Book Review ~ Sweet Olive by Judy Christie

Sweet Olive

Trumpet & Vine Series, Book 1

Judy Christie

Contemporary Fiction

About the book: 

Camille Gardner is trapped in the middle when a unique Southern town collides with the 'outside world' and big oil. A talented negotiator, Camille Gardner agrees to take on one last field assignment for her uncle before she settles down to pursue her real passion---working at an art gallery. But she'd rather be anywhere than Samford, Louisiana, the small southern town where she once spent the worst weeks of her life. To fulfill the obligation she feels to her uncle, Camille needs to entice a group of rural landowners to sell their mineral rights---and allow use of their precious water for the drilling of natural gas. Instead, she finds herself drawn to the local folk art created by those same landowners and attracted to Marsh Cameron, the attorney representing the landowners. The charming residents and the traditions of this small community leave Camille conflicted about her family obligations---and her own plans for the future. Perhaps she needs to give Samford a second chance.

My thoughts:

Judy Christie is back with a new series! If you enjoyed her Green series you are sure to delight in this new tale. Judy's books are very character driven and the personalities that make up the town of Samford, Louisiana are a great mix.

This is a story of a group of eccentric artists that take on a big oil company. The artists are represented by the beloved local boy Marsh Cameron. Camille Gardner is representing her uncle's oil company. The oil company is interested in acquiring rights to the minerals and water of the artist's land. The artists are very leery of having oil rigs on their land. They've seen what can happen when the oil companies come in and they don't want to risk losing what they have in Sweet Olive.

Camille is known for her amazing abilities to close a deal. Unfortunately for her uncle she's also very interested in art and the people who produce it. As she gets to know the residents of Sweet Olive her heart becomes torn and she has to choose to do what is right, which isn't always what her boss wants.

I really enjoyed the dynamic relationships that were formed during this first book in the series. We are given a brief description of the corner of Trumpet and Vine and I am looking forward to seeing what all takes place in that location. This was a great start to what promises to be a wonderful series!

Connect with the author:

www.JudyChristie.com

Facebook

Twitter ~ @judypchristie