There's Cake in My Future

There's Cake in My Future #1

by Kim Gruenenfelder

After listening to her closest friends' latest travails in love, parenting, and careers, superstitious bride-to-be Nicole (Nic) believes she has the perfect recipe for everyone's a bridal shower "cake pull" in which each ribboned silver charm planted in her cake will bring its recipient the magical assistance she needs to change her destiny.

Melissa (Mel), still ringless after dating the same man for six years, deserves the engagement ring charm. The red hot chili pepper would be perfect for Seema, who is in love with her best male friend Scott, but can't seem to make their relationship more than platonic. And recently laid off journalist Nic wants the shovel, which symbolizes hard work, to help her get her career back on track.

Nic does everything she can to control who gets which silver keepsake – as well as the future it represents. But when the charmed cake is mysteriously shifted from the place settings Nic arranged around it, no one gets the charm she chose for them. And when the other party guests' fortunes begin coming true, Mel, Seema, and Nic can't help but wonder…. Is the cake trying to tell them something?

Genres: Chick Lit, Romance, Fiction, Romantic Comedy, Humor, Contemporary, Adult

360 pages, Paperback

First published December 13, 2010

About the author

Kim Gruenenfelder grew up in and around Los Angeles and began her career in TV at the age of nineteen. In addition to her books A Total Waste of Makeup, Misery Loves Cabernet and There's Cake in My Future, she has written feature films, episodic teleplays and two stage plays. She lives in Los Angeles, California. She loves her fans and can be reached through her website and on Facebook.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/kimgru...

Reviews

[Aditi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Cake-Pull, now how girly-chessy-superstitious that sounds!! Yeah 'There's Cake in my Future' is all about some chicks playing at a superstistious trick to make their future dreams come true. But since its a chick-lit novel, something always goes wrong in the plan and fate shows different colour in their lives. A funny chick-lit with an exciting as well as shocking climax which will definitely can't stop making you turning the pages of this book!

Seema dying for making Scott permanent in her life. Mel wanting to settle down with her long-time boyfriend, Fred. And bride-to-be, Nic wants her career back on track. So Nic plans a bridal shower a.k.a. 'Cake Pull',(yeah I know, sounds terribly silly!). That is, Nic, being the master-mind, controls who sits under which ring charm like playing with fate and destiny. But the games goes wrong somehow. Anyhow, in the end everything falls in to its places, i.e. everyone gets better than what they wished for(Hell yeah, sounds like such a big twist!)

Well the book was pretty much engrossing but with a silly plot, meaning the author has made this book quite intersting. The plot might not be that interesting but the author's writing has made this book even more gripping and interesting, its like you can't stop reading this one. The characters and their issues were funny and pretty relatable too. And a note: Sometimes silly is needed in our lives, to make the difficult and intellect stuffs to fall into their right places. Grab this one and surely you'll get a good laugh.

[Love Fool · Rating 5 out of 5]

You ever read a book and think, I wish I was friends with the characters or the author? Well, that's what I thought when I read this book. Kim Gruenenfelder is such a funny and honest writer that you have to love every female character she creates. This book made me laugh out loud and actually worry for a fictional person. Plus, I think I finished this book in like three days (which is fast for me because it usually takes me a week to read a book). Bonus, I love the bridal shower game they played (and the book focused on) that I would love to play it at a bridal shower (and I usually want to cut my wrist from boredom when at a bridal shower).

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay I picked this book up on the "New Arrival" shelf. I would have rated it higher if not for the bad language, which I continue to argue is not necessary in most books one reads. I loved the characters, their crazy situations and the funny situations they find themselves in. They just seemed real. I didn't like the fact that they were all beautiful, but didn't know it type of thing. I mean, the average girl (who these girls are supposed to represent) could not expect most of the outcomes or even be able to pull of some of the situations, but they characters do because they are beautiful, thin, smart and in the right place at the right time. That being said, I thought it had a lot of laugh out loud moments, but also some moments that makes one think. If you can get over the fact that it has bad language throughout, and you like reading books from different characters first-person accounts, and you like contemporary situations and references in the world of love and dating, then you'll like this book. I'm hoping to get my hands on her other books. I will point out that I was fully expecting, after reading the language, explicit sexual content, but I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't there. At least the author got that memo... you know the one that says a dignified reference to sex is enough to get the point across.

[Merve S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Çok güzeldi :) Yazarın bu kitabından sonra diğer kitaplarını da okumaya karar verdim. Eğlenceli, akıcı ve mutluluk veren bir kitaptı :)
Kitap 3 arkadaş ve onların aşk hayatı üzerinden anlatılıyor. Nic'in düğün öncesi pastasından herkes bir tılsım çekiyor. Nic bebek arabasını, Seema küreği, Mel ise acı biberi çekiyor. Bebek arabası yakında bebek sahibi olunacağını, kürek hayat boyunca sıkı çalışmayı, acı biberse ateşli romantizmi simgeliyor. Ve bu tılsımlar teker teker yerine gelmeye başlıyor. Seema'nın Scott'ı, Nic'in Jason'ı, Mel'in Danny'si ve onların aşklarını okumaya doyamadım. Kesinlikle önereceğim bir kitap :)

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up on a whim because it had a cute cover and sounded interesting. oh my gosh, best decision I ever made. what awesome chick lit! LOVED IT!

I loved the story coming from the perspective of all three girls. And the idea of the charms in the cake? I'd never heard of that before (is that bad?) but I loved it. What I loved even more was - whether through coincidence or the desire to make the charm's meaning come true - that each girl found what she was looking for...by accident. When the charms all got swapped (I'm still curious how!), the girls were so devastated. But going by the old adage that everything happens for a reason, I truly loved how each story worked out!

***SPOILERS***

For Seema: she finally got the guy she always loved but was too scared to go for: Scott. I love that the shovel was interpreted in one way - that she was just going to work so hard - but ended up relating to the relationship she always desired with Scott. She also seemed like such a normal person - struggling with self image (since she wasn't the average white American girl) and comparing herself to all the other girls that Scott dated - even though he broke up with all of them. I loved the seemingly reversed role that she felt she was in the "friend zone" that guys so commonly get stuck in. I also love that Scott called her out on how he knew everything about her - yet she knew so few details truly about him.

For Mel: I have to be honest. When she discovered Fred was a cheater, I was so proud of her for getting out of there. When he came back and proposed and she initially said yes, I literally yelled out loud at the book! I was scared that I was going to absolutely HATE her story because anyone reading could tell that Fred was horrible and absolutely wrong for her. But I love how her character figured it out right away that something seemed off and investigated. Turns out Fred was even worse than I thought! Typical male arrogance that he wouldn't get caught. What an idiot. I cheered for her as she embraced her chili pepper and tried to make things happen for herself. I laughed out loud at the disasterous online date and the miserable speed dating experience. But think about it: how many girls have honestly tried that and had the same experience? Loved that Gruenenfelder brought it up and made it miserable yet humorous at the same time. and I LOVE that she had the guts to approach Danny in such a wacky way and make things happen for herself. He seems too good to be true!

For Nic: Normally, I'm not so big on the let's-get-married-and-have-kids-right-away idea. But I love that when she pulled the baby carriage, excluding her new stepdaughters, she was totally apprehensive and freaked out about the idea. She didn't want kids, and she loathed the changes in her life and all the sacrifices that she was suddenly having to make for kids who biologically aren't even hers! I'm happy that Gruenenfelder portrayed her like that - not the typical girl going into a marriage totally excited about it. Nic seemed NORMAL - especially feeling neglected by a busy husband and feeling a connection to an ex who meant so much to her. But I loved how her story turned out - despite the pregnancy (which still seemed so fast!). She realized that while her old life may be distant and rare, she has a new life to appreciate.

I can't even put into words how much I enjoyed reading this book. I couldn't put it down! I just had to know what happened next for all the girls. The way it ended, too - do I dare hope for a sequel, all about the new charms they pulled?! :)

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried to give this book some leeway, since it was published a decade ago. Things that just would not fly now (*cough cough fat-shaming cough cough*) happened repeatedly in this novel. It was tiresome but I skimmed over it.

What I could not understand was how the focus of the story was so narrow. Three different women (all gorgeous, but only the married one believing she is somehow ok because, ya know, she's MARRIED) have nothing in their lives except their focus on other people. The two single women are focused utterly on their love lives (or lack thereof.) The married one falls hard into her role as stepmom with only the most obligatory protests... as though she'd been waiting her whole working career to do just that.

The "smart one" (who also is an adorable 5'2", 100 pounds and still talks about needing to lose 5 more pounds) has a 177 IQ. That is higher than Stephen Hawking. Yet she is totally ok being a high school teacher obsessed with the idea of getting married. It made me a little nauseous, honestly. We don't even see her in a classroom until it's a setting for her to meet a guy. Ugh.

The book was written in a style that seemed to scream, "wouldn't this make a great screenplay? Rom-com? Call me!!" Not exactly conducive to character development.

I gave it 2 stars instead of 1 because it never pretended to be something it wasn't. A quick read, a beach read. You barely have to pay attention and you'd still get every nuance...

[Greta · Rating 2 out of 5]

barf. at least I have definite proof that I don't like "women's fiction." the three main chatacters were insufferable morons.

[Nicole | Sorry, I'm Booked · Rating 3 out of 5]

A totally entertaining, fluffy romcom read.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming story about three best friends and their endeavors in dating and marriage and love.

[Sheila Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this book and all of the characters.

[Kristyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Immediately, during the first chapter, I was sucked into the book. Nic tries to rig the cake pull by controlling who sits where and which charm they're going to receive, in other words playing with destiny and fate. Unbeknownst to her and her two best friends Mel and Seema, every thing goes wrong. Each guest receives a different charm, and they're coming true. Each chapter focuses on the point of view of one character, switching from Nic, to Mel, to Seema. I have to admit, Seema was my favorite character, because her life was probably the most interesting, at least to me. Having a male best friend who you're in love with? How do you think that's going to turn out? I was rooting for her the whole time! Nic, on the other hand, is getting married to her prince charming - maybe? if she can get over her cold feet, deal with his two children from a previous marriage, and an ex? Mel, might just be getting married to her boyfriend of 6 years, but will she want to after the secrets he's been keeping from her? The only way you can find out is by reading it, and with all the drama, why would you not want to? I definitely recommend you go out and buy this right now! It's one book that will definitely keep you on your toes.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the pleasures of sitting down with a Kim Gruenenfelder book is the knowledge that you're being treated to good writing, especially dialogue. I've read three of her books, al written in first person. "Cake" takes a slightly different route by breaking the narrative down among three best friends, one of whom is about to get married. She manages to give each a distinct personality and these are women you'd like. Nicole is the bride to be, Seema is the arts professional in love with her best friend and Melissa is the owner of a stable, or stale, relationship. The catalyst for the action is a bridal shower complete with cake pull: charms hidden in the cake are symbols of your future. Nicole has rigged the cake for certain people and yet, somehow, the "wrong" charms get pulled.

Like I said, Ms. Gruenenfelder's characters come across as genuine, likeable without being saccharine or perfect and sane (although Melissa wanders a little too close to Bridget Jones unreasonable craziness).

This is a book to buy, kick back and read. Time spent with Kim Gruenenfelder is not time wasted.

[Janel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually I'd give it 2 1/2 stars. A cute book, very light reading with likable characters for the most part. It follows three friends who each pull charms at a cake pull and it feels like the universe is trying to tell them each something. It is such a fun concept and I had high hopes for it but ended up feeling a little disappointed wit the book overall. I knew the characters on a very superficial level and never had any deep knowledge about them. I found it hard to understand their choices. I felt like their happiness was always contingent on a guy and would have liked to see a bit more inner strength or go getting in other areas of their lives. I liked Seema's story the most because it was fun and I wanted to see if she would get her guy, but I found myself especially annoyed with Melissa. She was kind of a mess for me and would I would have liked to see her do something brave for herself instead of being so guy obsessed. Nicole was okay and her story was kind of cute, but I think she made way too many compromises for her new marriage. I guess I was a little too cynical to relate to her. An okay chic-lit book that is fun to read, but it felt like something was missing.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://charlotteswebofbooks.blogspot....


Nic, Mel, & Seema have a strong friendship and that is evident from page one. They have each others backs and are there to help each other no matter what the situation. I think that is what had me liking the book so much. The friendship was genuine and balanced. They didn't give bad behavior a pass in the name of "being supportive", they called each other on their bad behavior without being judgmental or hateful. And throughout the whole book I found myself snorting out loud at things that was being said or done, because it was so real.

There's Cake in my Future is a great girlfriend novel. Nic, Mel, & Seema are three friends who just want to be happy and in love. But if they can't all have that, at least they have each other to get through. This is the perfect book to read and pass on to your BFF, she will thank you for it, I promise!

[Elif · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mel,Nic ve Seema (favorim) adında üç kadının hayatını okuyoruz. Bir pastaya dilek tılsımları yerleştiriyor Nic, tabi uyanık kendisi ve arkadaşlarının hangi tılsımı çekeeceğini ayarlıyor kendince :) Tabi işler hiç de umdukları gibi gitmiyor. Seema çok iyi arkadaş olduğu Scott 'u yatağa atma peşinde:) Mel ise 6yıllık sevgilisini evliliğe ikna etme çabasında. Nic de John ile evlenme aşamasında, tabi John'un iki kızına da bonus annelik yapıyor ;) Konuşmalar, gidişat falan çok hoştu. Kesinlikle kasmadan, kendini keyifle okutan kitaplardan.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It was perfect for a camping trip- light, funny and witty. I could easily see these girls being my friends in real life. Each girl deals with a life/love situation that is slightly different giving the reader a nice view of the different types of relationships. I loved how it all centred around the cake charms, and even thought it'd be a great shower idea if I ever plan one!

[Cat Chiappa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book that I really enjoyed. I felt each woman was believable and I liked that the point of views changed with each chapter. If you want a light, fluffy and fun read, then this is the book for you. I look forward to exploring other books written by this author.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it!!! It reminds me of my friends humor and sarcasm!!! The bonus was all the uses of the word chode!!!

[Janet · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am enjoying this book minus the use of the F word. It is not improving this book in any way, shape or form and don't understand why the author feels the need to just throw it in there.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

How I haven't heard of Kim Gruenenfelder until now, I'm not sure. She is the epitome of chick lit writers. Love her books. They're quick, easy, and fun.. absolutely what I need right now.

[Emylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic dialogue. This is another book I couldn't put down...loved the story with Seema and Scott (especially the bit about the checkbook ;) ) Great summer read!

[Kristen Marie]

Not as good as ATWOM or MLC, however still an easy to read chick-lit book. However, after struggling to stay interested this book ends on what I feel was a cliffhanger..

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It followed the different lives of three women each with their own very different problems. Made me laugh and was a nice quick read.

[Christy Burrows · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an entertaining, light and fluffy read. Which after the last couple of months was a relief.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't want this one to end, what a fun book!

[Hannah Denwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very serviceable book in the way that it’s fun to read on a beach with a drink with nothing better to do at all. It’s fun! Its worst crime is period typical homophobia for funsies dotted in occasionally in case you forget it was written in a time when the “don’t say ‘that’s so gay’” campaign was just learning to walk.

Seema’s story is fun, Melissa’s is alright, Nicole’s is… confused at times? There’s one hell of a 180 in the span of effectively couple of weeks from her wanting anything other than a baby, to her being delighted with her life of looking after three children who, quite frankly, do a really good job of making me more sure with each paragraph that I need to get my ovaries removed ASAP. Yes Nicole, it was super adorable when you got delegated to being effectively a single mother whilst others worked jobs that you’d been desperate to work for the whole rest of the book. Not sure I’m supposed to accept that she’s happy with her ending? Maybe that’s the point.

The characters are compelling, anyway, and the book is even genuinely funny at times. Sure, there’s moments where you’re like, huh, was that a deliberate choice?, like Jon’s ex girlfriend randomly agreeing to marry him in an obvious parallel to Melissa and then disappearing forever, or Scott seemingly genuinely in love with his really really great girlfriend which ended very abruptly before he moved on as fast as his dick could carry him — but they’re easy enough to discard in the name of light reading. Kevin was a nice touch. It was a nice caveat that almost made Nicole’s choice to carry on with her life as it was make sense. (Almost. Please Nicole, for the love of god, stop letting these people walk all over you.)

Finished this book in two days, easy. Picked up in a charity shop for £1, which was a fair trade. Read it, if you like something light and girly and not overwhelmingly predictable (rare for this genre!), and just try to ignore where you think, hmm, someone forgot to hunt down that plot bunny to bring it to its demise.

[Shelby · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's Cake in My Future jumps perspective between three best friends: Nic, Seema and Mel.

On the day of Nic's bridal shower, all her guests participate in a "cake pull;" each guest pulls a charm from the cake that supposedly predicts their future. To Nic's surprise, no one gets the charm she intended for. Like clockwork, some of the fortunes are coming true, odd as they may seem and the three women start to think, "what gives?"

Nic is sure she doesn't want any kids. Especially since she's inheriting two step daughters through Jason. Since Nic was recently let go from work, she is thrown into the life of being a full-time bonus mom and juggling duties she never calculated into her life.

Seema is desperately in love with her best friend, but they are always with other people and the timing is never right. Suddenly they both are single and Seema doesn't want to rock the boat by revealing her feelings to him.

Mel discovers that her boyfriend of six years has been cheating on her and her dreams of getting married have gone down the drain. She wants so badly to get back into the dating scene or, better yet, get back into bed for someone, if only for a night. After six years, she feels out of the game and doesn't know if she will get the life she spent six years waiting for.

In There's Cake in My Future, Nic, Seema and Mel figure out that life doesn't always go as planned, but that's not a bad thing. They learn that love takes real work and that it's always worth it.

I love the humor in this book; there were moments that I laughed out loud, which is rare. I liked all the main characters and they were different enough but similar enough to be such a tight-knit group. Up until the end, I was convinced I was going to give this book 4 stars because I didn't feel especially invested in any of the characters. But then I started crying and realized I wanted the best for Nic, Seema and Mel. And yeah, I knew it deserved every one of those 5 stars.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

After listening to her closest friends’ latest travails in love, parenting, and careers, superstitious bride-to-be Nicole (Nic) believes she has the perfect recipe for everyone’s happiness: a bridal shower “cake pull” in which each ribboned silver charm planted in her cake will bring its recipient the magical assistance she needs to change her destiny. Melissa (Mel), still ringless after dating the same man for six years, deserves the engagement ring charm. The red hot chili pepper would be perfect for Seema, who is in love with her best male friend Scott, but can’t seem to make their relationship more than platonic. And recently laid off journalist Nic wants the shovel, which symbolizes hard work, to help her get her career back on track. Nic does everything she can to control who gets which silver keepsake – as well as the future it represents. But when the charmed cake is mysteriously shifted from the place settings Nic arranged around it, no one gets the charm she chose for them. And when the other party guests’ fortunes begin coming true, Mel, Seema, and Nic can’t help but wonder…. Is the cake trying to tell them something?

I absolutely loved Kim Gruenenfelder’s debut novel A Total Waste of Make-Up when I read it at the back end of 2010. It got me out of my Chick Lit funk and it was a fun and speedy read. However I was reluctant to purchase the sequel Misery Loves Cabernet mainly because from what I’ve read of the book Charlie doesn’t end up with any guy and definitely doesn’t seem to end up with Drew Stanton so I decided it wasn’t for me and I didn’t want to ruin how much I loved the first book with a second book that, with the greatest of respect to Kim, didn’t sound as if it had a happy ending. I hate books sans happy endings. They make me want to cry. I don’t invest in a book to not have a happy ending. So, instead, I picked up Kim’s third novel There’s Cake In My Future and I loved it even more than A Total Waste of Make-Up!

Whereas Kim’s first and second novel only followed one character, with There’s Cake In My Future (isn’t that the most awesomest title ever?) we follow three best friends: Seema, Nic and Melanie. We switch narrator after each chapter and each girl has their own dilemmas to deal with and there’s no character that’s bigger than the other two. The pulling point of the novel is undoubtedly the cake pull. Quite frankly, I’ve never heard of a cake pull until I decided to buy this novel. And I probably never would have heard of a cake pull had I not bought the novel! It must be an American. I say this with the greatest of affection (I love America and Americans and would like in Florida if I could) but only Americans could have a cake pull. It’s a brilliant idea, mind, and it makes the novel stand out as Nic, Seema and Mel don’t get the charms Nic expected them to. Nic wanted the shovel, Mel the engagement ring and Seema the red hot chilli pepper but Nic got the baby carriage, Mel got the chilli pepper and Seema got the shovel. And once some of the other fortunes come true, the girls wonder just what their charm means for their lives.

I loved that the girls were all best friends. They were so different from each other – Nic’s about to get married to the love of her life Jason and become step-mother to his (hilarious) two girls; Mel wants nothing more than for her boyfriend Fred to propose and Seema is desperately in love with best friend Scott. There was no repetitiveness to the novel and each of the girls had valid storylines that kept me hooked. I loved Nic’s storyline of her becoming a step-mother and thought her relationship with Jason, Malika and Megan was incredibly sweet. Mel’s was a bit different, as she finds out not only is Fred not going to propose but he’s actually been cheating on her (multiple times!) so she finds herself having to be single again at thirty. But my absolute favourite storyline was Seema’s. I love a good unrequited best friend love and I adored Seema and Scott’s relationship and was willing them and urging them to take it to the next level for the love of God! Each separate storyline kept me hooked and I loved how close each of the girls were.

I thought the characterisation was brilliant. Seema was my favourite character, because of her storyline, but also because she just seemed so bloomin’ sweet! I wanted Scott to notice her, and equally I wanted her to just kiss him! I’ve never been so into a pairing before! I loved Nic and Mel, too. I loved Nic’s approach to parenting, loved how she sometimes felt like the nanny, when Jason was out of town and the girls’ mother was away. And I thought Mel’s approach to singledom was downright hilarious. Speed-dating, internet dating, picking up men at the supermarket and Home Depot. Talk about totally nuts. I probably don’t have to tell you that I loved Scott. I wanted to marry him. OK, so I wanted Seema to marry him, but if anything unfortunate ever happened to Seema… I also though Megan and Malika were the cutest step-daughters ever. For once, step-daughters who don’t treat their step-mother like dirt. It was so refreshing, let me tell you.

These days it takes a lot for me to award 5 stars to a novel. There has to be that something special to a book, there has to be something that makes me go ‘wow’, it has to be a novel I don’t want to put down. There’s Cake In My Future ticks all of those boxes and more. It’s fun, it’s serious (at times), the characters are brilliant and the pages just fly by. Seriously, they fly by. I loved it, and every single page was well-written and wholly enjoyable. I hope my review shows that, I think you can tell by a review how enjoyable a book was or wasn’t. This review has been a breeze to write, which makes a wonderful change because lately I’ve felt my reviews are kinda stale (please do jump in and disagree!) but this just flew out of my fingers. This is Chick Lit at its peak and I was pleased to see on Kim Gruenenfelder’s website that a sequel Let Me Eat Cake will be out in 2012. I will be pre-ordering it as soon as it’s physically possible and I am praying and hoping Kim won’t undo all the brilliant work she’s done in finishing There’s Cake In My Future. Because it’s true, a sequel can ruin the original, and I’m hoping that won’t be the case here because There’s Cake In My Future was a truly special read.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

As part of the 2022 Uncorked Readers Challenge, I sometimes read books that are outside my preferred genres. Rom Coms and traditional romance fit that bill. This month's bonus challenge was to pick a book about my favorite food. Thus began my search for novels featuring cake.

Despite not being a fan of Rom Coms, I enjoyed There's Cake in My Future. Kim Gruenenfelder did an entertaining job of weaving three plot lines into one cohesive story and bringing each to a reasonable conclusion. I sympathized with the characters and their foibles, for the most part. Nic's struggles as a "bonus mom," Seema's self-destructive tendencies in her relationship with Scott, and Mel's self-esteem issues were all realistically portrayed.

The resolution of Mel's part in the story was my least favorite. It would have been interesting to me if she had come to an alternate ending because I'm simply not a fan of tidy resolutions for all. But it wouldn't be a romance without a Happily Ever After, would it?

[Ro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nic, Seema and Mel are all 32 year old friends. Nic is getting married in the beginning of the book to a man who has two daughters from a previous marriage. Once they're married Nic ends up being their "bonus mom" while the girls mother leaves the area to work for a politician (Governor?) Then there's Seema who can't stop thinking about her "friend" Scott. By the end of the book they have finally slept together and, after some misunderstandings, he ends up giving her a promise ring. Mel breaks up with her boyfriend after 6 years because he's an idiot who has been cheating on her. A lot. She goes through various ways to meet men, all with no success, until one night she throws caution to the wind and ends up meeting Danny. She's afraid, he's great. The one thing I would have liked was some definite closure on Mel and Danny, but then this is a book and we're suppose to let our imagination wander. Okay, I'm good.