Savannah Breeze [Hardcover]

Mary Kay Andrews (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 11, 2006

Southern belle BeBe Loudermilk has lost all her worldly possessions, thanks to a brief but disastrous relationship with the gorgeous Reddy, an "investment counselor" who turns out to be a con man. All that''s left is a ramshackle 1950s motel on Tybee Island—an eccentric beach town that calls itself a drinking village with a fishing problem. Breeze Inn is a place where the very classy BeBe wouldn''t normally be caught dead, but with no alternative, she moves into the manager''s unit, vowing to make magic out of mud. The work is grueling, especially dealing with the bad-tempered caretaker, a fishing captain named Harry who''s trying to earn enough dough to get his boat out of hock. With the help of Harry and her junking friend Weezie, BeBe soon has the motel spiffed up and attracting paying guests. Then there''s a sighting of Reddy in Fort Lauderdale, and BeBe decides to go after him. She puts together a posse, and with the irrepressible Granddaddy Loudermilk snoring in the backseat of the Buick, heads south. The plan is to carry out a sting that may be just a little bit outside the law but that, with any luck at all, will retrieve BeBe''s fortune and put the dastardly Reddy in jail, where he belongs. And maybe Harry, who''s looking more hunky every day, will finally get his boat back.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this spirited sequel to 2001's Savannah Blues, Southern belle BeBe Loudermilk continues to attract the wrong kind of man. Thrice married and divorced, her latest romantic debacle involves Ryan Edward "Reddy" Millbanks, an unscrupulous financial consultant who takes her for nearly everything she owns. All BeBe has left is the Breeze Inn, a run-down motor hotel on Tybee Island, a quirky beach town. With the help of best friend Weezie, an antiques expert with a talent for turning garbage into gold, BeBe is determined to make the property a success. She soon butts heads with Harry, the Breeze Inn's ornery caretaker, but her efforts pay off: seemingly overnight, the Breeze Inn is fully booked and bustling. But when Reddy surfaces via yacht down in Lauderdale, BeBe hits the road with Weezie, Harry and her grandfather (who manages to tear himself away from the Weather Channel) to find the reprobate and make him pay. A former journalist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Edgar nominee Andrews writes with tongue firmly in cheek, presenting a cast of eccentric characters and a plot that's decidedly over-the-top. It's light, pastel fun. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

BeBe Loudermilk always picks the worst men, and Reddy Millbanks III is no exception. They meet at a ball and she falls for his charm and good looks. Unfortunately, he steals her money, her business, her home, and her dignity, effectively ending her upscale life in Savannah and saddling her with a rundown motel, the Breeze Inn, on Tybee Island. The motel seems hopeless and the manager-cum-handyman even worse. Harry Sorrentino is working at the motel until he can buy his boat back and return to his life as a fisherman, and he is not prepared for the high-strung new owner and her friend, Weezie, who transform the drab inn into shabby chic. BeBe then concocts a plan to fleece Reddy with the help of Weezie, Harry, and BeBe's grandfather. This motley crew gets in and out of hilarious jams, while BeBe discovers what is really important to her. This truly enjoyable sequel to Savannah Blues (2002) is packed with Andrews' trademark wit and humor. Patty Engelmann
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: Harper; 1St Edition edition (April 11, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060564660
• ISBN-13: 978-0060564667
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (78 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #431,164 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mary Kay Andrews is the author of the New York Times bestselling Savannah Breeze and Blue Christmas (HarperCollins), as well as Hissy Fit, Little Bitty Lies and Savannah Blues, all HarperPerennial.

A former reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, she wrote ten critically acclaimed mysteries, including the Callahan Garrity mystery series, under her real name, Kathy Hogan Trocheck.

A native of St. Petersburg, Florida (and a diplomate of the Maas Bros. Department Store School of Charm), she started her professional journalism career in Savannah, Georgia, where she covered the real-life murder trials which were the basis of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

As a lifelong ""junker"" the author claims to know the location of every promising thrift store, flea market and junkpile in the southeastern United States, plus many parts of Ohio.

She has a B.A. in newspaper journalism from The University of Georgia (go Dawgs!), and is a frequent lecturer and writing teacher at workshops including Emory University, The University of Georgia's Harriet Austin Writer's Workshop, the Tennessee Mountain Writer's Workshop and the Antioch Writer's Workshop. Her mysteries have been nominated for the Edgar, Anthony, Agatha and Macavity Awards.

Married for more than 31 years to her high school sweetheart, Tom, she is the mother of 24-year-old Katie Abel and 20-year-old Andrew. After a three-year hiatus in Raleigh, NC, she and her husband recently moved back to their old neighborhood in Atlanta, where they live in a restored 1926 Craftsman bungalow.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun and enjoyable, April 5, 2006

By 

Annie "bookwishes4" (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Savannah Breeze (Hardcover)

Perfect Beach Read

Mary Kay Andrew has finally written another story which brings back the fun and entertainment that she had with Savannah Blues.

Savannah Breeze opens at a black tie function where we meet BeBe Loudermilk, a triple divorced restaurant and property owner who just met up with the handsome and seemingly perfect Reddy. The two of them instantly heat up and start a relationship. While BeBes begins to have visions of Reddy being the "one" her grand mother becomes ill and is hospitalized. While faced with an overwhelming amount of duties in her personal and professional life, BeBe allows Reddy to step in and help her out with her finances and business dealings. Without even knowing what hit her, Reddy walked off with everything BeBe owned except her car, restaurant, clothes on her back, and The Breeze Inn: an old out dated motel on Tybee Island that Reddy acquired for some reason and put in her name.

Without having a home to live in, or the money to run her restaurant, BeBe decides to take a look at the Breeze Inn and see what she can make of it. When she arrives, BeBe meets up with Harry the irritable older maintenance man who was hired by the previous owner to fix up the place. Harry and BeBe certainly do not get along because they have a differing opinion of what should happed to the motel. Harry think she should keep it and fix it up, and BeBe wants to knock it down and sell off the property to the highest bidder. Since the motel seems to be in limbo with another possible owner, BeBe is forced to make the best out of the temporary situation and just fix up the hotel and try and bring in some much needed money.

As things are finally coming along for BeBe at the motel she gets word from her lawyer that Reddy was spotted in Florida running a scam on another unsuspecting victim. So with the help of her friend Weezie (from Savannah Blues) Harry, and BeBes grandfather, they hightail it off to Florida to get her money back and to get even with Reddy.

What follows in the story is the perfect mix of summer fun, romance, and revenge. You will love fixing up The Breeze Inn with Weezie, watching the attraction between Harry and BeBe grow, the pure enjoyment of a woman scorned getting even and learning that you can be happy in life without a lot of material things if you simply enjoy what you are doing.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Breeze along to Savannah and beyond, March 4, 2006

By 

Evelyn D. Cruze "evwings" (Crescent City, FL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Savannah Breeze (Hardcover)

In this sequel to Savannah Blues BeBe Loudermilk is on an emotional rollercoaster and I was right with her every step of the way. I laughed, I felt her pain, I got angry, and I cheered her on for her revenge. I also didn't want her to mess up another chance for love. Her friend Weezie brings along her decorating skills and her loyalty to her friend. All in all this is a fun non-stop action read and a quality follow-up. A big thumbs up for this one.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More adventures with Weezie and BeBe., March 2, 2006

By 

M. G Haury (Albuquerque, NM United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Savannah Breeze (Hardcover)

If you liked "Savannah Blues" this book won't disappoint. This story is told mostly through the eyes of Southern femme BeBe Loudermilk, unlike "Blues" which was all Weezie's story. Although the plot is wildly improbable, the characters are charming and irresistable. BeBe, a strong yet totally southern "steel magnolia" gets taken for everything by a slick con man. Together with her best friend Weezie, and a few other accomplices, they try to track down the scoundrel to deal with him. The most interesting aspect of the story is how BeBe deals with her reversal of fortune. Although the outcome is no big surprise, the journey is humorous and touching.