The Devil Has Dimples Tour ~ Pepper Phillips- Book Review

 

The Devil Has Dimples by Pepper Phillips
Published By: Lagniappe ePress
Release Date: October 1, 2011
Format: 176 Pages / Kindle - 303 KB / Nook - 500 KB
ASIN: B005RQ26IQ
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Women's Fiction / Chick Lit

I’m excited to be part of The Devil Has Dimples Blog Tour! Today, I’m sharing my review of Pepper Phillips’s delightful Southern romance. Be sure to stop by tomorrow — Pepper will be joining us with a special guest post, offering insight into the inspiration behind the book as she makes her rounds on her virtual blog tour  hosted by CLP Blog Tours.

Book Blurb

Adopted!

In the Deep South, one of the first questions asked when meeting someone new in a small town is, “Who’s your daddy?” The answer defines you as a person. Not knowing is disheartening.

Sara McLaughlin never knew she was adopted and is stunned to realize that if she wants to find out the questions burning in her brain as to the ‘why’ she was given up at birth, and who her father might be, she has to live in her birth mother’s apartment for the next six weeks.

Grant St. Romain, attorney, is supposed to be helping, but the hunky dimpled devil is making her mind think of other things.

Can she find the truth? Or will she break her heart trying to find out the answers in Boggy Bayou, where many secrets are hidden?

My Review

If you're looking for a light, laugh-out-loud romance with a splash of Southern sass and a swirl of small-town mystery, The Devil Has Dimples might be your next favorite escape.

Sara McLaughlin is living a perfectly ordinary life in Baton Rouge when a letter from a stranger sends her world sideways. Out of the blue, she learns not only that she was adopted, but that her birth mother — a woman she’s never met — has passed away and left behind unanswered questions, an inheritance, and a whole lot of baggage. With little more than a name and a letter from charming local attorney Grant St. Romain, Sara heads to the quaint, quirky town of Boggy Bayou, Louisiana to unravel the mystery of her past.

What she finds is anything but ordinary.

From the moment Sara steps into Boggy Bayou, she becomes the talk of the town — and let’s be honest, the town has plenty to talk about. The local gossip grapevine is buzzing, the characters are as eccentric as they are loveable, and there are more secrets buried in that sleepy little town than in a soap opera marathon.

At the heart of it all is Sara’s journey to understand her family history — especially the mystery surrounding her biological father. Alongside Grant (who’s not just easy on the eyes, but also quick with a smile and surprisingly supportive), Sara begins to unravel her mother’s past with the help of letters, local lore, and more than a few outrageous townsfolk who all seem to have their own version of the truth.

And yes — sparks fly between Sara and Grant. Their romance is sweet, simmering, and tangled up in all the confusion. Their chemistry is undeniable, and watching their relationship unfold amid all the chaos is just one of the many delights of this story.

Told mostly through Sara’s first-person perspective, the book gives you a front-row seat to her emotional highs and lows, while clever journal entries from her birth mother and a unique opening and closing chapter narrated by the local newspaper editor T-Jack Couvillion add texture and insight. It’s a fun structural choice that enhances the mystery and keeps the pace moving.

What really makes The Devil Has Dimples shine is its sense of place. From mentions of Southern cooking to the richly described antique store her mother once owned, everything feels warm, slightly offbeat, and deeply rooted in that specific, lovable brand of small-town Louisiana charm. You’ll feel like you’ve walked into a community that’s one part Mayberry, one part Bourbon Street.

The humor is constant — not forced or over the top, but baked into the situations and personalities of characters who clearly have a life of their own. It's not just funny; it's smart-funny. The dialogue snaps. The plot twists keep coming. And even when the mystery deepens, the tone stays playful and engaging.

Whether you're a fan of Southern fiction, romantic comedies, or just need something to lift your spirits on a rainy day (or a trip to the beach), The Devil Has Dimples hits the mark. It’s short enough to finish in an afternoon, but satisfying enough to leave you smiling — and possibly craving biscuits and sweet tea.

Final Thoughts

Sweet, sassy, and stuffed with charm, The Devil Has Dimples is everything you want in a feel-good romantic mystery. Don’t let the small-town setting fool you — this book has big heart, bold characters, and just enough bite to keep things interesting.

About the Author

                                

Pepper Phillips wrote her first play in the seventh grade. But before that she read every book in her age group at the small local library. An only child, she entertained herself in the worlds she created in her mind. She's still pretty mindless in some respects, but her writing world is where she is the happiest. She ventured into self-publishing in 2011.

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