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The Officers' Ex-Wives Club #2

Southern Fried Blues

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She's newly single and determined to never fall for a military man again.
He's a sexy officer who doesn't believe in love.
And they think they can handle a no-strings relationship.
Bless their hearts.


She’s no damsel in distress
Anna Martin's newly single and determined to never fall for a military man again. So when Mr. Swoony, sweep-her-off-her-feet saves her from a swarm of fire ants, she says thank you and sends this officer and gentleman on his merry way. But those dang butterflies in her stomach won't stop swarming now. She needs to get this man out of her system stat so she can get back to her to do list. One that does not include a sexy, blue-eyed, dimple-cheeked military officer.

He’s a knight in camouflage armor
Jackson Davis believes in family, football, and Uncle Sam. He treats people right, he takes his military uniform seriously, and he loves his dog, but he’s not built for true love. After all, if a man good as his daddy—his hero—couldn’t do it right, what chance does Jackson have?

And they think they can keep friends-with-benefits as a no-strings affair
Sometimes it's best to just give in and get it out of your system. Right? Neither of them are looking for anything long-term. It could be fun…Bless their Hearts. They’re both gonna end up with a big ol’ case of Southern Fried Blues.

340 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 29, 2013

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About the author

Jamie Farrell

17 books686 followers
Jamie Farrell writes humorous contemporary romance. She believes love and laughter are two of the most powerful forces in the universe.

A native Midwesterner, Jamie has lived in the South the majority of her adult life. When she's not writing, she and her military hero husband are busy raising three hilariously unpredictable children.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 169 reviews
Profile Image for Carol [Goodreads Addict].
2,573 reviews25.1k followers
November 11, 2015
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Southern Fried Blues is book one in the series, The Officers’ Ex-Wives Club by Jamie Farrell. There are so many things I want to tell you about this book, so many reasons I want to give you to read it, so many reasons I loved it so much. I don’t think I have the time or you have the patience to read them all.

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Anna Martin was an Air Force Wife. She thought her marriage was solid, her life planned out. And Anna did like to plan and organize things. She was ready to start planning for children. But then her husband, Neil dumped her. He publicly ended their marriage in the most humiliating of ways while giving a toast at their friends’ wedding. Anna’s life was thrown into chaos. So she did what she did best…got out her label maker and started labeling and organizing things. Anna had postponed her own education, moving time and time again as a military wife. So she straightened her back, put up her chin and took hold of her life. She had a job for a military contractor that tests fuel used in the air force planes. She went back to school to work on her degree and acquire needed certifications at the same time, still working full time. It’s on her way to her first night of class already running late that she realized that she had parked on a huge ant hill and her car was overrun with ants. To the rescue was a very good looking, Windex wielding southern gentleman.

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Major Jackson Beauregard Davis, United States Air Force, was new in town. He had just gotten transferred. Jackson was a southern gentleman through and through. He couldn’t leave a damsel in distress, even though she kept saying she didn’t need his help. But he helped her anyway, and vanquished those ants with Windex. Who knew Windex had so many uses! He was instantly curious about this woman and wouldn’t mind trying to figure her out but Jackson was about as commitment shy as they come. He didn’t do relationships. He’d seen enough military marriages crumble. They meet again at their friend’s barbecue and over a bet on a game of redneck golf, Anna who Jackson has begun calling, ��Anna Grace,’ loses and agrees to organize Jackson’s kitchen. So off she goes with her label maker to pay her debt.

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Did I mention that Anna Grace also has a thing for Ketchup? When she’s stressed, she likes to do Ketchup shots. This is clearly a woman who has quirks. And you can’t help but to love her, quirks and all. And her pies, can she ever bake pies!

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The more time Jackson and Anna Grace spend together, the better they get to know each other, the more they both realize that they enjoy each other’s company. But as I said, Jackson doesn’t want permanent and Anna Grace has vowed to never marry another military man. But this is temporary, right? He will eventually get transferred. So their time together has an expiration date. So why not enjoy it while it lasts?

“If she could handle his putting up emotional road blocks, he could handle her sticking around for awhile.”

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I couldn’t help but to love Anna Grace. Her friend, Jules, was going through some very trying times of her own. As a result, Jules treated Anna horribly. Did Anna Grace give up on her? Never! And Jackson, “sigh!” He loved to play dumb redneck but Jackson was a highly educated man with a heart of gold. On one particular evening when things for Anna had gone horribly awry and when Jackson tucked her into his guest room and silently slipped two ketchup packets onto the table next to her, I about melted into a puddle. He truly got her.

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This book is loaded with humor as only Jamie Farrell can dish out. I think that’s why I love her books so much. They are the perfect mix of funny laugh out loud moments and moments that might have you shedding a tear or two. The issues her characters deal with are real issues and the characters are all so easy to love. I look forward to future books for this series or anything else that she is so inclined to write.


Profile Image for Wendy'sThoughts.
2,665 reviews3,272 followers
August 30, 2020
3 North/South Mix Stars
* * * Spoiler Free
Take a Northern Gal plunked down in the South with an engineer's mind, a talent for baking, a get it done attitude, and an Industrial size label maker.
Mix it with a true Southern Military gentleman who is fascinated with her. Between the culture clashes, sparks flying and questions about love... you have a sweet tale of perseverance.

A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

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Profile Image for Katy Regnery.
Author 96 books4,153 followers
September 25, 2013
This was one of those books that had me racing to finish, yet sad it was ending, at the same time. You know the ones. Your Kindle says 80% and you start to panic, but "Darn it! I have to know what's going to happen!" so you read some more and you look up and it says 90% and you put the Kindle down and step away, but you keep staring at it because you NEED TO KNOW THE ENDING and so you pick it up but by 96% you're really a mess because Jamie Farrell doesn't have a follow-up out yet and you're going to be stranded without her funny, witty, clever voice if you finish the book. Yeah, like that. You just don't want it to end.

Anna (or Anna Grace, as she's called by Jackson, the toe-curling hero, in a slow Southern drawl!) has had it with love. Dumped by her jerky husband after giving up everything for him, she finds herself at loose ends. Finally, she decides to take control of her life and goes back to school to earn the degree she missed out on while living the transient life of an army wife. Enter Jackson (the toe-curling one) who is more than a little gunshy about falling in love, himself, deeply affected by the loss of his father and his mother's subsequent choices.

They play redneck golf (on ladders!), they BBQ with friends, Anna labels Jackson's kitchen after she looses a bet, and Jackson can't seem to keep away from Anna. His grandmother Mamie seems to recognize the truth about his feelings before he does, but there's a very touching scene when he realizes he's fallen in love with Anna. His challenge will be to convince the battered divorcee to take another chance on love.

Ms. Farrell has a strong voice liberally peppered with Southern colloquialisms that I found charming (if you are not a fan of Southern speech patterns, you may find it over-the-top, but it definitely worked for me) and she created characters with believable challenges. I was rooting for these two from the start and the touching epilogue had my eyes glistening.

An incredibly strong debut, Ms. Farrell's book is well worth reading!
Profile Image for Kinship Press.
148 reviews9 followers
February 4, 2014
Originally reviewed on These Pretty Words.

I just wrapped up reading Southern Fried Blues by Jamie Farrell and have to admit that my brain’s a little exhausted. When Kristin sent me the summary, I thought it sounded adorable. Having limited experience with the South, I was slightly wary but looking forward to the read. Finding out that the heroine, Anna, was from Minnesota was a bonus – someone I could relate to! – but again made me a little nervous after the last fictional portrayal I read featuring my homeland.

In the beginning, we meet Anna while she’s married to Neil and all seems to be going well. While attending their friends’ wedding, Neil publicly humiliates her and asks for a divorce. He’s a jerk. In fact, during the first few chapters it seems like every single person in Anna’s life is a jerk. Her boss Shirley is pushy and while she seems to have good intentions, the delivery is overly harsh. Don’t even get me started on Anna’s “friend” and co-worker, Jules. We’ll come back to her.

Things I liked about the story: the plot in general was cute, as the summary led me to believe. Anna was a strong character and didn’t spend much time lamenting her divorce, instead she took charge of her life and went after what she wanted. She was slightly too independent at times, stubbornly refusing the slightest bit of help from anyone, especially Jackson, and she had a penchant for taking shots of ketchup when she got stressed out (this is apparently a Minnesotan thing…?), but for the most part, I really liked her.

I also liked Jackson a lot. He was sweet, patient, military (yum), chivalrous but willing to back off and let Anna take care of things herself when she needed to. I loved the moments when he was across the room, watching to see if she was okay, but waiting for her sign that she needed him versus just swooping in and taking over.

I have two main issues that kept me from loving this book. First was the handful of a-hole characters, particularly Jules. This woman…I can’t even tell you how horrible she is. She blames Anna for causing a “scene” at her wedding (because it’s totally her fault that her jerk husband publicly dumped her in the middle of his best man toast!), she is constantly belittling her, she’s always cranky and telling Anna to take her “sunshine” attitude elsewhere, she forces Anna into a blind date she doesn’t want AND pulls the ultimate jerk move and sends Neil to crash a wedding Anna’s attending to try and win her back and acts like she was doing Anna a favor because she was never going to get anyone else to date her. To sum it up, Jules is a witch with a capital B…and Anna seems to think that’s 100% acceptable in a friendship. She did not have one single redeemable moment in the entire story, yet Anna sticks up for her and thinks positively of her for almost the entire story. The part that really got me about this was that Anna wasn’t a pushover. She verbally attacks Jackson’s sister after meeting her a grand total of two times, and for something that really has nothing to do with her, yet she takes every negative comment and insult Jules throws at her like it’s completely normal behavior. I’m still shaking my head over that one.

Jules aside, I simply felt lost and confused for a lot of the story. Looking back, it was like reading a book in a foreign language where I was knowledgeable enough to get the gist, but not fluent enough to really grasp what was happening. The southern speech patterns were so strong, not only in the dialogue, but also in Jackson’s internal thoughts, that I had a rough time following. Half the time I just ended up feeling stupid because I couldn’t tell what they were talking about. There was a lot of talk about biscuits (seemingly as a euphemism for a woman’s eligibility/willingness/appeal for marriage), to the point where it felt like they were mentioned several times every chapter. Obviously going in, I was aware that it was a Southern romance and expected a lot of regional references, but it got to the point where I felt like I needed a translator to get me through to the end.
Profile Image for Maria.
Author 26 books464 followers
August 30, 2013
Anna has given up everything to follow her Air Force husband around the country, including the opportunity to finish her engineering degree. But that's okay, because marriage is all about sacrifice, right? Besides, she's good at being a military wife and even has the upscale premium label maker to prove it. When her husband divorces and dumps her in the middle of the deep south, Anna has two choices: Go running back home to mommy and daddy, or tough it out and stay where she is and finish her degree. She chooses the latter and vows she and her label maker will never uproot their lives again for any man.

But Jackson isn't just any man. He's an Air Force officer and a gentleman, emphasis on the last part. Jackson is dreamy hot and sweet and smart and just about any girl's dream. Except Anna's, because falling for Jackson would mean putting her life second to the military again and she's already gone that route once with disastrous results.

When the two of them meet over a fire ant incident, sparks fly and romance ensues. So does a lot of laughter. And a lot of tender moments. Anna and Jackson are characters we grow to love and root for all the way down to the tender sweet happily-ever-after. I absolutely loved their story.

Jamie Farrell writes contemporary romance with a light and sexy touch that will have you laughing one moment, and sighing the next. I can't recommend this book more!
Profile Image for Caren ~ the misfit geek.
185 reviews32 followers
December 31, 2013
I really, really enjoyed this book. I was totally hooked from the start and what a start it was. I love it when an author grabs my attention with a “Holy cow, I can’t believe that just happened!” moment right away. The story was completely believable and engaging. This is feel-good southern fiction at its best.

The characters in this book are fantastic. I connected with Anna right away. She has a serious independent streak that rivals mine. I do not often develop book-crushes but Jackson is totally dreamy. The initial flirtation between the two was incredibly fun. I enjoyed the way the relationship progressed and how they each struggled with it. The supporting characters were not as strong but they were still very necessary to the story.

This book is filled with southern charm and wit and most definitely is a worthwhile read. I am impressed with this debut novel. It is obvious that Jamie Farrell possesses tremendous story-telling talent and a remarkable sense of humor. I am so anxious to read what she writes next.
Profile Image for Margaret.
Author 50 books1,121 followers
November 1, 2013
***GUEST REVIEWER FOR BESTSELLERS BESTSTELLARS OF ROMANCE***

4 SOUTHERN FRIED STARS ****

I was given this book as an ARC, and without reading the blurb I dove head first into it.
The book is set in the South and starts off at Anna and Neil’s (married) friend’s wedding. Neil decides to break it to Anna that he wants a divorce because Anna’s OCD ways is driving him crazy.
Anna, has a very huge love affair with order and an obsession with her label maker, which is what causes Neil to want to give up on their marriage due to her anally retentive ways.

So Anna finds herself in the South, where Neil was stationed (his military) where she’s in a job that she likes, with her friend that’s just gotten married, who incidentally is her manager at work.

Anna had given up university with only a few credits left when Neil was moved. So Anna being the strong determined lady she is, decides to finish university and make something of herself and not rely on any man to support her.

Along comes Jackson, a good Southern gentleman that is also in the military who, one night, saves her from a red ant infestation in her car. He asks for her number but being recently divorced she’s not really interested.

This story has some fantastic smart humor that I really appreciated.
I believe this is Jamie’s debut novel and I have to make special mention of something that blew me away. This book is by far the BEST edited book I have ever read. To me it’s impossible to fault the editing and the writing style. Flawless is really the only word I can use to describe them.

BUT… This is what lost the book a perfect score.

I feel the author has really closed her market group for this book. Yes I understand it’s set in the south, but I found it very difficult to read the heavy southern speech, there were things in the book that I had no idea what they were talking about and I needed to ask my American friends what it meant. I feel that if the author toned it down just a little then the book is marketable to everyone that can read.

The other thing that I got quite annoyed about to, is the heavy military acronyms. I’m not in the military and have no idea what the acronyms meant.

So in saying all of that, this is what I take away from the book.
1 – It’s a beautifully written, extremely well edited contemporary romance.
2 – There are so many smart and funny references in the book that it had me smiling and laughing.
3 – I TOTALLY will read the next book that comes out from this author.
4 – I definitely recommend this book to anyone that likes a contemporary romance.
Profile Image for Dee.
1,423 reviews
January 21, 2015
Review Copy Provided by Author

oh where to begin (and don’t worry, this isn’t bad in the slightest). I probably never would have gotten my hot little hands on this book without seeing my former room-mate from college talking to the author on facebook (so I blame you Jen). But the description and the cover (because admit it, the cover is gorgeous!) caught my eye and even though I typically avoid military romances, since I find they rarely live up to my experiences, I figured with the author being a military wife, it would probably be as close to an accurate representation of military life as possible. And boy was I right…

As soon as I started reading, I felt like I was transported back to one of the many military functions that I attending over the years, either formal or informal. The raucous hilarity of the inside jokes that no one outside of the military would understand, made me feel like i had gone home (for lack of a better word). There are definately times when I miss my military service (even if I am doing the weekend warrior type thing).

And at the same time, while it was hilarious in places, I think Jamie also hit on an important issue that often comes up in military relationships, the inability of military spouses to at times finish education, or get into certain career fields because of the fact that they PCS (permanent change of station) every few years. It is a concern to me and something that I think the military and employers in general need to address – but right now, I just don’t have a good idea of how to address it.

I loved her characterizations, especially Jackson. whenever he spoke, I felt my insides melt – I mean what girl doesn’t want a southern gentleman taking care of them…I don’t know many for sure…and I also liked that Anna wasn’t a complete push-over. She could have let Jackson walk all over her, but she didn’t, she was sassy without being too annoying, even if she was a Yankee…lol. I would recommend Southern Fried Blues to anyone who likes sweet, quirky, southern contemporary romance, or who want an insight into real military life. A solid 4 stars and i can’t wait to see what the author comes up with in the future.
Profile Image for Cynthia.
2,104 reviews20 followers
May 11, 2014
OMG! If you give me a good book and you throw humor in it I am hooked. On this book I was hooked, line and sinker. Really all I have to say is I found me a new favorite author. Man she can write! I will be happy to read and review any book you have.

Now the review:
This book gets your attention from the start and it does not let you go. We have a husband you will want to slap silly, and this will not be the first time you will want to do this. The author brings you right in and you are angry right way. Divorce right away.

Anna is a very strong women, who is very independent, she does not need a man she can take care of herself. She is sure of what she want and that is going back to school and what she doesn't want is another military man. But is she sure of this?

Jackson is sure of what he wants and doesn't want. He want his career in the military and no women and her biscuits (lol) but is he really sure of this? There is nothing like a man that is smart that acts like he is dumb...to funny.

Anna moves on makes great friends and meets Jackson. Each time they meet it is by accident and very moving. Her old friends have issues and so do her new friends. You see them fall apart and come together it is just a wonderful read.

I don't want to give the book away but as you read you think NO SHE DIDN'T do that or he really said that.

You have so many wonderful characters. Family you just want to hit and others you just want to hug, the same with the friends. OMG the firecrackers to funny. I still do not understand redneck golf to funny.There is so much love and humor in this book. Along with sad and you just want to hit something.

This is a MUST read book, you will NOT be disappointed. I really did not want to put this book down. When I went to bed my mind was still going and I didn't want to go to sleep. If the authors other books are as good as this I can't wait to read them. OUTSTANDING!!!! Really it is more then a 5 star rating!
Profile Image for Lesley.
354 reviews27 followers
September 25, 2013
I received a copy of Southern Fried Blues in exchange for an honest review.

Anna's life takes an unexpected turn when her husband drops a bombshell on her but she's going to fight back and overcome every obstacle thrown her way.

I loved Anna and her ability to move forward with her life after her husband tells her that he wants a divorce. And Jackson, what a southern sweetheart. He helps save the day when Anna's car comes under an attack and his upbringing keeps him wanting to step in to help her but Anna is determined to not need to depend on anyone again. Their growing relationship was a joy to watch - I loved watching Anna want to handle everything herself ad watching Jackson trying to hold himself back to allow her to handle things herself and hoped they'd be able to meet in the middle and know that it's ok to stand tall and take care of things sometimes but also that it's ok to accept help for other things.

I look forward to reading more by Jamie Farrell


Profile Image for Sophia.
Author 5 books364 followers
January 26, 2014
Going into this one, I only had a vague idea of what it would be about. The opening gave me quite the surprise and then the story settled in to be something that touched all my emotions. I wanted to cry, I laughed, I cheered on the characters, I worried and I hoped. This book ended up being so much more than I expected going into it and I now have a new to me author and series to love.

The story opens with Anna Martin, wife of Air Force Captain Neil Martin stationed in Georgia, getting the shock of her life when her husband of six and a half years breaks things off with her in the most excruciating and insulting of ways. He bares all his frustration with their marriage when he gives a toast at a wedding dinner and she never once thought anything was wrong. She gave up many things and sacrificed as a military wife every time they picked up and left to follow his duty assignments and now she is left alone as an under-educated, under-employed divorcee when he moves on to his next duty assignment leaving his lawyer behind with no further words for her. She loved and was not loved in return. This breaks Anna, but she is stronger than she realizes because instead of fleeing north to her home and her disappointed family, she picks up the pieces and starts putting herself back together one piece at a time. No more military men and no more commitments. Just her work, her education and maybe getting together with her few friends.

Jackson Davis returns to the base near his home after many years of duty elsewhere. He is a true southern gentleman with the ladies, loves his college football, looks forward to hunting season, and plans to spend some time with family. What he does not plan on is long-term relationship because he doesn't believe in love. Meeting Anna Martin through a mutual friend fits well with his plans. The Yankee girl is sassy, feisty and best yet, she doesn't believe in commitment either. After slowly starting something up with the healing Anna, he realizes that Anna may be a bad idea if he wants to stay safe. They fit together too well and other people notice it too.

Life isn't easy for either of them as friends disappoint, family has its own way of causing pain, priorities shift, and that scary 'L' word looms over both Anna and Jackson.

The plot on this one was one long and satisfying (in the end) story of growth for both characters. There is nothing hurried about this one. I loved that it doesn't hurry and takes the time to set the romance into the whole life picture for these two people. There are snippets of all aspects of their lives. Anna gets with her friends, goes to work and goes to school besides getting with Jackson. Jackson goes hunting, spends time with certain family members, watches football on his couch and goes to work along with being with Anna. There were hilarious moments, heartbreaking ones and the passion between them just soared even if it wasn't detailed out each and every time. They both have a lot of baggage as do others in the story and that is dealt with too. Anna seems to have more baggage than Jackson in certain ways. She's a bit OCD with a label maker and organization, but Jackson doesn't seem to mind like her ex did which is good because she gets worse when she's nervous. I really thought this was a big example of how Jackson shined. He could roll with anything and found Anna's quirks adorable and funny. She honestly didn't know what to make of him much of the time and had a hard time trusting that he really did accept her just as she was.

Another thing I just can't leave off mentioning is that I loved spending time in their southern world that is both life around the military base, but also life in the deep south. I cracked up at the way Jackson's grandma and her old friends were trying to set him up with all the young misses of their acquaintance who baked him biscuits, the football rivalry between the family members when it came to Auburn and 'Bama, Jackson reluctantly taking females hunting with him, the speech patterns (I wanted to shout out 'Does anyone speak Southern?' for a translation a few times), the redneck golf, and oh so many more things. Anna is a girl from Minnesota and her 'you betchas', her pies, and her temperament were a great contrast too. I died laughing when she 'bless her heart' slammed someone who was trying to southern polite her to death. That Anna, she sure swooped in and stole poor southern boy Jackson's heart even when he claimed to not have one and vice versa.

I will definitely be picking up the next book in the series and I'm pretty sure this will be a re-read at some point. It was that good for me.
Those who enjoy contemporary romances set in the south and don't mind a mild military influence with two broken-hearted and enduring people, should jump on this one. One last thing...If you get this book, don't gloss over the quotes at the top of each chapter- hilarious and apropos to each chapter.

Profile Image for Sacha.
31 reviews9 followers
September 14, 2013
Rating: 5/5 Stars

The blurb:

A Yankee Lady Stuck in the South
Divorced wasn’t a label Anna Martin ever wanted. Now she’s a thousand miles from home, underemployed, and lonely, but she’s squeezing this lemon life gave her and turning it into lemon meringue pie. Never again will she let any man—especially another military man—get in the way of her career.

A Southern Gentleman Military Officer
Jackson Davis believes in family, football, and Uncle Sam. He treats ladies right, takes his uniform seriously, and he loves his dog, but he doesn’t reckon he’s built for true love. After all, if a man good as his daddy couldn’t do it right, what chance does Jackson have?

One Undeniable Attraction
These two vulnerable souls are as different as cornbread and ketchup, but they fit together like sweet butter on hot biscuits. Short-term, they’re exactly what the other needs. But when their hearts get involved, they’re both gonna end up with a big ol’ case of Southern Fried Blues.

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I loved this book so much I hardly know where to start. I don’t want to spoil the book for you guys, but at the same time, the story was so good that I want to tell you all about it.

Jamie Farrell contacted me herself about reviewing this book after she read my post on Kelsey Browning’s book, Personal Assets. She thought that if I liked one, I’d like the other. She couldn’t have been more right!

Paranormal romance has always been my ‘thing’, but I’m fixin’ to convert to these adorable southern-set contemporary romances.

Okay, back to Southern Fried Blues. Right from the start, you can’t help but adore Anna. She loves her husband, she’s funny and quirky, and she’s a romantic. And about 5 minutes later, you can feel her heart break. Farrell gets you in the gut right at the beginning and you’re hooked from then on. Seriously, I had a hard time putting this book down to go to sleep at night. I felt that I either needed to keep reading because I was excited for Anna, or because I was sick for her. There are no lulls in this sweet southern romance. And Jackson… ohhh, Jackson. His “might could”s and “Anna Grace”s had me grinning at my kobo until the wee hours of the morning until the last page was done. This Canadian girl has never really understood the fascination with southern men, until now. Adorable.

Anna had put her own life off for a long time to follow her military husband around the country. She loved him dearly, and wanted to support him no matter what. When he makes a complete fool of her, their marriage (and her beloved labelmaker) at a friend’s wedding, she finds she has only two choices. Go crawling back to her parents’ house, or stay right where she is and finish something for herself. She decides that she will never fall for another military man. That her life changes for no one.

Enter: Jackson Davis – not just any other military man. After a bad day, Anna rushes out to her car to find that she has parked over an ant-hill. Not just any ant-hill. Fire ants. A sweet, southern gentleman comes to her reluctant rescue and Anna feels the heat …and it’s not just the fire ants. Jackson and Anna have both declared that they aren’t the marrying kind, so they should just be able to enjoy each other and move on when they need to, right? Neither one should falter and start dreaming of forever, right? With Jackson being in the Air Force and Anna swearing off of a future with a military man, this will never work.

Or will it?

Jamie Farrell’s contemporary, humourous romance will get you hook, line and sinker. You will feel everything right along with the characters. I laughed, I cried (really!) and I ached for Jackson and Anna. I loved their story so much, and I absolutely can not wait for another book from this talented author. I urge you not to miss out on Southern Fried Blues. It’s a book I see myself going back to again and again when I need a mental vacation. Well done, Jamie Farrell, and thank you!
Profile Image for Amy R.
589 reviews
October 16, 2013
This was a fun book. I could not relate to the characters in Southern Fried Blues by Jamie Farrell but I enjoyed it very much. I have never lived in the South, have no experience with anyone close to me while they were active in the military and know nothing about chemistry. However, Jamie was able to write the characters in a way that allowed me to relate to their emotions and feelings and understand why they tried to prevent themselves from getting hurt.

In Southern Fried Blues, we meet Anna who is newly divorced which came as quite a surprise to her. She thought she and Neil would be together forever. As she tries to pull her life together and depend only on herself, along comes Jackson who has to rescue her from an infestation of fire ants in her car. She doesn't like one bit that a dumb redneck had to help her out of the situation. As she and Jackson cross paths a few more times she realizes he isn't the dumb redneck she first assumes. Jackson is interested in Anna, but doesn't think he deserves love. If it didn't work for the best man he knew (his Father) how could it work for him?

Jamie does a really good job of balancing all the plot lines and relationships in Southern Fried Blues. She never failed to surprise me either. Just when I thought a scene was going to end up playing out a certain way, it didn't, which kept that Nook in my hand until the end of the book. All of the characters are very well developed and I couldn't help but sympathize with many of them at different times and cheer with them when things went right. The thick Southern dialect in the book is quite interesting, and I found myself having to read a line over so this Midwesterner could figure out what they were saying. This wasn't a negative, as it enhanced the characters and the setting, I have just not read anything so southern. It made me realize how truly North I live compared to those in Georgia and Alabama.

Southern Fried Blues will have you laughing because of the banter between the characters, cheering on a strong heroine, and swooning over the very gentlemanly hero. Anna and Jackson try to keep things light and easy but when their hearts get involved they think it's time to pull the plug on a relationship. Will they allow themselves to be vulnerable and loved? If you like your contemporary romance served up with a military man, difficult family, crazy friends, biscuits, pie and a very sweet romance, I recommend you try Southern Fried Blues.
Profile Image for Laura.
3,205 reviews346 followers
June 24, 2015
Anna Martin may have a few quirks that certain other people find difficult to accept long term.
Anna learns her marriage of six and a half years is over at a friend's wedding when her husband steps up to give a toast. By the end of the week, he is out of their house and Anna has to replan her entire life.
She swears it will never again involve a military man.

Jackson Davis, southern born and bred, thinks he is a military (air force) lifer, and also thinks his intelligence and training have prepared him for life. He can take care of himself, his crew, and he does his best to care for his family. Jackson feels there is no room in his life for any long term relationship. Even spending time with his younger sister takes some schedule rearranging, but he always seems to have time for his grandmother.
He starts to rethink that when she and her lady friends keep trying to match him up to every single biscuit making femaile they can find.

When a car full of fire ants introduces Jackson to a "damsel in distress," he feels it is his obligation to rescue her. We find out who really needs rescuing and from what or whom.
This is a story about coming to accept oneself and learning what one needs (and enjoys) to survive.

This is a story with cuture clash, where roles clash, head and heart clash and everything you thought you knew and could depend on in life are now open to question.
It is also a story with an adorable dog, a fun loving armadillo, good friends, and a very hot man.
perfect for a beach read or to heat up a cold winter weekend.

I did get a copy in exchange for my honest review. Thank you Jamie Farrell!




Profile Image for ⚜️XAR the Bookwyrm.
2,324 reviews17 followers
June 1, 2017
I really enjoyed this story! I went into it expecting a different story, and while I was slightly disappointed with the fact that it wasn't the story I thought it was, I still found it to be engaging and interesting!

I liked how Anna and Jackson's relationship evolved over the course of the book. It was a gradual deepening, and it made the relationship feel more authentic to me. The situations that Anna got herself into were funny and realistic. The supporting characters were both familiar and entertaining, and made it so that I wanted to get back to the book as fast as possible! Sometimes this book is listed as book one in the Officer's Ex Wives series, but I highly recommend that a reader reads Her Rebel Heart before this one. I did so, and found that it made a lot more sense to me having had the background of that previous story.

This book has me firmly in the camp of the fans of this author, and I am eager to read more of her work!
Profile Image for Jaime Fiction Fangirls.
1,624 reviews156 followers
September 17, 2013
First things first. I think it's important to point out that I am a Yankee, Big Ten football loving, Army wife with a general loathing for Alabama football & okra but I LOVED everything about this book anyways.
I'll let the book blurb describe the story for you and just share how this book made me feel. I laughed, I cried...I stayed up until 4:00 am reading and writing this review. I fell in love with Jackson and his southern charm. I fell in love with Anna Grace and her strength and independence. I was charmed by Mamie and Kaci. Parts of the story hit so close to home and were written in such a way that you know only someone whose gone through it can describe correctly. I didn't want to shut off my Kindle and let the story end. I have a strong feeling I'll be back to revisit Jackson & Anna Grace often.
*I Received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.c
Profile Image for Mara.
2,504 reviews249 followers
June 2, 2023
A nice and sweet contemporary romance. Lovely for the pink-glassed guys and girls out there.

For me it was a tentative 3 star for most of the book, tentative because the drawl and the redneck act were almost irritating to me, and I really could not muster much sympathy for the heroine, but plunged to 2 with the ending.
Profile Image for Laura.
29 reviews
October 27, 2013
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If my love story with my husband were to be written, I would want Ms. Farrell to write it. There was an easy, playful tone to the story that draws you in. You want to see what the Southern pearls of wisdom are from Kaci, and who's going to come out on top of the Northern-Southern digs between Anna and Jackson. I have to say, based on the title I was surprised, pleasantly so, that the military aspect was not overdone. It could be a Hallmark movie!
Profile Image for Jennifer Schultheis.
1,316 reviews10 followers
December 12, 2014
Southern Fried Blues is definitely a book you want to pick up. Jamie Farrell hooks you in from the very first page and keeps you hooked all the way through. The characters were witty and completely lovable....well not the ex-husband, but Anna and Jackson definitely! The story line was entertaining, the characters were well developed and the story itself was well written. Jamie Farrell is surely an author to put on your auto buy list!
Profile Image for Liza.
1,342 reviews149 followers
March 19, 2014
***4.5 out of 5 stars***

Love Anna Grace and Jackson as a couple. Felt like the book moved a little slowly in the first couple of chapters, but really enjoyed the story once it picked up. I also loved the friendships that developed over the course of the book.
Profile Image for Marcy.
250 reviews7 followers
October 12, 2014
I've found another must-buy author!

This story had everything I love in a romance. Smart, lovably flawed characters and lots of witty banter. It made me laugh out loud and grabbed at my heart. It also made me crave biscuits, pie, and oddly enough...ketchup. LOL
1,544 reviews9 followers
July 27, 2017
This book is great. Two people who don't want commitment find each other and discover that they really do believe in love and happy ever afters. I laughed out loud a lot through this book. I loved that Mamie writes romance books and that Jackson reads them. Jackson is a true southern gentleman. Anna and her labelmaker take organising to a whole new level. I love the southernisms (I don't know if that is a word but it should be.) Looking forward to the next book in this series.
Profile Image for SexyBookTimes.
63 reviews28 followers
September 21, 2013
The story begins with Anna being dumped in spectacular fashion by her husband Neil. The same husband she put her college and life plans on hold for in order to follow around the country. Anna meets Jackson fairly shortly thereafter when he rescues her from a swarm of fire ants (critter related drama is sort of a theme in this book). Their relationship progresses slowly from there as Anna becomes friends with a friend of Jackson’s and the two begin spending time with one another.

I’m not going to lie; it took me a while to really get into this book. I liked the lead characters right off the bat, but the tone of this book is very Southern and it took me some time to get in the right mindset. When I say Southern, I mean true blue, grits and cornbread, deep-fried-sweet-home-South. Now me, I’m from Texas, which some Yankees might consider part of the South, but any Southerner worth their salt knows isn’t really. But it is close enough, and my momma went to Bama so we were brought up right (by right I mean watching the SEC and hating on Auburn).

Anyway, that little bit of TMI was my way of saying that the tone and feel of at least the first part of this book are probably not for everyone, but if you can settle into the cadence of the story, I think you’ll really like it. If nothing else, keep reading until you get through the armadillo and the trash can scene. For the most part the feeling of the book is authentic not affected, meaning it reads like the author is someone who has spent a lot of time in the South, but at times it’s a bit much. For example, I’m not wild about Kaci, one of the secondary characters, because I think she can come off as more of a caricature than a character.

What I love about this book is that it’s as much about Anna’s relationship with herself as it is about Anna’s relationship with Jackson. Anna is kind of a mess at the beginning of the story, and understandably so. I love watching her progress from that place to a place where she’s looking around and realizing that she loves her new life. I think that’s a very liberating feeling that not everyone gets to have. The best part of Anna’s moment is that her happiness is not based entirely on her relationship with Jackson. It’s more about the friendships she has built and her professional and academic achievements.

Another thing I really like about the story is that the relationship between the two lead characters evolves in a very realistic manner. The relationship is slow to get started. Anna really wants nothing to do with Jackson at the beginning of the story, because she’s not in a place where she’s even thinking about wanting a man in her life. Even when the two of them first become friends and then slightly more than friends, Anna is sincere in her lack of desire in having a serious relationship with Jackson. It’s not the quintessential I’m-saying-I-don’t-want-a-boyfriend-but-really-I-want-to-marry-you nonsense that we see so much of in romantic books and movies. Instead the progression of the story seems very natural and true to where Anna is in life.

Bottom Line: This is a very solid debut novel for Jamie Farrell. The writing is excellent and the book has been carefully edited and proofread. Southern Fried Blues is a warm, hilarious, smart read and I recommend it to readers who enjoy a good contemporary romance. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

Want to learn more about Jamie Farrell and her upcoming releases? Check out my interview with her and enter for a chance to win an e-copy of Southern Fried Blues here. Giveaway runs through 9/23/13.
Profile Image for Liz F.
719 reviews
August 21, 2014
Review and author interview posted on Kindles & Wine

Living in the South as I do (South Carolina, in fact), I was instantly intrigued by a book titled Southern Fried Blues. No, I haven’t lived in the South my whole life, but I think I have a good grasp on how things work down here. That is to say, things work v e r y slowly! LOL! Seriously though, this was a fun book. Read on to see just how fun and check out my interview with the author.

I liked Anna Martin, the heroine, although I found her a little hard to identify with at first. As the wife of a military man, Anna has to essentially follow her husband around wherever he gets transferred and make a new life each time. I can’t even imagine how difficult that must be! Once she gets past her husband and their divorce, the novel really picks up and Anna comes into her own. She was a lot of fun and I liked her a lot more as she got over her divorce. I loved her competitive streak and how it got her into trouble (the fun kind!).

Jackson, the hero, was very likable as well, and right from the start. He and Anna meet when she discovers a small colony of fire ants in her parked car and Jackson happens to be nearby. The way he helps Anna defeat the fire ants was totally cute, especially since I seriously hate fire ants! Jackson is pretty awesome and hot as heck! But the thing that I didn’t really care for about him was his good ol’ boy demeanor. I have never met anyone remotely like Jackson. I’m not implying that men like Jackson don’t exist; I’m just saying that I haven’t met one. Euphemisms about cornbread and biscuits? And biscuits as a way to decide if a woman is date/marriage/sex worthy? Ugh. I did not enjoy that aspect of Jackson’s character. And to be honest, I haven’t met any women who were THAT proud of their biscuits, figuratively or literally. :)

Overall, I really liked this book. I thought Anna and Jackson had great chemistry and I loved them together. There were a lot of cute moments between them and it was fun to watch them get to know each other. Sure, there were some aspects of the main characters that I didn’t love, like the more traditional-sounding Southern clichés, but it really didn’t affect my overall enjoyment of the story.

I think anyone who likes romances with a little military aspect thrown in will enjoy Southern Fried Blues. Also, readers who like books set in the South will enjoy this one too!

Bottom Line

Southern Fried Blues is a fun book! Even though I didn’t love the overtly Southern aspects in some of the scenes, I thought that the hero and heroine were totally cute together. There are plenty of laughs and a sweet, slow-building romance. Readers who enjoy a big serving of sweetness and Southern sensibilities are going to love this one!

Rating: B

Review copy courtesy of the author
Profile Image for Book Gannet.
1,572 reviews17 followers
January 27, 2015
4.5 Stars! Wow, the opening chapter of this book is like a kick in the chest. Poor Anna! I’ll admit I was a little confused at first because she seems happily married and everything is just peachy. Then… well, I’ll let you read it for yourself. Again, poor Anna. The start of this book is sad and a bit mean in places, and I just wanted to hug the poor woman. Her husband is a major jerk, but it just gave me more reasons to love Anna. Sure, she’s stubborn and she has an independent streak a mile long and an unhealthy obsession with her lable maker, but wow, is she a fighter. She’s not tough or gritty about it, she’s bright and determined and wonderful to read about.

However, if – like me – you are neither Southern (or American, now you mention it) nor from a military background, there’s quite a lot of stuff thrown around at first that might pass you by. It took me a while to orientate myself with various acronyms and idiosyncratic bits and pieces, but I stuck with it and either it all settled down or I just understood things better, because before long most of it was making sense. If this happens to you, trust me, stick with it! It’s worth it.

This book is adorable and fun, as well as funny, a little bit emotional and all around lovely. Anna is a heroine to really root for as she goes back to school, tries to improve her prospects at her job, makes new friends and builds a new life for herself out of the crumbs her useless husband left her.

Then there’s Jackson. Oh, my. I loved Jackson – how could I not? He lets his grandmother call him Sugarplum and is such a charmer with her and her friends, not to mention doing his best to look after his (complete brat) little sister, and willing to come to the rescue of a woman whose car is infested with fire ants. He also has a habit of going all redneck in order to make Anna smile. Sure, he’s not looking for a long-term relationship, but his thoughts on love, Anna and forever as so sweet to read as they change and evolve.

Packed full of Southern manners and charm, this story was a wonderful read from start to finish, whether it was making me laugh, smile or sniffle back the tears. Jamie Farrell is a real talent. I cannot wait to read what she writes next.

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
Profile Image for Jo-Anne.
1,681 reviews34 followers
January 23, 2014
I received a copy of Southern Fried Blues in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book right from the first chapter. It was shocking and hooked me right away.

The book starts off at a wedding that Anna and Neil are attending. Neil tells Anna (at the wedding!) that he wants a divorce.

Now that Anna is divorced she is determined to handle her life by herself and not rely on a man. Because Neil was in the military, he had been stationed in the South when they divorced and that is where Anna has settled. Anna decided to finish her university degree since she never completed it because of the continuous moves with the military.

The characters in this book are fantastic. Jamie taps into the human aspect of her characters, the good and bad of them, and life happenings. Anna is a strong woman who is determined to look after herself and handle life on her own. She is obsessed with order and can't live without her label maker. I admired her strength but wanted to toss her label maker myself! Jackson is a Southern gentleman who was raised to always help a lady so there was a struggle between him and Anna who never wanted help. He is in the military so this is another reason Anna wants nothing to do with him. He comes across as a dumb redneck but is really very intelligent. It was mentioned a few times that he was a rocket scientist so I expected that to come into the story, but it didn't.

Southern Fried Blues was a well developed story with a wonderful plot and interesting relationships. It was so well written that I felt very sad for Anna at the beginning. Later, there were times I want to slap her upside the head for being so stubborn. It was interesting to see Anna find out about herself as she struggled to handle her new life. It had me laughing and feeling anger, too. There were sad parts to this story and, of course, love.

I am from Canada and don't know anything about Southern/Northern conflicts. I was able to follow the disputes but I can't believe that people are still referred to as Yankees!

I really enjoyed this contemporary romance and look forward to reading more by Jamie Farrell.
Profile Image for Judy.
693 reviews83 followers
February 16, 2015
I remember marking this book last year as a possible TBR. So I was surprised to see it available on Netgalley now. But as I do like a good southern romance, especially one with a military hero. Throw in a Yankee, and you just know there are going to be some funny moments.

The story starts with Anna and her husband Neil at their mutual friends' wedding. As Neil is the only married man in the wedding party, he was asked to give a toast to the happy couple. It's during the toast that he drunkenly rambles on about all of Anna's faults and basically makes an ass out of himself in front of everyone there. When Anna follows him outside after his little bombshell, he drops a bigger one and tells her he has been transferred again, oh and he wants a divorce. I liked Anna a lot. Couldn't help myself. She showed such strength and courage through the story. Plus her little OCD issue and love affair with her label maker made me laugh many times.

Jackson Davis. An actual rocket scientist who plays the dumb redneck card so well. He is constantly after Anna to let him help her. Not because he doesn't think she can't do it, but that he believes a woman shouldn't have to do it all alone. Chivalry is not dead in this one. And while he attributes most of his manners to his momma, it is in actuality his grandmother who is his true influence. His grandmother was a hoot and a half, with her bowling team and words of southern wisdom.

There was so much about this book to like. I laughed and giggled my way through to a 4 star review.

Thanks to Netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.
196 reviews3 followers
November 25, 2013
Anna loved to look a her husband Neil in his Air Force uniform. They are guests at a wedding and when Neil is asked to give the toast Anna is shocked and embarrassed. He seems to be insulting her with every phrase he utters. When she questions him about it in the hotel lobby, he tells her tithe marriage is over. Period. No counselling, no attempt to talk things out. He's finished

That resolve is tested when she finds that red ants had built their home under her car. She jumps out of the car screaming, and a southern gentleman tries to help her. She resists but finally accepts his help. And that was the end of that, or so she thought .

Trying to recover from her divorce and move on with her life she decides to join a support group for ex military wives. She becomes good friends with one of the members and is soon invited to a barbecue. Much to her surprise, the ant man is there as a guest too. There is a little innocent flirting, and it seems like a perfect relationship will develop because both parties are there for a good time not a relationship. Things progress as they naturally do in spite of their determination to be just friends.

The book reflects life. There are moments of great tragedy, their are moments of anger, moments of humour and of course moments of love. Even as a love story there are moments of surprise.

The book is well written and enjoyable. The perfect book for a rainy afternoon at camp.

But there are also factual errors. We Canadians say about the same way as the rest of the world.
I received this book for free in exchange for this honest review.
January 21, 2015
' I was given a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review '


Anna is a very organized person who loves her label maker. She thinks that she has very happy marriage. Turns out, not so much. Her husband Neil drops the divorce bomb on her at their friends wedding reception. Divorced was not a label she ever wanted.

Now that Anna was divorced she has made up her mind. No more Military Men. She has decided that she is never getting married again but if by chance she ever does again Never again will it be Military. Never say Never. Now she is back in School. Working on a promotion at work and making new friends. Actually living her life for her instead of living it for Neil.

Jackson has no intentions of getting married. His family or rather his Grandmother and her friends have other plans. They keep trying to introduce him to a bunch of "Nice" girls who want to bake him biscuits. But once he meets Anna and tastes her pies he is ruined for anyone else's biscuits. But what will they do when they can't keep denying the fact that they are falling for each other?

What will Anna do when Neil decides he wants her back and when someone that she thought was a good friend may have gotten involved in some dealings that may put some people in danger?

This was a great book filled with humor and southern charm and rednecks and I loved it! I loved the redneck golf, and I loved how Jackson loved Anna for all of her quirks.. including her label maker! I would definitely recommend reading this!!!


~ Samantha

' Read and Reviewed by L.S.K. Sweetheart Reviews '
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