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    Down and Out in Bugtussle: The Mad Fat Road to Happiness
    Down and Out in Bugtussle: The Mad Fat Road to Happiness
    Down and Out in Bugtussle: The Mad Fat Road to Happiness
    Audiobook9 hours

    Down and Out in Bugtussle: The Mad Fat Road to Happiness

    Written by Stephanie McAfee

    Narrated by Cassandra Campbell

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    With her fiance now her ex-fiance, Ace has hightailed it back to Bugtussle, Mississippi, and back to her Gramma Jones's house. Her best friends, Lilly and Chloe, are delighted she's back, but Ace still has some challenges ahead of her.

    For one thing, her replacement as Bugtussle High School's art teacher, Cameron Becker, refuses to vacate the position. So Ace is stuck working as a substitute teacher while harboring fantasies of running Miss Becker out of town. On top of that, Lilly and Chloe are obsessed with setting her up on less-than-romantic blind dates-even though all she wants is a break from her pitiful love life.

    To ease her troubled mind, Ace resolves to restore her grandmother's gardens to their former glory. But in the well-worn gardening book she's dug out of her grandmother's attic there are a series of suspicious notes that indicate her grandmother may have had a special someone in her past. Now, with her faithful chiweenie, Buster Loo, by her side, Ace is determined to get to the bottom of her grandmother's secret life, all the while hoping her own life isn't about to implode.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateJul 2, 2013
    ISBN9781452682099
    Down and Out in Bugtussle: The Mad Fat Road to Happiness

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    Reviews for Down and Out in Bugtussle

    4/5

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    • 4/5
      Mad Fat Girl Series by Stephanie McAfeeSource: Overdrive Audio/Public LibraryMy Rating: 4/5 starsThe Bottom Line: To date, there are three books (and two novellas!) in Stephanie McAfee’s Mad Fat Girl Series: Diary of a Mad Fat Girl, Happily Ever Madder, and Down and Out in Bugtussle. To be completely honest, I only requested the first book in this series because of the title ? I find it hard to resist such fun titles, and what I got behind the title was just as fun! The series revolves around the life, love life, antics, and shenanigans of one Ace Jones. Ace Jones is a spitfire if ever there was one and her mouth and actions often get her into a world of trouble. Ace Jones is fiercely loyal to her friends, hopelessly in love with a man she can’t seem to make a relationship work with, and often up to no good as a result of the very best of intentions. While there are many, many, many tremendously funny moments over the course of the three books, there are also some serious topics such as abuse and bullying addressed. What I found particularly fun about these books are solid characters, both good and bad, who populate the little town of Bugtussle. From Ace and her best friends, to the local barkeep, to the little old ladies who seem to know everything about everyone, there is a character for everyone in this series. Overall, I found the first and third books to be the best (to date) with the middle book being a bit slower, but necessary. By the end of the third book, Ace and her friends have been through the wringer and back again and not even one of them are showing any signs of slowing down!
    • 4/5
      After breaking up with her fiancé, Ace has gone back home. But she is not sitting around nursing her wounds. She gets work as a substitute teacher and though she hopes that she will get her old job back, it doesn’t seem likely since that position has been filled. She has taken up residence in her grandmother’s home and wants to restore the gardens to their former glory. There’s a bit of a mystery about her grandmother’s life, and Ace wants to find out more about it. Though she is busy helping her friends, both old and new, and looking for a new love, Ace still makes time for Buster Loo, her dog. Humor abounds as Ace jumps from one thing to another.
    • 3/5
      Listened for Review (Tantor Audio)Down and Out in Bugtussle: The Mad Fat Road to Happiness by Stephanie McAfeeOverall Rating: 2.50Story Rating: 3.00Character Rating: 2.00Audio Rating: 4.00 (not part of the overall rating)First Thought when Finished: Ace is just not my kind of gal. We just didn't connect which happens occasionally.NOTE: Let me admit that I have not read the first two in the series and I think that is where my disconnect with the story/characters came from. If you are already a fan of Ace then I have heard that this is a fantastic addition to the series. Please go read other people's reviews too. I am in the minority in not liking it very much.Story Thoughts: I thought Down and Out in Bugtussle was a bit of quirky fun. There really wasn't much of a point to the story but the shenanigans were delightful. It really made me wonder if all school teaching staffs had that much fun regularly (and drama) or if it was just these quirky ladies. Otherwise, my biggest complaint was I couldn't quite figure out what the point of the story was. There were a few times when things were so over the top (Ace's reactions mostly) and I just couldn't quite figure out why. I think it might have been where she was a character but to a person coming in late to the series, it just didn't make sense.Character Thoughts: Let's start with the side characters since I really liked them. I thought the other substitute was fantastic in a throw-back to the 80s kind of way. She was funny, odd, and unique! I loved her car, big hair, and love of 80s rock. I also found Ace's two best friends to be likable. Sure they were a little dramatic but each had big things going on so it was understandable. Ace *sigh* oh how I wish I liked you better. She had moments of pure delight but then she would go over the top mean on someone. She didn't come across sassy instead it was more brash to me. The TSA agent verbal smackdown in the story was the last straw for me. As I said, it might just be where she was as a character but it just wasn't a very likable trait.Audio Thoughts: Narrated by Cassandra Campbell / Length 9 hrs and 43 mins Cassandra is one of my favorite narrators. She is fun, quirky, and really knows how to deliver a line. In fact, she may have made me like the book a little more than I would have on my own. She did give the women in the series a lot of sass and brass! Her narration fit perfectly with the story.Final Thoughts: On a whole, I think fans of the Bridget Jones series would really like the Mad Fat Girl series. Ace didn't work for me but I know she is delightful for many of my friends. Please give her a try if you like fun, quirky leading ladies.
    • 5/5
      Ace Jones was living her dream life in Florida with the perfect job and perfect man. She realized her dream was more of a nightmare and decided to move into her deceased grandmother’s house in Bugtussele, Mississippi. Ace was working as a substitute teacher in hopes of getting her art teacher job back from the new flirty teacher Cameron. But Cameron was not willing to give up her job so easily. Ace was a firecracker and having a ball with her teacher friends. She was also following in her grandmother’s foot steps and began to go through gardening books. Ace found more than plant info in the books and tried to unlock the secrets in the pages, all while trying to help her friends who are in desperate need of comforting.DOWN AND OUT IN BUGTUSSLE was a hilarious read. The characters in the book are just that characters. Her substitute friend Stacey was stuck in the 80′s with her IROC- Z28 and poison tapes. Her other friends Lily and Chloe have a bit of drama in their lives. The book seems to have a few stories going on at one time, but they all flow smoothly. I enjoyed the sassy, crude humor that comes from Ace. You will find yourself laughing out loud at the things she says. After reading this book you will want to hop on over to Bugtussle and round up a few of these girls to hang out with. A truly enjoyable read!Rating: 4.5Heat rating: MildReviewed By: RaeCourtesy of My Book Addiction And More