"A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action," LuAnn McLane

Pros: Silly & fun; wish-fulfillment fantasy; entertaining characters
Cons: Some mild frustrations; so many couples coming together at once
Rating: 4 out of 5

Review copy (uncorrected proof) courtesy of Penguin Group.
Expected publication date: 7/1/2008.
Visit LuAnn McLane (plays music on arrival).

Macy is a down-to-earth Southern gal. She’s just watched her best friend Jamie Lee get married, and she’s all too conscious that the man she moons over—Jamie Lee’s hottie brother Luke—is way out of her league. Then the impossible happens: while Macy’s working at the hair salon, a famous country singer dashes in on her way to an interview; she has a hair emergency and Macy’s the only one around to rise to the occasion. Suddenly Macy’s riding on the tour bus, giving hair cuts to people she’s only heard of, and being offered a job in Nashville. The only thing is, it means giving up on Luke, who’s also off interviewing for a job as head coach at various colleges. Things only get harder as more opportunities open up for Macy and her feelings for Luke (as well as his for her) come to a head. How can they reconcile their feelings for each other with their need to pursue their dreams?

LuAnn McLane’s A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action is told in an unusual first-person present tense from Macy’s point of view. It’s a tough thing to pull off, but it works very well in this case; Macy has a hysterical way of looking at the world and her observations will make you laugh.

Macy’s adventures are every small-town working-class girl’s wish-fulfillment fantasy. She goes from small-town hairdresser to stylist to several country legends. Her goofy charm lands her an occasional spot on a television show. She’s constantly blurting out outrageous things and then regretting it, but everybody around her thinks she’s just hilarious (which she is). She’s in love with her best friend’s brother, who was the high school football star, is now a locally famous coach, and is to-die-for handsome. Naturally, when she falls in with the mid-level rich-and-famous, she finds out they’re pretty much like everyday people and a ton of fun to hang out with; she becomes almost instant friends with several of them. She takes to messing with the love lives of everyone around her and has a knack for nigh-instantaneously fixing folks up.

When I read the back-cover blurb, I honestly expected to find this wasn’t my kind of book. I’m a Northern gal with no interest in the high school hero-athlete type, nor in country music. Yet it’s a testament to how much fun the book was, and how engaging it was, that I really enjoyed Macy’s adventures. The dialogue is snappy and fun, unashamedly silly. My only reservations are that Macy is so obtuse regarding Luke’s feelings for her that I justed want to smack her upside the head at a few points, and so many couples started coming together so easily that it beggared belief—they could have easily been spread out over several books. You could also argue that Macy’s sudden and sweeping arrival into semi-stardom was a bit one-sided, but hey, it’s a wish-fulfillment fantasy; I’m willing to accept that much.

Usual adult material warnings: explicit sex, involving whipped cream and chocolate sauce!