Leaving Carolina, Southern Discomfort Series #1

Piper Wick left her hometown of Pickwick, North Carolina, twelve years ago, shook the dust off her feet, ditched her drawl and her family name, and made a new life for herself as a high-powered public relations consultant in LA. She's even "engaged to be engaged" to the picture-perfect U.S. Congressman Grant Spangler.

Now all of Piper's hard-won happiness is threatened by a reclusive uncle's bout of conscience. In the wake of a health scare, Uncle Obadiah Pickwick has decided to change his will, leaving money to make amends for four generations' worth of family misdeeds. But that will reveal all the Pickwicks' secrets, including Piper's.

“Want to be drawn into a story rather than just reading it? Then allow me to suggest Tamara Leigh’s Leaving Carolina as your next ‘gotta-have-it’ story. Because this is more than just a novel. It’s an adventure. It’s entertainment. It’s why you turn off the TV and pick up a really good book!” — Eva Marie Everson, author of Things Left Unspoken

“Tamara Leigh is a must-read for laugh-out-loud humor and soul-bearing honesty! And Leaving Carolina is classic Tamara Leigh with quirky Southern characters, feel-good giggles, and many deep truths to ponder. Come spend some delightful hours in Pickwick, Carolina and see why Leaving Carolina has a bright spot on my keeper shelf.” — Amy Wallace, author of Enduring Justice, book 3 in the Defenders of Hope series

“Of all Tamara Leigh’s novels, this one is my favorite so far! The colorful characters in Pickwick invited me to sit down to Sunday brunch and dig into the biscuits and gravy! A fun novel not to be missed!” — Camy Tang, author of Single Sashimi and Deadly Intent

“Leaving Carolina is a soul-stirring sip of inspiration. With a Southern twist, Leigh draws us back to core values sweetened with a hint of romance. Good to the last drop!” - Lois Richer, author of A Ring and a Promise

“This is definitely a book I would recommend to my friends. Piper Pickwick is charming!” — Erynn Mangum, author of Miss Match

“Leaving Carolina is the first book in Tamara Leigh’s Southern Discomfort series, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next one! Leigh’s cast of eccentric down-home characters, her warm-hearted and harried protagonist, and her charming Southern style provide readers with a story that is warm, witty, and wise.” — Marta Perry, author of Twice in a Lifetime and Leah’s Choice

“Leaving Carolina was a joy to read. It is delightfully funny, heart-tugging, and honest. Tamara has a unique voice, a wonderful way with words, and has created a memorable story with great characters. I loved it and I am looking forward to her next book.” — Patricia H. Rushford, author, speaker, and OCW Summer Conference Director

Average Rating:

8 of 27 Reviews Showing:(View All Reviews)

Reviewed by Patty (Yakima, Wa), November 28, 2009

I thoroughly enjoy reading Tamara Leigh’s books. Her characters crack me up all the time. I love a good laugh, and this author definitely provides a full share of those. She tends to give you a view of the thoughts of her characters, and that’s the part in her books that I really like. It makes me feel like I know them personally when I am able to get inside their heads. This is another book of hers that I would pass along to my friends because it was a nice easy read that was fun and enjoyable.

Reviewed by Mike (Alexandria, IN), November 18, 2009

This is a story about a girl named Piper Wick who left her hometown of Pickwick , North Carolina twelve years ago. She proverbially shook the dust off her feet, ditched her drawl and her family name, and made a new life for herself as a high-powered public relations consultant in LA. Now she's even “engaged to be engaged” to the picture-perfect U.S. Congressman Grant Spangler. Now all of Piper’s hard-won happiness is threatened by a reclusive uncle’s bout of conscience. In the wake of a health scare, Uncle Obadiah Pickwick has decided to change his will, leaving money to make amends for four generations’ worth of family misdeeds. But that will reveal all the Pickwicks’ secrets, including Piper’s. Though Piper arrives in Pickwick primed for battle, she is unprepared for Uncle Obe’s rugged, blue-eyed gardener. So just who is Axel Smith? Why does he think making amends is more than just making restitution? And why, oh why, can’t she stay on task? With the Lord’s help, Piper is about to discover that although good PR might smooth things over, only the truth will set her free. It's a fun fast moving book, which features quirky characters, some comedy and a little romance. It seems a little similar to the movie Sweet Home Alabama. If you like the movie, you should like the book.

Reviewed by MJ @ Creative Madness (Arlington, Tennessee), November 12, 2009

*sigh of contentment* I do enjoy a good book by Tamara Leigh, she's quite the down to earth entertainer. Now after reading this story of Piper Pickwick in "Leaving Carolina", I really want to go back to my TBR shelf and find "Faking Grace", because I'm pretty sure I have a copy out there. Hmm... This book is full of family secrets, but so much more than that, it is a story of acknowledging and owning up to mistakes and sins and moving appropriately beyond them with forgiveness and admittance. Each page is filled with a pull to turn to the next page and finish the next chapter to read the continuing whit. The personality of our main character Piper is priceless and sets one to giggling and grinning as well as a bit of snickering here and there. The romance is blush-worthy and brings forth a sly grin to any reader. This is a fun loving book of entertainment, but also so much more as real lessons are brought forth in the twist of tales. I highly recommend this read, and personally cannot wait for more from Tamara. As this is my first of her novels that I have read cover to cover I need more. With that said, I'm exceptionally looking forward to the summer of 2010 to find more in The Next Adventure of Maggie and Devyn!!

Reviewed by Angela (NC), November 09, 2009

Who wants to admit coming from a town called Pickwick, or admitting your last name is Pickwick? Not Piper Pickwick that's for sure. She dropped the Pick off her name, and left that small town in North Carolina fast and far behind her. At least that's what she though she was doing. Life, and Uncle Obadiah had different plans for Piper bringing her back to Pickwick after 12 years away and losing her southern accent. Coming home to fried foods, sweet tea, eccentric relatives, and long lost memories is not on Piper's to do list. In her trademark light hearted way, Tamera Leigh has done it again giving us lovable characters, hysterical laugh out loud moments, and poignant God moments all wrapped up in one delightful package!

Reviewed by Sonia (Reno, NV), November 07, 2009

This was a great book. I was able to follow the plot, and feel as tho I was there with Piper. I would def recomend this book. I felt swept away with the story following Piper as she made the hard choices she was faced with.

Reviewed by Bernie Kawazoe (United States), November 07, 2009

In this book, Piper Wick, is introduced to us as Los Angeles Public Relations guru who has escaped her Southern roots and even gone as far as lost her southern accent. A benevolent uncle's decision to change his will to right the many wrongs of his family causes Piper to return to the town she thought she'd never return to. Thanks to Tamara Leigh's great storytelling, I was hooked from the start. Throughout the book, I was often laughing as Piper reacted to her quirky family and all the silly characteristics that each one held. Along with all the laughs, we are also witness to how the work that God is doing in Piper as she deals with the relatives that treated her and her mother so harshly as a child. This was definitely a fun read!

Reviewed by Stephanie (North Carolina), November 06, 2009

Tamara Leigh's books are always fun, refreshing reads that I look forward to, and this one was no different. Piper is a strong, engaging character, as is Axel, and their relationship drives the entire novel. The lessons Piper has to learn about Pickwick, both spiritual and otherwise, are poignant and real without being heavy-handed, and her relationships with the people of Pickwick are well-drawn. I particularly enjoyed meeting Maggie and Devyn and can't wait for their story. Most of all, though, Tamara did a good job of explaining why Piper's attitude toward Pickwick is what it is, without giving too much information. Piper's immaturity and anger grated on me at times, and the buildup of the love story seemed slow. However, this was a basically great book that was well worth the read.

Reviewed by Jolene (Waynesboro, PA), November 06, 2009

I really enjoyed Leaving Carolina! It’s a quirky southern-fiction book with unique characters. I believe every family contains some people just like those in Tamara Leigh’s story. The book was funny, heart-warming, and dramatic. I thought it was just the right mix of all the elements of a good story. Piper Wick is a woman with a past full of people who did her wrong and now the family misdeeds are about to hit the fan. Being someone who wants to keep the past under cover, Piper decides action most be taken and so she heads “home” to Pickwick. What ensues is an experience of family and redemption and renewal that Piper never new she needed or wanted. Axel the gardener is more than he first appears to be. Uncle Obadiah is a man with his past and a heart for doing what God would have him do. Plus, you’ll meet Maggie, Bart, Bridget, Devyn, Aunt Adele, Aunt Belinda, and Trinity Templeton. Fun, interesting, and quirky characters you will enjoy uncovering one tale at a time.

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