Steel Magnolias meets Lucy & Ethel.

From the start this book is full of laughs and shenanigans! This is one of those books that was meant to be a written Rom Com. Love these characters and look forward to see them again in other books. ( )

Carolyn Brown's The Red-Hot Chili Cook-Off is another delightful fun-filled adventure in her Cadillac, Texas series. In this outing, a pair of red panties sets the small town on its ear when Carlene Lovelle, her cousins and their mamas decide to exact their revenge on Carlene's cheating soon-to-ex husband by claiming this year's Red-Hot Chili Cook-Off trophy. Hilarity ensues, rumors are flying and sides are chosen, but through it all, family and friends provide Carlene with plenty of support as she picks up the pieces of her life.

Alma Grace and Patrice know something is wrong when they arrive at work before their cousin Carlene. Both are flabbergasted at Carlene's news that her husband Lenny has been cheating on her for months and she is planning to divorce him. Patrice is staunchly loyal and offers encouragement but both are stunned (and annoyed) when Alma Grace tries to convince Carlene to give Lenny the benefit of the doubt and save her marriage. Of course the girls' mamas, Gigi, Tansy and Sugar are on hand to lend moral support, but things really heat up when Carlene's horrid mother-in-law stirs up trouble with Carlene's Aunt Sugar. The women are soon immersed in their quest for the perfect chili recipe but there is plenty of time for romances to unexpectedly bloom for two of the cousins.

Alma Grace, Patrice and Carlene are as close as sisters but the three women are completely different from one another. Alma Grace is deeply religious and super involved in church activities. Using scripture to prove her point, she prays for Carlene to forgive Lenny and honor her wedding vows. Patrice is a fun-loving party girl who lives her life exactly like she wants and could care less about what people think of her. Carlene's struggles with her body image are resurrected when she discovers Lenny's infidelities and she is the most affected by the strife with her cousins.

The town is scandalized by the upcoming divorce and the rumor mill is working overtime with all of the shenanigans going on. Gossip spreads faster than wildfire and longtime feuds heat up as everyone takes sides in the upcoming chili cook off battle. Cheating husband Lenny's fall from grace is long overdue and the final revenge for his misdeeds comes from a surprising source.

The Red-Hot Chili Cook-Off is a lively and zany addition to the Cadillac, Texas series. The characters are vibrant and engaging, the story is endearingly off beat and full of down home folksy charm. A wonderfully heartwarming and highly entertaining novel that old and new fans of Carolyn Brown are going to love.

Although The Red-Hot Chili Cook-Off is the second novel in the Cadillac, Texas series, it can be read as a standalone story. ( )

Fun Texas Southern gal women's fiction. Carlene caught her lyin' cheatin' womanizing husband, and that means the Fannin family is galvanized to hit him where it hurts - by winning the Chili Cook-off, with the team being made up of the family business Bless my Bloomers, a specialty lingerie shop. ( )

This was another hilarious trip to Cadillac, Texas, home of the Red-Hot Chili Cook-Off. It's a small town with quirky characters, feuds, and an active gossip vine, as well as deep family and friendship ties. It starts out with a band when Carlene found a pair of fancy red panties in her husband's briefcase. They weren't hers, but she knew exactly who they belonged to. I loved her confrontation with Lenny as she told him exactly what she thought of him. That scene set the stage perfectly for the rest of the book as Carlene, her cousins, their mothers, and their friends exact the perfect revenge.

First, we have Carlene and her cousins, Alma Grace and Patrice. Together they own and run Bless My Bloomers, a fancy lingerie shop. Each of them is unique, with their own personalities. Carlene is tall, curvy, and the one with the design ideas. She has some body image issues for herself but uses her talents to make all her customers feel good. Patrice is the straight-shooting, foul-mouthed one who is ready to help Carlene bury the body if that's what she wants. She does the books for the shop and helps with customers when they are busy. Alma Grace is the quieter one, who is active in her church and believes that prayer will fix anything. She's praying that Carlene and Lenny will find their way back together. She's the one who mainly waits on the customers.

It's a riot to see just how fast the news spreads around town. Everyone wants to know what is going to happen next. Carlene just wants to get on with her life, but when Lenny gets petty and nasty, and his momma goes after Carlene too, she's ready to fight back. The best way she can think of is to steal his title as chili king by beating him at the chili cook-off. At this point, Carlene's mother and aunts get into the act. Family sticks together, and Gigi and her sisters (the cousins' mothers, Sugar and Tansy) take over the planning for Red Hot Bloomers team. There are several scenes involving their attempts to come up with the perfect recipe that had me laughing hysterically. Cayenne pepper, outdated meat, side effects in church, and finally a need for a distraction made this a riotous storyline.

This is just the beginning of the feudin' and fussin'. Carlene's marital woes spill over onto Alma Grace. The "holier-than-thou" people on the Easter committee at church push Alma Grace out claiming she's tainted by association with Carlene, not to mention that scandalous panty shop. Lenny's mom Kitty spreads rumors that Alma Grace's daddy was flirting with her, which riles up Sugar. There are confrontations over Easter eggs, angel's wings and halos, and a hilarious scene involving a cat, a psychic bird, and a jeweled leash. Agnes and Violet, from the first book, continue their feud with several more encounters.

It isn't all bad though. Patrice and her boyfriend, Yancy, grow closer as they deal with one crisis after another. Alma Grace meets a sweet and sexy cop who has quite an effect on her. I loved seeing her find a man of her own who was just right for her. Now that she's free, police chief Jack finally lets Carlene know that he's had feelings for her since high school. A growing friendship and Jack's determination not lose out this time shows promise for a much happier future for Carlene. I loved the scenes between these two, as Jack is sensitive to his timing. I also liked the way that he loved her just as she was. There are also some marvelous scenes between the sisters and their husbands. I especially enjoyed the one where the men came to the assistance of their sick wives, so sweet and romantic.

The culmination of it all was the chili cook-off itself. I loved the buildup of the intensity as the contest grew closer. The sisters' attempts to find the right recipe were fun, with some interesting consequences. I especially enjoyed the lead up to the final one. I also loved seeing them take on the previously all-male competitors and the support they got from the other women of the town. I laughed out loud as people would "invest" in the team they wanted to win and how each hoped that their "investment" would pay off. The contest itself had its own drama. I loved the comments of the judges about the Bloomers' chili. There was also a very public confrontation involving Lenny where his actions come back to bite him in the butt, with the impetus coming from an unexpected source. The announcement of the winner was very satisfying. I loved the follow-on party and all the little scenes with the main characters. ( )

I always do like Brown's books, they are just sweet.

In this one we have Carlene who designs lingerie and has her own store. Her cousins work there too. The wild one, and the religious one (who got on my nerves before she finally finally got that maybe some things are meant to break.)

Right so all seems good so far, but no, Carlene's husband Lenny is such an ass! And the book begins with her finding underwear that are not hers. I loved what she did next. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

So the book is about her moving on. People telling her what to do, the whole town butting in. The women entering the Chili cook-off and would I steer you guys wrong...yes romance at the end too.

It is book 2 but you can just jump in.

Fun, sassy, and showing that you should follow your heart...and head. ( )