Exit Strategies
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
“A slick, sassy book” from the author of Secret Lives of Second Wives. “Todd’s characters are dead on” (The Oklahoman).
This wasn’t the way it was supposed to be. Once upon a time, Becky Weston had the life of her dreams—then the Volvo, the beach house, and the luxurious lunches disappeared when her husband went looking for a much younger trophy wife. To top that, her ex is now deceased, and the purse strings of the children’s trust fund rest in the greedy hands of Number Two, leaving Becky truly out in the cold.
Having put herself through six years of night law school, Becky is now the oldest new associate in a small, aspiring law firm, where she is expected to put her life on hold and her nose to the grindstone, a prospect that’s neither anatomically advantageous nor a great deal of fun. Rescue appears in the form of a new client—bestselling author, glamorous anti-aging guru, and Becky’s college archnemesis, Bobbie Crystol. When some of the designer-clad doctor’s patients leave her life-extension spa a great deal sicker than when they entered, Becky grows skeptical about the pursuit of longevity at the expense of living well. Trying to save her career while maintaining her integrity, Becky comes up with the perfect exit strategy—a strategy that will reap unexpected dividends . . .
“A nice mix of legal thriller and coming-of-middle-age drama.” —Booklist
“This terrific book illustrates the humor, irony, disasters, and unexpected joys life can throw at women.” —RT Book Reviews
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
More soap opera than suspense, this hardcover debut from Todd (Making Waves; Staying Cool) introduces Becky Weston Pratt, a woman swimming upstream with her adolescent daughter, college student son and ailing mother in tow and with sharks nipping at her from every side. Todd has given her heroine all kinds of obstacles to overcome: her ex-husband has died and left his spiteful new wife in charge of the kids' trust fund; Becky has risen from the position of receptionist to become a first-year associate at a law firm, though the partners still treat her more like a gofer than a fellow lawyer. Even her big break a hugely successful anti-aging guru chooses Becky to represent her comes with baggage, beginning with the fact that they were less than friendly in college. And Becky's mother is having behavioral and medical problems that tax both her pocketbook and her patience. Between domestic crises and professional demands, Becky hardly has time to do more than dream about a personal life. A lot of possible shenanigans further distract her abuse of the trust fund, lawyerly backstabbing, the questionable medical ethics of her new client. Todd infuses Becky's determination to overcome all these difficulties with a self-deprecating humor and plenty of mordant observations on the foibles of her social and professional "betters." Todd's characters have little depth, but they glitter quite nicely as she sets them spinning and makes Becky navigate through them to a safe harbor.
