The Devil in the Junior League

Fredericka Mercedes Hildebrand Ware, Frede to her friends, is a 28-year-old beauty and high-ranking member of the exclusive Willow Creek Junior League. Frede is married to attorney Gordon Ware and the two live a lavish lifestyle until the day Frede arrives home unexpectedly to find Gordon and a mousy young woman named Janet discussing Janet's pregnancy and Gordon's impending fatherhood. Frede immediately boots the twosome from the mansion and plots to keep the scandal a secret from the wealthy community. Unfortunately for Frede, she soon learns that Gordon was up to so much more than just a fling. Her money, and it was definitely HER money, is gone, her jewely is gone, including heirlooms from her own family, and her house is no longer show more her own. Having turned all business matters over to her lawyer husband when they were first married, Frede had the decidedly silly habit of signing whatever Gordon put in front of her without question. Heck, she even signed her own divorce papers without realizing it. Deciding she needs revenge against this cad of a husband, Frede turns to her next door neighbor, Howard Grout, a high-power attorney but an extreme NC (no class) with a penchant for gold chains and no manners. Grout agrees to help Frede with one request of his own. He wants her to get his wife Nikki, a spandex, feather boa, stiletto heel wearing bleached blonde into the Junior League.

I found this book quite humorous. Although I didn't always like Frede, I always wanted her to get the revenge she so richly deserved. It was nice to see her topple from her haughty perch a bit once she took on the task of turning Nikki Grout into a JL-worthy lady. I think Frede may have learned more from Nikki than the other way round. It was a fun and fluffy light read. show less

Better than expected. I picked this up at the library and didn't expect a whole lot, but the story was more engaging and the main character much more likable than I expected. I'd look for the next book by this author.

Of course, Texans are larger than life in their stories and in general. This story centers on the perfect "Southern" lady with impeccable manners, lifestyle, and clothes. Then a carpetbagger, in the form of a misguided mistress of a wayward husband threatens all Frede holds dear. The story starts slowly and does not gather steam until the final chapters. Frede lists may be cute to some, but become boring and trite as the book progresses. And of course, the book is being adapted into a movie with Jennifer Garner producing and maybe starring in the movie.

Cute. The Devil in the Junior League is Lee's fun (if highly exaggerated) look at the world of Texas socialites. Full of humor and hyperbole, I found it to be a fun summer read, but even in that capacity, it left me wanting.

The dialogue and dialect (even definitions are provided, for the tres lowerclass) had me in stitches, and as for the action, if you love a good backstabber, you will find yourself right at home in these pages. At times, though, it gets excessive. I found myself wondering how many more multi-page descriptions of the lead character getting ready to go out, right down to the pearl earrings and the length of her bath, I was going to have to read. (In addition -- and having spent significant time down there, this was news show more to me -- rich Southern ladies absolutely shun the wearing of color).

The protagonist is not without a heart, of course. Much of the story is sort of a "to sir with love" for the rich youknowwhat set, with the leading lady taking on a low-class woman as a personal charge, in order to make her Junior League Material. However, after the way this woman is treated by the belittling League members, left running away in tears at nearly every other page, and after she herself admits that she hates the club and the whole process, I was left scratching my head as to why she still wanted to persist in this pursuit.

The Devil in the Junior League is a funny, girlfight-ridden book. However, while I expected the characters to be lacking in depth, I was surprised it was missing from the plot. show less

I'm realizing that funny Southern lit makes good pleasure reading for me while in grad school, and this book fits the bill. Nothing deep here, more like cotton candy. This book made me glad that my Junior League chapter wasn't so hard to get into! Maybe the whole story was exaggerated for fiction, but it was pretty funny!

I got this book after reading a few very positive reviews. (esp. Entertainment Weekly which gave it an A-)

I was so disappointed. I was really looking forward to a fun chick lit book - but MAN this book was inane. None of it made sense (hello?! the husband committed fraud - I am not familiar with Texas law - but I find it impossible to believe that there would be no legal recourse for someone who was misled the way the main character was. Beyond the total preposterousness of plot of the novel - I found the characters impossible to relate to and frankly not believable. Instead of being the fluffy quick read I had hoped for - I found myself dreading to pick it up again because I knew it was going to be so contrived.

Eh. Irritating. While I know that people like Frede and her compadres certainly exist, it just seemed too...much.

The only thing that allowed me to continue reading this (and give it a rating of three stars) was at the point, early on, that I decided to read this as a satire. If that wasn't the author's intention, sorry, but I did finish it that way.