The Pajama Girls of Lambert Square [Hardcover]

Rosina Lippi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 14, 2008

From the author of Tied to the Tracks comes a charming new novel set in Lambert's Corner, South Carolina-a beautiful town where no one's secrets remain secret for very long.

For John Dodge, moving to new places and reviving ailing businesses is a way of life. So when he sees an ad for Scriveners, a stationery shop in a small town in South Carolina, he decides to take the plunge.

As soon as he arrives in Lambert's Corner, Dodge falls happily into the whirl of gossip, gifts, and quintessential Southern hospitality. Link Kay, one of his employees, warms up to him after Dodge admires his expertise on pens. Bean Hurt- a feisty and outspoken ten-year-old-becomes a fast friend. And Maude Golden, the mayor, supplies him with indispensable information. But the one person who really catches Dodge's eye is Julia Darrow-the beautiful but aloof pajama- wearing owner of the Cocoon, a popular store specializing in luxury linens. Dodge tries to befriend her, but she remains elusive and mysterious. Everyone knows that she is a widow, but no one seems to know why she came to town or why she never leaves Lambert Square-or does she?

Like Dodge, Chicago-born Julia is fleeing a tumultuous past. But with the help of a hilarious and endearing cast of characters, Julia and Dodge learn that, sometimes, you don't need to go far to find home.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Southern hospitality and sweetly loose-lipped neighbors ooze from the pages of the sparkling latest from Lippi (Homestead). John Dodge is a traveling man, rescuing small businesses around the country to flip for a profit. When he finds himself in Lamb's Corner, S.C., to take over a stationery store, he is greeted by some kooky Swedes building an automotive plant and an observant young girl who is determined to uncover his past, among others. Dodge, as he calls himself, befriends Julia Darrow, the owner of a fine linens store who is always in her pajamas. Julia is secretive and mysterious, but Dodge cannot ignore his attraction to her. He doesn't plan to stay in Lamb's Corner very long, and it becomes apparent that Julia can't leave. Lippi's characters are heartfelt and pricelessly named (one 10-year-old boy is called Bean Hurt). While the novel moves slowly, it's never shy of drama: Lippi makes a great story out of how a hardcore wanderer and an agoraphobic come together. (Feb.)
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Review

"Sharp, quirky, and deeply tender, you'll laugh out loud at The Pajama Girls."
-Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of The Midnight Twins

"A rich pleasure of a book from start to finish."
-Joshilyn Jackson, author of The Girl Who Stopped Swimming

"Rosina Lippi drew me deep into the world of her characters in their lovely fictitious Southern town and held me enthralled there so that I did not want the book to end."
-Mary Balogh, author of Simply Perfect --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult (February 14, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399154663
• ISBN-13: 978-0399154669
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,152,083 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I have a small, quiet life and a big, active imagination.

In 2000 I left academia and I've been writing full time ever since. I have three publishing personas: the Rosina Lippi who wrote Homestead, Tied to the Tracks, and The Pajama Girls of Lambert Square; Rosina Lippi-Green who has a lot of academic publications to her credit; and probably best known, her Sara Donati persona. Sara is responsible for what is generally referred to as The Wilderness Novels, a six volume series of historicals set on the New-York frontier between 1792 and 1824.

While historical fiction is my first and abiding love, I also really like writing contemporary novels, though they don't fit into any particular genre and thereby stump the marketing and advertising people. Laura Vivanco of Teach Me Tonight has called my two most recent novels contemporary romantic emotional-mystery fiction. Rosina-the-former-academic likes all the syllables. The other Rosina bristles at the need for genre labels.

I was born and raised in Chicago and am now settled down with the Mathematician in the Pacific Northwest, on a hillside between the San Juan Islands and the Cascade Mountains. We are recent empty-nesters, still trying to adjust.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Romantic comedy of the best kind, March 18, 2008

By 

Michelle Schwartz "malbrec92" (Avondale, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Pajama Girls of Lambert Square (Hardcover)

"A bird may love a fish, but where will they build a home together?" (Tevye, Fiddler on the Roof)

He's claustrophobic. She's agoraphobic. He's a rover, moving from town to town rescuing small businesses on the brink of disaster. She couldn't be more settled in her apartment in Lambert Square. John Dodge and Julia Darrow both have secrets. They have problems. They have pasts. But can they have a future together? All of Lambert Square is watching and waiting, and from the first page to the last, you will be too.

The Pajama Girls of Lambert Square is a romantic comedy of the best kind, with smart, funny characters drawn by an author who knows exactly when to keep us guessing and how to make us laugh. Fans of the Wilderness Series (written by Lippi under her pen name Sara Donati) will recognize the author's trademark wit and her ability to address real-life problems with loving attention to detail.

The Pajama Girls of Lambert Square is Lippi's second foray into the romantic comedy genre, following 2006's Tied to the Tracks, and she has only gotten better with practice. Pajama Girls is sexy, funny, and genuine. If you're looking for a page-turner, this is it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Routine Romance Novel, July 6, 2010

By 

Diane Williams - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Pajama Girls of Lambert Square (Kindle Edition)

I was disappointed that an author like Lippi who is capable of crafting the Wilderness Series (under her pen name Sara Donati) would offer her readers little more than a silly romance novel. The characters where more like caricatures of southern life, each too quirky to be compelling. I'm sure this was much faster and easier to write than the well researched Historical Fiction she has done in the past, but it sure left me wanting strong believable characters like Elizabeth and Nathanial.

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely Southern Romance, March 2, 2008

By 

Shannzu (Orange County, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Pajama Girls of Lambert Square (Hardcover)

The Pajama Girls of Lambert Square is a really wonderful book. The idea of a linen shop where the employees go to work in their PJs is really fun. It's also nice to read about two people falling in love who have some baggage and a whole life lived before meeting each other. I loved all the quirky characters and the fictional town of Lamb's Corner. Lippi's writing is so good that it will sneak up and steal your heart you when you're least expecting it. I'm definitely going to hunt down her backlist, including Tied to the Tracks so I can soak up all the southern goodness.