Review
With a title like Little Miss Petty, there’s a level of expectation that comes with it. I’m happy to report that Sally Kilpatrick delivers. For one, the main character’s age (39) a refreshing change from the plethora of adult contemporary books out there. But also, her support system of female friendships strengthens it. Add some hilariously petty pranks and a swoony golden retriever worthy of the book boyfriends list, and you’ve got yourself a five-star read.
We meet Stella as a six-year-old, her grandmother’s friend blaming her for a broken vase that she is responsible for. She doesn’t lash out – no, she decides to execute some appropriate consequences. Her grandmother’s friend obsessed over puzzles. So baby Stella exacted her revenge by stealing a single puzzle piece, forever preventing her from finishing it. With that poetic justice, readers will know what to expect for the remainder of the story, and just how Stella lives up to the title.
Stella’s journey offers a commentary on personal growth, female friendships, deserved consequences, and trusting the universe. Stella’s backstory – the reason her parents aren’t together and her grandmother raised her – is heartbreaking. And her handsome neighbor-turned-pizza-with-benefits is on his own path, but isn’t necessarily closing the door on what he and Stella could possibly have together. The author delivers on the suspense, humor, entertainment, and sexual tension with Little Miss Petty.
Sally Kilpatrick joins the Cantina Book Club Podcast to talk about her hilarious research for this book and plans for the future. Keep an ear out and preorder Little Miss Petty, available March 24.
Book
An empowered PI parlays her talent for petty revenge into lucrative karmic justice in a sharp and funny novel full of surprises by a USA Today bestselling author.
When Stella Stark discovers that her boyfriend is cheating, she also discovers that thirty-nine isn’t too old for petty revenge. Can we say…glitter bomb? She’s lost both her job and her home—why not broaden her professional horizons as Little Miss Petty, helping wronged women achieve karmic justice? Frankly, the demand is too great to ignore.
New friends rally around her: Havisham, a bar owner with a soft spot under her gruff exterior, and Salcedo, a college student with marketing savvy. There’s just one hiccup: Getting revenge on the cheating soon-to-be ex-husband of her best-paying client is supposed to be easy. After all, he’s her neighbor. But something isn’t adding up. Malone is not only intriguingly handsome. He’s also a good listener, sympathetic, and adores kittens. He may look like the ex, but he isn’t acting like him. And how can Stella, a woman on the rebound, be even remotely tempted by the pizza-with-benefits relationship he suggests? That would be so bad for business.
There’s so much for Stella to learn—about karma, the charmer across the breezeway she’s falling for, and most importantly, herself. Love, revenge, and second chances—they all come with a little risk. And a twist.
