A Dixie Christmas

By: Sandra Hill

Narrated by: Lee Ann Howlett

Length: 4 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

Two magnolias-and-mistletoe-inspired holiday stories from the best-selling author of more than 30 romantic, humorous novels.

Laughter and love combine in Sandra Hill's "Blue Christmas" - with a touch of Elvis magic. Wealthy Wall Street businessman Clayton Jessup III has only one reason for arriving in Memphis a few days before Christmas - to sell off his inheritance, an embarrassingly kitschy hotel named The Blue Suede Suites. His feelings for the Land of Elvis are dark: his long-dead Memphis mother abandoned him and his dad when Clay was a baby, and now Clay wants nothing to do with a southern legacy that couldn't be more different from his sophisticated big-city life.

But then he steps in trouble - literally - when he confronts the bizarre group of Elvis impersonators who've set up a living Nativity scene on his property. One slip of a wingtip in some sheep poop lands Clay in the care of gorgeous Annie Fallon, whose big-haired Elvis-girlfriend get-up can't hide her wholesome, sexy appeal.

Annie and her brothers have set up the Nativity scene to earn some badly needed money for their struggling dairy farm. The last thing she needs is an angry Yankee with a concussion and a come-hither smile...

In "Jinx Christmas", sexy NASCAR star Lance Caslow makes a last-ditch effort to win back his ex-wife Brenda. Five years ago, his reckless pursuit of racetrack fame tore them apart and broke Brenda's heart. Now Lance shows up in Louisiana determined to make things right this Christmas, not just for himself and Brenda, but for their young daughter, Patti.

He's got his work cut out for him, and desperate measures are needed. Lance will do anything to prove he's worthy of Brenda's trust again - even join the Cajun Christmas show starring a raucous Cajun family whose menfolk dance for charity events in little more than a smile....

©2011 Sandra Hill (P)2012 Bell Bridge Books

The perfect blend of spicy and sweet..............

A Dixie Christmas contains two novella length stories, and they are both the perfect treat for the holiday season. I enjoyed both books immensely, but I think the first was my favorite because I alternated between tears of hilarity, tears of frustration and tears of the awwwwwwwwwwww variety! In Blue Christmas, uptight, Scrooge-like Clay learns to open his heart in true Elvis inspired ways when he meets Memphis farmer Annie and her zany family. Of course, they are performing a live Nativity Scene as Elvis impersonators, so you can only imagine how much fun you will have listening to this story. As with all Sandra Hill books, the story has plenty of spice and steam in the love department, but it has just as much sweet and tenderness between all the characters in the book.

The second story is no different as two ex's try to find their way back to each other while attempting to survive the matchmaking magic of Tante Lulu from Hill's Cajun series. For fans of that series, I enjoyed revisiting some of the previous couples, but you don't need to read that series in order to enjoy the fun of Jinx Christmas. Both stories are a little unrealistic, but I prefer no reality in my holiday romances. If you just want to temporarily forget your holiday stress and fall in love with some truly entertaining characters, A Dixie Christmas is a great choice.

Lee Ann Howlett's narration is excellent. She has a light, almost bouncy voice that adds to the humor in the book. Her southern accent is pronounced but gentle, so she enhances the overall carefree spirit of the book. This is my first exposure to her narration, but it won't be my last.

I received a copy of this audiobook at my request in exchange for this honest review.