Southern Comforts [Paperback]

JoAnn Ross (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1996

To her fans, Roxanne Scarbrough is the gente el Southern queen of good taste. To her critics - and there are many - Roxanne is Queen Bitch. And now somebody wants he r dead. '

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Shallow and sketchy plotting undermine Ross's (Legacy of Lies) otherwise well-written romantic intrigue. One wonders if the murder emphasized on the back cover, but occurring quite late in the story, were actually an afterthought. Celebrity journalist Chelsea Cassidy has been asked to write Roxanne Scarborough's (the Diva of Domesticity) biography. Meanwhile, architect Cash Beaudine, Chelsea's sexy, never-to-be-forgotten college lover, has been hired to restore Roxanne's Southern plantation house. While sparks fly between Cash and Chelsea, Roxanne's past?a forgotten husband?rears his low-life head only to be found dead in the ashes of the plantation house. Had the plot allowed for more development, the reader could have become engrossed in figuring out the perpetrator and the reason for the murder, but as it stands, it's hard to care.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 394 pages
• Publisher: Mira; Regular Print/Single Titl edition (August 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1551661675
• ISBN-13: 978-1551661674
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,381,108 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I wrote my first story -- a tragic romance about two star-crossed Mallard ducks -- as a second grade writing assignment. The paper earned a gold star. And I kept writing.

I've since written around a hundred novels and have been published in twenty-six countries. Two of my titles have been excerpted in Cosmopolitan magazine and my books have also been published by the Doubleday, Rhapsody, Mystery Guild, and Literary Guild bookclubs. As a New York Times, U.S. Today, and Publishers Weekly bestseller, I'm also a member of the Romance Writers of America's Honor Roll of best-selling authors.

I'm currently writing my Shelter Bay series, set on the magnificent Oregon coast where, when I was eighteen-years-old, my high school sweetheart bought me a bag of taffy, then proposed. The smartest thing I ever did was say yes!

My husband and I live in our beloved Pacific Northwest, with three rescued dogs who pretty much rule the house. (And, in case you're wondering, that taffy store is still there! )

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Lotsa steam and potential killers, April 3, 2006

By 

Tracy Vest (Northern California) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Southern Comforts (Mass Market Paperback)

Celebrity journalist Chelsea Cassidy has been asked to write southern how-to guru Roxanne Scarborough's memoirs. Chelsea is not to keen on this endeavor, since she has seen the temperamental domestic diva in action. But she owes it to her editor to at least travel to Georgia to meet with Roxanne, who has also hired a documentary filmmaker to record the progress of the renovation of her newly acquired antebellum mansion.

Much to Chelsea's surprise, the architect in charge of the renovation is her college lover. Though she vows to not get involved with him again, Cash Beaudine is a hard man to turn down, and he melts all her defenses, making her decision even more tempting. But Roxanne is not what she appears to be. A true makeover maven, she has made herself over, and erased her white trash past. But there are people that know her secrets and are willing to do anything to bring the diva down even murder.

Ross is the queen of steamy romance, and the chemistry and sensuality between the two leads is incomparable. She gives us plenty of suspects and keeps the identity a secret until the end.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Oh--I really liked this one!!, March 28, 2004

By 

mahikahn (Columbus, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Southern Comforts (Mass Market Paperback)

I loved the way Chelsea and Cash's relationship picked back up after all those years. It was also a nice change that Cash realized how he felt fairly early on in the book instead of fighting it to the very end.

The descriptions were great. I could feel the heat and smell the flowers! Which was especially welcome since it was snowing in Ohio when I read it!

Buy this one, you won't be sorry!

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Can't put this down!, April 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Southern Comforts (Paperback)

This was actually my first Joann Ross book and it hooked me on her other books. I found the characters, plot, and ending well thought out and very thorough. I especially liked how Chelsea ended up with her guy. I liked how it brought the Southern states out in a different angle and I love the complexity of the whole story. I recommend everyone who loves Joann Ross to read this great book!