I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
This is easily one of my favorite books of 2024. It's funny and heartbreaking and the story flows with so much emotion and action that I hated for it to end. Definitely will read more from this author in the future!

What a fantastic debut novel for Elizabeth Bass Parman. The way the character and story line are developed pulls you right in and makes it for an easy enjoyable read. You won’t be disappointed taking a chance on this one!

Bravo! It’s hard to believe that this is a debut novel!

Elizabeth Bass Parman has written a tale of mistakes, dreams, schemes and family secrets embedded in small town 1960’s Tennessee. At times, her narrative reminds me of Fannie Flagg’s novels.

Intricate and somewhat quirky characters gently coax the reader into non-stop reading. Posey, a dissatisfied housewife with wannabe dreams; Vern, the kind everyman, beloved by friends and Callie Jane, a mistakenly engaged and obedient daughter on the verge of rebellion. Combined with interesting supporting characters and life paths, this is a book that makes you eager to read more from Parman.

Highly recommend this for your next read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the advance eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Fun read which also provides some heartfelt situations. I enjoyed the characters, even Posey and her cruelisms.

Living in the Nashville area for many years, I could identify with the places mentioned, especially Castner Knott!

This book is set in the 1960s following both Posey and her daughter Callie Jane as Posey is working on trying to get everything she believes she deserves and Callie Jane slowly figures out what she wants in life. This was a 4.5 star book that has quickly become one of the top ten reads this year.
We quickly learn how unlikable Posey is, disregarding everyone’s wishes while making hers’ everyone’s problem. She is delusional with how she views life and everything that has happened to her, she chooses to believe that everything will be fixed once she has the mansion, man (CJ), and money. Her tunnel vision for these things all lead to CJ the man she believes is in love with her, and will come and take her out of the misery she believes herself to be in.
It would not inaccurate to say I hated Posey, she has everything, but views her life as nothing of worth. She sees her daughter as an extension of what possibly might be the only thing she loves, CJ. She truly believes that CJ is her true love and he loved her as well despite all the proof to the contrary. She is the kind of character that made it enjoyable to see her delusion crumple before her eyes.
I spent the book rooting for Callie Jane and praying for Posey's inevitable downfall. I felt so vindicated when Callie Jane finally stood up for herself against her mother. The way I was quite literally cheering her on when she finally stood up to her mother towards the end. I’m so glad Callie Jane and Trace weren’t taken the usual route and the way their relationship ended was nice. I was so glad that she did end up putting her needs above those around her and stopped doing what she thought she was supposed to.
This was a very satisfying book. I can't think of anything I would change (excerpt maybe Vern’s ending).
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you NetGalley, Harper Muse, and the author for allowing me to read this ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This novel's setting and character development really made it easy to find myself inside Cooke County. I even at times felt like the Empress herself! The cover is also a great depiction of the 1960's southern ladies! The undertone of this novel was the ipact of societal norms, and there was a generational perspective. Posey, who considers herself the Empress of her small area in the south, outs the pressure on to maintain her status at any cost. When she inherits a broken down mansion from the quirky aunt (we love those), she outs the pressure up even more in trying to pull off a huge party there. Her daughter on the other hand wants to escape the south, the pressure to continue on the path of her parents and start fresh elsewhere. The dynamics between each character were well developed and enthralling!

"The Empress of Cooke County" by Elizabeth Bass Parman is a charming and nostalgic novel set in the rural town of Spark in Cooke County, Tennessee. The story centers on thirty-eight-year-old Posey Jarvis, who styles herself as the “empress” of her small community. Posey is an intriguing character, obsessed with Jackie Kennedy and caught in a strained marriage with her husband, Vern. Her relationship with her daughter, Callie Jane, is also tumultuous, especially as Callie becomes increasingly rebellious.

Posey's life takes a dramatic turn when she inherits a dilapidated mansion from her eccentric Aunt Milbrey. Seizing this opportunity, Posey decides to host her high school’s twentieth reunion at the mansion, driven by a desire to reconnect with her former lover who abandoned her nearly two decades ago. Despite the mansion’s dire state, with possums and pervasive odors, Posey is determined to make it presentable, symbolizing her yearning for a past love and her relentless, if misguided, hope.

Parallel to Posey’s storyline is that of her eighteen-year-old daughter, Callie Jane. Callie is facing her own set of crises: an unplanned engagement, an overbearing mother, and a mundane future working at her father’s store. She is desperate to escape the confines of her small town life and the creepy Peeping Tom adding to her distress. California represents freedom and a fresh start, but breaking free from the path set out for her by her parents and societal expectations is daunting.

Set against the backdrop of the 1960s, a period of significant social change, the novel vividly captures the essence of small-town Southern life with its gossip, charm, and memorable characters. "The Empress of Cooke County" is a touching exploration of family, love, and self-discovery. It highlights the struggle to be true to oneself and the impact that authenticity can have on one’s life and relationships.

Elizabeth Bass Parman crafts a narrative that is both heartwarming and poignant, illustrating how the pursuit of personal dreams and the challenge of breaking away from societal norms can lead to profound personal transformation. The novel’s rich depiction of the 1960s Southern setting adds depth to the characters' experiences, making "The Empress of Cooke County" an engaging read about the complexities of love and identity in a small town.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced copy to review.

The Empress of Cooke County tells a riveting story of Posey Burch Jarvis, a woman who believes the world has jilted her in more ways than one and that of Callie Jane Jarvis, Posey’s daughter, attempting to find herself in a world that appears to be too cruel.
Posey has spent the last near-20 years pining after a man named CJ, whom she had a week-long affair with when she was 19-years-old, culminating in a pregnancy and Posey all alone. That pregnancy resulted in the sweet, mild-mannered Callie Jane. Now 18-years-old and ready to get on with the life she dreams of, Callie Jane finds herself unwittingly engaged to her childhood best friend Trace.
The results of this story ends with Posey having the world she’s known forever ripped out from under her by her own actions, and Callie Jane coming to terms with her own life and learning that she must live that life by her own terms, and not anyone else’s.
In this story, you will be rooting for Callie Jane to grow a backbone and be able to stick up to her mother, the woman you will loathe from the very first page. This author has an uncanny way of getting you to hate one of the two main protagonists from the very first word written on the page. You will spend the rest of the 300+ pages wondering if Posey will learn that consequences come with the actions she has chosen, and cheering when that happens.
Well done to Elizabeth Bass Parman on a wonderful, coming-of-age story for Callie Jane and a guidebook on not what to do with your life from Posey. I originally chose this book as an ARC specifically because Cooke happens to be my maiden name, so I immediately was drawn to it, and I’m so glad that I did. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did.
Thank you to Harper Muse, Netgalley and author Elizabeth Bass Parman for this complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A protagonist that I loved to hate made for a quick take down of this wonderful debut novel. The setting is a small, southern town that is full of charm and of course a gossip-fueled, local beauty shop, the Curly Q.

Posey spends her time wishing for her life to be different. She is self-centered, cares little for anyone but herself, spends her time trying to impress others, and does not appreciate what she has. She is fixated on a man with whom she had a 7-day affair 20 years ago, and is always concocting plans and manipulating others to get what she feels is necessary to win him over. On the opposite end of the spectrum are Posey's husband, Vern, and daughter Callie Jane who care deeply for others and appreciate all that they have.

After inheriting a dilapidated mansion, Posey races to create what she deems a 'show place' in order to host her high school reunion and seal her place as the Empress of Cooke County. But at what cost? Meanwhile, Vern and Callie Jane run the Emporium, a local second-hand store. Callie Jane feels that her life is being orchestrated by others and has her sights set on California, but guilt about leaving her father is keeping her in place.

Can this family survive Posey's dreams and domineering ways? Will Posey indeed become the Empress of Cooke County? Will Callie Jane break free? Read this poignant story and find out!

My favorite quote:
"Choose your dreams and then do all in your power to conjur them into being, before someone does the choosing for you."

Thank you to NetGalley and the Harper Muse for this ARC in return for an honest review.

I loved this gem of a book from the very first page! It is a sweet story about life in Cooke County, Tennessee. The writing is reminiscent of Fannie Flagg. Posey Jarvis is a social climber in an unfulfilling marriage with an 18 year old daughter. Self-indulgent and selfish, she is constantly trying to better her lot in life and doesn't appreciate her kind husband or lovely daughter. The story follows a cast of characters in Cooke County and I loved them all. The plot follows Posey as she inherits a large mansion and sets about sprucing it up in order to host her class reunion and her daughter's wedding reception. Posey is also still pining over a married man she had an affair with twenty years ago. Her daughter and husband are also searching for happiness and fulfillment. Read this book! Thank you, NetGalley, for the advanced reader copy.

This was a really enjoyable read. I had a hard time putting it down. I think most fiction readers will enjoy it. Pick this one up on publication day.

When I read the description of this book, it sounded like a light, fun and humorous read. What I discovered was a truly unlikeable protagonist, self-centered with an enormous sense of entitlement and completely incapable of showing love or empathy.

Character growth is an important element of a good novel, but Posey Jarvis shows none. At the beginning of the book, she's a spiteful, dishonest, petty drunk who uses and manipulates people to get what she wants. After committing the unthinkable, she remains that way at the end of the book, but at least she gets her comeuppance.

The one redeeming element of the book is Posey's daughter Callie Jane, who eventually grows a backbone and becomes a person in her own right.

It’s 1966, and Posey Jarvis’s life hasn’t turned out quite as she planned. She’s married to the much older Vern and living in a small suburban home, but she pines after her wealthy ex, CJ. When an opportunity to rise in the social ranks lands in her lap, she starts scheming to win CJ back.

Meanwhile, Posey’s 18-year-old daughter, Callie Jane, is engaged to her lifelong best friend and on track for a life of comfort and stability. The only problem is she doesn’t want any of it - the man or the picture perfect small-town life. She needs to gather courage to chase her own dreams.

What I liked about this book:
-The small-town, midcentury vibes were vivid and fun.
-Posey’s inner thoughts were at times quite funny.
-There was a great twist toward the end.

What I didn’t like:
-Something about the tone just didn’t resonate with me. It was neither dark enough nor funny enough to really feel like a dark comedy, but it wasn’t serious enough to feel like lit fic.
-None of the characters had a particularly nuanced sense of morality. It was quite apparent early on who the “good” and “bad” people were in this book and who we were supposed to be cheering for.

The premise of this book was fun, but I don’t love how it was executed. I suspect this is more about me being the wrong reader for the book than it is about the book’s overall quality. I wouldn’t necessarily advise anyone to stay away from it, but I don’t think I’ll be recommending it.

This was a solid story of how love is what matters in life! Callie Jane is the heroine that all of us needed but also Evangeline and Vern. Posey was a fantastic antihero, she was so wrapped up and twisted inside of herself that she was never going to get out without doing something ridiculous. The author made it so easy to love the town of Spark and most of the people in it. This is still small town life! Great story!

This is a light commercial story that doesn't ask much from the reader but it's a fun read. Although Posey is self-centered and superficial, the author conveys her journey in an entertaining format. I felt bad for Posey's daughter. The small town feel is spot-on. Same for the time period, which is well-researched and nicely conveyed. Readers looking for satire or dark humor will find much to admire here.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance e-galley; all opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

One of the pleasures of reading is that it takes you places you have never been before. Or, introduces you to a new element of society or culture. This book delivered that in spades.

Posey may present herself as an unsympathetic protagonist to most readers, but she is a vibrant illustration of the art of swimming upstream in a snake infested Southern creek. The stifling small-town world presented in the book was vibrantly presented and I didn’t have to stretch my imagination much to travel to Posey’s beauty salon or the family “ Emporium.”

I am afraid I would have been one of the snarky neighbors passing judgment on her attitude, but It was still difficult not to feel some empathy and regard for this ultimate “ survivor” who never stopped trying to fulfill her dreams. No matter how selfish they were.

The star of this book for me was the spirit of the small town. While it stifled some, it cared for many and it was valuable for me to spend some time in a place where neighbors may have wagging tongues, but they still take care of each other.

I received a complimentary copy of this book as an advance reader .

Posey is just too spoiled for my liking. I felt lots of sympathy for her daughter. But I DNF after 17%.

What happens if you have lived most of your life living and wishing for something and then all of a sudden you have a chance to make it a reality. Posey has been looking to take her crown as the Empress of Cook County for her entire life and with the death of her aunt has now been given the chance to re set her life to the course, but at what cost. A fun and heart warming book about relationships between mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, fathers and daughters and how to navigate projecting what you are working to manifest while living in a small town.

I really enjoyed this book and read it only in a couple of days. If your looking to enjoy a book full of southern charm with some twists and turns this is the perfect book for you.

Sassy story that surprised me. I really enjoyed this easy, one sitting read. I would gladly read more from this author.

Posey is an unhappy housewife living in the South in the 60's- who's main goal is to impress others with all of the best things and keep up appearances of living large.
This was unlike most books I read and I don't even know how to classify it? Dark comedy maybe? But yet I thoroughly enjoyed it. I enjoyed reading about the 60's as that's when my parents grew up and I found this book surprisingly funny and binge worthy.
Posey was definitely an unlikeable main character, with innumerable character flaws, but I found myself enjoying the crazy. Her daughter Callie Jane, and husband Vern were great characters who offset the crazy well and balanced the book well.
I had many laughs, but it also had its dark moments. Overall I enjoyed- mainly because I really didn't know where this book was taking me.
I would recommend this read to anyone wanting to go back in time to small-town life in the 60's- with some crazy thrown in.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the chance to read.