Author: Josie Brown
Publisher: Downtown Press
My synopsis/thoughts: The "perfect" couple of Paradise Heights is getting a divorce - Harry and Dee Dee Wilder. The news travels fast on Halloween, fueled by rumors from the Paradise Heights Women's League Board. Margot, Brooke, Tammy, Isabelle, Colleen and Lyssa comprise this board. These women who set the standard for the community and gossiped about the "Undesirables" - those who did not make their standard - had as many secrets themselves.
Lyssa runs into Harry a few days after Dee Dee moves out and befriends him. She decides to run interference with the Board and get the women to accept him - It works for a short time - until Harry puts his foot down because he feels they want more than friendship and he is just not interested. The women are miffed about this and deem Harry "Undesirable" - except for Lyssa. She remains friends with Harry and tells herself it is just because Dee Dee has left and he needs some help in learning how to take care of his kids.
There are 2 other stay at home dads in the neighborhood and she decides to get them together with Harry for coffee. She hopes this will work out better than it did with the moms. Meanwhile, Ted, Lyssa's husband, is unaware of all the activities that keep his wife busy during the day - and his job is taking up more and more of his time - keeping him in the office late and traveling more. When he discovers Lyssa's friendship with Harry, he immediately thinks it is more than it appears.
This timeline in this book was from Halloween until New Year's - and I found that to be pretty realistic when it comes to the rumor mill and how fast some people can change loyalties. I am not sure what I found so fascinating about this book, but I could not put it down. I wanted Lyssa to have the life that she really wanted - not the life that she had accepted. I could not fathom turning on my friends the way her's turned on her - basically out of jealousy, because she had Harry's friendship (and they thought more than friendship) and they did not. Even though they claimed to have each other's backs, they were the first ones to put the knives in the minute you turned around!
This would be a great book to take to the beach - it is easy to follow - fast-moving - and entertaining. I will be recommending this one this summer.
~I received this book in exchange for my review from Pocket Books.~
Publisher/Publication Date: Downtown Press, June 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4391-7317-6
331 pages
