Cherry Tucker is a classically trained artist, but she’s also a down-home girl who drops by her grandpa’s for fried chicken, advice, and tussles with a goat. Luke Harper was a high school sweetheart, back in town after a unexplained absence, and Todd McIntosh is a drummer who surely can’t be as dumb as he seems — and, briefly, Cherry’s husband. With two such tempting guys around, she’s having some trouble focusing on her latest commission.
It’s a confusing commission, anyway. She has been hired to paint a portrait of a corpse… sort of. She’s trying to get the gig away from the town temptress, who seems to be out to get Cherry on a lot of levels.
As Cherry tries to bolster her business and her reputation against this collection of colorful characters, the posthumous portrait draws her into a situation that threatens more than just Cherry’s credibility as a painter.
Cherry is smart, sassy, and apparently related to half the town and hiding embarrassing interactions with the other half. Her friends and family are appealing and unpredictable. The story moves along at a brisk pace, with plenty of twists and turns in the plot, plus funny and engaging episodes that go over the top. I’m looking forward to reading more books in the series.
While this may not be an obvious choice for book clubs, there are discussion questions in the back — including two special “Bonus Questions” involving Pinterest. See you there!