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.
The sudden death of Richard Glass brings together his ex-wife, Evie, and his new wife, Nicole. Both women are struggling financially after Richard's death and Nicole suggests they should share a house. The new living arrangements cause a few difficulties though.
The story is told from Evie's point of view and tells very poignantly how both families are forced to cope with such a life-changing situation. I was looking forward to reading this debut novel but I was somewhat disappointed as I found the plot slow and the characters difficult to get to know. (BS)
