An Ideal Wife-Gemma Townley

An Ideal Wife
Gemma Townley
Ballantine, Jun 22 2010, $14.00
ISBN: 9780345499844

Jessica Wild and husband Max Wainwright diligently work at keeping his ad agency afloat during the hard economic times that have reduced corporate customers and revenue. Max fears his firm will soon file for bankruptcy unless a huge account surfaces. He targets the boyfriend of Jessica’s mom, banker Chester Rydall, as his best chance for a new client. Chester also seeks new customers so making a case that some bankers are ethical, he conducts an ethics audit of his staff; Max hoping to gain favor with Chester does likewise with his firm.

After being caught in an undesirable kiss when drunk, Jess decides to become An Ideal Wife to her Max so if he learns of her indiscretion from the blackguard trying to blackmail her, he will forgive her and stay. She does everything perfectly as the ideal wife, but nothing works in accordance to the plan. Instead Max is hospitalized with a broken leg due to one of her spousal loving efforts and worse he has an ideal nurse for a hunk like him. Sending Jess even wilder is a former opponent plans to use a secret she discovered to steal her Max.

With another humorous yet earnest nod to Oscar Wilde (see The Importance of Being Married), the third Wild Affair is another zany jocular tale that is fun to read. A madcap comedic series of misunderstandings lead Jess to go over the top of Big Ben in order to keep Max with her. Although the plot is thin and ideal is not what one would describe Jess as, fans will enjoy her latest wildly insane exploits.

Harriet Klausner