Save a Truck, Ride a Redneck (Southern Eclectic, #0.5)

by Molly Harper

Molly Harper brings her signature "clever humor, snark, silliness, and endearing protagonists" (Booklist) to the charming small town of Lake Sackett, Georgia with the new Southern Eclectic series.

Carl and Marianne were high school sweethearts, loving the way only teenagers can - with no thought to logic or pride, just a bone-headed, optimistic frenzy of unicorns and hormones. That was all they needed. Or so Carl thought.

Scared of being stuck in Lake Sackett, Georgia, like so many of her friends - without a real shot at a future or achieving her own dreams - Marianne panicked and bolted to college after stomping Carl's heart into the high grass. But when she returns to Lake Sackett for the summer with her family after years away, she and Carl are drawn together like moths to a flame. As they rekindle their old romance and remember what it was like to be in love, they have to wonder: is this, finally, their real chance at happiness?

• ASIN: B0769X6QVK
• Publish Date: 16 October 2017
• Publish Status: Unknown
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Imprint: Pocket Star
• Format: Audiobook
• Duration: 3 hours and 32 minutes
• Language: English

Reviews

[MurderByDeath]

If you read the Southern Eclectic novels, this is a prequel back story for one of the characters, Marianne, and how she ended up with Carl.   It's short, but it covers all the bases, introducing most of the family, including one character that dies before the full-length books begin.  We get a bit more insight into Donna, Marianne's curmudgeonly mother.  Less funny than most of the other books, it's sweet in its way and since I went in already invested in the characters, I enjoyed it well enough.

[kimbacaffeinate]

Our story begins with Marianne McCready returning for the summer before starting law school in the fall. She isn't exactly excited about returning home but she is also having doubts about her life plan. An unexpected accident shares a brief encounter with her high school sweetheart, Carl. As feeling stir and Marianne deals with doubts about her career choice, we spend time with the McCready family as they handle the family businesses and celebrate Marianne's return the McCready way.

Filled with laughter, shenanigans, potato salad, town gossips and some unexpected heartfelt moments, Save a Truck, Ride a Redneck reminded me why I love this series and crazy family.  Since I'd already read book one, I can tell you reading this isn't necessary, but it offered up a cute romance, introduced key characters and delivered a story I enjoyed. It offers a  great taste for the series.

The romance was a second chance, and Harper did a wonderful job of sharing their backstory. While the romance didn't get a lot of page time since this is a novella, it did offer all the warm and fuzzy feelings. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer