Nancy's Theory of Style (2010)

Socialite Nancy Carrington-Chambers is obsessed with perfection. When she marries husband Todd, and they decide to build their dream house, Nancy details the plans so that they are exactly what she wants. However, when the house comes out totally wrong - like having a wet bar in the bedroom for example, which is just too tacky for Nancy - it causes turmoil in her marriage. Eventually, Nancy feels that she needs some time away from the disastrous house to clear her head so she heads to her apartment in San Francisco to work on starting her event design business called Froth. Todd agrees that some time apart might do them both good and even offers to hire an assistant for Nancy to help her get going. At first Nancy is depressed over the applicants for the assistant position - then Derek Bottomsley walks in. Derek is fabulous and she immediately offers him the job. What more could she ask for than a gorgeous British assistant who is so obviously gay and understands the meaning of good style? Soon the two are working flawlessly together so when Nancy's flighty cousin, Birdie, drops off her little daughter Eugenia to stay with Nancy indefinitely while she travels with her latest toyboy, Nancy is upset to say the least. The last thing Nancy wants is a dirty little child making a mess in her spotless apartment. Unable to get in touch with Birdie and not wanting to abandon the child, Nancy and Derek are forced to work out a schedule that now involves Eugenia. As the weeks pass, the trio are blending together so well that passersby think they are a family and neither Nancy nor Derek corrects the assumption. But what seems too good to be true often is and soon everything in Nancy's life is falling apart. She needs to ask herself if what she has believed in all her life will really make her happy in the long run. Or should she risk it all for what she knows is true and real? This is a fresh and vibrant novel with witty and charismatic characters that readers are sure to fall in love with. Whether you live a fabulous life in a spotless penthouse or a life full of tacky decor and messy chidren, Nancy's heartfelt story will resonate with one and all. (AS)

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