Review: The Blue-Ribbon Jalapeno Society Jubilee by Carolyn Brown

From Sourcebooks:

Everything is calm in town until Great-Aunt Agnes declares war on Violet Prescot, the president of the Blue-Ribbon Jalapeño Society, the very elite ladies society club that all ladies—young and old—hope to join. Agnes’ niece, Cathy, just so happens to be engaged to Violet’s son! Meanwhile, Cathy, along with her twin sister Marty and their best friend Trixie are busy running Miss Clawdy’s Café, the highlight of the Jubilee. Add to the mix Darla Jean, a former madam-turned-preacher running her church out of an old gas station, the devious Anna Ruth, secret romances, sabotaged cakes and the wedding of the century… There’s a cast of a delightful and quirky characters, moments of true poignancy and the hottest jalapeños in all of Texas at the heart of this fabulous new story.

My Thoughts:

The small town of Cadillac, Texas sounds just like what I imagine small towns to be:  

• People who grow up together and remain friends for life, 
• Society clubs who are always run by the town “Queen”  who is always a piece of work 
• Fairs and parades that everyone goes to
• A general feeling of content and happiness with a slower pace of life than what is in the city.  

Small towns have always appealed to me, and if I could meet and have friends like the women in this book, I would move there in a heartbeat.   This book has fun, friendship, and laughter as well as characters who grow up and finally realize what they want in life. 

The core group of three women, Cathy, Marty and Trixie, are in their mid-30’s and that is probably why they appealed to me most.  At that age, you begin to really sort yourself out, and make decisions that you stick with.  You’re not a flighty twenty-something anymore!  The other girlfriend in this group is Darla Jean.  I took her to be in her late 40s early 50s so she has more life experience.  You know that one who is the “mother” in every group of girlfriends, that’s her.  Then there is the crazy relative, Aunt Agnes.  I swear this character reminded of Wheezer from Steel Magnolias.  Agnes was a trip.  A bit mean and too honest at times, but everything comes from a good place.  She loves her nieces (Cathy and Marty) and wants to be a good Aunt to them.  Agnes made me chuckle the most, because she pull these antics that are too much for words.  I shook my head quite a bit while reading this one, because the way the characters interact with others, is priceless.  

The Queen of Cadillac, Violet Prescott, thinks her crap doesn't stink.  She thinks she and her son are like the Kennedys of Texas or something.  There were times when I wanted to tell her off myself, but she gets hers in the end.  I could go on and on about each character of the book, but I think you should read it yourself.  In a nutshell, it’s everything you would expect in a story set in a small town.

My one quibble, was there wasn't a whole lot about the jalapenos except some really tasty sounding food.  For example, I need to find jalapeño jelly and see what the heck that tastes like!

The Blue-Ribbon Jalapeño Society Jubilee  was a fun and delightful read.  It was perfect for in between classics or heavy books, and I finished it in a week.  This book is the start in a new series by Carolyn Brown and I will be definitely be back to visit with the girls in Cadillac, Texas. 

Carolyn Brown's website: http://carolynlbrown.com/index.html 

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Trade paperback, 321 pages
Book Source: Sourcebooks


Thanks to Danielle from Sourcebooks for my review copy.

© Jenny Girl - 2013 "All Rights Reserved"

Review: The Recipe Club by Andrea Israel & Nancy Garfinkel

Publisher: Polhemus Press
Genre: Cookbook, fiction
Hard cover 359 pages
Book Source: FSB Associates

From the book's website:

Lilly and Val are lifelong friends, united as much by their differences as by their similarities. Lilly, dramatic and confident, lives in the shadow of her beautiful, wayward mother and craves the attention of her distant, disapproving father. Val, shy and idealistic— and surprisingly ambitious— struggles with her desire to break free from her demanding housebound mother and a father whose dreams never seem to come true.

In childhood, “LillyPad” and “Valpal” vow to form an exclusive two-person club. Throughout the decades they write intimate letters in which they share hopes, fears, deepest secrets—and recipes, from Lilly’s “Lovelorn Lasagna” to Valerie’s “Forgiveness Tapenade.” Readers can cook along as the girls travel through time facing the challenges of independence, the joys and heartbreaks of first love, and the emotional complexities of family relationships, identity, mortality, and goals deferred.

No matter what different paths they take or what misunderstandings threaten to break them apart, Lilly and Val always find their way back together through their Recipe Club…until the fateful day when an act of kindness becomes an unforgivable betrayal.

Now, decades later, while trying to recapture the trust they’ve lost, Lilly and Val reunite once more—only to uncover a shocking secret. Will it destroy their friendship, or bring them ever closer?

My Thoughts:

This is a wonderful way to make a book of recipes cute and fun. Each recipe reflects an incident or an occasion in the letter. For example, the break-up with a boy is tied to the recipe for Lovelorn Lasagna, because "How do you fix a broken heart? Maybe with ricotta cheese." (pg. 128) The recipes range from breakfast to dinner, with ones for Roasted Chicken, Meatloaf, and Salmon Croquettes. I have't tried any of them yet, but plan to make the Peanut Butter bars in a few weeks as part of holiday baking. I'll let you know how they come out.

With regards to the story, the girls,and their secret, I think it was pretty predictable. To be honest, I don't know why Val remained friends with Lilly. Actually I probably do, but lets not go there. Continuing on, I have friends with characteristics like Lilly, so I understand, to a certain extent, where they are coming from. However, the manner in which she treats Val, especially towards the end of the book is ridiculous. Val is not blameless in this story, but because Lilly had issues growing up does not excuse her behavior. Lilly could use a good slap back to reality, and Val should wash those footprints off her back.

Regardless, this really was a cute story and a very creative idea for a recipe book. Maybe it will make old friends or moms and daughters connect, who knows. Either way, those recipes sound delicious and I will definitely be trying some of those out.

My Rating: 88/100

The format of letters caused me some difficulty from time to time. The letters were not always back and forth, sometimes Val wrote a few in a row. Also, Lilly was very unreasonable at times and worked my nerves.


Thanks again to Caitlin from FSB Associates for my review copy.

I will let you know how those bars come out. I'm baking the weekend of the 18th, so keep your fingers crossed.