Sunday, March 16, 2008

Searching for Spice-Megan DiMaria

Searching for Spice
Megan DiMaria
Tyndale, Apr 2008, $12.99
ISBN: 9781414318875

After a quarter of century of marriage to caring professor Jerry and the raising of two children soon to leave the nest, Linda Revere wants the same spice in her relationship with her husband as they had before the kids nuked the excitement. However, obtaining what they once had proves difficult to achieve as the kids still are home, and she and Jerry come from their jobs mentally tired and physically middle aged.

Still Linda hopes for some romance with Jerry. However, each plan she concocts seems to fall apart as everyday living supersedes romantic interludes; she feels the best laid plans of mice, men and Linda always goes astray. Still an optimist in spite of being a customer service rep and a mom, Linda looks kindly upon the empty nest future even as she accepts the present will remain boringly comfortable.

SEARCHING FOR SPICE is an engaging realistic look at middle age relationships. Linda is fabulous as she holds the tale (and her family) together. Her situations at work, at her daughter’s school, at home and with Jerry seem genuine as she struggles with her desires for more with her husband; symbolized by her efforts to seduce Jerry who shows his full appreciation of her by snoring. Fans, especially those with soon to be or already empty nests, will appreciate this amusing yet poignant look at relationships in which even when the customer is obviously wrong in front of a jury of his or her peers, he or she is always right.

Harriet Klausner

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