Love, Cajun Style

by Diane Les Becquets

It’s the summer before Lucy’s senior year in high school, and life in her sleepy Louisiana town is about to be turned upside down. Her mama’s flirting with the dark stranger who runs the art gallery, her best friends Mary Jordan and Evie have boys on the brain, the drama teacher is sparking some powerful (if very, very wrong) feelings in Lucy, and a new boy has moved to town—Dewey, whose gentle ways captivate her. With everyone, including herself, so embroiled in affairs of the heart, it is any wonder the town of Sweetbay is fixin’ to have itself one sweltering summer?

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Teen, Romance, Young Adult Romance, Chick Lit

400 pages, Hardcover

First published August 25, 2005

About the author

Diane Les Becquets is the author of BREAKING WILD and THE LAST WOMAN IN THE FOREST. Breaking Wild, an Indie Next Pick and a national bestseller, received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and Booklist, and was featured on NPR’s "Morning Edition." It was the recipient of the Colorado Book Award in Fiction, the New Hampshire Outstanding Work of Fiction, and was shortlisted for the Reading the West Book Award in Fiction. Her newest novel, WHERE THE WATER MEETS THE SKY, will be published by Simon & Schuster on May 5, 2026. For more information, visit: https://lesbecquets.com

Reviews

[Sun · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first thing I did when I was done was NOT pass it on to my niece.

[Allie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, and tried very hard to. But it just kind of dragged on at times. Plus, I had such a hard time relating with the characters. The three main characters were supposed to be seventeen. I could not put this image in my head. Everytime I'd get a visual image, a little twelve year old girl in pigtails would pop into my head, and it drove me crazy. The characters were too innocent, and it wasn't really realistic. I gave it three stars though, because several parts really did get a giggle out of me. (For example.. the hot sauce.)
I wouldn't read it again, but it was.. cute.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

My sister read this a couple of years ago and recommended it to me. It was a good story, but a bit slow moving at times. I think that it is her first novel, which is inspiring for me because I'm sure that I can write a better novel!

[Elisa Vangelisti · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sono dovuta arrivare a leggere fino a pagina 49 per capire l’età della protagonista. La seccatura di non saperlo non è solo un fatto di mistero. Visto che rubano i vestiti a lei e un paio di amiche mentre sono in mare a fare un bagno, mi chiedo come sia possibile la scena che è seguita. Partono con le biciclette, nude come natura crea, e pedalano fino a casa della zia di una delle tre, prima di potersi rivestire. E durante il tragitto incontrano anche gente. Quando ho scoperto che non erano ragazzine di 10-12 anni, ma adolescenti di 16, sono rimasta basita. Poi, non so voi, ma io ho una figlia di 16 anni e rispetto a quella del romanzo non c’è paragone. I suoi pensieri sono così banali e semplici che il dubbio sull’età è legittimo. Dimostra quasi la metà dell’età anagrafica, per non parlare del modo di esprimersi, che non è per niente da ragazza, ma da bambina. Sarà forse che il romanzo è datato (in 12 anni, sia pure se a me sembrano pochi, credo che siano cambiate parecchie cose). Mi pare anacronistico, irreale come svolgimento della trama e come considerazione che la ragazza ha degli adulti e del mondo in generale.

[CARA · Rating 3 out of 5]

I reread this book because when I was 14-15 yrs old I loved it…

Turns out at 30 I don’t love it for anything but the nostalgia.

[Jennifer Wardrip]

Reviewed by Carrie Spellman for TeensReadToo.com

For teenager Lucy Beauregard, love seems incomprehensible. It's not that she doesn't want to be in love someday, or even that she doesn't imagine the guy she might fall in love with -- it's just that she doesn't really understand love. Sure, she gets the basic idea, but deep down, real true love? What is it, really? And how do you know you're in it? How do you find it?

Lucy dated a guy last year; he was her first real kiss. At the time she thought she loved him. But now, he doesn't seem to matter so much. If it was really love, wouldn't it still matter? Is love what her best friend, Mary Jordan, has with her boyfriend? Then why does it get so confusing? Lucy's other best friend, Evie, seems to have some good theories. Surprising for someone whose own family breaks her heart over and over. And what about the new teacher who seems to be hitting on Lucy, even though she knows his wife and babysits for them? Lucy's only real example of love used to be her parents, but now even that looks like it's falling apart.

It seems like the harder Lucy tries to understand it all, the further she gets from it. It's all awfully confusing and difficult for something that seems like it should be natural and effortless!

Lucy learns some unbelievable things about life, people, heartache, pain, and yes, love, before the end of this story. At the end she's still the same Lucy, but stronger and wiser, and, at the same time, more willing to let go.

I love how perfect this book is! Love can seem confusing, and scary, and painful, and difficult. And it's all multiplied when you're just starting to figure it all out. I remember how tortured and intimidating everything about love and dating felt; this book took me completely back there. But it's also sweet and simple and wonderful in the most unexpected ways, just like this story. If you pay attention, the best lesson about love is in here. Just in case you miss it though, I'll tell you: No one can love you if you don't love yourself. Someone else can't make you whole. You have to do that yourself first.

A wonderful book about love and life, blended magically with a cajun soul.

[Annia Lennox (DaydreamingThroughBooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is less a story with a beginning, middle, and end and more of a “here’s a look at the summer months of this girls life.” That’s not a bad thing, but it’s not really my kind of story. And it’s definitely a very southern book.

Lucy is a fairly good main character. She doesn’t make stupid decisions and isn’t annoying. Sometimes I would get angry about something she was doing (or not doing), but I understood why she was acting that way from a character perspective.

I did like the romance in here. It wasn’t a huge part of the story, but it was cute. I’m actually a little conflicted, because I could always use more romance, but this isn’t a book about a young romance. And throughout the book there are several different relationships and forms of love-good and bad. This adds some realism and honesty.

A huge part of the story is female friendship. The main is Lucy and her two best friends. But there’s also Lucy and her Tante Pearl and mother. And the older ladies in the town who are kind of like the older version of Lucy and her friends. And none of these relationships are bad. They have ups and downs and evolve, but that’s normal.

Without going into spoilers I will say I don’t understand why the Mr. Banks part was included. It just didn’t seem to contribute anything to Lucy as a character or the overall story.

This book would totally work for some people, but it isn’t quite for me. I feel bad because I can’t fully explain why.

Originally posted: http://daydreamingthroughbooks.blogsp...

[Kaitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author of this book, Diane Les Becquets, has also written The Stones of Mourning Creek, getting her recognition from Publisher's Weekly. The main character, Lucy Beauregard, is an almost senior girl just living her life and loving her friends, along with falling in love. The book takes place in modern Louisian in town of Sweetbay. So far I like this book because its about a girl close to my age and she is going through the same things I was going through over the summer. The audience for this book is mainly high school age teenagers.




Level One-
-What is Lucys aunt's name? Tante Pearl
-What is the name of the baby Lucy babysits? Mattie Banks
-Who are Lucy's best friends? Evie and Mary Jordan

Level Two-
-Why is Lucy's mother so intrigued by Mr. Savoi? He is an artist and different than what she knows. She wishes to know more about him so she spends most of her time with him. Or, maybe her marriage is failing.
-Is Lucy falling in love with Dewey? It's possible. She likes Dewey and thinks he is a nice guy. They flirt but she thinks he has a too large a nose for his face. Not to mention the fact she thinks her nother is having an affair with his dad.

Level Three-
-Is love really all it's cracked up to be? And if so, why doesn't it always last? Yes, love really is everything it seems to be. It can be amazing. Sometimes it doesn't last because the love was never really there in the first place for both people or an *anathema* gets in the way.

[Treasure Isaacs]

"....slide into it like a baseball player heading for home?" (Becquets, 1).
"It wasn't that long ago I was sure I'd fallen in love, but by the time I landed, I knew I had it all wrong." (Becquets, 1).

9/30-
Lucy is a girl in the summer before her senior high school year. She just got out of a relationship that went bad, leaving her confused. She's into anything romance, and has a crush on the new drama teacher. Lucy is from Louisiana, around the bayou region. She's very Catholic, and their faith is one of the main things they talk about in the book. She's tall, thin, and has a deep tan, with dark brown almost black hair. She's full of vengeance, too. When one of her friends exes stole their clothes while they were skinny dipping, she put hot sauce in his pants durning a baseball game, to embarrass him. She has an almost perfect family, until a new artist moves into town, and it is believed her mom is having an affair.
I am going to do a collage, including all of the things each of the main characters would love, and include a picture of what I portray them to look like. I might also put together a 'soundtrack' of songs I think tie into the theme of the book.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever just wanted things to stay the same? Feel like you are growing up too fast? Lucy and her friends have been together almost as long as they can remember. In the small town where nothing ever seems to change, everything around Lucy seems to be changing during the summer before her senior year. The new families in town have brought art and drama to the small town. Lucy watches helplessly as her family and friends seem to drift further away from her. Her friends seem to have forsaken her for boyfriends. She is worried that her parents are drifting apart. If that isn’t enough, the hot new drama teacher has taken a personal interest in Lucy’s life. What’s a girl to do?

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVED THIS BOOK! This book has so many important themes to it, including friendship, love, and knowing when to speak up. The main character, Lucy, is funny and innocent. Her two best friends, Evie and Mary Jordan, are quite a pair, and together, the three of them are a riot! Although the title suggests that this book is a romance novel, it isn't based around one thing. It covered a lot of ground, and at some parts, it was very serious, while at others, it was pure fun. I laughed out loud when reading this book, and I would definetly read it again.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh, this was a cute summery romance with playful pranks, sweet characters and just a general sense of fun. The older characters seemed like they stepped out of Steel Magnolias, though in this case the setting was in Louisiana, not Georgia. And though the main girls were supposed to be 17, they seemed much younger... Perhaps because of the completeness of their innocence. Still, it was a fun book, but not a very complex story. The younger end of the YA market would most likely find this to be more interesting than some of the older readers

[Stephanie A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was fully expecting this to be a 2.5 to 3 star read, with its "a saucy novel" on the cover and its skinny dipping in the opening pages that almost made me stop there, as the girls were clearly morons. Then out of nowhere, it blew me away with -- well, still a lot of nudity, but very little sex to go with it, and more importantly these rich, amazing descriptions of life in a small Louisiana town (I want to read this book every summer), great friendships and a surprisingly mature main character, lovely tentative romantic encounters...it was just a treat turning every page.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of 3 young women, finding themselves, finding their places in this world and learning how to hang on to what they love best.

I found it cute, if a bit boring at times. It is also a trifle long, and could have been shortened to expedite things. The sex talk is also pretty moralizing at times (not at all 'saucy' as the cover implies). So, parents and some teen readers will appreciate that, but I think some teens will be turned off.

[Krystal Clarice · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's okay. A very easy read, simple, about a small town girl and her little life before senior year. It involves statutory rape but for like...two seconds. Over all, it feels like it's written by a 14yr old. Cliché much when it comes to her love interest. Not one of those "deep" books at all. You're not missing a thing by passing this one up; by all means, skip it, but it's okay if you do end up reading it. I won't read it again.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Les Becquets mixes Southern culture with A Midsummer Night's Dream and lets her main character honestly explore issues about sex without ever being offensive. From the first chapter where the main character and her friends have to ride their bikes naked because someone stole their clothes while they were skinny dipping, I was hooked. It's fun and serious at the same time.

[Susabelle Kelmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, I loved this little book! Read it in a day. I was leery of the title, thinking it would be a lot more New Orleans than I was willing to read, but it turned out to be set in a small town and I love the dynamic of a small town in a novel. I could smell, feel, see, and taste everything. A great "beach" or "vacation" book, that's for sure!

[Kimiko-K · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a rather relaxing story told at a slow pace tone, a different life from a typical city story.

It has taught me many must-knows for a teenage girl to survive in this hectic society and I really appreciated that the main character's honesty in expressing her true feelings. A book that def worths your time!

[Courtney Chappell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok. Although it said it was about love, it was really about friendship between three girls. The three girls just happen to be falling in love at the same time. They have some problems, ultimately fix them/talk about them and become friends again. I don't think I would read this book again, but it was great for a one time read.

[Debrarian]

One hot Louisiana summer Lucy, 17, follows the mysterious love lives of her mother (and, she hopes, her father), Tante Pearl, and two best friends, while falling for the nice new boy and having the moves put on her by the new drama teacher. Good.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book!!! It's a great read about a girl who finds herself, even though she wasn't sure if she was lost. Through many twists and turns, the ending prevails with the long-lasting message that love and freindship conqer all.

[N · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although it has been years since I read this book, and I remember almost none of the plot and details of the book, there were a few scenes that made a very lasting impression, and a few quotes I will never forget. On that alone, I would recommend this book.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

was a cute southern story. If you live in the south will love and if you don't you will too. This is a great story about good friends and the experiences that shape us from family to love. A very cute a good story glad I read it.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this coming of age book set in Louisiana. It was a little predictable, but the writing was good and the characters were interesting.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a feel good book. Definitly a chic book. I enjoyed the closeness of all the characters young and old. One of those curl up and read all day books.

[Rebecca H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose this book because of my love of hot sauce. It, wasn't about hot sauce, much. This is the story of three best friends and the new family in town that is tearing everybody apart.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute teenage angst/love book - not quite sure where the author got gumbo cooked in a crock pot or pickled alligator toes, but - most of it rang true!

[Hannah]

the ending sucked by it was gooood

[Shanti · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book was good but it kind of drags in the beggining but its ok..

[Izzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great summer tale of love, finding yourself and many other great things. It's a very good book.