Category Archives: Kim Boykin

October 25, 2015 · 11:58 pm

Review: A Peach of a Pair by Kim Boykin

peach pairTitle: A Peach of a Pair by Kim Boykin
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Historical (50s), Women’s Fiction
Length: 304 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Blog Tour Company

Summary:

Palmetto Moon inspired The Huffington Post to rave, “It is always nice to discover a new talented author and Kim Boykin is quite a find.” Now, she delivers a novel of a woman picking up the pieces of her life with the help of two spirited, elderly sisters in South Carolina.

March, 1953. Nettie Gilbert has cherished her time studying to be a music teacher at Columbia College in South Carolina, but as graduation approaches, she can’t wait to return to her family—and her childhood sweetheart, Brooks—in Alabama. But just days before her senior recital, she gets a letter from her mama telling her that Brooks is getting married . . . to her own sister.

Devastated, Nettie drops out of school and takes a job as live-in help for two old-maid sisters, Emily and Lurleen Eldridge. Emily is fiercely protective of the ailing Lurleen, but their sisterhood has weathered many storms. And as Nettie learns more about their lives on a trip to see a faith healer halfway across the country, she’ll discover that love and forgiveness will one day lead her home . . .

Review:

A Peach of a Pair by Kim Boykin is a delightfully charming and heartwarming story about family, friendship and forgiveness.

Set in 1953, the novel begins with lead protagonist Nettie Gilbert looking forward to college graduation and her return home to her close-knit family and fiancé Brooks Carver. After not hearing from her family for several weeks, she suddenly receives an unexpected invitation to a surprise wedding. Reeling from the news and feeling betrayed by her loved ones, Nettie makes an impetuous decision to take a leave of absence from school and takes a job as caregiver for a pair of elderly sisters, Emily and Lurleen Eldridge.

Neither Emily nor Lurleen ever married and they have lived with one another their entire lives. Lurleen’s health has been declining and under advisement of their physician, Dr. Remmy Wilkes, they hire Nettie to help take care of them. Lurleen is accepting of the news that she does not have long to live, but Emily absolutely refuses to believe her beloved sister is, in fact, dying. After a newspaper article sparks a desperate plan, Emily talks Lurleen into making a bus trip to Texas and although it is against both Remmy and Nettie’s better judgment, the three women embark on a journey that brings unexpected changes to their lives.

Nettie is very close to her family but after learning about the upcoming wedding, she finds the strength to stand up to her mother and forge a new path for herself. She has been betrayed in the worst possible way but she is surprisingly drawn to Remmy and their quiet friendship soothes her battered heart. But an unexpected spark of attraction scares her and despite her reservations about the trip with Emily and Lurleen, she is relieved for the opportunity to put some distance between her and Remmy. Will the old adage about absence making the heart grow fonder prove to be true for Remmy and Nettie? Or will Nettie continue to hold Remmy at arm’s length due to her fear of getting her heart broken again?

Emily and Lurleen are quite the pair and while Lurleen is a big sweetheart, Emily is cantankerous and determined to drive Nettie away. There is never any doubt that the sisters love one another dearly but their shared history is full of unexpected heartache. Their story provides Nettie with a different perspective about her current situation but will learning the truth about the sisters’ tragic past help her mend the rift in her own life?

A Peach of a Pair by Kim Boykin is a captivating novel with a cast of quirky but lovable characters and a storyline that is heartfelt and engaging. Full of surprising twists and turns, this beautiful journey of healing and friendship will stay with readers long after the last page is turned.

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Filed under A Peach of a Pair, Berkley, Historical (50s), Kim Boykin, Rated B+, Review, Women's Fiction

September 7, 2014 · 11:57 pm

Review: Palmetto Moon by Kim Boykin

palmettoTitle: Palmetto Moon by Kim Boykin
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Historical (1940s), Romance
Length: 320 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Author

Summary:

June, 1947. Charleston is poised to celebrate the biggest wedding in high-society history, the joining of two of the oldest families in the city. Except the bride is nowhere to be found…

Unlike the rest of the debs she grew up with, Vada Hadley doesn’t see marrying Justin McLeod as a blessing—she sees it as a life sentence. So when she finds herself one day away from a wedding she doesn’t want, she’s left with no choice but to run away from the future her parents have so carefully planned for her.

In Round O, South Carolina, Vada finds independence in the unexpected friendships she forms at the boarding house where she stays, and a quiet yet fulfilling courtship with the local diner owner, Frank Darling. For the first time in her life, she finally feels like she’s where she’s meant to be. But when her dear friend Darby hunts her down, needing help, Vada will have to confront the life she gave up—and decide where her heart truly belongs.

The Review:

Palmetto Moon by Kim Boykin whisks readers back to the late 1940s where times might changing in the rest of the world, but in South Carolina? Longstanding traditions and values continue to be deeply entrenched and previous transgressions always remain in the forefront of people’s memories. But recent college graduate Vada Hadley is about to challenge many of the things her old moneyed family hold dear and, most surprisingly, she finds love when she least expects it. But will her loyalty to a beloved childhood friend destroy her chance at happiness? And will she ultimately allow her parents to decide her fate?

Vada is on the verge of what amounts to an arranged marriage when she grabs hold of her future by both hands and flees to the small town where she has been recommended for a teaching position. Unspoiled by her parents’ wealth and her pampered childhood, Vada settles into her new life and quickly becomes close friends with war widow Claire Greeley and her three young children. But it is her budding romance with local diner owner Frank Darling that proves to be the most illuminating as she experiences desire, passion and love for the first time in her young life.

Vada is a very interesting young woman who thinks for herself, but she is a little naive due to her very sheltered upbringing. She is feisty and headstrong but she is also kind and compassionate. Her loyalty to her childhood friend is admirable but it is also frustrating because it leads her into making rash and foolhardy decisions. Her college years have given her a new perspective on her parents’ expectations and when her protestations about her upcoming marriage fall on deaf ears, Vada has no choice but to strike out on her own.

Frank is the complete opposite of Vada. His life has been full of disappointment and loss and he feels stuck in a life that is not of his choosing. He is immediately drawn to Vada and he quickly begins courting her. Haunted by a disastrous mistake in his past, Frank is careful to keep their romance above reproach and his strong desire for her in check. He is definitely a product of the times, and while he has the utmost respect and admiration for Vada, Frank does not always understand her need for independence.

Frank and Vada rush headlong into a relationship and there is a bit of an insta-love feeling to their romance. A love at first sight storyline can be tricky and in Frank and Vada’s situation, it is a little difficult to believe. Their relationship is full of stops and starts and when they are together, the story is crackling with sexual tension. But instead of trying to solve their problems together, Vada’s default mode is to push Frank away. They reunite several times, only to have misunderstandings come between them. Their emotions and passion are believable, but getting them together permanently is an exercise in frustration (for them and the reader).

The secondary cast of characters is superb and their interactions with one another are delightful. Claire is still grieving the loss of her husband and she is desperate to find a better life for her children. While she is genuinely happy for Vada’s romance, it is also quite bittersweet for her because it reminds her of what she has lost. Reggie Sheridan is an absolute breath of fresh air and his introduction lightens the overall story. Frank’s relationship with Tiny is also quite refreshing and their banter is quite humorous.

Palmetto Moon is an insightful novel with a charming cast of characters. Although it is written from different perspectives, the story flows nicely with smooth transitions between the various points of view. Kim Boykin’s descriptive prose easily brings the setting and the characters vividly to life. All in all, it is a very engaging novel that has depth and substance and a wonderfully heartwarming romance.

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Filed under Berkley, Historical (40s), Kim Boykin, Palmetto Moon, Rated B, Review, Romance

March 5, 2013 · 3:58 am

Review: The Wisdom of Hair by Kim Boykin

Title: The Wisdom of Hair by Kim Boykin
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Genre: Contemporary (1980s), Fiction
Length: 304 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Life can be beautiful, but it takes a little work…

“The problem with cutting your own hair is that once you start, you just keep cutting, trying to fix it, and the truth is, some things can never be fixed. The day of my daddy’s funeral, I cut my bangs until they were the length of those little paintbrushes that come with dime-store watercolor sets. I was nine years old. People asked me why I did it, but I was too young then to know I was changing my hair because I wanted to change my life.”

In 1983, on her nineteenth birthday, Zora Adams finally says goodbye to her alcoholic mother and their tiny town in the mountains of South Carolina. Living with a woman who dresses like Judy Garland and brings home a different man each night is not a pretty existence, and Zora is ready for life to be beautiful.

With the help of a beloved teacher, she moves to a coastal town and enrolls in the Davenport School of Beauty. Under the tutelage of Mrs. Cathcart, she learns the art of fixing hair, and becomes fast friends with the lively Sara Jane Farquhar, a natural hair stylist. She also falls hard for handsome young widower Winston Sawyer, who is drowning his grief in bourbon. She couldn’t save Mama, but maybe she can save him.

As Zora practices finger waves, updos, and spit curls, she also comes to learn that few things are permanent in this life—except real love, lasting friendship, and, ultimately… forgiveness.

The Review:

The Wisdom of Hair by Kim Boykin is a powerful novel about love, healing and forgiveness. It is also an emotional story about friendship and finding family when we least expect it.

Caring for her narcissistic and alcoholic mother has left nineteen year old Zora Adams wise beyond her years. Making the decision to accept her high school teacher’s assistance to attend beauty school was not easy, but Zora knows that it is time to make a better life for herself. And in doing so, she finds much more than a career. Her close friendship with Sara Jane Faquhar gives her the family she so desperately needs. Her romance with Winston Sawyer is unsettling and irrevocably changes her life.

Zora is a sympathetic and well-drawn protagonist and my heart went out to her as she was faced with some very difficult decisions. She has a love/hate relationship with her dysfunctional mother and self-preservation becomes the key to a better future. Despite her efforts to the contrary, Zora finds herself making some of the same mistakes as her mother. Through these experiences, she gains understanding of her mother and this understanding allows her to forgive not only her mother, but herself as well.

The Wisdom of Hair is a beautifully written novel of self-discovery. Kim Boyton’s writing style is quite engaging and her characters are three-dimensional and realistic. This marvelous coming of age story will resonate with anyone who enjoys a heartfelt and emotional story about redemption and overcoming a dysfunctional and difficult childhood.

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Filed under 1980s, Berkely Trade, Contemporary, Kim Boykin, Rated B+, Review, The Wisdom of Hair