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When Carlisle Wainwright Cushing, of the old-moneyed Texas Wainwrights, moved to Boston three years ago to work at one of the city’s most prestigious divorce law firms, she thought she had escaped the high society she’d grown up in – after all, no one in Boston, not even her fiancé, knew she was an heiress. But now, Carlisle has been lured back to Texas to deal with her mother’s latest divorce and the family-sponsored 100th annual debutante ball, which is on the verge of collapse. She’s afraid she’ll never get back to Boston, at least with her reputation intact, especially when good ’ole Southern boy Jack Blair shows up on the opposite side of the divorce court, making her wonder if he’s going after her mother in the proceedings—or her.
Carlisle’s trip home challenges her sense of who she really is and forces her to face her family’s secrets. Funny, smart, and poignant, The Ex-Debutante is a story about the risks one woman must take if she stands a chance of finding herself, real love, and her place in that crazy thing we call family.
The latest tongue-in-cheek blusher from Lee (after The Devil in the Junior League) finds that coming out in Willow Creek, Tex., society has its snags. At her own debut, Carlisle Wainwright Cushing failed to execute the Texas Dip-"a deep full curtsy where a girl sinks so low that she touches her forehead to her skirt"-properly. Now almost 30 and a successful Boston divorce attorney, Carlisle is summoned home to represent her diva mom Ridgely in her latest divorce. Carlisle is also asked to rescue the troubled Hundredth Annual Willow Creek Symphony Association Debutante Ball, and to teach seven iffy debs-to-be the Texas Dip. But the attorney representing her mother's soon-to-be-ex is Carlisle's old heart-throb, the former bad boy Jack Blair-who is the brother of the ultra rich Hunter Blair, and father to India, a spoiled deb-to-be. Can Carlisle deal with all the challenges while allowing her renewed feelings for Jack to "come out"? Lee depicts Carlisle and the antiquated debutante tradition with equal parts chagrin and tenderness. (Apr.)
Copyright 2007 Reed Business InformationLawyer and former debutante Carlisle Wainwright Cushing fled Texas for Boston a few years ago and found career success and love. But when Carlisle's oft-married mother pressures her to handle her latest divorce and a letter from a dear family member asks her to save their hometown's debutante ball, Carlisle feels the tug of family ties. To the concern of her employer and the chagrin of her fiancé, she takes a leave of absence from her job and her relationship to fix things at home. Further complicating matters is that her fiancé has no idea that she comes from money, and the man representing her mother's soon-to-be ex is none other than Carlisle's first love, the still dreamy Jack Blair. Lee's second novel (after The Devil in the Junior League) is a fun and engaging story about the crazy things women do for love and family. The witty first-person narrative is an absolute pleasure to read. Highly recommended for popular fiction collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ12/07.]
—Samantha Gust
TheElizabethP
Posted March 18, 2012
Linda is a great Texas writer. I love the stories, because they hit so close to home. This one is a great summer or anytime read --- anytime you need a good lost-in-it story.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged....Carlisle Wainwright-Cushing is a lawyer from Texas, living in Boston. She's made a life for herself in Boston and is happy with her life until she gets a call from her mother that sends her back to Texas to handle her mother's latest divorce. What starts out as Carlisle making a quick trip home turns into a trip that shakes her life right up. She gets suckered into planning the Debutante Ball to bring honor back to her family name.
The main reason she's not excited about being back home is her ex-boyfriend (you know the one that you never really get over) Jack Blair is the opposing counsel. This is one of those light contemporary chick lit romances that will leave you sighing when all is said and done because watching Carlisle and Jack battle wits was such an entertaining way to spend a few hours. On top of the Carlisle and Jack goodness, you have 8 girls that have no idea how to make their debuts into polite society and a chaotic family that just won't quit. Seriously, the laughs are endless in this book.
I adored Jack's niece and I adored Jack. Man was Jack a hottie, a smart man that just made me swoon with every page. I loved watching him with Carlisle, watching them go at it with each other was too much fun and made me love Jack a little more with each chapter...
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Anonymous
Posted May 18, 2009
Loved this book!!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This book was a disappointment. I was looking for a little more substance, but realized early on that it was a formulaic romance novel complete with all the standard characters and plot. It pitted one 'beautiful and talented' lawyer--one woman, one man--against each other for the main conflict. Big surprise when these two archrivals ended up in bed with each other. Even so, the writing was funny and the book was mildly entertaining. As I stated, it would be best for rainy day reading.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I'll admit that I read this book because the cover looked interesting and I was bored. But it turned out to be one of the best books that I had read in a while. The way that it was written makes the story easy to relate to. It's one of those books that you start reading and can't put down. Filled with unique characters, Ex-Debutante felt more like a movie rather than a book in the best way possible. It's very easy to visualize! After reading this I immediately read other books by Linda Francis Lee!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 26, 2008
Divorce lawyer Carlisle Wainwright Cushing returns home to visit her family and is lured into taking over her mother¿s current divorce case and the family sponsored 100th Annual Willow Creek Symphony Association Debutante Ball. The bad news is that the once highly regarded ball was disgraced last year when conductor Rinaldi was caught slipping on a $10,000 ball gown that belonged to one of the debs by a reporter who snapped a photo that ran on the front page of just about every newspaper across the state of Texas. To make matters worse, opposing council in her mothers divorce case is none other than the bad boy, Jack Blair, who prompted Carlisle¿s abrupt move to Boston three years earlier. Carlisle tries to overcome her feelings for Jack by remembering that both she and Jack are engaged to seemingly perfect partners. This is my second book by Lee. I absolutely loved The Devil in the Junior League and was highly anticipating this book which didn¿t disappoint even though I feel the story wasn¿t as original as The Devil in the Junior League. The ending was typical but the story was a lot of fun and Lee¿s writing was witty and entertaining. I recommend this book to fans of chick-lit.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Two prime reasons propelled Carlisle Wainwright Cushing to leave Willow Creek, Texas three years ago. First the lawyer could not deal with her family¿s lofty social position especially her mother¿s marriage of the moment worse she needed to leave behind Jack Blair, the man she has loved for fifteen years going back to high school.---------------- She returns home when her mom asks her to represent her in her umpteenth divorce after divorce lawyer number four botched the proceedings so that ex hubby four has a line on the family accounting sheet. Her mom¿s spouse hires Jack. To her chagrin although engaged to Boston Brahmin attorney Phillip, she still wants Jack he feels the same way. As she gets roped into planning the annual debutante gala hosted forever by her family but on the verge of collapse, Jack makes a move on her to regain the woman he let get away. ---------------- This is an amusing contemporary romance starring two likable lead characters, a horde of eccentric protagonists especially the families and the debutantes and an out of place Bostonian fiancé. The story line is humorous as Carlisle with her chick lit asides understands how Michael Corleone felt about being dragged home into the family business. Readers will laugh with the vulnerable heroine who wonders whether she can escape her DNA in time to keep her brain from frying while also pondering about her and Jack especially after the men¿s room incident.------------ Harriet Klausner
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Overview
When Carlisle Wainwright Cushing, of the old-moneyed Texas Wainwrights, moved to Boston three years ago to work at one of the city’s most prestigious divorce law firms, she thought she had escaped the high society she’d grown up in – after all, no one in Boston, not even her fiancé, knew she was an heiress. But now, Carlisle has been lured back to Texas to deal with her mother’s latest divorce and the family-sponsored 100th annual debutante ball, which is on the verge of collapse. She’s afraid she’ll never get back to Boston, at least with her reputation intact, especially when good ’ole Southern boy Jack Blair shows up on the opposite side of the divorce court, making her wonder if he’s ...