Title: Lunch with the Do-Nothings at the Tammy Dinette
Author: Killian B. Brewer
Publisher: Interlude Press
Length: 232 Pages
Category: Contemporary
At a Glance: I really, really liked what Killian B. Brewer did with this story. The book was full of charm as well as spunk and small town appeal.
Reviewed By: Jules
Blurb: When Marcus Sumter, a short order cook with dreams of being a chef, inherits a house in small town Marathon, Georgia, he leaves his big city life behind. Marcus intends to sell the house to finance his dreams, but a group of lovable busybodies called the Do Nothings, a new job at the local diner, the Tammy Dinette, and a handsome mechanic named Hank cause Marcus to rethink his plans. Will he return to the life he knew, or will he finally put down roots?
Review: I get nervous about new or new-to-me authors sometimes; I know I’m not the only one. Having not read Killian B. Brewer before, I didn’t know if Lunch with the Do-Nothings at the Tammy Dinette would be a hit or a miss. But I’ve had such good luck with Interlude Press, and I couldn’t resist that cover or the fun title, so I went for it. Turns out I had nothing to be nervous about. This book was absolutely endearing and fun.
The most endearing thing about it is, undoubtedly, the characters. Brewer has put together a wonderfully quirky ensemble that includes Marcus and Hank, of course, as well as the Do-Nothings—Helen, Inez, Priscilla, and Francine—Helen’s grandson Skeet; Francine’s daughters Paulette; Georgette and Frankette (Frankie), named after Francine’s three husbands; and the Tammy Dinette. I think since the diner is in the title, and is pretty much at the epicenter of the story, it can be considered a character. ;)
Marcus Sumter, a lifelong drifter, finds himself in Marathon, Georgia after unexpectedly receiving a letter from his deceased grandmother’s attorney. It turns out Eloise Sumter left her entire estate, including her little house in Crepe Myrtle Manor, to her grandson because she wanted him to finally have a home. Upon arriving into town, he is immediately taken under the wing of Helen Warner, his attorney’s mother, and one of Marcus’s grandmother’s best friends. Helen is also a Do-Nothing.
The Do-Nothings are basically the Ya-Ya Sisterhood of Marathon. This group of old, southern women are the town busybodies and the town’s caretakers. They are fiercely loyal and will stop at nothing to make sure the grandson of their dear friend is happy. Marcus is definitely in for it. I mean, with friends like these…! These ladies are a hoot and a half. Gun-toting, matchmaking, hoedown-planning…and that’s just the beginning. They were impossible not to adore.
Marcus has some baggage from his childhood, and his recent abusive relationship, but his budding romance with the town mechanic, Hank, begins to help start the healing. I loved watching Marcus find himself again. He got a job as a fry cook at the diner—a job he obviously loved and was extremely good at—and though his initial plan was to make enough money to get out of town again, as soon as he could, he began to realize that maybe things he previously thought were dreams of his simply weren’t his dreams at all. And, that he had a lot to learn about family, about what that truly meant and what it involved.
Hank had a part in that. And the Do-Nothings, of course. But, I want to talk about Skeet for a second. Skeet—né Raffield Warner the third—was completely fabulous, and his and Marcus’s friendship was one of my favorite things about the book. Skeet chauffeured Marcus around town most days, and through their banter, and Skeet’s harmless flirtations, they grew close. I loved him bunches. He was hilarious and snarky, and tons of fun. And, Marcus obviously adored him.
I really, really liked what Killian B. Brewer did with this story. The book was full of charm as well as spunk and small town appeal. In fact, I would love to read more about Marcus and Hank and all of the townsfolk of Marathon. My only complaint is that I wanted more opportunity to get to know the awesomeness of Hank, and more of Marcus and Hank together. Maybe Mr. Brewer will revisit them in the future. Until then, though, I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more from this author.
You can buy Lunch with the Do-Nothings at the Tammy Dinette here:
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