Book Review: Color Me Bad, a Novella, by Sharon Sala

This quick, fun novella sets the stage for sassy, feminine mischief in a small town setting.
Color Me Bad: A Novella
by Sharon Sala/Dinah McCall

• File Size: 226 KB
• Print Length: 59 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (September 3, 2013)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• ASIN: B00DDWIT14

Genre: Contemporary, Women's Fiction
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: September 3, 2013
An original short story by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Sharon Sala links to her full-length contemporary women's fiction novel, The Curl Up and Dye.
The novella centers around the four women who run the Curl Up and Dye hair salon and their relationships with the quirky customers of small-town Blessings, Georgia. Their meddlesome efforts at match-making run awry, but there's always another makeover just around the corner.

Review:
Ruby Dye moved to small-town Blessings, Georgia after the trauma of a divorce. She needed to use her hair stylist skills to support herself and was pleased to discover that the town welcomed the opening of her shop, the Curl Up and Dye hair salon. She works with feisty twin sisters, Vesta and Vera, and manicurist Mabel Jean. As style shops sometimes are, the little shop has become the gossip center of the town. Not only does all the news end up passing along through the shop but one particular day it becomes the scene of quite a spectacle.

Patty June Clymer, a local preacher’s wife, has reached the end of her rope with her cheating husband. When his ‘girlfriend’ comes into the shop for nail repair Patty June attacks her with stylist sheers! The news quickly spreads through town as Patty June goes home and tosses her husband’s belongings on their lawn as she ousts him from her life. Patty June takes a stand against unfaithful men even as the townspeople initially ostracize her for being too pushy, independent and a feminist. Patty June holds her ground, changes her hair color and style with the help of Ruby, and plans a lengthy travel exploration of Italy. 

Soon other women, particularly travel agent, Willa Dean, begin to question the relationships with their spouses. Realizing that many women are not being treated as they should be, Willa gathers  the town women and springs a surprise for Patty June.

The novella introduces the perky, primary characters and some good quirky secondary characters too. Many of the women are wary of men, for good reasons. But it is clear that there is room, and desire, for finding the elusive, faithful and dedicated mate. The writing is straight forward and full of sass as one might expect from a Southern woman.

I have read and enjoyed many Sharon Sala/Dinah McCall romantic suspense novels. She has a strong, easy writing flow that moves well with good combination of action, tension and romance. I was curious to see how this contemporary fiction series would go. Although I probably will steer toward the suspense novels, this series should appeal to many readers who like strong female characters and a well developed writing style that is easy and fun reading.

A statement regarding the strength of Southern women:

Southern women had been feminists a long time before that tag had become a buzzword. They’d hidden the iron in their backbones with a smile and a “bless your heart,” and not a man was the wiser. Location 514.

I received this title from Sourcebooks through NetGalley.