A NEW ATTITUDE
Charlotte Hughes
MIRA
1-55166-863-7
October 2001
Contemporary Romance
Humiliated in the little town of Chickpea, South Carolina when her husband, the Reverend Grady Abernathy, moves in with a trailer park floozy, dressed in her best suit, complete with pearls and carefully applied Mary Kay Cosmetics, Marilee Abernathy sets her mind to kill herself. Her first choice is carbon monoxide...but her car runs out of gas. Then she chooses hanging, only the beam is fake and she falls, knocking herself unconscious.
Sam Brewer is digging in his mother's backyard for his hidden belongings when he hears a thump from next door. Rushing to help Sam finds Marilee trying to maintain her dignity in spite of the curtain cord around her neck. He's convinced she's loony, she thinks he's a nosy pain in the butt.
I laughed from page one. Charlotte Hughes is a master at presenting totally believable characters that not only provide a terrific romance but great entertainment. I always like Ms Hughes books, this one I LOVED! Sure, the characters have their share of problems...like a pregnant teenager, a mother who hides your clothes by burying them in the backyard and other very interesting and funny situations...but in the midst is the struggle so many women face today, their husband's leaving them for another woman. Those women look at themselves and wonder what they did wrong, and wonder if there is any life left to live. Ms Hughes proves that there is life after separation and divorce, even from a jerk who convinces you that there is no life without him.
Is A NEW ATTITUDE great literature? No. Is it highly entertaining and a totally enjoyable read? You bet! I highly recommend this latest installment from Charlotte Hughes.
Judith Rippelmeyer
www.thewordonromance.com