FIFTEEN MINUTES OF SHAME

Author: Lisa Daily ISBN: 9780452289130 3/2008 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: PLUME

What happens when America's favorite dating expert finds out on national television that her husband is cheating? Darby Vaughn's fifteen minutes of fame quickly spins into fifteen minutes of shame: Not only is the most humiliating moment of her life splashed across every supermarket tabloid and celebrity gossip show, but also her reputation as America's love guru is shot. Her fans are turning on her, her book sales have tanked, and her love life is fodder for late-night television. If Darby breaks her own zero-tolerance policy for cheaters and takes her philandering husband back, her career will be over. But if she sticks to her own rules, she'll lose the only man she's ever loved.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

FIFTEEN MINUTES OF SHAME by Lisa Daily shows that sometimes even the blackest cloud can have a silver lining. This is a witty, often quirky look at what is, unfortunately, a common problem in society: the dissolution of relationships. Couples split for a variety of reasons and in a multitude of ways but, thankfully, hardly any woman finds out on national television that her husband is leaving her for his ex-wife. But Darby finds out her husband is cheating exactly that way, and the news turns what should have been a happy moment to a truly dreadful one.

Darby, a relationship expert, is floored by Will's defection, but as she unravels the truth behind the breakup she begins to understand why he's done what he's done. And when Darby is confronted by another man's emotions and desires, she must come to grips with her own. Will she ever be able to find happiness without relinquishing the past? Only time—and Darby's heart—can tell.

I enjoyed this book. I liked the way Darby allows herself to understand Will's motivation. I especially liked the unabashed love and tenderness, the whole-hearted connection, with Will's young children. The mother/child bond made Darby seem so human, and added a dimension to the story that I thought wonderful.

FIFTEEN MINUTES OF SHAME is a fun read. I liked Darby Vaughn, and I think other readers will, too.

Kay James