Dixie Series by Lisa Patton

Leelee Satterfield seemed to have it all: a gorgeous husband, two adorable daughters, and roots in the sunny city of Memphis, Tennessee.  So when her husband gets the idea to uproot the family to run a quaint Vermont inn, Leelee is devastated…and her three best friends are outraged... moreLeelee Satterfield seemed to have it all: a gorgeous husband, two adorable daughters, and roots in the sunny city of Memphis, Tennessee.  So when her husband gets the idea to uproot the family to run a quaint Vermont inn, Leelee is devastated…and her three best friends are outraged.  But she’s loved Baker Satterfield since the tenth grade, how can she not indulge his dream?  Plus, the glossy photos of bright autumn trees and smiling children in ski suits push her over the edge…after all, how much trouble can it really be? But Leelee discovers pretty fast that there’s a truckload of things nobody tells you about Vermont until you live there: such as mud season, vampire flies, and the danger of ice sheets careening off roofs.  Not to mention when her beloved Yorkie decides to pick New Year’s Eve to go to doggie heaven-she encounters one more New England oddity: frozen ground means you can’t bury your dead in the winter.  And that Yankee idiosyncrasy just won’t do. The inn they’ve bought also has its host of problems: an odor that no amount of potpourri can erase, tacky décor, and a staff of peculiar Vermonters whose personalities are as unique as the hippopotamus collection gracing the fireplace mantle.  The whole operation is managed by Helga, a stern German woman who takes special delight in bullying Leelee for her southern gentility.  Needless to say, it doesn’t take long for Leelee to start wondering when to drag out the moving boxes again. But when an unexpected hardship takes Leelee by surprise, she finds herself left alone with an inn to run, a mortgage to pay, and two daughters to raise.  But this Southern belle won’t be run out of town so easily.  Drawing on the Southern grit and inner strength she didn’t know she had, Leelee decides to turn around the Inn, her attitude and her life.  In doing so, she makes friends with her neighbors, finds a little romance, and realizes there’s a lot more in common with Vermont than she first thought. In this moving and comedic debut, Lisa Patton paints a hilarious portrait of life in Vermont as seen through the eyes of a southern belle readers won’t soon forget.  A charming fish-out-of-water tale of one woman who learns to stand up for herself-in sandals and snow boots-against the odds. less

A charmingly funny testament to second chances in life and love from the acclaimed author of Whistlin’ Dixie in a Nor’easter Lisa Patton won the hearts of readers last year, her book Whistlin’ Dixie in a Nor’easter became a sleeper-success. Building on a smashing debut, Lisa’s poised to go to the next level—because whether in Vermont snow or in Memphis heat, Dixie heroine Leelee Satterfield is never too far from misadventure, calamity...and ultimately, love... moreA charmingly funny testament to second chances in life and love from the acclaimed author of Whistlin’ Dixie in a Nor’easter Lisa Patton won the hearts of readers last year, her book Whistlin’ Dixie in a Nor’easter became a sleeper-success. Building on a smashing debut, Lisa’s poised to go to the next level—because whether in Vermont snow or in Memphis heat, Dixie heroine Leelee Satterfield is never too far from misadventure, calamity...and ultimately, love. Having watched her life turn into a nor’easter, 34-year-old Leelee Satterfield is back home in the South, ready to pick back up where she left off. But that’s a task easier said then done…Leelee’s a single mom, still dreaming of the Vermonter who stole her heart, and accompanied by her three best friends who pepper her with advice, nudging and peach daiquiris, Leelee opens another restaurant and learns she has to prove herself yet again. Filled with heart and humor, women’s fiction fans will delight in this novel. less

Since the debut of Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter, Lisa Patton's character Leelee Satterfield has entertained tens of thousands of readers. Watching the former-Southern Belle tackle life and love in Vermont was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to antics, charades, mischief, and romance. Now, back in Memphis and beginning a relationship with the namesake of Yankee Doodle Dixie, you'd think Leelee might just sit back and enjoy her newly-crafted life... moreSince the debut of Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter, Lisa Patton's character Leelee Satterfield has entertained tens of thousands of readers. Watching the former-Southern Belle tackle life and love in Vermont was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to antics, charades, mischief, and romance. Now, back in Memphis and beginning a relationship with the namesake of Yankee Doodle Dixie, you'd think Leelee might just sit back and enjoy her newly-crafted life. But that just wouldn't be as much fun . . . Opening up her restaurant with her boyfriend, Peter, proves to be harder than she originally anticipated—especially when her unpredictable best friends are involved! Toss in a lisping neighbor, a male dog named Roberta, and the return of her evil ex-husband who started the whole mess in the first place . . . Well, this is a recipe for just the kind of novel readers expect from Lisa Patton. As life and love challenge Leelee's resolve and sense of humor, Southern as a Second Language is an endearing and chuckle-inducing conclusion to a very beloved character who keeps us guessing up to the very last page as to whether or not it all works out in the end. Whether in maple tree Vermont or magnolia-filled Memphis, Leelee's heart and laughter will delight readers of any climate! less