"Captivating and Witty Romance"

Sugar Beth Carey is back in town. After a fifteen-year absence and three husbands later, Sugar Beth returns to the small town of Parrish, Mississippi, to claim her inheritance from Aunt Tallulah, the carriage house belonging to Sugar Beth's childhood home, Frenchman's Bride. Desperately seeking funds to help support her mentally disabled adult step-daughter, Sugar Beth searches the carriage house for a precious painting hidden by her deceased aunt. But there is hell to pay, as Sugar Beth has nary a friend in Parrish, and Frenchman's Bride is now owned by Colin Byrne, her former English teacher that was bounced after she accused him of sexual misconduct. Even her long ago friends, the Seawillows, have deserted Sugar Beth in favor of her step-sister Winnie, after Sugar Beth abandoned them years ago.

In this complex study of small town relationships, Sugar Beth must learn to co-exist in a town that has abandoned her as its golden girl, even as she faces Winnie, the woman she humiliated as a girl who married Ryan Galantine, the man Sugar Beth discarded years ago. While the sparks fly between Sugar Beth and Colin, he is determined to exact his revenge for her role in getting him fired years ago. Hiring Sugar Beth as his housekeeper seems to be the perfect humiliation, but underneath Sugar Beth's witty banter, Colin is surprised to find a woman as desirable for her looks as her strength of character. Ms. Phillips latest never ceases to entertain in this novel that creatively combines steamy romance with a captivating plot line.

Reviewed by Sheri Melnick
Posted February 20, 2004

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Summary

The girl everybody loves to hate has returned to the town she'd sworn to leave behind forever. As the rich, spoiled princess of Parrish, Mississippi, Sugar Beth Carey had broken hearts, ruined friendships, and destroyed reputations. But fifteen years have passed, and life has taught Sugar Beth its toughest lessons. Now she's come home—broke, desperate, and too proud to show it.

The people of Parrish don't believe in forgive and forget. When the Seawillows, Sugar Beth's former girlfriends, get the chance to turn the tables on her, they don't hesitate. And Winnie Davis, Sugar Beth's most bitter enemy, intends to humiliate her in the worst possible way.

Then there's Colin Byrne. . . . Fifteen years earlier, Sugar Beth had tried to ruin his career. Now he's rich, powerful, and the owner of her old home. Even worse, this modern-day dark prince is planning exactly the sort of revenge best designed to bring a beautiful princess to her knees.

But none of them have reckoned on the unexpected strength of a woman who's learned survival the hard way.

While Sugar Beth's battered heart struggles to overcome old mistakes, Colin must choose between payback and love. Does the baddest girl in town deserve a second chance, or are some things beyond forgiving?