After her marriage break-up, Izzy heads back to her childhood home with young son Noah. Reeling from the fact her ex has moved on with someone else, she invents an imaginary boyfriend called Mac and starts writing about him on a blog. This catches the attention of her friend, Jade, who runs a successful Philadelphian website and hires Izzy to write an over-forties dating column anonymously. Izzy starts to feel the pressure of her lie - the only people who know that Mac is not real is Izzy’s brother and her elderly next-door neighbour, Mrs Feldman, who is always good for advice.
This is an enjoyable – but not particularly memorable – story about a woman transitioning to life after divorce and her bond with the sweet old lady next door.
A small lie may have big consequences in The Good Neighbor, by Amy Sue Nathan. The summary says: "Things are a little rough for Izzy Lane. Still reeling from the break-up of her marriage, the newly single mum moves back to the Philadelphia home she grew up in, five-year-old Noah in tow. The transition is difficult, but with the help of her best friends - and her elderly neighbour, Mrs Feldman - Izzy feels like she's stepping closer to her new normal. Until her ex-husband shows up with his girlfriend. That's when Izzy invents a boyfriend of her own. And that's when life gets complicated. Blogging about her 'new guy' provides Izzy with something to do when Noah's asleep. What's the harm in a few made-up stories? But when her friends want to meet the mysterious 'Mac', someone online suspects Izzy's a fraud, and a guy in real life catches her eye, Izzy realizes just how high the stakes are." The Good Neighbor is out in October 2015.