SEVEN SUNNY DAYS

Author: Chris Manby ISBN: 0373895208 5/2005 CHICK LIT Publisher: RED DRESS INK

Bride-to-be Rachel Buckley wants one last adventure before tying the knot, and who better to do it with than her two best friends-acid-tongued divorcee Carrie Ann and commitmentphobe model Yaslyn? A week with the girls will also help Rachel to forget about her future mother-in-law, a woman who is already trying to control her life. The girls, the beach, the hot waiters ...the perfect vacation, right? But a week in the same room with her two best friends-and all their baggage-exposes more than dirty underwear. What starts out as a week of partying and bonding turns sour when tempers flare as the girls attempt to deal with failed marriages, stale relationships and insecurities. And soon Rachel begins to wonder if by gaining a husband she'll be losing two friends....

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

I have to admit I rolled my eyes a bit when I picked up this book. The back cover blurb sounded like it had just a few too many clichés, even for a good summer beach read. Lucky me! The four hours I spent reading it was delightful because Chris Manby took those clichés and turned them on their collective heads.

Ms. Manby takes her time intertwining each character's past with their present problems, but still, I couldn't put the book down. Her Academy-Award-winning cast of secondary characters: the tennis coach, the chess instructor, the Go-Go girls—all Club Med types we've all laughed at behind our own hands at travel resorts, brought comic relief to the angst of the three heroines who lurched through the book trying to overcome their life's problems in one week. Rachel, the bride-to-be with the absent fiancé—how to control the uncontrollable mother-in-law-to-be? Carrie Ann, the recently divorced and hurting so bad—how to start dating again and start up a sex life in one easy lesson? Yaslyn, the model cum goddess—how to face aging and commitment?

Their problems are real, their circumstances hilarious, this book gave depth to the world of female friendship and how it survives the changes of life. And threw in some sexy hunks, wisdom, and drama along the way. A great summer beach read for any tote bag!

Laurie Wood