FIT TO BE TIED

Author: Karen Kendall ISBN: 0451220781 3/2007 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: SIGNET/NAL

HERE COMES THE BRIDE . . . BUT SHE'S FIT TO BE TIED! It's the Happiest Day of Her Life, but as Jen moves towards the altar she feels more like a sacrifice than a bride. What's borrowed is her courage, and what's blue? Oh, that would be her berry-stained teeth. Jen's divorcing parents are up to their usual antics, a self-help book is making her crazy and her handsome groom, Tom, is drunk during the service. Then a surprise six-foot blonde shows up uninvited to the wedding reception—and worse, she's Tom's secret first wife. Jen's got to be the only bride ever to ask for a divorce on her honeymoon, but is it the right choice? And will she lose her mind as well as her husband while trying to figure it out? Love can be so complicated.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Karen Kendall has a wonderfully wicked sense of humor.

Unfortunately, Ms. Kendall tremendous wit cannot save FIT TO BE TIED.

For toppers, Jen Canby is a maddening, annoying heroine. Instead of sitting down and talking to her new husband, Tom, about his surprise first wife (who made an appearance at the wedding) Jen immediately wants a divorce. After a $35,000 wedding!

So about the only time these two lovebirds get together is at their lawyer's office working out a divorce settlement. Oh, and Jen's frequent visits to Tom's to see their dog.

There really isn't much romance going on in FIT TO BE TIED.

Oh, Jen still loves Tom but she wants out of the marriage before their love can wither on the vine. She just can't trust him after he neglected to tell her about the first wife (even though he has a pretty good explanation for not mentioning the ex-wife). Even though Tom admits several times he was wrong, Jen just won't listen...or forgive.

The bulk of FIT TO BE TIED, aside from Jen's roller-coaster feelings for Tom, revolves around her involvement with her dysfunctional family—the alcoholic mother, the defeated father and the juvenile delinquent brother.

Told entirely from Jen's point of view, the rest of the cast of characters (including Tom) come off more or less superficial and are little more than cookie cutter material.

After suffering Jen's lack of a brain throughout most of this story, I was almost fit to be tied by the conclusion. By the time Jen realizes she has been acting stupid, I was beyond caring.

Debbie Jett