Restless in Carolina: A Novel (Southern Discomfort) [Paperback]

Tamara Leigh (Author)

Book Description

Release date: July 19, 2011 | Series: Southern Discomfort

She’s all about going green. Could he be her white knight—or will he make her see red?
 
Tree-huggin’, animal-lovin’ Bridget Pickwick-Buchanan is on a mission. Well, two. First she has to come to terms with being a widow at thirty-three. After all, it’s been four years and even her five-year-old niece and nephew think it’s time she shed her widow’s weeds. Second, she needs to find a buyer for her family’s estate—a Biltmore-inspired mansion surrounded by hundreds of acres of unspoiled forestland. With family obligations forcing the sale, Bridget is determined to find an eco-friendly developer to buy the land, someone who won’t turn it into single-family homes or a cheesy theme park.
 
Enter J. C. Dirk, a high-energy developer from Atlanta whose green property developments have earned him national acclaim. When he doesn’t return her calls, Bridget decides a personal visit is in order. Unfortunately, J. C. Dirk is neither amused nor interested when she interrupts his meeting—until she mentions her family name. In short order, he finds himself in North Carolina, and Bridget has her white knight—in more ways than one. But there are things Bridget doesn’t know about J. C., and it could mean the end of everything she’s worked for…and break her heart.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Restless in Carolina

“Tamara Leigh has done it again. Restless in Carolina will have you falling in love with its swoon-inducing romance, characters you won’t want to leave behind, and message of hope and healing.”
—JENNY B. JONES, four-time Carol Award winner and author of Save the Date and Just Between You and Me

“Tamara Leigh is a master storyteller who weaves deep spiritual threads with quirky characters that I love.With Restless in Carolina, she returns to Pickwick, North Carolina, where Bridget has determined that happily ever afters don’t exist and God isn’t fair. Open the book and be swept into her journey, one filled with laughter, tears, and a large supporting cast that will make it seem like a return to a favorite vacation spot for readers of her other Pickwick books.”
—CARA C. PUTMAN, author of Stars in the Night

“Wonderful wry humor, a plot that kept me glued, and delightful, unique characters—what more could a reader ask? Tamara Leigh has given us southern living with down-home charmand thoughtful insights all wrapped up in joy. Highly recommended!”
—GAYLE ROPER, author of Shadows on the Sand and A Rose Revealed

“She’s as southern as fried chicken, but Bridget Buchanan is no Scarlett O’Hara. She’s spunky, quirky, and determined to save the world from environmental destruction—starting with her own family’s estate. This southern gal loves faithfully, grieves deeply, and touches tender places in our hearts. A great story!”
—VIRGINIA SMITH, author of Third Time’s a Charm and the Sister-to-Sister Series

“Tamara Leigh creates another of her quirky heroines, Bridget Pickwick Buchanan, in Restless in Carolina. Bridget is sassy and unconventional, a green peg in a brown hole. She meets her match in J. C. Dirk. Don’t miss an entertaining read about forgiving past wrongs and even the ones we love who make us crazy.”
—LYN COTE, author of Her Abundant Joy

About the Author

Tamara Leigh began her writing career in 1994 and is the best-selling author of fourteen novels, including Splitting Harriet (ACFW Book of the Year winner and RITA Award finalist), Faking Grace (RITA Award Finalist), and Leaving Carolina. A former speech and language pathologist, Tamara enjoys time with her family, faux painting, and reading. She lives with her husband and their sons in Tennessee and can be found at www.tamaraleigh.com.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Multnomah Books (July 19, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1601421680
• ISBN-13: 978-1601421685
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 0.8 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (90 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #881,007 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Tamara Leigh holds a Masters Degree in Speech and Language Pathology. In 1993, she signed a 4-book contract with Bantam Books. Her first medieval romance, Warrior Bride, was released in 1994, followed by Virgin Bride, Pagan Bride, and Saxon Bride. Tamara continued to write for the general market, publishing three more novels with HarperCollins and Dorchester and earning awards and spots on national bestseller lists.

In 2006, Tamara's first inspirational contemporary romance, Stealing Adda, was released. In 2008, Perfecting Kate was optioned for a movie and Splitting Harriet won an ACFW "Book of the Year" award. Both books were released as audio books. In 2009, Faking Grace was nominated for ACFW "Book of the Year" and RITA awards. In 2010, Leaving Carolina was featured in Target stores' "Emerging Authors: New, Notable, Red-Hot Reads" section. In 2011, Tamara wrapped up her "Southern Discomfort" series with the release of Restless in Carolina.

When not in the middle of being a wife, mother, and cookbook fiend, Tamara continues to write. Recently, she returned to the historical romance genre with the release of Dreamspell, a medieval time travel romance. With The Unveiling: Book One in her new Age of Faith series, she once more invites readers to join her in the world of the middle ages.

Tamara lives near Nashville, Tennessee with her husband and sons, a Doberman that bares its teeth not only to threaten the UPS man but to smile, and a Shih Tzu with a Napoleon complex and something of an eating disorder.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A novel filled with Southern charm September 26, 2011

By Georgina Scott

Format:Paperback

Restless In Carolina is the third novel in the Southern Discomfort series; following on from Leaving Carolina and Nowhere Carolina. I was excited to read this new novel in the series, as I always enjoy seeing how authors depict the south in particularly the Carolina's, which is where I now live. I was excited to see how Restless in Carolina would pan out and could not wait to get started on this novel.

Bridget Pickwick is trying hard to overcome the death of her husband, Easton, but after four years things just aren't getting any easier. Everyone around her seems to think that it is time she ditched her widow's weeds and started living her life. On top of that she needs to find a buyer for her family's estate, and not just any buyer, but someone who will keep the estate in its natural form, as eco-friendly as possible rather than turning it into a housing. Bridget thinks she may have found just in the man in JC Dirk, whose company has been developing green properties for years. JC however, is not amused when Bridget decides to gatecrash one of his meetings in order to get his attention, until she mentions the family name that is. JC finds himself more than interested not only in the property but also perhaps in Bridget herself!

The plot itself is based on a concept which is tried and tested with the southern girl and the city boy. I did enjoy the element Tamara Leigh brings in with trying to find a green buyer for the estate. I felt that this stopped the novel from being something that has been done many times before. Even though this is the third novel in the Southern Discomfort series, the novel still flows easily whether you have read the previous two novels or not. While I would recommend that you do read the previous novels in the series, it is defiantly not necessary in forming an understanding of the plot, and this novel does work well as a stand alone too.

I really enjoyed reading about the character of Bridget. Even though she is an almost polar opposite of myself, I loved her tough character and found her to be extremely grounded. Her tough attitude is chipped away at in this novel, revealing a hilarious, poignant and down to earth woman. I really enjoyed seeing the vulnerable side of Bridget and the way in which she deals with her grief over the loss of her husband, makes her extremely likeable. I also liked the character of JC who I found entertaining, humours and handsome. I loved reading the interaction between Bridget and JC, which had me wondering all along if they would realize that they are perfect for each other. I could not figure JC's secret out until the point where he tells it. Its very rare for me to find a novel in which I can't see what is coming on the next page, therefore I found this refreshing. Another favourite character of mine was Uncle Obe, who even though he is dealing with the on set of dementia, is still hilarious and comes out with some very funny lines. He is also a very generous and humble man, who brings great depth to the storyline.

I had one big problem with Restless In Carolina and that was that I felt a lot of the time religion was being pushed down my throat. I am very open in my beliefs and do mind reading about any religion or religious views, however I do like when it is mentioned on almost every page. I felt as though the authors views on religion were forefront throughout the novel. I understand that Tamara Leigh wanted to bring her faith into her writing and make her novels more God-honouring, however I just felt that the way in which it was brought across was not to my tastes. I do not enjoy being preached at through a novel and feel that a little toning down of this could have gone a long way to improving the novel. My other issue with the novel was the use of stereotypes. I myself live in South Carolina and I did not enjoy the way in which there were stereotypical southern characters, who all had stereotypical southern names. I know that many people love these aspects of southern life and reading about this in a novel, but personally I myself am not one of them. I would have liked the characters to be unique people rather than stereotypes of how southern people are perceived.

Overall I did enjoy reading Restless In Carolina. I found the novel to be humorous, filled with romance and southern charm. The characters fit really well with the plot and I really found myself wanting to find out what happened. There is a strong message throughout this novel, which I commend Tamara Leigh for putting into her work. I would recommend Restless In Carolina to anyone who enjoys a romance novel sprinkled with southern charm. I will be reading more from Tamara Leigh in the future.

Georgina
Chick Litaholic

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Restless in Carolina July 30, 2011

By Melissa Smith

Format:Paperback

From the back of the book: "Tree-huggin', animal-lovin' Bridget Pickwick-Buchanan is on a mission. Well, two. First she has to come to terms with being a widow at thirty-three. After all, it's been four years and even her five-year-old niece and nephew think it's time she sheds her widow's weeds. Second, she needs to find a buyer for her family's estate-a Biltmore-inspired mansion surrounded by hundreds of acres of unspoiled forestland. With family obligations forcing the sale, Bridget is determined to find an eco-friendly developer to buy the land, someone who won't turn it into single-family homes or a cheesy theme park.

Enter J.C. Dirk, a high-energy developer from Atlanta whose green property developments have earned him national acclaim. When he doesn't return her calls, Bridget decides a personal visit is in order. Unfortunately, J.C. Dirk is neither amused nor interested when she interrupts his meeting-until she mentions her family name. In short order, he finds himself in North Carolina, and Bridget has her white knight-in more ways than one. But the things Bridget doesn't know about J.C. could mean the end of everything she's worked for...and break her heart."

My review: Restless in Carolina was a fun book to read! Tamara Leigh has created a heroine that you won't forget. Bridget Pickwick-Buchanan was not at all what I expected from having read the back of the book. Her initial physical description totally caught me off-guard, and yet it helped make the book more enjoyable. Full of humor and very human, I fell in love with the character of Bridget immediately. I found myself reading quickly just to see what she would do and say next. Tamara Leigh developed a plot that kept me captivated, as well as characters that fit the plot. Wonderful humor, a bit of intrigue, delightful characters, and a much needed lesson on the power of forgiveness come together to make this a book you won't want to put down, as well as a book that you won't want to end. I certainly look forward to reading more by this author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Multnomah in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The best of the Southern Discomfort Series July 20, 2011

By Courtney

Format:Paperback

Restless in Carolina is the final book in Tamara Leigh's Southern Discomfort trilogy. This is the story about Bridget Pickwick Buchannon, the young widow who likes her pet opossum and works in a nursery!! She is trying really hard to get over the loss of her husband and after 4 years she begins to start the healing process finally. She is also trying her best to make sure that Uncle Obe's property gets sold to an environmental friendly company and that's how she meets J.C. Dirk, who is a developer that is just what she is looking for. She soon finds herself fighting the urge to fall in love again and has 2 possible suitors and 2 possible buyers for Uncle Obe's property!

I liked this book the best out of the Southern Discomfort Trilogy. Bridget is hilarious; I love her widow-locks, her love for animals and her passion for the environment and her stubbornness to change and to follow God.

This book had me laughing out loud! It was a fun and quick read and I was so delighted that all the original characters were in the story so we could see how things were going!

I also really loved the added mystery and suspense about who was lying and deceiving Bridget and who was the honest one!

I've really enjoyed the Southern Discomfort Series and think any fan of Christian Romance should check them out! Tamara always has great writing, fun and entertaining characters, sweet romance and great plots! I truly enjoyed this story and will be keeping my eye open for more from her!

Content: Very clean!

Thank you to FIRST Wild Card for providing me the free book for a blog tour on August 5th! All opinions are my own!