THE NIGHT I GOT LUCKY

Author: Laura Caldwell ISBN: 0373895313 8/2005 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: RED DRESS INK

When Billy Rendell suddenly gets everything she wants, it turns out to be the last thing she needs... A long-awaited promotion. Freedom from emotional baggage. A newly—ahem—amorous husband. What's wrong with this picture? Well ...everything. For starters, Billy hasn't actually earned any of it. Instead, like some character in a fairy tale, this stuck-in-a-rut publicist had all her wishes granted overnight—which feels great, at least at first. But soon Billy's brand-new success starts to unravel—who'd have thought becoming a VP would be so Very Painful? Or that a harmless crush on a co-worker would turn not-so-harmless now that he's crushing back? It'll take a surreal, rollicking, high-stakes journey for Billy to realize what she really wants out of life... before it's too late.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Ok, I think it's safe to say that most, if not all of us, have been there-we think that if we could just have what we want, then we will be happy. That promotion at work, a loving and attentive spouse, the desire for that someone we have a crush on to reciprocate the feelings, etc. That's what Billy Rendall thought, too. If she could have all of these things, she would be happy. Guess what? She gets these things and finds out that they do not make her happy. There is a very important lesson to be learned here-happiness really does start with oneself.

This is an entertaining and pretty short novel. The characters are well developed and really are like people we are around in our everyday lives. This book has it all-a bit of a love triangle, the nemesis at work, the absent father figure, and therapy sessions. THE NIGHT I GOT LUCKY really makes you stop and think about what it is you really want in life and how you can make it happen. Billy learns a really hard lesson when she gets what she wants. She uses her new position to get rid of her nemesis; her husband begins to be more attentive than she can stand; and her crush at work heats up and things go too far. Ultimately Billy learns that if she isn't happy with something in her life, she needs to examine what she can do to improve the situation. She learns to stop being a victim, and to stop watching the world pass her by.

I really enjoyed this novel and plan to read more of Laura Caldwell's work.

Carrye Syma