Kerry Reichs, Leaving Unknown

Leaving Unknown

Kerry Reichs

Avon, Mar 30 2010, $13.99

ISBN: 9780061808135

In Frying Pan Landing, North Carolina Maeve Connelly is fired twice in one day. First her boss at the Gin Mill canned her for being late again; this time as they tried a new happy hour venture. Second her family gives her the boot tired of her irresponsible behavior. She cannot fault either as she vows to become responsible although she blames her misdeeds on a string of bad luck starting when she was nine.

Maeve decides to start over on the left coast where a friend lives. So accompanied by sassy Oliver the cockatiel, she heads west. Upon reaching Unknown, Arizona, her jinx strikes again with her car breaking down. To her shock, the locals welcome her and she works at several jobs feeling pretty good except for her extreme case of hypochondria while delaying her final destination the latter being caused mostly because of Noah the bookstore owning children's author even if he apparently has a girlfriend who's tall enough to dunk.

The second Connelly sister chick lit tale (see The Best Day of Someone Else's Life) stars an eccentric likable protagonist and a horde of nice supporting players. Breezy, this lighthearted frolic is fun to follow though takes a while for the plot to gel as Maeve the cursed seeks her groove in Venice Beach, but wonders if her true destination is Unknown.

Harriet Klausner