I’ve been dealing with a bit of bad luck in reading books that I truly like, so I thought I’d find something I like with my first Fern Michaels book. (This is at least her 11th book as there are ten other books mentioned as written by her in the book.) I know she’s a popular author and I’m expecting something along the lines of Danielle Steel (whose books I like when I was reading them years ago) and Nora Roberts (whose books I’ve been reading quite a bit lately and always enjoy.) I’m not expecting great literature – just a fun, well-written story.

Boy, was I wrong – the book is just full of nonsense.

Darby Lane’s best friend in the whole world, Russell Gunn, has just been killed in a tragic car accident. Darby was in Scotland at the time of the accident and Russell’s evil stepmother had the funeral as fast as she could, so Darby wasn’t able to return home to Baton Rouge to attend the funeral.

Darby was named the executrix of Russell’s estate when they graduated from college ten years earlier and one of the things that she was instructed as part of his final wishes was that he not be an organ donor. She was also named as his sole beneficiary. Darby is furious that this has happened – as are her aunts (who essentially raised her and Russell and his brother, Ben, and sister, Mary.) Ben is upset as well.

Russell had been dating a woman, Claire – we have no idea how she feels about all this and apparently, Russell did nothing to change his will even though he had purchased a diamond ring and was about to propose marriage to Claire. Even better, his dates with Claire were regularly threesomes – Russell, Claire and Darby. That had to be fun for her. Claire is treated well, but despite being the woman Russell was about to marry is just dumped as a character. I would expect this person to play a much more prominent role in avenging the injustice of his organs being donated. And, I would have expected a guy who wrote a will at age 22, to have rewritten the will 10-years later to name his soon-to-be fiancé as at least the beneficiary of his will.

Donating Russell’s organs has given the evil stepmother, Bella Gunn, what she has wanted for 20 years in Baton Rouge – acceptance by the “high” society women of the town. (Well, except of course, Darby’s three aunts.) Her husband, Marcus (Russell, Ben and Mary’s father), is bed-ridden after suffering strokes and heart attacks. He has 24-hour nurse care and is kept strongly medicated – including meds that keep him incoherent most of the time.

Ben Gunn, while sad at the loss of his brother, is thrilled at the opportunity to hook up with Darby. You see, despite the fact that Darby and Russell spent pretty much every day of their lives seeing each other (they both went to the same college and lived a couple blocks from each other), they weren’t in love. No, Ben, who had minimal interaction with Darby was in love with her. Of course, Darby, who spent no time with Ben, was secretly in love with Ben as well. Isn’t that just . . . stupid?

Then there are Darby’s three aunts – Dippy, Divey and Dopey. Okay, those aren’t their names – they’re Dodo, Ducky and Diddy. (Yes, those are the names the aunts use – although they aren’t the given names.) They each own a home on the historic Horseshoe in Baton Rouge. The two other homes are owned by the Gunn family, but have sat essentially abandoned since Marcus dumped Diddy (I think it was Diddy – with dumb names it just doesn’t matter who’s who) to married Bella. Those homes, although in major disrepair, are intended for Russell and Ben upon their father’s death. (Apparently, the death of Russell is making “his” house Darby’s – despite the fact that the owner, Marcus, hasn’t died and passed the home onto Russell.) Mary seems to be left homeless.

Tragedy has struck since Bella has gained acceptance by the “Rougies” (the Baton Rouge society women) – she has been granted a provisional construction license. Now, despite the fact that these are historical homes, Bella has a wrecking ball and other construction equipment lined up on the ‘Shoe, ready to “accidently” knock the homes down. (The provisional license doesn’t allow destruction and she has said she is only doing changes to the interior and that the exteriors will remain the same.) The three aunts come up with a plan to stop Bella which involves hiring a private detective to find dirt on Bella (which no one has been able or bothered to find for 20 years) and kidnapping Marcus Gunn. (It’s a really bad plan, too.)

I never thought I’d say this about a repeat best-selling author, but this book is horrid. I cannot believe she got anyone to even publish it. And, worse, if this is at all similar to her other books, I can’t believe she has a contract to write any books, let alone has made any best seller list.

Oh yeah, and there were numerous typos in the book -- missing closed quotes, etc. Bad book, bad editing.