The Ex-Debutante: A Novel

Linda Francis Lee

Apr 2008 · Sold by St. Martin's Press

About this ebook

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.

Ratings and reviews

This was... not a very good book. It wasn't horrible, but there were a lot of flaws that really kept me from falling in love with this story. The premise was great. As a Southern girl myself, I could relate to the debutante horror stories and the Texas charm. I liked the plot and the diversity of characters and their personal struggles and triumphs. However, the writing was SO repetitive. I would read a phrase and then realize that I had read the exact same phrase 10 pages back. And then, of course, there was the main love story. I understand that the romantic interest, Jack, is supposed to be very handsome and the female lead, Carlisle, is attracted to him against her better judgement, but I swear, Jack was the most boring male lead I have ever seen. Other then his gorgeous looks (which we are constantly reminded of) and his cocky, bad boy attitude, the reader learns nothing about him during the entire story. He reduces strong female lead to an awkward, horny teenager and never expresses any emotion towards her. At all. The family ties and secondary relationships were sweet, but the main romance was uncomfortable and unsatisfactory. The book, while interesting, left me with a bitter sweet taste and I honestly wouldn't recommend it.

It's an okay book but not great by any stretch of imagination.

About the author

Bestselling author of nineteen novels LINDA FRANCIS LEE is a former Texas Debutante who has high hopes that all photos of the experience are long gone. She currently lives in New York City with her husband where she is at work on her next novel.