The Southern Belles of Honeysuckle Way

Bruckheimer has a real affection for Blue Lick Springs and the question of what small-town America loses when development wins is handled with more sincerity than the frothy cover implies. But Kirkus's critique about overloaded metaphors and too many subplots lands — the novel tries to do more than its structure can support. A lark for devoted Southern fiction readers, but hard to call a priority pick.