"An enjoyable relationship romp"

As her neat suburban world crumbles Kennedy Smith dreams of her carefree days in Lower Manhattan before she married and became responsible, dependable, practical. Her marriage is over as her husband of ten years has met a much younger surfer. They had one child together: five year old Amanda. Her oldest daughter teenage Maya (from her first relationship) is rebelling and wants to meet her biological father, Marco Rivera.

With no hope for alimony since her ex-husband gave up law for yoga, Kennedy seeks the last man she ever had a one- night fling with, her former boss at a lower Manhattan bar, Declan McGlynn. She finds the bar and sees Dec still tending it. She explains she left him because she did not want to be his babe of the month so instead married Frank. Dec informs her she would not have been a one nighter because he loved her. As they reacquaint themselves to one another, they realize they love one another, but she believes he is incapable of committing so sometime soon she will have to end this relationship.

THE MAN I SHOULD HAVE MARRIED is an enjoyable relationship romp that centers mostly on Kennedy. The super lead protagonist has woes that would trample anyone, but she stoically deals with all of them as best as she can. Her ex-husband makes no sense even with his mid-age crisis and Maya is too cute in a nastily teenage way. The delightful Kennedy is the center that holds the plot together hooking readers to root for her to make it preferably with Dec.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted January 10, 2003