Penelope Lemon may not be our next Jane Eyre, swooning over the mysterious Mr. Rochester. She may not be our next Catherine, wildly seeking Heathcliff on the moors. But she’s looking for love on a Christian dating website. When she’s not working at a western-style roadhouse restaurant. She’s got dreams, too, our Penelope! Along with two divorces and a son called “Fart Boy” by other kids on the bus. She’s got dreams – AND plans – to improve their lives. Game on, Penelope Lemon!!

Sean Kinch takes us on a glorious tour of the book at Chapter 16 and the Nashville Scene, concluding –

Penelope Lemon: Game On! moves at a zany, Wodehousian clip, the entertaining set pieces interspersed with zippy dialogue. Hardly a single a sentence in the voice of Penelope’s friend Missy is quotable in a family venue.

It’s a short novel, saucy and profane and funny on every page. Majors, who is already working on a sequel, knows that comedy relies on the accumulation of absurd obstacles facing his protagonist. Just when you think her life couldn’t get any worse, another problem arises. Bertram Wooster has Jeeves by his side, but Penelope has only her own wits to guide her. Still, she proves to have all the mettle she needs to make it on her own.

If you live in Nashville, you’ll want to stop in and celebrate the novel’s release on TUESDAY, AUGUST 14th, at 6 pm at Parnassus Books. I’ll be there and hope to see you!! I’ll be purchasing a copy there and look forward to enjoying a perfect August read.

I loved Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and am thinking Penelope Lemon may share some of its appeal. Penelope Lemon does sounds significantly – well – spicier. I love the idea of a heroine you can wholeheartedly root for – even a heroine whose life may look very different from your own. And a novel that may keep you up at night – but won’t cause you to lose sleep.

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This is Inman.

Inman Majors is the author of five novels: LOVE’S WINNING PLAYS, THE MILLIONAIRES, WONDERDOG, SWIMMING IN SKY, and PENELOPE LEMON:GAME ON!

A native of Tennessee, Inman received his BA from Vanderbilt University and his MFA from The University of Alabama. He is a professor of English at James Madison University and makes his home in Charlottesville, Virginia. His parents live here in Nashville.

Lemon image copyright here.

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