Helpful Score: 3
Not as "fluffy" as Sissy Leblanc which in my opinon is a good thing. This is the story of Sissy's grandmother Belle who shakes things up in the 1920s. Also introduces Beaux. A little romance, a little drama some historical events thrown in for autenticity. A quick, fun easy read.
Helpful Score: 2
I found "The Bad Behavior of Belle Cantrell" to be both humerous and insightful. Set in a Louisianan small town in 1920, we find 32 year old Belle widowed when her war hero husband is killed while playing poker the night he comes home from the war. A year later, Bella decides to bob her hair after admiring the fashionable look in Vanity Fair (quite scandelous for a southern lady). Her antics continue from there. The characters, including her prim and proper mother-in law whom she and her 16 year old daughter live with on her southern mansion, the very young white farm manager who is involved in the klan and also wants to hands on "manage Belle", Belle's best friend who is Jewish and family owns the town variety store, her great looking best friends Jewish brother whom she falls in love with, and a large variey of other southern characters including many Klan members. Between laughing at Belles rules of the southern lady and being indignant at how others react to Belle's "unlady like behavior" I certainly enjoyed this book.
Helpful Score: 1
A must read if you have read any other Loraine Despres novels. A page turner!!!
Helpful Score: 1
Had a bit of a hard time the first 2 chapters but I am sooo GLAD I finished it--it was awesome and really picked up in the end. Good imagery
Good story - easy to read.
I enjoyed all Bell's little additions to "The Southern Girls' Guide to Men and Other Perils of Modern Life."
I enjoyed all Bell's little additions to "The Southern Girls' Guide to Men and Other Perils of Modern Life."
Belle is an excellent characrter. I could not put this book down.
A really fun read - couple it with The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc by the same author and you're set for a good time.
Fun and interesting story about a young woman who just can't stick to the restraint needed to stay out of trouble in her time. Suffragettes and women of loose morals were seen as quite the same thing. Oh, the trouble she gets into!
What can I say I LOVED this book. I first read Loraine Despres other book The Scandalous Summer of Sissy Leblanc which actually was my first chic lit book ever and loved it so much I had to go out and get this one. If you haven't read either book order both from here because they are soo good! Both set in the south revolving around strong minded females...
To me this was just a bit too "chic lit" but I do enjoy southern writers and it had a good ending.
An easy read, Belle is certainly a woman for the 20th century. For the most part light and fun, however there are plenty of 'Klan' moments to sober you up. They show how someone you thought was a good person could turn out not to be in the blink of an eye. Enjoyable none the less. A good history lesson.
Good read, enjoyed the story.
