The Ex-Debutante

By: Linda Francis Lee

Narrated by: Susan Bennett

Length: 11 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

When Carlisle Wainwright Cushing left her native Texas to start a new life in Boston, she had no regrets. The former Texas debutante, who never felt at home in her Southern skin, had found liberation--or so she thought. Until the day she gets an urgent call from her mother, reporting that: One, the Symphony Association Debutante Ball, which Carlisle's family has sponsored for years, is about to be called off; Two, her mother's divorce has the whole town talking; And three, the family's good name is at stake and Carlisle is the only one who can fix it all.

So Carlisle takes a leave of absence from her law firm and goes to Texas to help. Her fiance, who has no idea she's an heiress, can't know that she's organizing the ball, handling the dramas of the girls involved, settling her mother's suit--and coming face to face with the true love of her life, whom she ran out on when she left Texas. Her trip home challenges Carlisle's sense of herself and brings the pieces of her past togther, so that when she finally re-meets the man of her dreams, she's in a perfect place to tempt fate.

©2008 Linda Francis Lee (P)2008 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“An engaging audiobook read by Susan Bennett, Lee's witty book is sure to have readers cheering for Carlisle as she searches to find herself, real love and her place in the family.” —Southern Seasons magazine

Nice

A fun easy listen. I enjoyed the book.

Fun and a Delight

This was a fun listen. Not deep, but I smiled and laughed throughout the entire book. If you are a Susan Elizabeth Phillips fan you will love this book. Great narration too.

Good but not great...

What about Susan Bennett’s performance did you like?

Great job doing the different voices. Very enjoyable to listen to!

Any additional comments?

Great Texas fun for this Californian who has never been there.

A light, entertaining read

This book is one that I would categorize as a beach read. Light, entertaining, and not too taxing on your brain. I enjoyed the narration, except when she attempted a Boston accent. Being from Boston, the accent sounded VERY odd, definitely not a Boston accent.

The story is of a woman who grew up in a wealthy family in Texas but escapes for a career as a divorce lawyer in Boston. She is sucked back home to represent her mother in her divorce proceedings, and is later given the task of running the annual debutante ball. She takes a leave of absense from her job and fiance to complete these tasks.

In the end, the story is about facing your past, especially the past that you ran away from.

I'm not sure the time interval of the entire book - was it a couple of months? 6 months? a year? It was a little difficult to keep track of time.

In the end, I enjoyed the story and would recommend it to anyone looking for something that does not involve a lot of thinking.

not as good as the first

Firstly, I wish audiobooks would use actual Southerners with actual Southern accents. It lends authenticity. Otherwise it's just annoying to a Southerner. Secondly, the story just wasn't interesting enough, and seemed slow. However, I absolutely loved the first one in the series.

I loved this book.

It was about a strong, modern woman who fell in love, faced obstacles and found her way to herself. I really loved it... and I especially love the narrator.

LOL

This is a fun book! Yes, it is predictable. Yes, it made me laugh. Yes, I loved it! The narrator did a great job with the 'Texas Deb' heroine.

ok

I thought that this would be a mindless listen and that is what I got. I didn't expect a mind blowing story. This is very predictable. Know that going in and this was fun to listen to.

My new favorite author

Loved it! Great story and great narrator. Can't wait to get the next book from Linda Francis Lee

Recommended!

I'm glad I read the reviews. A good book with more to it than meets the eye.