4.5 stars.

Better Get to Livin' by Sally Kilpatrick is a delightfully charming romance with a slight supernatural element (ghosts).

Following an embarrassing Hollywood scandal, actress Presley Cline returns to Ellery, TN to lie low for a few weeks until the publicity dies down. Immediately after her return home, a tornado hits, leaving Presley and her mother LuEllen in need of a place to stay. Gladly accepting Declan Anderson's offer to stay at his family's funeral home, Presley is dismayed when she discovers her high school crush on him has not lessened over the years. When Presley is offered the chance to audition for a role that could catapult her to stardom, will she follow her heart or her dream?

Despite her years in L.A. and her momentary lapse in judgment, Presley is surprisingly down to earth and completely lacking in guile. Mortified by the paparazzi photos showing her assets, she is happy to escape the limelight but less than thrilled to return home. Her relationship with her mom is tense since LuEllen refuses to take better care of herself. Presley is also trying to decide if becoming an actress is her dream or her mother's. Equally troubling is her inability to sustain a romantic relationship but if she wants the role she is auditioning for, she knows she will have to move past her fears. Presley works up the nerve to ask Declan to help her overcome her problems but their no strings fling becomes complicated when she begins to fall for him.

Declan is struggling to reconcile his personal dreams with his promises to keep the funeral home in the family. He is eagerly planning his future while impatiently waiting for his brother Sean to return and honor the agreement they made years earlier. A little stunned by Sean's news once he does come home, Declan knows he has to do what is best for the family even if that means he has to alter his plans. Since he is all too aware how it feels to sacrifice his dreams, Declan refuses to stand in the way of Presley's career although he wants nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with her. Will Declan let Presley walk out of his life without telling her how he feels about her? Or will Presley discover a compromise that will allow the star-crossed lovers to live happily ever after?

Better Get to Livin' is a well-written novel with a quirky but engaging storyline. The characters a wonderfully developed and anyone who has ever tried to reconcile their dreams with family expectations will find their issues easy to relate to. With a sizzling hot romance, a dash of a supernatural element and some very mysterious deaths, this latest novel by Sally Kilpatrick is sure to be a hit with anyone who enjoys contemporary love stories.
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Thanks to Sally Kilpatrick (Bloom With Tall Poppy Writers on Facebook win).

Southern charm is what this book is about. The characters, the ghosts, the setting of a small town in Ellery, TN and the big city of Hollywood. Mystery included close to the end of the book.

Great read all around. ( )

Better Get to Livin is a new novel by Sally Kilpatrick. Presley Ann Cline is an actress (not even a B actress) in Los Angeles. She is hoping to get the part of a fairy godmother in a new movie titled Secret Lives of Fairy Godmothers. The producer would guarantee her a role if she sleeps with him. Presley Ann is unable to go through with it, but the paparazzi catch her leaving the gentleman’s place with her skirt in her underwear (not a good picture). Her agent advises Presley Ann to leave town until the hoopla dies down. Presley Ann only has one place to go with her limited funds (her last boyfriend cleaned her out and then disappeared) and that is home to Ellery, Tennessee. It will also give Presley Ann a chance to get away from the depressing ghost in the corner of her apartment. Did I mention that Presley Ann can see ghosts (and has the ability to help them cross over)? Presley Ann shows up at her mother’s trailer home in Green Acres Estates Mobile Home Park. It is a good thing that Presley Ann came home because her mother could use some assistance. Presley Ann is given a job by the very reluctant Delilah of Holy Roller (I have a feeling there is a story there), the town’s beauty shop. Her first assignment is to take care of a client at Anderson’s Funeral Home. I think Presley Ann’s ability to see ghosts will come in handy! Declan Anderson works at the funeral home with his stepmother, Caroline. This is not Declan’s dream job, but he would not disappoint family. When tornados strike the town and ruin trailer homes, Declan offers Presley Ann and her mother a place to stay (the funeral home used to be a real home). Presley Ann is less than excited after she discovers the overabundance of ghosts residing above stairs. But she cannot turn down a place to stay (for her or her mother). Then Declan’s Uncle Hollis comes back to the funeral home (people do not understand him and his boisterous ways). Turns out that Uncle Hollis and Presley Ann have a lot in common. Life is never dull in Ellery, Tennessee. Will Presley Ann decide to stay or head back to her life in Hollywood? You will have to read Better Get to Livin to find out.

Better Get to Livin was not as good as it sounds (it does not live up to its potential). Presley Ann is a twenty-five years old virgin. Presley Ann is afraid to have sex and this seems to dominate the book (because her mother warned her about the cow giving the milk away for free). The pace of the novel is extremely sluggish. My favorite part of the book was the Gilmore Girls reference (such a cute show). The story is told (in the first person) from Declan and Presley Ann’s point-of-views (it goes back and forth). This makes it a wee bit confusing at times when it switches. There is mild foul language and sexual references in the book (not explicit but fair warning). There was not enough about the ghosts. I think it would have made for a better story if the ghosts had been integrated more. My favorite character was Uncle Hollis. He was interesting and fun. There is more that goes on in the story. I just told you some of the activity that takes place (it is too much for one book). I give Better Get to Livin 2.75 out of 5 stars. It was okay, but not great. With a little tweaking, it could have been a very good story.

I received a complimentary copy of Better Get to Livin from NetGalley in exchange for an honest evaluation of the novel. ( )

pub May 31, 2016 Better Get To Livin' by Sally Kilpatrick
Have read some of the author's works and have enjoyed the books. This one starts out with Presley and she's run out of a house with barely anything on as the paparazzi photos her.
Her agent tells her to lay low so she heads to her mothers in TN for the Christmas holiday seeason before she will head back to Hollywood to resume her career. Alternating chapters from Declan who runs the local funeral home and his busy life attending to those in need.
Then the tornado hits and everything is turned upside down in all their lives. The ghosts are around more and she sees and talks to them to lead them on their way.
She finds work to do but it's not what she really wants to do...her mother is very ill, on oxygen and no place to go...there was only one choice to make...Declan has decisions to make also about the growth of his business, or does he want her in his life????
Other life and death emergencies occur and she is able to find out who her real father is=a bit late but better late than never. She knows she has the audition coming up but what to do after that-return to her family life or work for the movies? Like how all the mysteries are solved, didn't see it coming-who had killed them all!
I received this book from The Kennsington Books in exchange for my honest review ( )