"Ladies' Night" Novel Showcases Sarasota Beaches

Happy 9th of July! I'm a little behind schedule after spending five days on the west coast, then taking the red eye flight home. Never again will I sacrifice sleep for cheap air fare! I had an awesome (and insanely expensive) time visiting my cousin in Santa Barbara, CA. The weather was nice and the food and wine were fabulous (so fabulous that my pants would no longer button by the end of the trip). As nice as California was, however,I found myself homesick by the 3rd day. Between the three hour time difference, the California drought, the $80 dinners, and the wine that costs more by the glass than I'm used to paying for a bottle, I was feeling incredibly disconnected from my friends, family, and general way of life. 

My saving grace on this trip turned out to be a novel that my cousin recommended I pick up- Ladies' Night by Mary Kay Andrews. MKA is actually a pen name for the real author, Kathy Hogan Trocheck, who is a St. Petersburg native and writes "chick-lit" based in the southeast. Her novels are typically set in Georgia (she currently resides in Atlanta) so I was excited to see her finally write a novel centered around Florida! Ladies' Night takes place in Sarasota and references Anna Maria Island, Coquina Beach, Holmes Beach, Siesta Key, and Longboat Key. As I traveled across the country this past week it was incredibly comforting reading Andrews describe our afternoon rainstorms, searching for shells on the beaches, and even the sweltering humidity that are all characteristic of our area.

If you're a female looking for a great beach read this summer, I highly recommend Ladies' Night- especially if you're going out of town and want to take a little piece of Florida with you.

For the full summary of Ladies' Night, click here!