voice. Dancing Naked In Dixie was just a pleasure to read. Generally when I read a book in bed it isn’t for very long as, well, I love sleep, however I stayed up ’til midnight just so I could finish the book and see what it was Julia had uncovered and if she could save the day in time. I would definitely recommend the book as Dancing Naked In Dixie is one of the sweetest, most readable books I’ve read this year. I don’t know what a moon pie is, but I’d certainly like to try one – it would been a perfect accompaniment to this novel, in fact. I can’t wait for Lauren Clark’s next novel as she’s definitely a writer to keep an eye on, with her easy writing and reading style, she could easily become a staple on my reading list.

[Lorelei's Lit Lair]

I'm always in search of new authors, and boy was I pleasantly delighted with Lauren Clark and her book Dancing Naked in Dixie! As soon as I read the first pages, I was drawn into the story. Loved Julia from the start and could picture her right away. I loved her personality, and the hero Shug, well, wasn't he a charmer and had me swooning through the story! There's also other characters like her boss, the best friend and many others that simply had me entertained and wanting to continue reading as the story evolved.
DNinD is about Julia, a travel writer, who is used to going to exotic places and writing reviews for a travel magazine. Her hectic life and a sad event in the past have affected her, and she's lost her shine. She is challenged to one more assignment or else she's fired. But instead of somewhere in Europe or in the Caribbean, she's sent to Eufaula, Alabama.She meets all these new people there and events take place. I won't share more because it would spoil the excitement. But, I will say I enjoyed all the characters, was laughing out loud in some scenes, and crying in others (the good kind). I was into the story so much that I read it through, non-stop, didn't want to put it down!


What I really enjoy is that Lauren Clark has a great voice, and I can picture her scenes as I read along. Sometimes I don't get that from authors. Her characters are funny, charming, unique. She has all the elements I look for in a romance, charming towns with its distinct characteristics, the plot was great, sometimes a little predictable, other times not. There's drama, mystery and love. In the end it left me with a happy feeling, a smile and wanting to use that southern charm and phrases they say, which I love. FYI, there's no naked in this story, was clean and beautifully written, with swoony romantic scenes.
I am so looking forward to more work from Lauren Clark, definitely on my Favorite Authors list now.

[Cocktails and Books]

This is one of those books that shocks you, because it is so different from what the book blurb reads, but then again it isn't. I was expecting a light hearted book about a clumsy, cute woman who is sent to Alabama to write her story and then gets caught up in all the funny "goings on" in the town. That is what happens, but what doesn't come across in the blurb is how this is really a gut-wrenching, emotional read about start over.

Julia Sullivan is a travel writer and spends very brief amounts of time at home. She's disorganized and clumsy, which leads to many mishaps on her travels but also serious repercussions at work with her new editor. She has a steady boyfriend who she isn't in love with, but isn't ready to let go of just yet because they get along well. She's estranged from her father and missing her mother terribly after her death two years ago.

But Julia's world does a complete 180 when she sets foot in Eufaula, Alabama. She finds the town charming, it's busy body residents irresistible and her tour guide, Shug Jordan. In this quaint little town, she finds what's been missing in her life: a relationship with her father, putting down roots and opening yourself up to all the joys and pains in life. Without knowing it, Eufaula, Shug and his family and the friends Julia made give her everything she didn't know she wanted, but in the end truly couldn't live without.