A hilarious romp through South Louisiana where T.J. Marino is romantically pursued
by three Mafia-types amid a small town tax revolt.
It's April 15 when T.J. Marino's gambling woes land her in debt to the IRS. She
heads home from New Orleans to Tallula, Louisiana in hopes of finding solace in
her parent's warm Italian embrace and a few borrowed dollars from them. Instead,
she finds herself in the middle of the small town's yearly tax revolt, while becoming
romantically involved with three unlikely suitors--one who is an old friend, another
an undercover FBI agent and a third one, who is the grandson of Louisiana's
"retired" Godfather.
One year later, after a terrifying trip to the local "loony bin" as well as a disastrous
sea cruise and an unexpected but long-overdue loss of virginity, T.J. approaches
April 15th with a sense that her life has finally calmed down. Until her wedding
day. The people of Tallula are all there to witness the mayhem.
Excerpt
"Good Lord, T.J. Let me see if I got this straight. This weekend you were kidnapped
by the grocery bag man and brought to an old Godfather. Lost your virginity, in fact,
made passionate love twice to a Mafia loan shark, and then had the nerve to get
engaged to your other best friend. I need chocolate."
"How about a glass of wine? What did you do?" T.J. asked reaching in the
refrigerator for the Chablis.
"Nothing. Saved a couple of lives. Nothing. So What's going to happen now?"
L.L. Lee's first novel will appeal to anyone who enjoys fast-paced farcical literature with an emphasis on eccentric characters. But it will especially appeal to anyone with small-town experiences. Having lived most of my childhood in Louisiana, I must say that Lee's Louisiana reflects the real one in the funniest and most bizarre ways. But gambling problems, the mob, and crooked politicians in the Pelican State? Can I believe all of that? Well, actually, yes.
One scene in particular epitomizes Lee's comic skills. When a hard-at-hearing man happens into the middle of a poorly timed break-up of two lovers, his attempt at comprehending the words somehow turns into a threat that causes him to leave all his money and take off running!
The main character, T.J. Marino, is a special treat who will stay in the minds of readers, even after they forget the details of the plot. Marino is one of those offbeat, lovable characters who manages to put herself into every bad situation possible! However, you can put yourself into a good situation by reading this delightful book!
