Allison Winn Scotch, The One That I Want

The One That I Want

Allison Winn Scotch

Shaye Areheart (Crown), Jun 1 2010, $24.00

ISBN: 9780307464507

In Westlake, Washington, thirtyish Tilly Farmer believes strongly she lives the American dream with one glaring exception. A guidance counselor at the high school she graduated from, Tilly married her teenage boyfriend Tyler. The exception is they remain Dinks (double income no children) as she wants kids to round out her perception of the perfect American family.

At a fair, Tilly runs into her high school friend Ashley who tells fortunes. The fortuneteller reads Tilly's future leaving a stunned woman who has her rosy colored glasses removed. Tilly mentally puts on Tyler's shoes to see their relationship from his perspective; she concludes he never moved passed his college sports injury that left him stuck in Westlake rather than the bit city pros. She takes a fresh look at her sister living in Los Angeles and instead of pity she feels envy. Finally new art teacher Eli challenges Tilly to stop being Mother Teresa and return to her love of photography.

Allison Winn Scotch provides an intriguing character study of a woman whose idyllic life shatters one relationship at a time once she realizes that her nurturing others at the cost to her well-being hurts them too. The support cast is strong as each enhances the reader's understanding of lead protagonist's motives. Although even with the paranormal element of visions, fans will early on predict the path of the story line, but Tilly and company make for a deep tale focusing on relationship opportunity costs.

Harriet Klausner