Carole Matthews, More to Life than This

More to Life than This

Carole Matthews

Red Dress, Mar 2006, $12.95

ISBN: 0373895682

In England, thirty-five year old Kate Lewis is the envy of everyone, as she is married to a wonderful spouse Jeffrey, and has two well behaved preadolescent children Joseph and Kerry. However, she is concerned that her kids are too perfect and her spouse no longer finds her desirable.

A bored Kate and her best friend Sonia sign up for a week retreat at a tai chi course at the rustic Northwood Priory. Before leaving she hires a young sexy nanny Natalie to care for her family. Initially worried about Nat beguiling her husband, Kate is soon attracted to fellow student Ben, while her husband finds female numbers to replace his golf scores and accounting spreadsheets.

Though readers get deep inside Kate's psyche in this interesting chick lit tale, her woes seems somewhat contrived. For instance her children are polite and well behaved, but do not appear to be suffering from any disorder; her husband may be more interested in golf than sex, but Kate fails to talk to him, instead choosing to run away for a week. Still this is a deep look at a wife and mother struggling with the issue of is that all there is.