Miss Julia Throws a Wedding (Miss Julia Series #3) » (~)

Ann B. Ross, who has taught literature at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, is the author of Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind, Miss Julia Takes Over and Miss Julia Hits the Road.

Readers love Miss Julia, the proper lady of a certain age with a backbone of iron and perfect Steel Magnolia poise, not to mention the sharpest tongue south of the Mason-Dixon Line. In Miss Julia Throws a Wedding, we find her feeling a little wistful when Hazel Marie, once her late husband's paramour and now her best friend, prepares to move out and live in sin with that marriage-shy Mr. Pickens. Suddenly, to Miss Julia's delight, a wedding is in the offing: Handsome Deputy Coleman Bates and attorney Binkie Enloe announce their plans to run down to the courthouse and tie the knot. But Miss Julia insists they have a real wedding ceremony and vows to make it happen. When a missing preacher, a crowd of uninvited guests, and a queasy bride threaten the happy event, Miss Julia is there to restore order, confirming her undying motto: if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself!

Publishers Weekly

The inimitable Miss Julia pushes an indecisive couple toward matrimony in this Southern comedy-of-manners series' latest installment, which begins with the protagonist frustrated at the inability of her friend, Miss Hazel, to get her beau to propose. But another opportunity surfaces when Sheriff Coleman Bates proposes to his lawyer girlfriend, Binkie Enloe. Miss Julia immediately plows into the wedding plans, which get derailed when a major fight causes Binkie to back out. After some clever detective work, Miss Julia discovers that the real reason for Binkie's hesitation is her pregnancy, which leaves her indecisive right up to the wedding day. Coleman's frustrations pale compared to the frenzied anguish plaguing Miss Julia as she tries to keep the wedding alive, until Binkie finally changes her mind. The couple still has to get past a series of calamities that include a no-show pastor, Binkie's bout with morning sickness and the sudden appearance of a "miraculous" religious image on the wall of the church construction site, bringing a TV crew and a throng of miracle seekers. Ross gets a bit carried away with wedding details, but her cheeky style works flawlessly once Miss Julia digs into the romantic intrigue and begins to ply her unique combination of common sense and old-fashioned, smalltown wisdom. The book should please followers of this series and perhaps draw new ones who enjoy throwback romantic comedies and don't mind wading through some silliness to get to the happy ending. National advertising; 12-city author tour. (May) Forecast: Miss Julia Takes Over made the bestseller lists last year, so the momentum should still be strong, especially in the Southeast. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.