Chick Lit Plus by Samantha March
Chick Lit Review

Blue Straggler by Kathy Lynn Harris

Bailey Miller isn’t happy with her life Texas, even though she may not fully understand why. She sometimes feels a disconnect from her family (her brother is the Golden Boy, Bailey – not so golden), but she loves her two friends Rudy and Idamarie, and works a well-paying job. But when the well-paying job practically forces Bailey to quit, an old family mystery is sparked, and Bailey tires of her not-so-smart life choices (often involving drinking) she packs up her Honda and heads out of the great state of Texas. Determined to get to Colorado and find out more about her great-grandmother Annie, Bailey doesn’t know what to expect when she gets to the tiny town of Gold Creek.

Once in Gold Creek, sleeping in a barn and driving a tow truck, Bailey realizes it might be harder to find what she is looking for – both with Annie’s mystery and Bailey’s own life. But as she slowly befriends the town and the citizens who live there, Bailey wonders if coming to Colorado wasn’t the best decision she’s ever made. Until she gets the news that Idamarie is in the hospital, and Annie rushes back to Texas. Once there, she gets another bomb dropped on her from Rudy. What decision will Bailey make now?

I really had fun reading and trying to decipher Bailey in Blue Straggler by Kathy Lynn Harris. Bailey is clearly dysfunctional, she admits it about once a chapter, but I really connected with her. I think all of us would like the courage to pack up our car and head out on our own every once in a while, and Bailey brings a spirit of adventure to the pages. All the Texas talk and stereotypes was pretty funny, but there was also a seriousness to Bailey and what she was doing with her life. I loved the vintage mystery aspect, and the twist at the end left me a little speechless. Sometimes I felt just a bit of a disconnect with the book, like Bailey was just a tad too off for me, but otherwise, I thought this book was great. Strong dialogue, unique characters, and great little subplots to keep the reader focused. I recommend!

[Rating: 4]

Author Bio:

Kathy grew up in rural South Texas — and comes from people who work hard, love the land and know how to have a good time on a Saturday night. As a writer, Kathy was lucky to have been surrounded by exceptional characters throughout her life, many of whom have lived their lives exactly the way they wanted. The rest of the world could take `em or leave `em! Inspiring, to say the least.
In 2001, Kathy made the move from Texas to the Colorado Rockies to focus on her writing and soak up All Things Mountain. She lives in an authentic log cabin near the southernmost glacier in North America, at 10,500 feet above sea level, with her husband and son, plus two fairly untrainable golden retriever mixes. It is there that she writes.
Read more from Kathy on her blog, You Can Take the Girl Out of Texas but…
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Blue Straggler is available on Amazon in eBook and paperback format now!


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3 Comments

  1. Kathy Lynn Harris
    January 4, 2012 / 4:25 pm

    Thanks so much for giving Blue Straggler a chance, Samantha. I really appreciate it, and so glad you enjoyed the story and characters. Happy new year to you!

  2. Samantha
    Author
    January 11, 2012 / 12:24 am

    Thank you Kathy!