Miss Julia Meets Her Match

Miss Julia #5

by Ann B. Ross

Miss Julia--that beloved steel magnolia of a certain age--has been doing just fine for herself in the years since her philandering husband passed away. But could her single days be numbered? In Miss Julia Meets Her Match, Julia's longtime beau, Sam Murdoch, wants to tie the knot. And while it's hard to resist Sam's heart-racing charm, Miss Julia isn't about to give up her independence so easily. At the moment there are many other matters that require her attention, such as the plans of the mysterious drifter Dwayne Dooley to build the Walk Where Jesus Walked Christian theme park--a re-creation of the Holy Land complete with actors, sound effects, and trailer hookups--on her property.

Meanwhile, the whole town is buzzing with rumors. The preacher's secretary was spotted leaving a sleazy motel with the mayor's car parked nearby. The preacher's wife, always sternly opposed to any "artificial adornment," is suddenly sporting a complete cosmetic and fashion makeover. And then there's Mildred Allen's son, Tony, who has come back from New York with some surprising news of his own--he will now be known as "Tonya." Even Miss Julia's own home is not immune to shock waves--the arrival of Latisha, housekeeper Lillian's five-year-old pistol of a great -granddaughter, sets off sparks in Miss Julia's household like a bunch of Fourth of July firecrackers. But what could shake them all up even more is if anyone finds out the most troubling gossip of all--more tall tales about Miss Julia's late husband, which could ruin Little Lloyd's burnished image of his father. . . .

Can Miss Julia turn the town's attention away from herself before she becomes the center of scandal? And in the midst of all the commotion, can her cool-as-a-cucumber head help her heart make the decision of a lifetime? As always, the unexpected twists and turns prove to be no match for Miss Julia, who stays sharp as a tack and proper as afternoon tea in the delightful new installment of this Southern comedy of manners.

Genres: Fiction, Humor, Mystery, Southern, Chick Lit, Cozy, Cozy Mystery

320 pages, Hardcover

First published March 30, 2004

About the author

Ann B. Ross, who taught literature at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, is the author of Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind, one of the most popular Southern debut novels in years, Miss Julia Takes Over, Miss Julia Throws a Wedding, and Miss Julia Hits the Road. She lives in Hendersonville, North Carolina.

Reviews

[Dawn King · Rating 4 out of 5]

The adventures of Miss Julia is captured by Ann B. Ross in this popular series. While this is not high literature, I thoroughly enjoy the situations that Miss Julia finds herself in. She is like a madcap Angela Lansbury careening through her small southern town trying to please everyone while dealing with her many personal crazy friends and relations. These are hilarious and often you can't put them down. I don't know why they never made this into a comedy series.

[Laurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miss Julia books always make me laugh out loud at least once! Great to listen to!

[Book Concierge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Miss Julia is back in the 5th book of this charming series about a Southern lady of a certain age and her household. This time practically the entire town joins Miss Julia in her favorite “exercise” – jumping to conclusions. From Hazel Marie to Pastor Ledbetter and his wife Emma Sue everyone is ready to act on suspicions.

Of course there is some real drama going on as well. An itinerant “pastor” has convinced Miss Julia to lease him some land just outside town so he can build a “Walk Where Jesus Walked” theme park. He seems to be backed by a rather oily door-to-door salesman with a private jet. Before Miss Julia can get to the bottom of this, she gets embroiled in several closer-to-home scandals, including the return of her friend’s prodigal son, back home from ten years in New York, now calling himself Tonya and wearing designer dresses. And Lillian’s five-year-old granddaughter has come for an extended stay. So, Miss Julia has her hands full!

Not to mention that Sam will not stop asking her to marry him and she is just not ready to say yes. At least not until she discovers that SHE is the subject of unfounded rumors of “unseemly behavior.” So, she decides to give them something to talk about and asks Sam to get her a fake ring that will stop tongues wagging. He couldn’t be happier to comply and comes up with a real whopper!

I love this series. It’s like spending time with old friends you haven’t seen in a while and relishing in all the news and gossip over a nice glass of lemonade (perhaps fortified with a little extra something).

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was suggested to me as similar to the Mitford books. However, the only similarity is that both books are set in small towns. This book highlights all the bad things about living in a small town, i.e. gossip and everyone being in everyone else's business and passing judgement on them. The first two chapters were entirely gossip about the neighbors, and that was as much as I could take. I consider this book the polar opposite of Mitford and would not recommend to anyone.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really have been enjoying this series, but this book has several laugh out loud passages. I have to spell it out because Miss Julia would never approve of LOL.....

[Cathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have been laughing and enjoying these books until now, but this one made me wonder if I wanted to discontinue the series. I do have one or two still on my to-be-read shelf, so I will probably give it another try.

I'm glad I did stick with this one, because I did get several good laughs out of about the last third of it. That tent meeting with the confessions was funny, and then there was this:

Miss Julia to her friend: "I told you about her and the reprehensible stories going around about her."
Child who overheard: "I been hearin' my teacher read all kinds of stories here lately, but I don't b'lieve she got to that kind yet."

Another reviewer said that they read these books because someone had compared them to Jan Karon's small-town Mitford. That reviewer called these books an anti-Mitford, or an opposite of Mitford. I can see that. In the Mitford series, people care about each other and there are many kindnesses. Most of what we saw in this book was gossip and conniving people being busybodies.

In most of the earlier books in this series, Miss Julia may have been conniving, but she had other people's best interests at heart. In this book, she just seemed cruel. On more than one occasion, she fanned the flames of gossip in order to distract the town from the gossip about her own family. She blatantly used others' hard family situations and painful circumstances against them, and I could hardly stand to read it. She didn't even like her own friends, which was also hard to read. In the earlier books, she may have been a curmudgeon, but she had a soft spot in her heart. In this book, she was out to either use or hurt people.

I liked what Lillian told her, "You'd be better off, you not 'spect the worst outta people you don't even know." Well said, Lillian. If only she'd said it earlier and Miss Julia had heeded her ... BUT I understand, too, that coming from Miss Julia's own experiences, she'd have a hard time trusting others.

My favorite character in this whole thing is Sam, because he's the only one who has any sense in this craziness. And Sam makes me laugh, too. Well, okay, maybe Lillian did have some sense as well.

I did like Miss Julia's on-going forgiveness and open-heartedness towards Hazel Marie. "You don't have to turn yourself inside out for me, Hazel Marie. That's all in the past, and it's going to stay there."

This book had more sex scandals and infidelities in it than the previous books did, to the point that it made it sound like that's all anybody ever did, although there were a few that did stay true.

Twice in the book, Miss Julia said that those who seem to be more involved in church and taking it to heart were actually more prone to such scandals. I'll both agree and disagree with that.

I like what the singer Gloria Gaither said, but I don't know the context to know what she'd been forgiven of. "I then shall live as one who's been forgiven." It is true that those who know they've been forgiven a great deal are among those who cling more closely to Jesus and appreciate their other earthly forgivers as well. Jesus said it best, "Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little." - Luke 7:47, NIV So, people who imagine that they don't have as much to be forgiven don't treasure their Forgiver, Jesus, as dearly.

Secondly, and perhaps oppositely, there do exist those, like Miss Julia, who do keep themselves from those specific sins. But some of them still cling to Jesus and praise Him because, while their sins may be more socially acceptable, they understand that the forgiveness was just as crucial.

Or perhaps they cling to Him because He has brought them through some deep valley or sharp difficulty in life, giving them hope or peace or strength.

There are many reasons to cling to Jesus, and not all of them involve sexual immorality.

One reviewer said that Miss Julia's anxiety fuels her own anxiety. I don't think the book made me anxious, but I could envision that happening to someone, because she is always worked up about something, a contrast to the steady Sam.

The same reviewer said that these Miss Julia stories are all "over-the-top," and yes, they are, but that's usually where the humor is.

Favorite quotes:
"That's what wealth will do, Hazel Marie, to the unsuspecting. It can give you more undue influence than you ought to have." Amen.

"Maybe she thought she could right a few wrongs. The only problem is, when we think we have to get ourselves right at the expense of others, well, let's just say that no matter how sincere you are, it can't excuse a lack of common sense."

[Rebecca]

I gave up on this one less than halfway through, because I was so offended by the representation of/attitude towards the transwoman, particularly the young mother trying to force her boy into more masculine activities so he didn't turn trans. Um, that's not how it works. Granted this was written in 2004 and we're at least a bit more enlightened now, but I did not feel comfortable reading a book in which a transwoman was held up as the worst thing that could happen to a parent, and the ideal solution for diverting attention from other gossip.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not good literature by any means, but entertaining! Julia’s character is amusing and the last scene (rioting Presbyterians!) is pretty funny.

[Dee Dee G · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t think this series is for me. Julia’s anxiety gives me anxiety. Making it her mission to find out what’s going on in personal lives of others and proceeding to do something about it is way too over the top. I liked some parts of the book. If you don’t like gossip type stories then you won’t like this book.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miss Julia is a fun read! Love this one- there are parts where I could not stop laughing

[Barbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG she never fails to entertain. You can't help but LOL.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful series continues & love the introduction of Lillian’s great granddaughter—so hilarious 😆. Interesting the way this author weaves social commentary into her plots.

[Nancy Cook-senn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Miss Julia deals with more threats to her starchy reputation, a pseudo-religious theme park charlatan, and the stuffy pastor and his erratic wife, while introducing a transgender friend into polite society and mulling Sam's proposal of marriage.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to the book while traveling. Miss Julia never lets me down!

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the Miss Julia books but this was a bit of a let down after thoroughly enjoying the previous book. I felt that her motivations were a bit 'unchristianlike'. I did like that despite her initially self-serving motivation in 'celebrating' Tonya, the outcome was positive for all.
In character, she did tend to 'leap before she looked', but the final leap makes me anxious for the next chapter in her story!!

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this series because I was searching for books with widows as the main character.
I never expected that it would be so wonderfully adept at pointing out the foibles in religion and narrow mindedness.
My favorite book of the 5 of I've read. And she's not a widow anymore. Should I listen to more?
Sure!

[Martina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Par mjeseci nakon smrti Wesleya Lloyda Springera, Miss Julii na vratima se pojavljuje Hazel Marie i ostavlja joj dječaka Wesleya Lloyda Juniora na skrb dok ona kao odlazi na tečaj. Dječak je dijete njezinog muža Wesleya i jako mu je nalik. Kad je uvela dječaka u kuću, nije znala što će dalje. Lillian, njezina pomoćnica, joj je govorila da ostavi dijete dok je Miss Julia razmišljala o raznim mogućnostima. Probudila je i svog podstanara, zamjenika Batesa, koji joj je obećao da će pokušati naći njegovu majku. Pošto je Miss Julia nasljedila jako veliku imovinu i puno novaca, pastor prezbetarijanske crkve koja joj je preokuputa, pastor Ledbetter pokušava izvući od Miss Julie novac za njegove planove pripisujući to Božjoj volji. Pokušavao ju je nagovoriti i da se on brine o njezinim financijama jer ona nije sposopna, no na izvršenje oporuke brinu se njezin prijatelj Sam, kao i njegova zamjenica Binkie koja ju je naučila voditi financije. Miss Julia je odlučila da će maloga Lloyda svima predstaviti kao dijete Wesleya Lloyda i odvodi ga u grad kod frizera i kratku šetnju po gradu. Svi je smatraju ludom jer je prihvatilo to dijete. Svaki dan je novi izazov, a ona je prema svima postala izravna. Dok joj je muž bio živ, nije smjela iznositi svoje mišljenje i raditi što želi, ali sada je slobodna da radi što god joj se prohtije i kaže što misli. Jednom se provozala po okolnim mjestima i pratio ju je kamion što joj je postalo jako čudno i jako se prestrašila. Dok je jednog dana s zamjenikom Batesom i malim Lloydom tražila kuću u kojoj je mali Lloyd živio, u kuću joj je netko provalio i razbacao stvari. A u kući u kojoj je mali Lloyd živio sa svojom majkom nije više bilo pokućstva, a u garaži je zamjenik Bates pronašao krv i poslije dva zuba. Kad su se stvari malo stišale, nakon nedjelje kad se iz crkve vratila kući s malim Lloydom čekao ih je brat Vern koji je rekao kako je došao po maloga da ga odvede majci jer ga je ona nazvala. Iako ne rado, Miss Julia je pustila malog Lloyda da ode s bratom Vernom i čim je vidila auto s kojim je otišao i shvatila da je to isti auto s kojim je otišla Hazel Marie, pokušala ga je sustići. Još ju je više zbunilo kad je vidila da ga je pratio onaj isti kamion koji je nju pratio onu večer. Ujutro je sve ispričala Lillian pa zamjeniku Batesu i Samu. Policija ju je došla ispitivati i ona je postala sumnjivica jer je ona zadnja vidjela Hazel Marie i ne može dokazati gdje je bila u petak navečer. Kasno uvčer, jer nije mogla spavati, otišla je u kuhinju i na stražnjim vratima je čula grebanje pa kucanje i kad je otvorila vrata, imala je što i vidjeti. Došla joj je isprebijana Hazel Marie koja je tražila dječaka. Nakon što joj je Miss Julia rekla kako ga je pustila sa bratom Vernom, Hazel Marie joj je ispričala kako ju je brat Vern dao isprebijati i kako traži nešto od nje ali ona ionako nema ništa da mu da. Miss Julia ju skriva u sobu gdje je bio mali Lloyd. Ujutro, kad se Lillian pojavila na poslu, zajedno su se skrbile o Hazel Marie i smišljale su kako će pronaći maloga Lloyda. Skrivale su Hazel Marie od zamjenika Batesa jer su odlučile da će ih to unazaditi u potrazi. Pojavio se i pastor Ledbetter sa dr. Fowler kojeg je predstavio kao novog člana koji je pokazivao interes za Miss Juliu. Iako ih isprva Miss Julia odbije, poslije odlazi u crkvu i nakon obilaska crkve s dr. Fowlerom napada ga i oni je optužuju za nimfomaniju. Pastor Ledbetter joj prijeti da će sve odati ako svoje financije ne prepusti staratelju. Kad se vratila kući, vidno uzrujana, Lillian ju je malo opustila. Sutradan se Miss Julia dosjetila da brat Vern vodi neku televizijsku emisiju i da bi mogli doći do malog Lloyda u to vrijeme. Prvo su gledale da li je emisija uživo pa su se uputili u grad u kojem je bila televizijska kuća jer su malog Lloyda vidjele priključenog nekoj obitelji. Nakon što su stigle pred studio, odlučile su da Lillian ode po maloga i uspijelo im je. Dok su bježale počeo ih je pratiti kamion Hazel Marie-inih bratića kojem su pobjegle. Kad su došli kući, i svi se smirili, Hazel Marie otišla spavati, a Lillian kući, mali Lloyd je odao Miss Julii tajnu da mu je tata nešto ostavio u večeri kad je umro od srčanog. To je bilo u papirnatoj vrećici od koje se nije odvajao i koju je Miss Julia dok ga nije bilo pronašla u ostavi. Mislila je na slikovnicu koju je našla, a on joj je pokazao ružičastu omotnicu u kojoj je bila oporuka Wesleya Lloyda da svu svoju imovinu ostavlja malom Lloydu. Nakon toga, Miss Julia nije mogla oka sklopiti. Ujutro je otišla do Sama i ispričala mu kako se pastor Ledbetter pokušava domoći njezinog novca i da li bi to prošlo na sudu iako mu je prešutila da je optužuje za nimfomaniju. Malo je smirio i kad se vratila kući, čekali su je pastor Ledbetter i dr. Fowler koji su je pokušali ucijeniti nimfomanijom i time da je luda. U tome se pojavio i brat Vern pa su si pastor i on proturiječili dok Miss Julia nije pristala dati nagradu za pronalazak malog Lloyda. I odjednom se pojavila Lillian i brat Vern ju je počeo okrivljavati kako je ona otela maloga pa je Miss Julia potrčala probuditi zamjenika Batesa u čemu su joj pomogli Hazel Marie i mali Lloyd. Nakon što je zamjenik otišao dolje primiriti situaciju, iz njegove sobe je izašla Binkie. Kad su se svi našli u dnevnom boravku i krenuli objašnjavati situaciju, ništa se nije moglo razriješiti. Brat Vern je krivio Lillian za otmicu, pastor Ledbetter i dr. Fowler su krivili Miss Juliu za ludost a ostalima ništa nije bilo jasno. U tome se pojavio i Sam. Nakon natezanja oko svega i shvaćanja toga da da Lillian nije otmičarka jer je dijete sa svojom majkom i nakon što je pastor Ledbetter pokušao ucijeniti Miss Juliu da mora imati staratelja i da se svi brinu za nju jer nije dobro pokušavajući doći do njezinog novca, ona vadi ružičasatu omotnicu ispod haljine i daje je Samu. Sam govori svima kako je Wesley Lloyd ostavio sve malom Lloydu i svi shvaćaju kako Miss Julia nema ništa. Nakon što su Binkie i Sam spustili pastoru Ledbetteru da im neće proći optužba, on ode s dr. Fowlerom. Onda brat Vern pokušava doći do toga da bude staratelj malome Lloydu i govori Hazel Marie kako će je proglasiti nesposobnom majkom pa će mali pripasti njemu, ali mu Sam pokazuje oporuku i to kako je on staratelj maloga. Nakon toga i brat Vern odlazi. Nakon što Miss Julia kuka da je beskućnica i ne prihvaća milost od Hazel Marie koja joj nudi da živi s njom i malim, Sam i Binkie otkrivaju Miss Julia da joj zakonski pripada pola nasljedstva, tako da ona i mali Lloyd imaju po pola svog nasljedstva Wesleya Lloyda. Tako da više manje sve ostaje po starom. Lillian i dalje radi za Miss Juliu, zamjenik Bates i dalje je podstanar i u tome mu se pridružuje i Binkie, jedina izmjena je što s njima žive Hazel Marie i mali Lloyd. Na kraju Miss Julia priznaje Samu da su je pastor Ledbetter i dr. Fowler htjeli optužiti za nifomaniju, a on joj govori kako on ima lijek za to. Na kraju je sve sjelo na svoje mjesto.

[Courtney Stofko · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is hard, because while I'm always entertained by the Miss Julia books, I'm also always uncomfortable and offended by them also.

I've had a problem with the portrayal of Lillian, and really, of black people in general in these books. The African Americans are always the help, they never speak well, and they live in the poor part of town. Offended yet?

This book managed to offend me about another group: the trans community, which is especially pertinent with the shit storm that J.K. Rowling has created in the past few weeks. Literally just this morning, I was reading about how J.K. Rowling deleted a tweet of support for Stephen King after he tweeted that trans women are women, and then, in this book, we have a storyline of a trans woman, and it's incredibly, incredibly offensive. All of the characters are embarrassed, horrified, disgusted, that a man would transition to a woman. Then, to make matters worse, Miss Julia fakes throwing a coming out party for Tony/Tonya, just because she wants people to stop gossiping about her, and instead, say snide remarks about the new trans person in their community.

I almost stopped reading the book, but because I had put so much time into it already, I kept reading, but skipped over large sections. I just don't understand, in this day and age, how a book like this could even be published. I mean, I get that this came out maybe like fifteen years ago, but still; it wasn't published FIFTY years ago.

I was looking for something lighthearted to read, and unfortunately, this book, and pretty much the majority of the Miss Julia books, did the complete opposite. They just pissed me off, and offended me, and reminded me of all of the hatred and discrimination in the world.

[Cassie Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life is never dull for Miss Julia Springer, and now she’s in the middle of things again. Longtime friend and admirer Sam Murdock is aiming to marry her, but having been burned by her first husband, she’s in no hurry to marry again. She has plenty to distract her, though. Somebody has decided to built a Holy Land theme park, and Miss Julia says yes to them using some of her land. Then she finds out something about one of the workers: the late Wesley Lloyd Springer had more than one affair. Determined to keep this away from Hazel Marie and Lloyd, Miss Julia must figure out how to get them out of Abbotsville before the truth comes out. But it’s never that easy, is it?

This book was utterly delightful. The relationship between Sam and Julia is so sweet, yet Julia’s fears and hesitation is completely understandable. Watching them dance around each other while Julia’s trying to sort out the mess she’s made helped to balance this book well. As usual, there’s Lilian and Hazel Marie and Lloyd and JD Pickens, along with so many other side characters that make this fictional small town pop. If you enjoyed any of the other Miss Julia books, this is one you should add to your list. You won’t regret it.

[Kathleen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't remember where I'd left off in the series, as I was waiting for the next to come out, and the next, back in the aughts, but I wanted to compare my memory of this series, with my recent reading of another (Walsh Family by Marian Keyes). So I grabbed "Meets Her Match" and had a re-read, and I'm glad I did.

Just as I remembered, Miss Julia is constantly challenged by her own blind spots. So many times, this book made me cringe in horror as some bigoted opinion was championed, and just as I remembered, little by little Miss Julia adjusted her attitudes to fit her new discoveries.

So if you're reading one of this series, and you're just not sure if you can stand it, I'd say, stick with it. By the end of the novel you'll see that what Miss Julia can't see, Ann B. Ross sees clearly, and Miss Julia's own focus improves. That's all I'll say--I won't want to spoil--just try the Miss Julia books. Overall, this early one has aged well, and I'll be catching up with later installments to see how she fared in the following decade.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Given the attitudes toward a transgender character as well as the racial stereotyping, and I was certainly offended by it, perhaps I should boycott this series. It's a little late though, since I've read most of them. I guess I choose to view the books as a sadly accurate portrayal of a certain group of Americans and we might as well get to know them. Also, we can easily see these attitudes as reflections of the many weaknesses in the characters. It is these weaknesses, and the fact that they also have strengths, that allows us to relate to their humanity. Besides, Miss Julia, at least, always learns something which generally leads to a little personal growth.

Rooting for Miss Julia is a little like loving your parents in spite of their prejudices. You support them, but work hard to change the world that they have created.

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

Warning: this book repeatedly misgenders and dead names a trans woman character

Miss Julia is as spicy as ever, and not always in a good way in this book. A woman comes to town, and local gossip pairs her with Miss Julia’s husband. Miss Julia wants to protect Lisa Marie, and especially Little Lloyd from hearing the gossip, but goes out of her way to use the negative side of small town living to her advantage.

There are a lot of things I like about the series, but this book repeatedly became cringe worthy, especially around the subplot including the trans woman. I’ll give the series another chance, but if Miss Julia takes the low road again, I’m out.

[Joelle Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favourite in the series, but a fun read. The religion and small town gossip thread got to me after a while. I lived in the South and I live in a small town, so I understand how important/detrimental it can be, but it's not a lot to build a whole book on. The previous one Miss Julia Hits the Road and number one were much more fun. Still, this did have one of the best lines ever to end the book with. Loved it!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

How can I not give a whole bunch of stars to someone who makes me laugh so much. This was another Miss Julia book. The title character is a wealthy southern woman "of a certain age" with definite opinions about her the others in her narrow-minded small southern town. She comes across as very naive. All the characters in the series are very colorful. These books are a great comic relief and a lot of fun for me.

[Dorothy Timm · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave this book only two stars not because it was bad, it wasn't that bad, but it just wasn't at all what I expected. I expect someone to die in cozy mysteries, with the balance being on solving the "who-done-it" with some frivolity thrown in. Unfortunately, though, this book was entirely about small town church gossip of who had an affair with whom. Just not for me!

[Virma · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love- " I Love Lucy" then Miss Julia Books are for you! Hilarious hi-jinks!

[Dyana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is always entertaining, fluffy, witty, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, and a tongue-in-cheek read. As usual, the Christians have very little redeeming values. If you need a theme for this particular book, it would be gossip. It is written in Miss Julia's POV, and she is traditionally proper, opinionated, self-righteous, and has a warm heart toward those who are precious to her.

Miss Julia Springer of Abbotsville, N. Carolina is still refusing to marry her boyfriend, Sam Murdoch. He's such a nice guy, but she keeps finding ways to put him off; because she doesn't want to risk another betrayal like she had with her philandering husband (which she didn't find out about until after he was dead!), but Sam keeps pursuing and asking. One day a man named Dwayne Dooley knocks on her door and asks if she would lease him an unused plot of land she owns. He wants to build a religious theme park called Walk Where Jesus Walked. Because he offers cash, she doesn't consult her lawyer, Binkie Enloe Bates, and signs the legal documents he brought.

Then Miss Julia hears gossip that Monique Mooney, another former mistress of her dead husband, is involved in the theme park. She doesn't want Hazel Marie and Little Lloyd to find out about Monique. She also doesn't want Little Lloyd to realize that his dad was less than stellar and suffer for it. If, heaven forbid, this Monique had a child by Lloyd, that might also affect Little Lloyd's inheritance. So Miss Julia hires J. D. Pickens (Hazel Marie's boyfriend) to secretly investigate. He decides the best way is to go undercover at the theme park, which is being built and needs laborers, and check her out. Is it a money-making scheme? Miss Julia tries to cancel the lease to get rid of Dooley, but it is air tight according to Binkie.

Other subplots include:
- Lillian, Miss Julia's maid, brings her great granddaughter to stay with them until Lillian's house is finished being renovated. Her name is Latisha and she is very precocious and talkative. She says what she thinks.

- Emma Sue Ledbetter, the preacher's wife, makes herself over with the use of beauty aids. He wants to know what is causing this change and is worried about his wife and wants her to go back to being plain. He asks Miss Julia to reform her and put her back on track.

- Norma Cantrell, the preacher's secretary, is seen coming out of a seedy motel room. What's that all about?

- Mildred Allen is very upset that her son Tony has come back to town from living in New York and is now Miss Tonya. Hazel Marie suggests having a party to reintroduce her to the ladies in town. Miss Julia decides that is a good idea to deflect the gossip that is surrounding her loved ones.

- Wealthy Curtis Maxwell of Maxwell Household Products has come to town to promote the theme park. Emma Sue seems to be enamored with him and has a reception to welcome him. Curiously, she has returned to her plain Jane persona.

A very funny couple of chapters has Miss Julia and Emma Sue on a spy mission to figure out why her husband Larry hasn't come home for awhile. Could he be at Norma's? Hilarious.

The ending is also hilarious when the theme park has a Pre-Grand Opening (which is basically an evangelistic tent meeting) for the town and looking for "generous hearts" to complete the project. A couple of people give speeches and testimonies including Monique Mooney in which she gives a blow by blow account of her past. A storm breaks loose and so does everything else. There is also a cliff-hangar - do Miss Julia and Sam finally get married? A conundrum!

[Jade Lazaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let this be a lesson to anyone who decides to sign a legal document and doesn't get advice first: don't do it. The entire time miss julia has her meeting with dooley, all i could think was "the stupidity." That was an ego move for her- I know Wesley had control of the finances before and you want to step out on your own and prove your business skills, but did you learn nothing after that whole fiasco with Clarence Gibbs? I feel like one of my problems with Julia is she worries so much about what people will say about her and town gossip that she's willing to pay someone to go away to avoid the scandal altogether. Another thing, why does she keep seeing that same Pastor Ledbetter and going to his sermons if she can't stand him? I feel like she is just always trying to save face by making impulsive decisions based on a couple of words from nosy neighbors. I also found it very selfish of her to just not tell Hazel Marie about her plan to get rid of Mooney. She could have ruined Hazel Marie and JD's relationship. I will say, I loved how Emma Sue went out to catch her husband cheating and failed miserably. I know Julia is not a friend of Ledbetter's, but wouldn't it be wiser to assume that Curtis Maxwell was the one having his way with Norma based on what Little Lloyd said? Based on the description of the man and the state he was in, there's no denying who was on the floor with Norma. You would think Miss Julia would learn her lesson by now about trying to ignore her problems and kind of hide them. But no, her problems put themselves on blast in front of her entire church and other religious groups. And then the entire problem ends with umbrellas being used as weapons. Also quick shout out to my girl Tonya, that scene was hilarious 😆

[Avid Series Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

Miss Julia Meets Her Match by Ann B. Ross is book 5 of the Miss Julia series set in a fictitious small town in contemporary North Carolina. Miss Julia has her life arranged just as she likes. She's happily widowed, glad to be rid of a cheating husband. She loves Hazel Marie and Little Lloyd, her ex's mistress and child. Julia is good friends with her maid Lillian, and has a wonderful boyfriend in Sam Murdoch. The only bother is, he is pushing to get married. She enjoys her personal freedom in her life exactly as-is.

A stranger leases a plot of unused land from her, to build a Christian theme park. Seems okay (the land wasn't generating revenue) until Miss Julia hears the newest gossip. A woman who's part of the theme park project claims to be a former mistress of Julia's ex-husband. Miss Julia's concerns are two-fold: 1) she doesn't want Hazel Marie or Little Lloyd to suffer distress, 2) she fears if the woman had a child, she will challenge Little Lloyd's inheritance. Miss Julia hires Hazel Marie's boyfriend Pickens to investigate.

As she observes or suspects infidelity among her acquaintances, Miss Julia frequently changes her mind for/against getting married. Lillian's talkative great-granddaughter Letisha comes to stay. The theme park project culminates in a revival-type meeting, where scandal rocks the town.

Small town gossip and cultural bias provide light entertainment with gentle humor. For best enjoyment of the character development, read the series in order.

[Lea McKenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never read one of the Miss Julia books before, but I found it pleasant listening to Miss Julia Meets Her Match by Ann B. Ross. There is apparently a series of books based on this group of characters, and this is not the first book in the series, so it was difficult at first to figure out all the townspeople, but it got easier as I read along. Miss Julia rents some of her land to a gentleman who wants to build a theme park where people would walk where Jesus walked. After Julia signs the rental papers, however, she begins to think that everything may not be on the up and up. She is surprised to discover that her Pastor is planning to chastise her publicly because she has a boyfriend, Sam. Then the pastor's wife confides in Julia that she is afraid her husband has strayed. Lots of people, lots of little subplots, and lots of small town scandals! Just fun.