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Love and Hot Chicken
""Delightful! This novel will open your heart and preach to your funny bone.""--Jill Conner Browne, New York Times bestselling author of the Sweet Potato Queen's Book of Love
The debut of a dynamite new voice from the South, Love and Hot Chicken is a spicy and hilarious Tennessee story about family, friendship, fried chicken, and two girls in love.
The Chickie Shak is something of a historical landmark. Red clapboard walls, thriving wasp population, yard-toilets resplendent with sunflowers. My best friend Lee Ray and I used to come after our softball games and snag a picnic table while our mammas ordered the home team special. Truth is, most people around here order the same thing until the day somebody throws their ashes off a roller coaster at Dollywood. The line snakes around the building as far as you can see, the grimiest bunch of Jessies, Pearls, and Scooters you ever did behold, hobnobbing in the parking lot from noon until night.
When PJ Spoon returns home for her beloved daddy’s funeral, she doesn’t expect to stick around. Why abandon her PhD program at Vanderbilt for the humble charms of her hometown, Pennywhistle, Tennessee? Mamma’s broken heart, that’s why. But truth be told, PJ’s own heart ain’t doing too good either. She impulsively takes a job as a fry cook at Pennywhistle’s beloved Chickie Shak, where locals gather for Nashville-style hot chicken. It may not be glamorous, but it’s something to do.
Fate shakes up PJ’s life again when the town rallies around the terribly retro and terribly fun Hot Chicken Pageant. PJ finally notices her cute redheaded coworker Boof, a singer-songwriter with a talent as striking as her curly hair, and learns to fear her smack-talking manager, Linda.
As PJ and Boof fall for each other, Boof’s search for her birth mother—a Pennywhistle native—catapults the budding couple into a mystery that might be better left unsolved. The Chickie Shak pageant takes off, spurring old rivalries and new friendships in this tale of unexpected connections and new beginnings.
The debut of a dynamite new voice from the South, Love and Hot Chicken is a spicy and hilarious Tennessee story about family, friendship, fried chicken, and two girls in love.
The Chickie Shak is something of a historical landmark. Red clapboard walls, thriving wasp population, yard-toilets resplendent with sunflowers. My best friend Lee Ray and I used to come after our softball games and snag a picnic table while our mammas ordered the home team special. Truth is, most people around here order the same thing until the day somebody throws their ashes off a roller coaster at Dollywood. The line snakes around the building as far as you can see, the grimiest bunch of Jessies, Pearls, and Scooters you ever did behold, hobnobbing in the parking lot from noon until night.
When PJ Spoon returns home for her beloved daddy’s funeral, she doesn’t expect to stick around. Why abandon her PhD program at Vanderbilt for the humble charms of her hometown, Pennywhistle, Tennessee? Mamma’s broken heart, that’s why. But truth be told, PJ’s own heart ain’t doing too good either. She impulsively takes a job as a fry cook at Pennywhistle’s beloved Chickie Shak, where locals gather for Nashville-style hot chicken. It may not be glamorous, but it’s something to do.
Fate shakes up PJ’s life again when the town rallies around the terribly retro and terribly fun Hot Chicken Pageant. PJ finally notices her cute redheaded coworker Boof, a singer-songwriter with a talent as striking as her curly hair, and learns to fear her smack-talking manager, Linda.
As PJ and Boof fall for each other, Boof’s search for her birth mother—a Pennywhistle native—catapults the budding couple into a mystery that might be better left unsolved. The Chickie Shak pageant takes off, spurring old rivalries and new friendships in this tale of unexpected connections and new beginnings.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published February 20, 2024
82 people are currently reading
6996 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 230 reviews
October 21, 2024
This falls under the category of a good title will get your book checked out by yours truly. I grabbed this off the New and Notable shelf at the library when I ran in to get my holds . . . and then proceeded to lose it in my own couch, completely forgetting about it until I received a late notice. I decided to give a couple of pages a go yesterday to see if it caught my attention and proceeded to read the entire thing. Now I noticed it has a pretty low rating to which I say . . . .
This is the story of PJ who has returned to her hometown of Pennywhistle, TN to attend her father’s funeral . . . and then finds herself unable to return to Vanderbilt in order to finish up her PhD program. Instead, she takes a job as a fry cook at the local Chickie Shack, reconnects with her best pal Lee Ray, deals with the many moods of co-worker Linda and develops a crush on waitress, Boof.
I don’t know why this received such mediocre ratings. I’m a sucker for these small town “maybe you can go home again” stories and I freaking ate this up – complete with an order of take-out chicken!
This is the story of PJ who has returned to her hometown of Pennywhistle, TN to attend her father’s funeral . . . and then finds herself unable to return to Vanderbilt in order to finish up her PhD program. Instead, she takes a job as a fry cook at the local Chickie Shack, reconnects with her best pal Lee Ray, deals with the many moods of co-worker Linda and develops a crush on waitress, Boof.
I don’t know why this received such mediocre ratings. I’m a sucker for these small town “maybe you can go home again” stories and I freaking ate this up – complete with an order of take-out chicken!
February 28, 2024
This showed promise, the writing was witty and quick and the characters interesting. My biggest issue with the book and the reason I couldn't bring myself to keep reading was the description in the opening chapters of the character's diverse community which was completely white. I'm guessing the diversity they were referencing was financial and/or queer, but to have a novel based in Tennessee, in the food service industry that is completely populated with white characters felt short-sighted and culturally dishonest. Given the historical significance of the black community and their connection to the origination of "chicken shacks", this felt like appropriation at is worst, and I was too offended to keep reading.
I will try another book by the author in the future but for now, this is not a book for me.
I will try another book by the author in the future but for now, this is not a book for me.
January 16, 2024
Reading this book felt like a big ol' kiss on the lips! The ambiance of Pennywhistle, the Chickie Shak, and the cast of local characters hits the mark in creating a story that is truly reminiscent of the ups and downs of small town living. As a woman born and raised in rural USA, this book took me back to all the best parts of being home.
With themes of grief, friendship, romance, and self-discovery this book is an ode to all the relationships that remind us we're human. Even with heavy themes, Hartong keeps thing feeling light with hilarious southern quips you won't forget anytime soon. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who loves small-town, slice of life stories that pair well with hot chicken.
With themes of grief, friendship, romance, and self-discovery this book is an ode to all the relationships that remind us we're human. Even with heavy themes, Hartong keeps thing feeling light with hilarious southern quips you won't forget anytime soon. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who loves small-town, slice of life stories that pair well with hot chicken.
February 26, 2024
This book will make you think, make you laugh, and warm your heart. Love and Hot Chicken manages to both shout messages of joy and humor into the world, while maintaining an underlying emotional complexity that motivates you to think about your place within it. If I could give this book more than five stars, I would.
March 3, 2024
This was a hoot and a holler.
Since switching to ebooks, I’ve developed a system of highlighting and annotating as I read.
Orange highlights are for things I didn’t know, and had to google to learn more about. (And then I try to make a note about the definition of the word, or a description of the person/place/thing that I just googled. Hopefully I’ll remember, but just in case…)
Blue is for predictions - I make notes as I think I’ve figured something out. Like - oh ugh, the long lost father is going to be Danny; or - this is going to be the murder weapon. It’s fun to be able to see if the predictions come true, and it’s funny to see just how wrong I can be.
I use pink highlighting for marking language that delights me. A clever turn of phrase. A particular lyrical or novel way of describing something. A snippet of dialog that tickles me.
I had to abandon this practice while reading L&HC… why? Because pert near every other sentence was pink worthy!
I loved the way this book was written; the descriptions and the dialog are just charming as all get out. Truly, the language delighted me.
The story is cute enough, too. Nice to see LGBTQ+ relationships presented in such a lovely and NBD way. (representation matters!) There’s a whole lotta love in this book, and I loved spending time with the inhabitants of Pennywhistle.
* oh - what about the yellow highlight color? I don’t use it, ‘cause I don’t like the color yellow. Which is, I gather, an unpopular take.
Since switching to ebooks, I’ve developed a system of highlighting and annotating as I read.
Orange highlights are for things I didn’t know, and had to google to learn more about. (And then I try to make a note about the definition of the word, or a description of the person/place/thing that I just googled. Hopefully I’ll remember, but just in case…)
Blue is for predictions - I make notes as I think I’ve figured something out. Like - oh ugh, the long lost father is going to be Danny; or - this is going to be the murder weapon. It’s fun to be able to see if the predictions come true, and it’s funny to see just how wrong I can be.
I use pink highlighting for marking language that delights me. A clever turn of phrase. A particular lyrical or novel way of describing something. A snippet of dialog that tickles me.
I had to abandon this practice while reading L&HC… why? Because pert near every other sentence was pink worthy!
I loved the way this book was written; the descriptions and the dialog are just charming as all get out. Truly, the language delighted me.
The story is cute enough, too. Nice to see LGBTQ+ relationships presented in such a lovely and NBD way. (representation matters!) There’s a whole lotta love in this book, and I loved spending time with the inhabitants of Pennywhistle.
* oh - what about the yellow highlight color? I don’t use it, ‘cause I don’t like the color yellow. Which is, I gather, an unpopular take.
February 20, 2024
A solid debut about a Southern Tennessee lesbian who returns home after her father's death and sticks around to help her mother grieve. Full of humor, heart, Nashville hot chicken, a beauty pageant, family secrets and queer love. This was a fun story perfect for fans of authors like KJ Dell'Antonia. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!
August 30, 2023
I wanted to like “Love and Hot Chicken” more than I did. It had a great premise and a wonderfully colorful character voice in the protagonist, PJ Spoon. But I tend to dislike slice-of-life no-angst summer stories so this really wasn’t the book for me.
I actually liked that it was a story more about friendship, grief, family and nostalgia more than a queer love story. When her father dies, PJ goes back home from her history Ph.D program in Nashville to grieve, finding work at a fried chicken shack and helping her mama (who seems to not actually need any help). She reunites with her gay best friend, Lee Ray. She gets a crush on the server at the chicken shack, a woman named Boof who is determined to crack open PJ’s walls. Along the way they are enlisted in a beauty pageant for employees of the chain of chicken shacks that shakes up life in the small town where they live.
There just wasn’t any conflict, and what little there is gets quickly resolved. PJ plays hard to get with Boof until she doesn’t; they have a carefree, surface-level romance but don’t trust each other enough with deeper secrets. PJ doesn’t even tell Boof that she’s ditched her Ph.D program. I get that PJ’s trying to open up more and that’s her struggle throughout the book, but it made for a character I found difficult to root for. There’s no homophobia in this world, just complete acceptance and love for who you are, aside from Boof’s fraught search for her birth mom.
I got so bored that I skimmed the last half because I just stopped caring about the characters or story. It would have worked better as a short story.
If you do like your romances easy friendship-to-marriage-talk, charming descriptions of small town life and Southern food heritage, and you don’t need anything deeper than cotton candy, you’ll still find plenty to like here. The prose was good, the story just… meh.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I’m leaving this review voluntarily.
I actually liked that it was a story more about friendship, grief, family and nostalgia more than a queer love story. When her father dies, PJ goes back home from her history Ph.D program in Nashville to grieve, finding work at a fried chicken shack and helping her mama (who seems to not actually need any help). She reunites with her gay best friend, Lee Ray. She gets a crush on the server at the chicken shack, a woman named Boof who is determined to crack open PJ’s walls. Along the way they are enlisted in a beauty pageant for employees of the chain of chicken shacks that shakes up life in the small town where they live.
There just wasn’t any conflict, and what little there is gets quickly resolved. PJ plays hard to get with Boof until she doesn’t; they have a carefree, surface-level romance but don’t trust each other enough with deeper secrets. PJ doesn’t even tell Boof that she’s ditched her Ph.D program. I get that PJ’s trying to open up more and that’s her struggle throughout the book, but it made for a character I found difficult to root for. There’s no homophobia in this world, just complete acceptance and love for who you are, aside from Boof’s fraught search for her birth mom.
I got so bored that I skimmed the last half because I just stopped caring about the characters or story. It would have worked better as a short story.
If you do like your romances easy friendship-to-marriage-talk, charming descriptions of small town life and Southern food heritage, and you don’t need anything deeper than cotton candy, you’ll still find plenty to like here. The prose was good, the story just… meh.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I’m leaving this review voluntarily.
March 29, 2024
SO cute & heartwarming! I could not resist reading this in a thick southern accent in my head haha
April 18, 2024
I really wanted to like this one, based on the title and the concept. But I found the characters to be caricatures and amateurish; it felt like the author was dumbing her characters down, which felt like an insult to the reader and to the characters themselves.
2 stars.
2 stars.
August 25, 2024
Unlike anything else I’ve read! Uniquely hilarious with a charming cast of characters and some tear-jerking pathos. I genuinely laughed and cried, sometimes at the same time.
March 27, 2024
Fall in love (and into hunger pangs) with this scrumptious novel about the two things we can all agree on: Love, and fried chicken!
I’ve been spending time recently reading queer stories of love, loss, and joy set in more rural parts of the United States, including poignant investigations like “Real Queer America” by Samantha Allen and the sultry and salacious “Providence” by Craig Willse. Among the most joyful, heart-stirring, “yes queen yes!” stories in the bunch is Love and Hot Chicken, the debut novel by Mary Liza Hartong that puts the love of two women at the center of a local beauty contest at a chain fried chicken restaurant. Yesiree!
Pennywhistle, Tennessee is home to the Chickie Shak, a local symbol of cherished memories and delicious chicken. When PJ Spoon returns home for her father’s funeral, she unexpectedly decides to stick around and quietly abandon her PhD in favor of small-town life and local bubbly energy. Landing a job at the Chickie Shak leads PJ to discover not only the sizzling delights of Nashville-style hot chicken but also a sizzling romance with her charming coworker, Boof. And when the Chickie Shak decides to launch a Hot Chicken Pageant, featuring both Boof and PJ, their love story intertwines with a quest to uncover family mysteries, sparking fireworks of joy, friendship, and new beginnings in the heart of Pennywhistle.”
This novel is a huge ass bear hug, celebrating small town charm, the ways that local communities take care of each other, and the idea that love, even queer love, can be found in the most unexpected places. Hartong’s writing is full of pep, and PJ’s first-person narration is friendly and fiery. You’ll fall in love not just with PJ, but with her firecracker mother, as well as the sweet and level-headed Boof and the curmudgeonly Linda. “Love and Hot Chicken” is a short and sweet romance, and I can’t wait to see how Hartong introduces us to many more lovable characters rooted in the South. I wanted so much more, but loved what I got here!
I’ve been spending time recently reading queer stories of love, loss, and joy set in more rural parts of the United States, including poignant investigations like “Real Queer America” by Samantha Allen and the sultry and salacious “Providence” by Craig Willse. Among the most joyful, heart-stirring, “yes queen yes!” stories in the bunch is Love and Hot Chicken, the debut novel by Mary Liza Hartong that puts the love of two women at the center of a local beauty contest at a chain fried chicken restaurant. Yesiree!
Pennywhistle, Tennessee is home to the Chickie Shak, a local symbol of cherished memories and delicious chicken. When PJ Spoon returns home for her father’s funeral, she unexpectedly decides to stick around and quietly abandon her PhD in favor of small-town life and local bubbly energy. Landing a job at the Chickie Shak leads PJ to discover not only the sizzling delights of Nashville-style hot chicken but also a sizzling romance with her charming coworker, Boof. And when the Chickie Shak decides to launch a Hot Chicken Pageant, featuring both Boof and PJ, their love story intertwines with a quest to uncover family mysteries, sparking fireworks of joy, friendship, and new beginnings in the heart of Pennywhistle.”
This novel is a huge ass bear hug, celebrating small town charm, the ways that local communities take care of each other, and the idea that love, even queer love, can be found in the most unexpected places. Hartong’s writing is full of pep, and PJ’s first-person narration is friendly and fiery. You’ll fall in love not just with PJ, but with her firecracker mother, as well as the sweet and level-headed Boof and the curmudgeonly Linda. “Love and Hot Chicken” is a short and sweet romance, and I can’t wait to see how Hartong introduces us to many more lovable characters rooted in the South. I wanted so much more, but loved what I got here!
August 19, 2024
I picked this book up from the library because I really liked the title AND the cover. Not knowing what it was about until I started reading (and yesterday) I couldn’t put it down! Cute, quirky and an interesting subject matter.
LBGTQ+- I’ve read several other fictional books that are such, but this book left out all the prejudices, discrepancies and idiosyncrasies that seem to be labeled with this genre. I read an enjoyable love story about relationships, Tennessee culture & the joy of being true to yourself. It is a gift to cherish 🏳️🌈
LBGTQ+- I’ve read several other fictional books that are such, but this book left out all the prejudices, discrepancies and idiosyncrasies that seem to be labeled with this genre. I read an enjoyable love story about relationships, Tennessee culture & the joy of being true to yourself. It is a gift to cherish 🏳️🌈
May 13, 2024
A delicious Southern novel! This book was too cute! Between the southern sayings that had me laughing out loud to PJ and Boof’s sweet romance. I enjoyed PJ’s fumbling ways and Boof’s directness. They balanced each other so well.
The town of Pennywhistle was a small town vibe all itself and everything I love about books based in a small town. Everyone knows everyone and everything!
A sweet story about what you find in yourself when you go home.
The town of Pennywhistle was a small town vibe all itself and everything I love about books based in a small town. Everyone knows everyone and everything!
A sweet story about what you find in yourself when you go home.
March 12, 2024
The two girls in love are in love with each other. I didn’t finish the book. Wasn’t feeling it.
April 3, 2024
I found myself laughing out loud. Easy read, quite funny.
May 5, 2024
Two stars for some funny ridiculous phrases. Minus 3 stars for all the rest of the words.
July 8, 2024
I just love this book. Read it in a day.
March 16, 2024
A wholesome and filling southern romance as enjoyable as a fresh plate of the fried chicken the characters make…
Love and Hot Chicken: A Delicious Southern Novel by Mary Liza Hartong is the debut novel of a young g southern lady who knows how to tell a nice low stakes “meet cute” beginning from the most unlikely of sources…a chicken shack road stop…
PJ is a young student returning home to handle her father’s funeral…and decides to stay for a b it to deal with the loss and look after her mom. Meanwhile she meets a cute coworker while she’s working as a fry cook, and an unlikely working class lesbian romance begins…well not right away but eventually…
This is the kind of down home southern story that hits the spot much like some nice home cooking.
The story is southern but doesn’t trouble itself from some of the more negative elements of southern culture. Set in pennywhistle, Tennessee, all the residents are fairly decent, open minded, and actually embrace the “southern hospitality” a lot of hypocrites like to preach but don’t practice.
If only all southern towns were like pennywhistle.
Anyway, the story has plenty of interesting southern slang, music talk, food, quirky characters, and a buttery subplot focused on a mandatory fashion show that makes for some amusing anecdotes.
Even though it starts sad (with the father’s death), it doesn’t let itself get dragged down as it maintains a positive outlook on life even if you aren’t sure if everything is gonna work out the way you want it.
Note, despite all the music talk at different spots, I was surprised there wasn’t a reference to the song Chicken Fried by Zac Brown Band (unless I missed it) considering the job of the lead character
Worth checking out..
Love and Hot Chicken: A Delicious Southern Novel by Mary Liza Hartong is the debut novel of a young g southern lady who knows how to tell a nice low stakes “meet cute” beginning from the most unlikely of sources…a chicken shack road stop…
PJ is a young student returning home to handle her father’s funeral…and decides to stay for a b it to deal with the loss and look after her mom. Meanwhile she meets a cute coworker while she’s working as a fry cook, and an unlikely working class lesbian romance begins…well not right away but eventually…
This is the kind of down home southern story that hits the spot much like some nice home cooking.
The story is southern but doesn’t trouble itself from some of the more negative elements of southern culture. Set in pennywhistle, Tennessee, all the residents are fairly decent, open minded, and actually embrace the “southern hospitality” a lot of hypocrites like to preach but don’t practice.
If only all southern towns were like pennywhistle.
Anyway, the story has plenty of interesting southern slang, music talk, food, quirky characters, and a buttery subplot focused on a mandatory fashion show that makes for some amusing anecdotes.
Even though it starts sad (with the father’s death), it doesn’t let itself get dragged down as it maintains a positive outlook on life even if you aren’t sure if everything is gonna work out the way you want it.
Note, despite all the music talk at different spots, I was surprised there wasn’t a reference to the song Chicken Fried by Zac Brown Band (unless I missed it) considering the job of the lead character
Worth checking out..
February 19, 2024
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Okay so the first thing I want to get off my chest is could we just not have, in 2024, these casual very small references to Harry Potter? I think we can all agree JK Rowling has 100% deserved the deletion and we can leave the cultural legacy in the past. Now, I enjoyed Love and Hot Chicken. It's incredibly setting driven - which feels weird to say about a romance - but the setting is so clear and vivid. The community, Chickie Shack, the Elvis references, feels so detailed and alive. And this setting makes the book vivid and alive.
Okay so the first thing I want to get off my chest is could we just not have, in 2024, these casual very small references to Harry Potter? I think we can all agree JK Rowling has 100% deserved the deletion and we can leave the cultural legacy in the past. Now, I enjoyed Love and Hot Chicken. It's incredibly setting driven - which feels weird to say about a romance - but the setting is so clear and vivid. The community, Chickie Shack, the Elvis references, feels so detailed and alive. And this setting makes the book vivid and alive.
June 1, 2024
This was fun read by a new friend. I was excited when I first saw the title since I'm living in Nashville - but then was even more excited when I met the author on my trivia team!
What I have been calling 'Southern Miss Congeniality without the crime' is an entertaining story of self-confidence, pageants, love, and family in all forms. This book DEMANDS to be read in a heavy Southern drawl to be sure that you get the most of all the southern phrases.
All that said, it was a bit predictable and took awhile to hold my attention, but the heart of the story is mainly in the last quarter or so and hits its mark.
What I have been calling 'Southern Miss Congeniality without the crime' is an entertaining story of self-confidence, pageants, love, and family in all forms. This book DEMANDS to be read in a heavy Southern drawl to be sure that you get the most of all the southern phrases.
All that said, it was a bit predictable and took awhile to hold my attention, but the heart of the story is mainly in the last quarter or so and hits its mark.
March 20, 2024
Great for a debut novel. It is really a 3.5 for me. It's fun; it's also poignant.
December 29, 2023
I am a "First Reads" winner.
Thank you to the author and publisher.
An enjoyable, engaging, and uplifting read. A good start for the author's debut novel.
Thank you to the author and publisher.
An enjoyable, engaging, and uplifting read. A good start for the author's debut novel.
February 21, 2024
Actual rating 2.5
Rep: lesbian mc, Jewish sapphic li, gay side characters
Love and Hot Chicken is a book about finding connections in the unlikeliest of places, about finding love when and where you least expect it. It’s a heartwarming little book, with a cosy feel to it all.
Rep: lesbian mc, Jewish sapphic li, gay side characters
Love and Hot Chicken is a book about finding connections in the unlikeliest of places, about finding love when and where you least expect it. It’s a heartwarming little book, with a cosy feel to it all.
January 20, 2024
4.5 - What a delight! I'm pretty sure I read all of this book in my head in an over-the-top southern accent. Full of wacky hillbilly sayings, country music star references (especially the beloved Dolly Parton), crazy casseroles, love of pork rinds, Tennessee hot chicken and a loving but wacky community, Love and Hot Chicken, melted my heart. Laugh out loud funny, there are sweet family relationships, a ride-or-die best friend and a romantic interest all set in the backdrop of the small town of Pennywhistle and the Chickie Shak beauty competition. There are also deeper topics like dealing with loss, uncovering your roots and charting a future of uncertainty. A brilliant debut novel that was a joy to read.
December 29, 2024
A recommendation from my trusted librarian friend! PJ’s dad passes, prompting a return to her tiny hometown. Realizing she not quite ready to return to university, she hastily grabs a job at local institution, the Chickie Shak. As a KY native, and long-time TN resident, the Southern-isms and slang had me literally laughing out loud. Funny and heartwarming story of losing and finding; of friendship and love.
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PS. The book description should not say “spicy.” This book is not spicy; the reference is regarding hot chicken. 😂 I think it’s just a little deceiving as that’s a common way to describe open-door romance. So, now you know! Haha.
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PS. The book description should not say “spicy.” This book is not spicy; the reference is regarding hot chicken. 😂 I think it’s just a little deceiving as that’s a common way to describe open-door romance. So, now you know! Haha.
August 2, 2023
Loved this book to pieces! If you’re looking for an endearing love story that will make you laugh, cry, and possibly wet your pants, then look no further than Love and Hot Chicken. With vibrant characters and hilarious one liners that could only come out of the mouths of natives of Pennywhistle, TN, this novel is full of southern charm, wit, and grit, and does not disappoint. Like its signature dish at Chickie Shak, this book is well done!
March 25, 2024
Witty, quirky, with the perfect amount of absurdism to make me laugh through the tears! Super gay and avoids the overdone tragic queer character arcs. 10000% recommend!!!!
April 26, 2024
A solid debut novel. Enjoyable southern characters. Wonder what we may expect next from this author.
August 22, 2024
3.75 Cute book
June 17, 2024
#LoveandHotChicken by Mary Liza Hartong - this was kindly sent to me by @williammorrowbooks for review. It is a cosy story about a young woman who puts her advanced degree and life on hold when her father unexpectedly dies. She returns home to her southern hometown in Tennessee to attend the funeral and be a support for her mom. And then she sort’ve gets stuck there for a while, feeling like if she leaves town she’ll realize her dad is actually dead, but while there, she feels his presence so much that it feels like he’s just working late or away fishing. She decides to extend her stay and works at the local chicken diner aka “Chickie Shak” and falls for the bouncy haired girl - an out of towner who is actually searching for her birth mom. This is the best most fleshed out part of the story - Boof looking for her mom (yeah I didn’t misspell that her nickname is Boof) bc the downside is, I didn’t feel the grief of her fathers death not from her mom nor her. They handled it pretty breezily if you ask me. The romance was rated G which was a little disappointing, and tge whole story is inflected with just about every southern euphemism out there, and some down right funny, like when pj and boof spoof #Margaritaville by the pool. At the end the author wrote in her acknowledgements that when she #cameout ppl mainly said they were just worried for her and didn’t want her life to be any harder, to which she thought to herself, “maybe I’ll be part of making it easier.” She said she wanted to show thru the story queer joy, that queer people are not “inherently sad, scared or doomed. With a hefty helping of self-love and the security of communities that cherish us, we will thrive.” — And in that respect, this was on the mark. It was light, breezy, and for me, it was boof’s side plot that made the whole story have a bit of depth. Check this out if you like a light romance, laughs, and a happy ending!
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