Sharon SalaThe Curl Up and Dye

I bought this because I liked the title and cover, and I can often enjoy some light Southern lit — overall, I liked it enough to read to the end, but not enough to recommend. LilyAnn is a former beauty queen who has been putting her life on hold for 11 years, ever since her boyfriend was killed in Iraq just out of high school. A handsome stranger moves into town, and the blip of interest LilyAnn feels upon seeing him inspires her to lose weight and pull out of her funk. What I liked: LilyAnn is a likable, believable heroine, and I enjoyed her journey of self-discovery. What didn't work for me: the love story. She and one of the love interests act like they're 13, not 29, and he's SO goopily in love with her that he's been pining for her all this time (since high school!??) seemingly without a single relationship and yet without ever saying anything to her. I could understand if he were an ugly geek and she still the beauty queen, but that's not the case. SPOILER-ISH ALERT: The other thing that bothered me is there's a rape scene that, in my opinion, hedges on victim-blaming. I understand the author has a LOT of novels under her belt so maybe some of the others are better.

I liked this book both times I read it. My question is, and someone may know, why did they reprint it and change the title? I bought it under both titles thinking it was a different book. Inside the cover of You and Only You, is the notation, originally printed as The Curl Up and Dye. I don't remember reading it the first time but still liked it. Does anyone know why it may have been reprinted under a different title? I have researched this and can find no answers. Even contacted Sharon Sala but I don't expect an answer from her. Too busy? I read all of her books and have never been disappointed. Just letting people know that if you do read her books, don't make the mistake I did and buy both of these books. It is the same book. Just want to now why.

I've read 1/3 of this waste of time book. SO disappointed!! The reviews I'd read made this 'author' sound really good, so I bought. Big mistake. I wish I could get my money back. Anyone can string words together, that doesn't make that anyone an writer. That's all this book is, words strung together with a very underdeveloped plot. It's a terribly simple story but a writer with talent would have made it rewarding to read or walked away, since it's been done so many times before. Ugly duckling turns into swan, realizes true love. Sorry if that's a spoiler but this story is so predictable I'm not going to waste time finishing it. I thought I'd found a new author (again, from the reviews) but I have not.E-books are ruining my reading experiences. Trash is being produced and SOLD to unsuspecting readers like me. (I do love my Paperwhite Kindle as my eyes age.)I did appreciate that the book was clean - with the notable exception of the f-bomb being dropped out of nowhere, from time to time.

Every time I read one of Sharon Sala's books I swear it's her best one yet! My two all time favorites were Remember Me and The Boarding House. I have a new favorite, The Curl Up and Dye!!!I love reading cozies, they make me laugh, cry and just plain feel good. Most cozies are centered in a shop or some sort of business. The Curl Up and Dye is a beauty salon in Blessings, GA. It's run by Ruby, a character I fell in love with. If my prayers are answered I will be reading many more stories set in Blessings, GA.This was basically the story of LilyAnn and Mike. It's a story of rebirth, growth, finding love and southern wisdom lol!! I loved it. The character development was so good that I even had soft spots for some of the folks that made some bad decisions.While reading I would think, "that's so Sharon" and I would laugh out loud!!! The Curl Up and Dye has everything! Humor, romance, drama! I want to move to Blessings!!!! Please Sharon, don't make us wait too long for another story from Blessings, GA. You are a master story teller and I can't wait!!!!

LilyAnn Bronte was the girl everyone wanted to be but after eleven years of morning her deceased fiancé, she is now the woman, no one wants to be. LilyAnn is overweight, has not personality, works a dead-end job at the local drug store and has no future planned. Even her best friend Mike Dalton hasn't been able to figure out how to get her mind back to the living.When a new guy comes to town driving a truck like Randy Joe's, LilyAnn becomes aware of the world around her and realizes that no one pays her any attention. She comes and goes alone, if Mike didn't spend time with her she would be all alone. Coming out of her self-imposed shell is hard but LilyAnn wasn't the Peachy Keen Queen for nothing.Delightful small town story with an edge. The characters are full blown and real and I loved the story line. I hope she continues this as a series. I'd love to spend more time in Blessings.

This book was just plain bad. It was all tell with very little (if any) show, and there was very little interaction between H/h -- most of it was about the people around them and H/h relationship(s) with them! The "misunderstanding" was so flimsy it couldn't carry the story and I became extremely irritated about this "problem" which could have been resolved with a simple conversation, and not even a difficult conversation at that. Neither H/h were interesting people. The heroine's background and lingering trauma over the death of her high school boyfriend ELEVEN years after the fact was unconvincing. The writing was pretty miserable and failed to convey any emotions between H/h so very soon I didn't care whether (or how) they were going to get together for their HEA. Though I didn't pay much money for this book, I have lost time that I can't get back. I recommend staying away from this one.

Having read both 'Count Your Blessings', the opening novella, and 'I'll Stand By You', this novel was a disappointment. The good-heartedness and camaraderie of the Curl Up and Dye salon team was still there, as was the pettiness of small town life, but I found the 'heroine' less than heroic, and the thought that a former beauty queen would let herself turn into an overweight, ill-kempt recluse because 11 years ago her boyfriend of a year was killed in Iraq, did not ring true, any more than did the massive weight loss from such small changes in her habits, or the claim that her sudden wake-up call was due to the sound of a vehicle's exhaust! Sorry, but LilyAnn was a self-absorbed woman, wallowing in her past, and it doesn't say much for the handsome, successful Mike that he hung around all that time waiting for her to notice him. It's only when LilyAnn finally finds a bit of 'spunk' that she comes alive, and, to be honest, by then I didn't really care. I'm sure there will be lots of objections, too, when I say that Rachel should also learn from her experiences: her behaviour was not pretty.The opening novella saw a biter bit; 'I'll Stand By You' saw small town gossips, bullies, and self-stated worthies get their come-uppance, and I can highly recommend both, but I'd give this one a miss.

Excellent so good. Those southern ladies must be loaded they are always going to the hair dresser. LilyAnn is a great character well worth the read.So sad when it was finished.

It was ok. The characters were quite weak and predictable. Got light chick lit it was ok.

Loving this series.

Can't believe how long I got to wait for next book