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Lock, Stock, and Over a Barrel
Lock, Stock, and Over a Barrel
Lock, Stock, and Over a Barrel
Ebook318 pages5 hours

Lock, Stock, and Over a Barrel

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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With high hopes, Daphne Ballinger lands her dream job at The New York Times. But it's not long until writing about weddings becomes a painful reminder of her own failed romance, and her love of the city slowly sours as well. Is it time to give up the Big Apple for her small hometown of Appleton?

When her eccentric Aunt Dee passes away and leaves a sizeable estate to Daphne, going back home is an easy choice. What isn’t easy is coming to terms with the downright odd clauses written into the will.

Daphne only stands to inherit the estate if she agrees to her aunt's very specific posthumous terms -- personal and professional. And if she fails to comply, the sprawling old Victorian house shall be bequeathed to . . . Aunt Dee’s cats.

And if Daphne thinks that’s odd, wait until she finds out an array of secrets about Aunt Dee's life, and how imperfect circumstances can sometimes lead to God's perfect timing.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateJun 1, 2013
ISBN9781433679254
Lock, Stock, and Over a Barrel
Author

Melody Carlson

Melody Carlson has written more than 200 books for teens, women, and children. Before publishing, Melody traveled around the world, volunteered in teen ministry, taught preschool, raised two sons, and worked briefly in interior design and later in international adoption. "I think real-life experiences inspire the best fiction," she says. Her wide variety of books seems to prove this theory.

Read more from Melody Carlson

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Rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars
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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Lock, Stock And over A Barrel is the first book in the Dear Daphne series by Melody Carlson. Daphne Ballinger is stuck — in her career and her personal life. When her dear Aunt Dee dies, Daphne’s life takes a turn, and she finds herself leaving the big city behind for a quieter, but not surprise-free life. Dee has left Daphne her home, her money and a new career opportunity, but with some major strings attached — like finding true love and marriage in 12 months! If you like a slow-paced read with a charming small town feel, this book is for you. I liked that Carlson has Daphne (and the reader) examining just what cautious living gets you. A good start for this series, I look forward to more from Daphne, her friends and the many single men that come her way.(I received this book from the publisher in return for a review.)
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Daphne Ballinger is living the big life in New York City. She works at the New York Times, lives downtown and is young and single…not! Daphne is in a rut, but it takes the death of her aunt to make her realize how stuck she is. She is still recovering from a broken heart from a relationship that occurred almost 10 years ago. She hasn’t dated anyone since. She does not socialize with anyone, except a former colleague occasionally. Upon her aunt’s death, she travels back to her hometown to attend the funeral. She hasn’t seen her father in two years. She has rarely returned home. Her mother died when Daphne was five and her aunt Dee became her surrogate mother. Aunt Dee taught her how to cook, clean and instilled in her a love of books and writing.At the reading of her aunt’s will, Daphne is flabbergasted at the outcome. She learns that the aunt she was named after kept many secrets. Now, Daphne must decide whether or not to keep the secrets as well. Daphne wants to find true love, but doesn’t want the pressure her aunt’s will has imposed on her. Before she realizes it, Daphne has met several single men that might or might not be interested in her. After a month though, no one has asked her out on a date. Will she be able to meet her aunt’s requirements to keep the house? Daphne decides to quit her job, move back home to Appleton and write a book. She wakes up to the fact that she hasn’t really been enjoying life. She now is willing to take some risks. Is she ready to risk her heart again? Can an old flame be reignited?I loved the description of the town of Appleton; it made me want to move there! I also liked reading out how Daphne decorated the house, making it her own. It was also good to see her reconnect with her best friend from home. I would have liked more action and tension as the story seemed to drag in parts, but maybe with the next installment that will happen. The second book in the series, Dating, Dining, and Desperation is due to be released in March 2014. I will also be reviewing that book on this site.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Daphne Ballinger's left her small town life in Appleton with high hopes of having a writing career in the Big Apple. Thing is it's thirteen years later, and she is finds herself stuck in a job that is far from what she hoped for, sharing the same apartment, and still heartsore from a relationship from ten years ago when a boyfriend burned her bad. When she gets a call from her father that her rather eccentric ninety-one year old aunt Dee passed away she goes home. She is soon surprised that her aunt left her sole beneficiary of everything that she owned, including a beautiful old Victorian, a vintage Corvette and plenty of money, there is just a couple of snafu's her aunt left some pretty specific requirements and Daphne has a year to fulfill her aunt's wishes. If she doesn't the house will be given to the "Cat House" the shelter where she adopted her beloved kitties Lucy and Ethel. As several secrets come to light about Aunt Dee Daphne learns things that she would have never guessed. Will Daphne leave New York behind and move back to Appleton, and if she does will she be able to meet the requirements of Dee's will?Melody Carlson is one of my all time favorite writers, her versatile writing skills, has taken me on several adventures and "Lock, Stock, and Over a Barrel" allows me to watch Daphne Ballinger go from someone who seemed unhappily stuck in her life to someone with choices if only she can embrace them. Daphne is a character that is so easy to relate to, she was someone that had hopes and dreams, but after years of the same old same old her life was in a rut! I enjoyed seeing the changes that precipitated in her life once she returned to Appleton. Plenty of secondary characters really stood out for me including Daphne's dad, his life was in transition as well, and the secrets that he learned about Aunt Dee was something that he took in stride.Even though Aunt Dee has passed away, her character played such an integral role in the plot, she seemed like a fun loving someone, who did have a few regrets and hoped to keep Daphne from making some of the same mistakes. Ms. Carlson's descriptions easily allowed me to feel the small town setting of the story, and the advice column reminded me of Dear Abby! While there is an inspirational bent to the story, it isn't overwhelming, and seemed perfectly plausible I will say the author certainly left me hanging with the ending, and I know I will keep wondering until the next installment how things will work out for Daphne! If you have never read anything by Ms. Carlson this book is the perfect time to start, or if you're like me and are a long time fan, you're not going to want to miss this one. I only hope readers don't have to wait long for the next installment in the Dear Daphne series!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    My favorite author wrote it! What is the next book of Lock stock and over the barrel?

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Lock, Stock, and Over a Barrel - Melody Carlson

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