|
Last Christmas Eve had been a memorable one for Frankie
McBroom, for the wrong reasons: that was the day she spent
thinking about how to cancel her wedding to Franklin
Carruthers. He’d been her soul mate, her one-and-only… until
she discovered that he was a married man.
As the eldest McBroom sister, Frankie felt as though she
needed to set an example and she fought hard to forget
Franklin. She wished her relationship with him had been like
what youngest sister Tommie had with her Blue. Or like what
middle sister Livvy had with Tony. But no, Frankie had
something else altogether.
Tommie McBroom felt bad that she was cheating on her fiancé.
Down deep, she loved Blue but he’d betrayed her: he knew how
much she wanted a family and yet he’d had surgery to prevent
it, which proved that he didn’t care about her. Beale
Streets, on the other hand, listened to her. Yes,
Beale was a few years younger than Tommie, but that didn’t
matter when they were making love.
The delicate chain surrounding Livvy McBroom-Barrera’s ankle
spoke to Livvy of different times, of days when she and Tony
were estranged and she first slept with a woman. The charm
on the chain reminded her of things she learned, and lovers
who disappeared from her life so suddenly. She thought of
them often – especially when she and Tony brought another
woman to their bed.
It was hard to believe that a year had gone by since Frankie
caught Franklin in a lie. So much had happened since last
Christmas, so much that wasn’t discussed. Tommie’s life was
taking a turn. Livvy’s life seemed to be going backwards.
And Frankie? She was dealing with a blown-up phone, an
acid-ruined car, bricks through her windows, belongings
rearranged in her home.
Frankie was dealing with a stalker…
So you like a little spice with your Christmas nog? Or
maybe some extra pepper in your peppermints? Then
Naughtier than Nice will make you very jolly.
In this somewhat-sequel, author Eric Jerome Dickey made a
list of everything you want in a holiday drama – cheating,
scandalous pasts, sex, murder and light humor – and it’s
obviously checked twice to add even more of the above.
Although this book can be read as a stand-alone, readers
then get to revisit some of Dickey’s best characters from
other novels. His usual themes are mashed-up, and there’s a
very nice gotcha or three scattered throughout this book.
That, and the fast-moving action, made me ho-ho-ho for this
not-so-holiday holiday book and Dickey fans old and new will
love it. Just beware: start Naughtier than Nice and
you’ll just have to tell somebody. |
