by Charlotte Hughes
Marilee was so depressed! Her minister husband had just left her for the town bimbo taking their fifteen-year-old son with them. She got herself beautifully dressed and sat in the car with the motor running but she had to abandon that idea when she ran out of gas. She pulled the tasseled cords from the drapes and decided to hang herself on the beam. How was she supposed to know that the beam was for decorative purposes only? She finally realized that what she really needed was A New Attitude.
Her neighbor, Sam Brewer, was in the yard digging up all of his clothes that his mother had buried (again!). He tried to be patient knowing that his mother was frail in body and spirit and needed his help. When he heard Marilee scream, he ran over and crashed in the door to save her. She was ok except for a sprained ankle. She looked at Sam with interest remembering him as the bad boy of the neighborhood. Sam remembered her as the good girl of the neighborhood and saw that she is just as pretty as she was in high school.
Marilee soon got a job as receptionist at the local funeral parlor and worked at night playing the piano at a local nightclub. She wanted to get her son, Josh, back home and to pay for the divorce. She and her friends were trying to fix up the local maternity home for unwed mothers but in the meantime, she takes in Winnie who became a wonderful friend. Sam was helping her fix up the home. He was interested in her friendship and maybe something more….
A New Attitude is a lighthearted book with serious undertones. Marilee works hard at improving her life and helping others along the way. She finds that she is stronger than she has realized. More than anything, she wants her son back home but Josh has a little bit of growing up to do before he can comply. Sam is a sweet and sensitive fellow who has gotten his life together and knows what he wants when he sees Marilee. There are some great secondary characters. Winnie is a wonder girl, Irby, her boss, is quite a jokester and all of her friends are special. A NEW ATTITUDE is as much a book about friendships as it is romance. It is a quick read because the writing is fresh and fun. The reader can’t help but root for Marilee to find a new and happier life. I have been impressed with the writing of Charlotte Hughes for some time. She writes very good contemporary romances as well as romantic suspense.
Reviewed by Marilyn Heyman
September 13, 2001