Access Today The Bad Behavior Of Belle Cantrell Drafted By Loraine Despres Compiled As EText

takes place in Gentry,LA during the time of prohibition and suffrage, The author, Loraine Despres, is from Amite, LA, I picked it up because the author also wrote "the Southern Belle's Handbook" which I thought I had read and enjoyed, Turns out I got the Handbook confused with "A Southern Belle Primer" by Maryln Schwartz, I really tried to like this book, but it just didn't click with me, Belle is ayear old widow living with her mother in law on their plantation/farm, She is mother to ayear old girl, Belle has to confront: the clan, adultery, bigotry, murder and romance, The book jacket promised laughoutloud humor, Not so much. The only line that made me laugh was when Bourree overseer of the plantation was trying to get somebody to join the Klan, "It's your patriotic duty to join the Klan!" "Oh, hell," said Jake, "If I'd wanted to be patriotic, I wouldn't slip into a white dress like some damn fool and parade around nigger neighborhoods starting fires.
If I'd wanted to be a real patriot, I'd quit making moonshine, " BTW, Bourree is a card game, not a proper name, She should have named the overseer Boudreaux, Belle Cantrell felt guilty about killing her husband and she hated that, Feeling guilty, that is. A lady shouldn't do something she's going to feel guilty about later was a rule Belle kept firmly in mind, Welcome to the world of beautiful, irrepressible Belle Cantrell, years before she becomes grandmother to Sissy LeBlanc of Loraine Despres' bestselling The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc.
It is, prohibition is in full swing, women are clamoring for the vote and in the little town of Gentry, Louisiana, narrowminded intolerance is on the rise.
Sent to jail for swimming in an indecent bathing costume with a group of suffragists, Belle Cantrell knows her behavior broke the rules, But sometimes most of the time she has to twist the rules a little, because they all say the same thing: "Don't, " A sexy, sassy story of murder, adultery, romance, bigotry, and regular church attendance, with laughoutloud humor and a cast of zany, endearing characters you won't forget, The Bad Behavior of Belle Cantrell is a big comic love story.
. . and much more. Even though I didn't read it on vacation, it's that kind of book,
fun, easy, low key, interesting characters and a few "messages", but overall, well done, Loved it

This book is just as great at The Scandalous Summer of Sissy Leblanc, The author absolutely made the characters just as wonderful as in that book, The story kept me interested the entire time!! It does speak lightly of a very dark subject but sometimes that's a great way to shine and remember dark times in an easier and approachable manner.
This was a fun book about a Southern Belle during prohibition times who's husband was murdered, It does have some strong messages about prejudice and the lack of rights for women not evenyears ago,
Made me grateful for the 'sufferagettes' and other women who sacrificed for the rights I totally take for granted,

Not too heavy reading, very enjoyable story, Guess I would rate this book as O, K. Takes place in theErawomen getting the right to vote and the Ku Klux Klan in the south, The main character, Belle's guilt over her husband's death and wanting to move on with her life, The main reason I finished the book was because a friend shared it with me and I wanted to tell her I did! Listened to the abriged audiobook.
Once again, I wished that I had the full text to hear, Throughout the book I was conscious that I must be missing things, Oh, well. I could always check out the book,

Belle Cantrell lives in the small Louisiana town of Gentry during the's, Having lost her husband the very day he returns from WWI, Belle has to create a life for herself as a single woman, Though she lives with her southern matron motherinlaw and has raised her daughter to abide by the "Primer of Propriety", Belle is a decidedly unconventional woman.


Belle draws fireor at least arch looksfrom polite society due to her bad behavior: taking part in the movement for women's suffrage, being arrested wearing an "indecent" swimming suit, giving too much authority to her black foreman, and taking up with a married Jewish man.


The book touches on such topics as Prohibition, women's suffrage, racism, and the Ku Klux Klan, All of these things come to a head as the Gentry chapter of the Ku Klux Klan takes action, seeking both personal revenge as well as increased membership.


Not great literature, but basically entertaining, This story had me laughing out loud and gasping at the venomous racism of the KKK that the author unflinchingly tackles, Smart, impeccable historical women's fiction with a passionate romance and a great heroine, I actually didn't think I'd like this book, It took me FOREVER to pick it up and start reading it because I was scared I'd hate it, It was actually a very easy read about ayear old woman during women's suffrage in the United States and her feelings and thoughts towards discrimination.
Belle is not your typical southern woman in the's, Pretty good book! I wasn't sure what to think about this book, and after the first few chapters, almost put it down, However, I'm glad I stuck it out until the end, The author has done an excellent job researching the time period, and incorporating the events of the early's into the narrative, but not in an overbearing, didactic wayor in just a cursory way.
I don't usually read books about this time period, but am now fascinated about all the things that were going on at the same timethe end of WWI, prohibition, women's suffrage, the KKK.
It all comes together in this story about a small town in Louisiana, I think the author does a good job pulling it all together in the story and making it relatively believable, I laughed out loud at the account of the Tennessee senator chased out of the Senate chamber by his colleagues when he cast the deciding vote to ratify women's suffrage.


I am not sure that this book would be accurately described as chicklit but as I think women will enjoy it more than men I guess it works.
I really enjoyed this book, The main character is interesting and spunky, This book has a little bit of everything from romance to dealing with social issues in the south at the beginning of the last century.
I especially enjoyed the characters involvement in the women's suffragette movement, Definetely pick up this book if you have time, Well, this book started out great! The beginning was funny and I immediately enjoyed the main character Belle, Then the book took a serious turn with the way of life of the ku klux klan in southern Louisiana during the time frame that this story took place.
So the storyline became deeper and the characters more complex suddenly in the story, I felt that the story was very well written, I loved Belles strong beliefs, her courage and her humor, The ending of the story was fantastic and just right! This book was on my wishlist for years, ever since I read sitelinkThe Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc maybe likeoryears ago.
So when I found a copy on one of my usual Goodwill ventures, I was psyched! And it was a brandnew looking hardback too.
Even better as I'm a fool for a hardback, especially for books I plan on hanging on to, The time finally felt right to read this book, and I dove right in, I was hooked from that quirky beginning, I immediately liked Belle as a character, she was totally relatable, and made me laugh, I could feel for her when she was down too, I never stopped rooting for her, even when she did silly things, And I can say I'm damn sure glad that the women back then went through the things they did to ensure the equal treatment and the rights I have today.
I wasn't expecting to really learn anything about that with this book, and was pleasantly surprised, I think it helped give the story even more depth and impact, In fact, it wasn't the only weighty issue in this story, And I loved it. I went in thinking it was going to be a light, fluffy romp with some comedy and mischief, but I came away feeling like I had seen a moment in time in a real small town, good and bad.
I even liked Miss Effie by the end, when in the beginning I didn't like the old battleax at all, All the characters interested me though, the Rubinsteins and Rafe especially, Man, I would've hated being back then, everyone in town all up in my business about who I'm dating, who I'm hanging out with, telling me I can't have the most excellent farm manager in the county because of his race, telling me I can't date a guy who's a different religion, all up in my business if I get a damn haircut! Sheesh.
Poor Belle, no wonder she wanted to be rebellious at times, I was interested in Claude too, I was actually sad he died so soon, I wanted to see more of him lol, But I liked Rafe, and I liked their relationship, how she kinda earned to live a little, Oh man, but Bouree, while it was intriguing to see him, he made me so mad! What an ass, I would've shot him probably.
Even though I got frustrated at Belle's place in the time period, I still found it awesome to see the story set in this era.
I can count the number of stories I've read in this time period probably on a finger or two, so I loved it, The emergence of the modern warring with the oldfashioned ways, the atmosphere of something new coming over the horizon, . . Even though technically I know the Depression was coming, I still could feel that excitement of a new day when the vote to ratify womens' voting was announced there at the party.
It was also the small glimpses into the family life back then, seeing Cady and Nina dealing with teenage things that don't seem too different than nowadays minus all the nonstop inyourface social networking and crap.
The family dinners, the work on the farm, It was good. The slower pace of things back then was nice too, I want to learn more about the era now, I have a craving to start looking stuff up, There was even some action towards the end, the showdown moment, with the townsfolk on both sides, the angerinducing way the Rubinsteins were being treated.
. . it kinda got my heart going, I was worried, lol, It was a good ending, even if it was sort of open ended and not necessarily the expected HEA, I have a craving to give Sissy LeBlanc a reread now that I know Belle's story, I remember the basic outline of what happened, but all the fascinating little details have faded with time, Seriously thinking about digging it out and going for it, though I know I've got likebooks on the ol' TBR mountain, . . So, we'll see. Really tempted though
So glad I found this book, I'm really hoping the author comes out with another story of some sort, I really like the style, the way she gets me right into the characters and the town.
Not necessarily even a story related to the other two, just a new story would be cool, I hope

it happens one day :D.