"Grow Older with Spunky Grace!"

"Paris Paralegal can move those baby thighs right on over, 'cause a real woman is a comin' through!"

Maggie Hayden's got a vicious case of "empty nest" syndrome as well as some raging hormonal imbalance, but that doesn't mean she's lost her spunk at all! This is a hilarious but oh so sweetly poignant story about handling aging with fun and openness to the inner awareness that time and age bring to everyone. So this book isn't just for middle aged woman seeking a self-help, survival manual; it's for people of all ages who want to keep clear lines of communication flowing and actually enjoy the process with each other!

So what's a gal to do when her husband's secretary looks like a Greek goddess and the former high school cheerleader and Homecoming Queen suddenly begin to frequently take up her husband's "working late" time and "business trips?"

And what's up exactly when a married daughter and college son appear to "visit," leaving Maggie elated to bits but swinging moods the opposite direction after they leave? Sound familiar, ladies?

Just who is the coffee shop gal referring to when she finally admits to needing help for "a friend" with the effects of a divorce and perhaps a consequent physical ailment? Doesn't Maggie have enough problems and from where does she get her help to be the perfect answer to Jade?

We should all have a best friendship like Maggie has with Lily, one in which each knows when to "push" for revelation and when to "butt out" of trying to discover a secret - for a little while anyway. Many incidents continue to flow in the same illuminating vein to warmly awaken your understanding and love for this feisty character, Maggie.

And oh for a husband like Gordon who still holds the magic adoration of his bride and is rather perplexed by her "obsessions" (as he calls them) but knows exactly when to sincerely say and do the right thing. Their snafu moments and subsequent clarifications are endearing and oh so special!

This novel is absolutely delightful! Indeed Diann Hunt manages to recreate a significant stage of life that holds the angst without burdening the reader with it and with just enough humor and inspiration to grip the reader so that one doesn't want to put the book down and certainly is sorry (but so dearly touched) when it ends.

Reviewed by Viviane Crystal on February 3, 2006

Reviewed by Viviane Crystal
Courtesy Crystal Reviews
Posted July 8, 2006

Summary

An eccentric best friend, a leaky Chihuahua, a teenager in trouble, and a workaholic husband with a gorgeous new colleague. Those are the ingredients for Diann Hunt's wise and funny story about growing...well, older...with grace. Midlife isn't a crisis for Maggie Hayden until the day a former classmate fails to recognize her--and her world starts to spin out of control. With an empty nest, a body that's heading south (generating heat waves all the way), and a marital spark that seems to be sputtering, she knows she has to do something. But what? Exercise? Romantic dinners? Herbal supplements? A job? She tries them all, with mixed success-but nothing seems to squelch that underlying worry that her best days are behind her. Can Maggie come to terms with her new life and learn to trust what she cannot see? Can she reclaim her marriage and find a new sense of purpose? Can she discover a miracle cure for the aging process? Well, two out of three ain't bad! And the fun of this particular journey is just the whipped cream on the double-shot mocha.