Chelsea's Werk Week

Southern Belle Insults #3

by Keke Palmer, Jasmine Guillory

According to Lady Miss Jacqueline, her dear friend Janet is killing it. But appearances deceive in this sharply funny short story about best-laid plans, dirty blondes, and living life in all caps.

After slipping on Chelsea—a magical wig that comes with a gregarious personality—Janet is making strides at work and has a new friend and a confident strut. Life is fab. Isn’t it? Honestly, there’s something missing. Where’s the adventure? The purpose? What she needs is to tap into her inner daredevil. But her mystical wigmaker has a word of should Janet lose control, it might not be so easy to get it back.

Chelsea’s Werk Week by Keke Palmer with Jasmine Guillory is part of Southern Belle Insults, a fiercely funny series of short stories set in the fully realized world of Keke’s viral phenomenon. Take Lady Miss Jacqueline’s read or listen to them at once, without stopping, the whole way through. You’re welcome.

Genres: Short Stories, Audiobook, Fiction, Humor, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Contemporary

27 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 9, 2021

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This short which I picked up on Prime Reading introduces us to Janet. A woman, working in an office building that has let herself fade into the background. But when she stumbles into a wig shop, Janet's life is about to get a whole lot more exciting.

Putting aside the Lady Miss wig, Janet takes Chelsea's wig out for a spin. She mends some fences while ruffling the feathers of others. Thank goodness Janet has a new bestie, Candace to keep her on the straight and narrow.


Goodreads review published 11/09/22

[Nella ☾ of Bookland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot get over the voice Keke Palmer used for Chelsea in this book 😂

[Regina the Constant Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ -Kindle Unlimited

Book #3 in the Southern Belle Insults Collection

Can a wig change your life? Read this fantastic series and find out!

[Freda Mans-Labianca · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story made me feel like an idiot.
I finally figured out that there was no dual point-of-view, no, it was Janet turning into Chelsea when she put the wig on. So now I wonder how bad this womans' mental health status is since she seems to have multiple personalities. Some good, and some are bad.
So at least this tale finally had me getting a clue. The author should have done a better job of getting it across in the first book though. Still, I'll continue, because now I have to see what this next character is going to be like coming out of her. You can tell she's a wild one so it might be fun!

[Rissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bright spot in a rainy day

She insults everyone to perfection!
These little shorts are a bright spot in a rainy day! A Must!
Listen to the audio it really brings the books to life!

[ysf.incolor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chelsea’s voice was unbearable lol, but I love the contrast to Lady Miss and Janet

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loving this series. Chelsea’s voice and attitude was a bit much but loving the concept

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

". . . something happens to me when I put these wigs on. I become almost a different person with each WIG."

Janet somewhat reluctantly shares her secret in this one. Now we've got TWO wigged-out gals - double the fun!

Can't wait to see what happens next . . .

[AMAO · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chelsea's Werk Week (Southern Belle Insults, #3) by Keke Palmer
Published November 9, 2021

<3 <3 <3

According to Lady Miss Jacqueline, her dear friend Janet is killing it. But appearances deceive in this sharply funny short story about best-laid plans, dirty blondes, and living life in all caps.

After slipping on Chelsea - a magical wig that comes with a gregarious personality - Janet is making strides at work and has a new friend and a confident strut. Life is fab. Isn’t it? Honestly, there’s something missing. Where’s the adventure? The purpose? What she needs is to tap into her inner daredevil. But her mystical wigmaker has a word of caution: should Janet lose control, it might not be so easy to get it back.

Chelsea’s Werk Week by Keke Palmer with Jasmine Guillory is part of Southern Belle Insults, a fiercely funny series of short stories set in the fully realized world of Keke’s viral phenomenon. Take Lady Miss Jacqueline’s advice: read or listen to them at once, without stopping, the whole way through. You’re welcome.

[Xe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only 4 stars because Chelsea’s voice stressed me out lol 😂😂

[Alaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe wigs really do release your inner baddie.

[Tameka Fleming · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miss Keke, I forgot how good an actress you are. I was reading these stories then decided to switch to audio; I did not know what I was missing. I love the themes of confidence and workplace politics. The name-dropping and pop culture references were excessive and superfluous. The story is good on its own without all of that.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crazy

Absolutely delightful. Really enjoy the images ans characters interaction. Chelsea seems so sweet and hard working. A different personality than Lady Miss. Can't wait to see what happens next.

[Lala · Rating 2 out of 5]

No. Just no. The tone of Chelsea bothered me, I quickly wanted that wig to be replaced and erased from Janet's character.

[Jessica &#x1f4da; · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chelsea’s voice made me want to pull my ears off😱🫨

[Shameka · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm starting to think listening to the audio version of these books is a mistake. While I appreciate Keke's ability to seamlessly switch between characters and create a distinct sound for each, listening to Chelsea was even more painful than Lady Miss. It's just way too much for my taste and is distracting me from the actual story. I vote for Janet to give up these wigs and try to find herself the old fashioned way.

[Sarmat Chowdhury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Babay, these keep getting funnier

Ok, if you haven’t picked up yet, this mini series from Keke Palmer and Jasmine Guillory are some of the funniest stories I’ve ever come across, and they revolve around something for black women and their protective hairstyles - wigs. The wigs help our character Janet change into a different persona of the wig (narrated by the Lady Miss, the original Southern Belle Insults.

I can’t wait to read the next one.

[Tania · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read!

I am really having fun reading this series. It seems that Janet is starting to think twice about the power of the wigs. I can't wait to read what happens next. I'm also intrigued by Peter's reaction to her.

[Bam cooks the books · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the third installment in this short and hilariously funny series, Janet tries on yet another magic wig, the dirty blond one they call 'Chelsea,' and becomes super vivacious, living life in all caps. But Janet has doubts this is the right one for her...

[Let Seshat Read · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was over her narration before the end of the story

Yep. I should've read this one instead of listening to the audio version. KeKe, in her essence glory, was a bit much with the narration for this series.

Respectfully, of course. 🖤

[Tia G · Rating 5 out of 5]

The voice KeKe used for Chelsea is hilarious. I do think Peter knows it’s really Janet under those wigs but we shall see.

[LaTonya Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the overall continuation of the story, but Chelsea's voice wore me out!! That voice and the way she was so annoying to me, but ! pushed through, lol. I'm looking forward to the next book.

[kamryn ౨ৎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was good but confusing

[Mindy Lou's Book Review · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yikes! I was not a fan of this wig’s personality.

[Shanell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was, as predicted, shady and humorous, but the voice of Chelsea didn't appeal to me. It was simply too much Janet herself for me, and I, like Lady Miss, am not a fan of dull Janet. I enjoy the extravagance that the wigs are meant to provide, so I'm excited to see Keri in action next.

[Kait Nolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with the prior installments, Keke Palmer's performance is spot on. Although warning to anyone who finds a Valley Girl accent and lots of "like" sprinkled in dialogue annoying, this one may set your teeth on edge.

[Michelle Seekings · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Take Lady Miss Jacqueline's advice: read or listen to them at once, without stopping, the whole way through. You're welcome."

Synopsis: Main character Janet Williams is 50 shades of beige and boring, her work life stale, her wardrobe an abomination to fashion, her love life nonexistent, but her inner voice, Lady Miss Jacqueline is magical, courageous, fabulous - but stuck inside. This 5 part Amazon mini-book/audible series takes us through the 5 personalities of Janet, as told through her wigs! In the first episode we meet and get to know boring Janet, and are introduced to Rahdswee's wig shop. Episode 2 takes you through Janet's life, as she wears the OVER-THE-TOP Lady Miss wig and quickly rises to the top of her work. Episode 3 introduces the long golden Chelsea wig and her gregarious personality as she finds success at work, but struggles with adventure and purpose. Episode 4 is from the edgy short haired wig of the Keke personality, who does not lack ADVENTURE, but fails at being egotistical, which threatens all her relationships. In Episode 5, we find Janet as long beautiful/fairytale, sweet Sophie wig, who is whimsical and confident. Janet is positively beaming, until the unthinkable happens. Can she find balance through these wigs and come out on top, breaking the cycle of boring and bland? Written by Keke Palmer with Rom Com Queen Jasmine Guillroy as part of the Southern Belle Insults Series, this mini-series kept me on my toes.

Personal Review on Southern Belle Insults #1-5: 3.5 Stars

These had me from the start, the audible of Keke Palmer as Lady Miss is absolutely divine and I was enamored from her first sentence. These are very short stories and easy to listen to and read. The struggle of most women to be the best that they can be - and balance work/home/personal life. I like how this was released as a mini series as it was perfect for reading one each night before bed. It was light, airy, and funny - so easy to cheer for the main character Janet.

XO, Lady Miss

[Megan Collins · Rating 1 out of 5]

After donning a long blond wig from the shop, Janet becomes Chelsea. She quickly smooths things over at work but at the cost of anything more than verbal accolades for her work. She commiserates with her new BFF Candace but still feels unsatisfied. She picks up a new wig from the shop but hesitates to don it and start a new adventure.
* * * * *-------------* * * * *-------------* * * * *
This installment is a bit sparse. We have a lot of Faux Valley Girl language that doesn’t convey much. Janet spends a week as Chelsea and we don’t really know much about her personality other than she is slightly less of a doormat than OG Janet with wine. It’s all rather unclear, especially once filtered through Lady Miss Jacqueline’s narration. Again, the waters between mental health issues and whimsical fantasy are blurred as she talks about failed marriages, celebrity friends, and pushing herself down a hill in side stories which may or may not be true. In the end this entry repeats the beats of the first and second chapters without much depth and the voice really made it rough to sit through. Maybe it will make more sense with the overall concept as the story continues.

[Sarah (AdventGeekGirl) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think the audio narration, while the author's voice, made the character difficult. When I was in college, I had a professor who had numerous exchanges with me over what dialogue in writing should look like or read like or sound like. I used to use real "recorded" conversations as part of a selection of short stories I was writing as an experimentation in writing. And he said it just doesn't work. Even the added idea of visual inflections and font emphasis doesn't feel like a real conversation. This story definitely took me back to that. It rekindled the flame of what makes for authentic sounding dialogue and character development. The characters in this series are truly bold, unique, and vibrant. But as I said, I think the audio for this contribution made it too over-the-top, while reading it without the audio would have taken some of the exaggerated edge off the character.

[Misse Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

NEW WIG, WHO DIS?!

In this third installment of the Southern Belle Insults Book, Janet is transformed very much like Lady Miss would have her when she tries on a blond wig that makes her fierce, fun, and FABULOUS!

“Well done, Chelsea! I had no Southern Belle insults for her—this dame was cut from the same FAB piece of cloth!”

There’s only one problem for Janet. Although she’s excelling at work and has built a friendship with Candice, it’s not enough. Janet wants to channel her inner beast and unleash a little more fire. So when she seeks out a new wig and is matched with one, she is cautioned that the wig comes with its own sort of power.

Funny, witty, and so Keke… I’m headed onto book 4!