Miss Julia Renews Her Vows

I just started reading this book and so far its really good. I have read the first 10 of this series and I would not be disappointed. Miss Julia and Lillian remind me of either "Lucy and Ethel" or "Thelma and Louise". What these 2 women get themselves into is always a hoot but always come out on top. Laughs a mile a minute is just great for lifting ones spirit. Give this series a try. You won't regret it.

Another great book! I stretched it out so that it lasted three days. As with all the other Miss Julia books, I hated for it to end. I just wish the author could write them faster. My book is now making the rounds in my office. We all just love Miss Julia, her family, and friends.

This is the coziest of cozy mysteries, nary a body in sight nor a life-threatening situation for Miss (really Mrs. Sam Murdoch) Julia, the heroine. My first thought was "Ho-hum, this is going to be slow going," but barely into the book I was absolutely charmed by Miss Julia and her friends. She's a Southern belle with almost Victorian standards, and yet not above hinting gently at things of the flesh. Two plot lines fuel this, the twelfth book in this series. In one, Etta Mae, a home health worker and a protégée of Miss Julia's, is accused of attacking a woman in her care and stealing a valuable gold bracelet. The victim is, however, the most unpleasant and vindictive of women, who has just moved back to Abbotsville after the death of her fifth husband (and there's something suspicious about the death of number four). When Julia wonders how Francie Pitts keeps attracting men, Sam suggests that perhaps Francie knows certain erotic secrets. That leaves Miss Julia in a tizzy, wondering if she should learn those secrets, not that she would ever bring the subject up. And the church brings in a marriage enrichment counselor, Dr. Fred Fowler, with whom Miss Julia had a previous embarrassing encounter in her widowhood days. She's terrified that Dr. Fowler will recognize her, yet Sam insists that they should support the church program. Once again, Julia is in a quandary: does he think their marriage needs enrichment? She thought it was pretty rich. But she feigns illness to avoid the meetings, and then has a hard time convincing everyone she's not deathly ill. And Francie Pitts, with her eye on Sam Murdoch for her sixth husband, is hopeful that Julia's illness will be fatal. And then there's Hazel Marie and her new husband, J. D. Pickens. It took Hazel Marie a long time to drag him to the altar, but he succumbed when she turned up expecting twins. So Hazel Marie, J. D., and her teen-age son Lloyd are living with Miss Julia and Sam. Lillian, the-housekeeper pretty much completes the cast of zany characters, except for various gossip-minded ladies of the church. It's all good fun, except that it's serious--Etta Mae could go to jail, Julia's marriage could be in trouble, and Hazel Marie's pregnancy is in jeopardy. Miss Julia is the ultimate schemer and amateur detective, and in the end she straightens it all out in a denouement that brings her, Francie Pitts, and Fred Fowler together in the church's bridal parlor--along with Pastor Ledbetter--in yet another embarrassing (and hilarious) scene. Don't expect Miss Julia to walk down the aisle again (she and Sam have already had two weddings, though the first was not binding and they're not absolutely sure about the second). But the way they renew their vows will give you a chuckle. I for one am going back to catch up on Miss Julia's earlier adventures. by Judy Alter for Story Circle Book Reviews reviewing books by, for, and about women

Ann Ross has done it again. Lots of writers who continue with a series lose their touch after the fifth or sixth book, but Ann Ross just keeps getting better and better. This book finds Miss Julia happy that J.D. Pickens has finally made an honest woman out of Hazel Marie and Miss Julia is ready to relax for a change. But no, no, that's not about to happy. Sam informs her that Pastor Ledbetter has scheduled a series of classes on marriage enrichment and he wants him and Julia to attend as sort of mentors. Julia gets it into her head that Sam is unhappy and is looking for way to enrich their own marriage. She then starts trying to figure out what she is doing wrong. She and Sam go to church on Sunday and the pastor introduces the man who is going to conduct the seminar, Dr. Fred Fowler. Oh no, he's the one who got Miss Julia in the bridal parlor all those years ago and she forgot herself. So, Miss Julia starts trying to figure out a way to get out of those classes and that's when the fun begins. Then, another problem turns up: Etta Mae Wiggins gets accused of assault and robbery and of course, Miss Julia has to investigate and prove Etta Mae innocent. This book is so uproariously funny, you will laugh out loud. I'm in my fifties and I don't have the energy she does to keep on doing the things she does. Do not miss this book. Miss Julia is a trip of the best kind.

Now that she has FINALLY gotten Hazel Marie to walk down the aisle (such as it was) with Mr. J.D. Pickens, maybe Julia Springer Murdoch will actually have a chance to take it easy for a while. But no, that's not the way her life goes. Most senior citizens wouldn't be able to keep up with the pace this woman sets. Heaven knows what kind of calamities would descend upon the residents of Abbotsville, North Carolina, if Miss Julia didn't intervene. As usual, Julia immediately finds herself dealing with various predicaments. Some of them are real; and some are imagined, but are nevertheless very real to her. The Presbyterian church across the street is sponsoring "marriage enrichment" counseling sessions, designed to put the passion back into stale relationships. And Julia's husband Sam wants them both to attend! Is something wrong with their marriage that he's not revealing? How can she get out of going to these silly (not to mention inappropriate) sessions? And can she ever confess to him the real reason she doesn't want to go? At the same time, Julia's friend Etta Mae Wiggins finds herself wanted by the police. She's a suspect in a somewhat dubious assault case. Can Julia rescue Etta Mae and find out who REALLY bopped Francie Pitts Delacorte on the noggin? It seems the local police force is always in need of assistance in these matters. It's fun to once again connect with Miss Julia and her extended family, including Lillian and little Lloyd. This time Julia finds out that a person can only pretend to be sick so long, before other people start treating her as if she's an invalid. And lurking in the background is her very real worry that Hazel Mae and J.D. may not have what it takes to make their own marriage work. And they've got baby twins on the way! New readers to the series will find some enjoyment in this episode. But devoted fans will be the ones to most appreciate the trip back to Abbotsville, where it's always Miss Julia who has to straighten everything out.

The Miss Julia books take us to a place where the pace is slower, the people actually spend time face to face (instead of hooked up to an electronic device) and where manners and morals are clear (at least as far as Miss Julia is concered!). Miss Julia is the kind of woman who does things the right way. But most of the time she has the most outrageous adventures just trying to "make things right." You have to love a woman who still uses calling cards and informals and who had the sense to marry Sam Murdoch!