Beauty Queen (Lear Family Trilogy, Book 2) [Paperback]

Julia London (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 6, 2004

Three glamorous sisters live up to the last-wish demands of a dying patriarch, and compete for that elusive dream called love. This imaginative update of Shakespeare's King Lear is a hit with the critics:

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The second installment in London's contemporary Lear sisters trilogy (Material Girl, etc.) showcases her talent for depicting the progress of intimacy between two equally strong and unpredictable lovers. As a young woman, Rebecca Lear gave up her dreams of an artistic career to be a dutiful daughter, a beauty pageant queen and a glittering socialite wife. Now, a divorcee with a five-year-old son, she discovers that a life spent meeting others' expectations has left her with no marketable experience and even less self-esteem. She dives into self-help books and searches for a confidence-bolstering job but has little success until she finds a position helping manage Tom Masters's campaign for lieutenant governor of Texas. At campaign headquarters, she immediately butts heads with campaign consultant Matt Parrish, a handsome trial lawyer with a bossy, arrogant demeanor, but as they work on the increasingly problematic campaign, the two find common ground. There's little complexity of either plot or subplot to fill this book's considerable length. But the pace picks up smartly in the later chapters, and the exchanges between Rebecca and Matt are winningly fresh and funny throughout.
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From Booklist

Rebecca Lear is tired of everyone thinking her life is perfect. Even though she comes from one of Texas' most wealthy families, is a former Miss Texas, and has a handsome husband and a young son, Rebecca's carefully cultivated life is quickly unraveling. After her car dealer husband trades her in for a newer-model wife, Rebecca discovers just how hard it is to find a job when you have no marketable skills, no college education, and no self-confidence. When Senator Tom Masters asks her to work on his political campaign, Rebecca sees a chance to finally gain some experience. The only drawback is an arrogant and sexy lawyer, Matt Parrish, who has no intention of working with a former beauty queen and political novice and doesn't mind telling her so. A wonderfully endearing heroine, a delightfully roguish hero, some sizzling chemistry, and writing that sparkles with sexy, sassy charm all come together beautifully in the second in London's fabulously entertaining Lear family trilogy. John Charles
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (April 6, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425195244
• ISBN-13: 978-0425195246
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #916,973 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Julia London is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than two dozen novels, including the popular Secrets of Hadley Green historical romance series (including The Year of Living Scandalously), the Cedar Springs contemporary series (including One Season of Sunshine), and numerous other works. She is a four time finalist for the presitigous RITA Award for excellence in romantic fiction, and RT Bookclub award recipient for Best Historical Romance for Best Historical Romance for Dangerous Gentleman. She lives in Austin, Texas.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars heartfelt writing is a winner!, April 15, 2004

By 

Victoria Devlin (Chicago. ILL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beauty Queen (Lear Family Trilogy, Book 2) (Paperback)

This book follows the second sister in the Lear family. Daughters of a selfmade man who is dying. He wants his daughters lives to get on track, so he can die knowing they are happy and secure. Sometimes his meddling is not good, but that is a father, eh?

In the second sister, Rebecca. She was perfect daughter, perfect beauty queen, perfect wife and then perfect mother. None of that prepares her for life's realities when hubby dumps her for younger woman.

She has to struggle to make a way for her son and herself, but along the way she had to find her own self value.

As she is getting footing she joins a political campaign and immediately comes to verbal blows with Matt Parrish. Only, she is not the same only perfect person...hurrah!!!

A gentle journey of self discovery for the character, under the masterful pen of London!!!

Gotta go get sister #1

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Nothing compared to Material girl!, August 13, 2006

By 

Zena (Montreal, Quebec) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beauty Queen (Lear Family Trilogy, Book 2) (Paperback)

I was incredibly surprised at this second installment of the Lear sisters. After reading material girl, which absolutely fantastic, I was excited to read about Rebecca- who was Miss Texas in her youth and had only a divorce and a son to show for it, to only be shocked at the silly writing and dialogue as well as the shallow and meaningless relationship between Rebecca and Matt-the hero.

I would like to say this first: London is a gifted writer, she is deep without being overwhelming and funny without turning into a comedian instead of a romance writer. She has an amazing grasp of characterization and her dead-on attention to detail that go on during human dramas. But most of all her build-up between two strangers that inevitably fall in love and steamy yet touching love scenes are the main reasons why I keep buying her books.

However, everything I had just mentioned was sadly lacking in Beauty Queen. I loved Rebecca and that's all I loved about the book. Although the writing started witty and sharp, it became goofy, immature and tiresome when no shift in tone was evident.
Matt, an arrogant and playboy lawyer, was the most shallow and immature hero I have ever read. You had zero empathy for the man and could not relate to his careless regard for anything but himself. Unlike Rebecca, there was hardly any build-up to his character and all you saw of him was his constant sheepish grin and arrogance. And for 80% percent of the book they were like 2 girlfriends having it out with each other instead of 2 adults that were attracted to each other. Then before you even know what hit you, Matt makes a miraculous transformation and falls in love with Rebecca. What did I miss???

In all honesty, I was left baffled that I was reading a Julia London book and the only explanation I could think of is that it was deliberate she left the second installment shallow and immature that drastically shifts from her usual style.

I hope the 3rd Lear sister gets just as an incredible story as her first sister did, and be content with the second one being a major slip up.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Second of the Lear siblings, February 13, 2006

By 

Tracy Vest (Northern California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Beauty Queen (Lear Family Trilogy, Book 2) (Paperback)

In the second installment of London's update Lear trilogy, middle daughter Rebecca is recently divorced with a toddler in tow, and looking for a job to help boost her sagging confidence. A chance meeting with a handsome stranger has disastrous results, particularly when she is asked to join a political campaign, and he turns out to be one of the key strategists, a bossy trial lawyer who is exasperated that she was chosen to be on the campaign.

As she struggles to find her confidence and not be just another pretty face, Rebecca and Matt start to work side by side, and initially butt heads at every turn, but start to develop feelings for each other. Matt even spends time with her son, who cannot seem to garner any of his father's attention. Soon both discover that they don't really like the candidate they are trying to get elected.

This one is not quite up to par with the fist in the series, though it does retain the funny dialog and humorous internal musings. The initial meeting between Rebecca and Matt is priceless!