SUDDENLY SINGLE

Author: Shana Burton ISBN: 9781601629531 1/2008 INSPIRATIONAL Publisher: KENSINGTON

Vashti Hunter knew that something was wrong when she received her fiancé’s nervous phone call the night before their wedding, but she was too distracted by visions of wedding grandeur to listen to her instincts. Instead, what was supposed to be the happiest day of the 26-year-old’s life quickly turns into the most humiliating when she is left at the altar. After battling a fierce bout of depression, Vashti regroups and begins dating again. After a string of failed relationship attempts, she not only figures out what she does not want in a mate, but also discovers who she is in the process. It’s only after she evolves into the person that she wants to be that she finds the man who is worthy of her love. Because of their 20-year age difference, Vashti’s new relationship is threatened by opposition from her family, friends, and especially his daughter, who resents Vashti’s presence in their father’s life. Their relationship is further complicated when Vashti’s long-lost fiancé returns remorseful. Will Vashti find him worthy of a second chance?

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

SUDDENLY SINGLE by Shana Burton is the story of one woman's journey to self-discovery. The story opens with a nightmare—Vashti Hunter is left standing at the altar. Her intended never shows up at the wedding ceremony, and when Vashti returns home she finds the wedding ring he was supposed to give her on top of his dresser. Everything else is gone; he's abandoned her on what should have been her dream day.

After the misery subsides, Vashti gets back to her life. But now she's on the lookout for a new man, and there are a string of horrible love matches that would make a lesser woman run—maybe to a convent! But Vashti perseveres and finally finds a man who is much older than she is. He also has a daughter who is dead-set against her dad and Vashti marrying. It's not until the teenager is in a situation similar to the one that began this story that she and Vashti find solid footing.

SUDDENLY SINGLE gives a glimpse into the heart, mind and life of a woman scorned. It makes no excuses for the way Vashti feels or how she reacts to her heart being broken. What it does is show how even a nightmare can become a dream. Ms. Burton shows how a woman who is set on finding her own happily-ever-after can go from being needy and clinging to becoming a smart, sassy, self-assured woman. I wanted Vashti to succeed, and enjoyed watching her transformation.

Kay James