Synopses & Reviews
Grab your sparkliest tiara, blend your favorite fruity drink, and get ready to laugh and cry with the women of the Tiara Club.
Georgia Elliott grew up in a small Gulf town full of Southern charm---and a superefficient grapevine---so the few secrets shes managed to keep are precious, including that she invented TVs hottest new kitchen gadget, the Miracle Chef. A second-generation beauty queen, Georgia turns to women she knows she can trust to keep her secret from her controlling society mama: the Tiara Club. All the members are veterans of the pageant circuit, but theyve just admitted one woman who doesnt fit in---a Yankee whos never taped her breasts or smeared glue on her butt to wow the judges. And this year the Tiara Club is determined to help this outsider win the coveted Shrimp Queen crown. Add in an impending wedding and the clubs attempts to keep Georgias secret, and the women of the Tiara Club have to do all they can to hold on to their poise, their friendships, and their senses of humor.
Praise for Beverly Brandt:
“Steel Magnolias meet the Sweet Potato Queens in this book about friendship, beauty pageants, Southern living, deep, dark secrets, and the sacrifices we make in the name of love. Dont miss this witty, charming novel!”
---Joan Johnston, New York Times bestselling author of No Longer a Stranger
“The perfect pick-me-up for rainy days.”
---Publishers Weekly
“An author to watch.”
---Elizabeth Bevarly, author of Just Like a Man
Review
“A heartwarming tale of Southern love and friendship…Its the Ya-Ya Sisterhood with sizzle!”
---Cara Lockwood, author of Dixieland Sushi
Synopsis
Grab your sparkliest tiara, blend your favorite fruity drink, and get ready to laugh and cry with the women of the Tiara Club.
Georgia Elliott grew up in a small Gulf town full of Southern charm---and a superefficient grapevine---so the few secrets she's managed to keep are precious, including that she invented TV's hottest new kitchen gadget, the Miracle Chef. A second-generation beauty queen, Georgia turns to women she knows she can trust to keep her secret from her controlling society mama: the Tiara Club. All the members are veterans of the pageant circuit, but they've just admitted one woman who doesn't fit in---a Yankee who's never taped her breasts or smeared glue on her butt to wow the judges. And this year the Tiara Club is determined to help this outsider win the coveted Shrimp Queen crown. Add in an impending wedding and the club's attempts to keep Georgia's secret, and the women of the Tiara Club have to do all they can to hold on to their poise, their friendships, and their senses of humor.
About the Author
Beverly Brandt lives in sunny Florida, where she writes full-time and dreams of having a Tiara Club of her very own. She is the author of four previous novels.
Reading Group Guide
1. Georgia appreciates the benefits of her small town, but living there means she also has to make sacrifices. Do you empathize with the lengths she goes to in order to conceal her secrets? If not, why? What would you have done?
2. Georgias mother is obsessed with holding on to her power over her daughter—in the little as well as the big things. What do you think of the straightforward and the sneaky ways Georgia evaded Vivians control? At the end, do you believe that Vivian really changed?
3. What did you think of the irony of Georgia forming a group of close women friends as a method of taking attention away from herself? Do you and your friends often talk about whats most important to you? What about you and your significant other, parents, or children?
4. The Tiara Club is a wonderfully supportive group of friends, but there are jealousies and faultlines that run through their relationships. Do you think its possible for a group of women to always be supportive of each other? Why or why not?
5. Did your idea of beauty queens change after reading The Tiara Club? What did you think of them before? What do you think of them now?
6. What did you think of Callies reasons for marrying Trey? Do you think she was right to value stability over true love? Would you have felt differently if she didnt have children?
7. Georgias inventions are aimed at making the lives of women easier. The Miracle Chef, however, has a much deeper aim than just cooking quickly—its about family. If you could invent something, what would it be? Why?
8. Georgia tells herself shes keeping her secrets in order to protect her mother, but, in truth, having a life no one else knows about also allows her to maintain a distance from those around her. Have you ever caught yourself telling one of these emotional lies? If so, did realizing that you werent being truthful (if only to yourself) make you change your behavior? Why or why not?