Western Swing

In Western Swing, Sandlin revisits Kelly Palomino, the main character of his "Sex and Sunsets." Although Kelly now goes by the name of Loren (KP being a pen name of Loren, now a full-time author) he retains many of the same hyper-romantic, if misguidely so, character traits. This time, the story shifts between Loren's viewpoint and that of his wife, Lana Sue. Both are charmingly dysfunctional and find themselves in situations that provide for melodrama and warped comedy. Once again, the main strengths lie in Sandlin's distinct voice and offbeat humor. The casual way his characters talk about everything from violence to insanity to statutory rape might be off-putting to some readers, but to me at least, it all seems pretty harmless and awfully funny in Sandlin's capable hands. On the whole, this isn't quite on par with Sandlin's best work, its far from his weakest. It will be a hit with fans of Sandlin's other work or anybody with a taste for offbeat literature.

I couldn't frickin' believe anyone gave this book less than 4 stars! Well, the humor is a tad dry, but this has to be Sandlin's best. This book is like that girlfriend you love just because she's a basketcase, you know? You'll love all the characters.

i have never felt so in touch with a book as i did with this one. i laughed & cried--especially when the end came and i had to put it down. there is so much depth in sandlin's characters, it's almost hard to see it if you aren't looking in the right place. i love this author, i have to go out & read his other stuff if it's as good as this!

After reading the Gro Vont trilogy I needed another Sandlin fix. While not on par with Skipped Parts or Sorrow Floats, this book is still more entertaining and worthwhile than most. Its characters are idiosyncratic and at its best, this book creates scenes that rank with the best of Sandlin's tragically comic tales. Probably not the best book to be introduced to Sandlin with, but it is worth a read from those that are familiar with and enjoy his other work.

I've read all of the Sandlin books available, and I find this one to be his best. As in all of his writing, I find myself laughing out loud many times, and realizing that many of his stories could very well happen. There are 2 main characters in this book, one male and one female...and the narration bounces from one to other. Once ya get past that, and figure out which one is talking, it's a rather kewl way of seeing both sides of a really interesting couple. Better hang on...it doesn't get much better than this!!