Crowning the Slug Queen by L.M. Fortin

"Crowning the Slug Queen" by L. M. Fortin was a cute first book in the Callie Stone series set in Skinner, OR. I enjoyed meeting Callie who has come home to Skinner after being fired from her job as an event planner in New York City. I found Callie to be likable and easy to relate to as I too have needed to step back and rethink life choices.

Callie's mother Coral and her grandmother were quirky but down-to-earth characters that helped to give more depth to the main character.

The pageant was a lot of fun to read about. I didn't know that being a Slug Queen was actually a "real thing" until I looked it up. The contestants were definitely over the top in their costumes and choices for the talent portion of the pageant.

Ms. Fortin's descriptive writing helped me to feel like I was walking with Callie around her home town. The story was quickly paced and there were enough twists to keep me turning the pages.

This was a quick read but enjoyable for an afternoon.