"Love and Hot Chicken" | Reviewed by Jenni Olson

"Love and Hot Chicken," by Mary Liza Hartong, is a heartfelt Southern novel that offers lots of laughs and lots of love.

In the story, the protagonist, PJ, has returned home from college after learning about the passing of her father. PJ swore she would never go back to her hometown after she fled to the city to get her PhD from Vanderbilt. But with her father’s death, PF knows her mother needs her more than ever. 

While home, PJ takes on a job as a fry cook at The Chickie Shak, a local eatery famous for Hot Chicken. Navigating grief and finding her new normal, PJ throws herself into her work. Things spice up when The Chickie Shak is entered into a Hot Chicken Pageant. At the pageant, PF grows closer to her coworker, Boof, who she is mesmerized by.

"Love and Hot Chicken" is a unique story filled with love, loss, and lots of references to delicious southern food. This is a book that readers will really enjoy. 

Buy the Book.