Chin Up, Honey [Paperback]

Curtiss Ann Matlock (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2009

It takes a lot of work to plan a wedding—and even more to save a marriage—but in Valentine, Oklahoma, there's always someone to help you keep your chin up.

Emma Cole's son is getting married, and she's determined to make everything perfect—even if that means asking her estranged husband to come home and pretend they're still together. John may be an imperfect husband, but he's a devoted dad. He's happy to oblige Emma—especially since he didn't really much like living apart from her anyway. Now he wants a second chance.

As Emma sorts through the mess of her own marriage, she puts her heart into planning Valentine's wedding of the century. But there's one big problem: the bride's ambitious mother wants more for her daughter than marriage to a small-town boy.

As the wedding approaches, the many meanings of love, commitment and happiness capture the hearts of folks in town. And surrounded by the warmth and spirit of her neighbors, Emma starts to see new beginnings instead of endings.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Life in Matlock's nostalgic Valentine, Okla., is a Bradburyesque vision with drugstore soda fountains, old-timey radio shows filling the airwaves and a cast of characters who wouldn't be out of place in Lake Wobegon. Her latest charmer, the seventh installment of the smalltown series (after Cold Tea on a Hot Day), finds Valentine preparing for the wedding of Johnny Ray Berry, popular son of Emma Lou and John Cole (scion of the local Quick Start convenience store empire), to Gracie Louise Kinney, daughter of Sylvia, the snooty owner of several upmarket fashion boutiques. Sylvia is none too pleased with the red-neck white boy her daughter has chosen to marry and tries to sabotage the affair by finally revealing the identity of Gracie's father, a black Creole. As the union is thrown into question, the main attraction is the hilarious love dance between Johnny's estranged parents, who've put their divorce on hold for Johnny's sake. Matlock conjures a sweet spell accented by tart drama, as refreshing and delightful as a lemony sweet tea. (May)
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From Booklist

Just after Emma and John Cole Berry separate, their only son, Johnny, announces his engagement to Gracie. So the good parents welcome the happy couple together, and begin counseling to patch up their own marriage, but Gracie’s controlling mother has bigger plans for her. Meanwhile, other denizens in Matlock’s beloved Valentine, Oklahoma, are working their way through their own heart troubles. Belinda’s handsome, sexy husband suddenly wants to talk rather than make love, and her mother, Vella, is carrying on scandalously with Jaydee Mayhall. A common bond is Winston and Willie Lee’s old-fashioned radio show, which keeps the folks of Valentine entertained. Matlock’s heartwarming contemporary Southern romance owes much of its appeal to the folksy, small-town atmosphere she creates. Longtime readers will enjoy revisiting Valentine and its many colorful characters, even as this novel stands on its own merits and thus can serve as an excellent introduction to Matlock’s work. --Lynne Welch

Product Details

• Paperback: 377 pages
• Publisher: Mira; Original edition (May 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 077832558X
• ISBN-13: 978-0778325581
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #895,135 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Curtiss Ann Matlock is a the author of thirty-three novels, including the tender and funny Valentine series. Her books have earned rave reviews, spots on the USA TODAY bestseller list and numerous awards. Told with a strong Southern voice, her insightful stories portray the uncommon valor of everyday people and the humor, heartbreak, and shining graces of small-town life. Born in North Carolina, Curtiss Ann lived many years in Oklahoma; she now resides with her family near Mobile, Alabama. You can find out more about her and her work at CurtissAnnMatlock.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just a delight to read!, August 8, 2009

By 

Sharon Galligar Chance (Wichita Falls, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chin Up, Honey (Paperback)

Have you ever sat down with a book, and it felt like you were sitting on a porch swing, chatting with good friends and catching up on their lives?

That's exactly the feeling you get when you pick up a book by Curtiss Ann Matlock. Her stories about the folks in Valentine, Oklahoma make the reader feel like they've come home for a family reunion. And everybody's there - the sweet old uncle who has the delightful radio show everyone loves, the aunts who cluck about making sure everyone is fed, and the kids running in and out between everyone's feet.

In the latest in the Valentine series, "Chin Up, Honey," the story focuses on Emma and John Cole Berry. Emma and John Cole have been having some marital problems, to the point that John Cole has not been home in a while. But when their son, Johnny, announces that he and his sweet girlfriend Gracie are getting married, Emma knows that she has to put aside her disagreements with her husband in order to plan the wedding of the year. After all, there are parties to plan, invitations to design, a pool to be installed - you know, important things.

But when Emma finds out that Gracie's mother, the elegant businesswoman Sylvia from up North, doesn't approve of Johnny - well, let's just say the mother lioness instinct kicks in and Emma goes into overdrive trying to prove to Sylvia that their family is just fine and dandy. But her anxiety may prove to be unnecessary. All it takes is getting the stuck-up lady down to experience the loving ways of the folks in Valentine to get her to loosen up a bit. A day at the Glorious Women's retreat, a few glasses of sweet tea and Sylvia's good to go! (If only it were that easy.)

Meanwhile Brother Winston's radio show is getting noticed by the folks at the "Today Show," there is a pack of kids running around town stealing things, and down at the drugstore there is a raging debate on whether you are supposed to wear panties underneath your pantyhose or not. Yep, it's always exciting in Valentine, Oklahoma. Never a dull day passes.

Curtiss Ann Matlock has a unique gift of bringing her readers right into her stories, making them comfortable and wanting to stay a while. With just the right touch of Southern hospitality, a heaping helping of love and a generous dash of humor, her novels are instant classics. "Chin Up, Honey" is one of the best of the series, which is saying a lot since the others are delightful as well. I can't wait until it's time to visit Valentine again.

4.0 out of 5 stars Life Is Full of Changes, June 22, 2009

By 

Stormy (MA, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Chin Up, Honey (Paperback)

Emma realizes that her life can't continue along the same comfortable rut at the same time that her son comes home to tell her that he is getting married. She is forced to try to spin many plates in the air at the same time without going to pieces herself.

Great summer read!

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars fun lighthearted frolic, May 8, 2009

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Chin Up, Honey (Paperback)

John Cole comes home ostensibly only to attend the wedding of his son Jonny. However, he also has returned hoping to persuade his wife Emma Berry to give them a second chance. Emma has doubts, but agrees to try again with the stipulation that together they see a marriage counselor. Reluctantly John, who hates discussing issues with loved ones let alone strangers, agrees.

As the day of the marriage ceremony comes closer, Emma realizes her in-law disapprove of her son. She wants to help Johnny with his future relations so she makes an effort to change the mind of her son's mother-in-law and show she, her husband and Johnny are good people who will be there for her daughter.

The quirky secondary cast makes for a fun lighthearted frolic. The story line lacks action and the one of the two prime premises not significant as Johnny will have to prove his worth to his in-laws with deeds not his mom's interference. The second chance romance aspects are also somewhat muted as the differences between John and Emma are minor. Still fans will enjoy watching the antics of the groom's mother, making two fronts worse.

Harriet Klausner