Susan Donovan, The Girl Most Likely To

The Girl Most Likely To

Susan Donovan

St. Martin's, Dec 2008, $7.99

ISBN: 9780312939519

In Persuasion, West Virginia, high school sweethearts Kat Cavanaugh and Riley Bohland are in love. However, he abruptly ends their relationship without explanation. Being pregnant and feeling alone at sixteen while living with an abusive father and a pathetic mother, Kat leaves town. She is fortunate as trucker Cliff Turner kindly gives her a ride leaving her with his sister Phyllis, who took her in and raised the sixteen year old and her soon to be born child Aiden with love as if they were her daughter and grandson.

When Phyllis died, she left Kat with three million dollars. Though grieving her loss, she decides to go home to confront those who deserted her when she most needed them. However, her expectations of triumph is short lived when she meets Riley a doctor, who angrily rips into her for running away with his son; he tells her she will hear from his lawyer. Aden is also upset with Kat for keeping him away from his dad. Worse she still loves Riley.

This is an interesting extended family drama that focuses on the premise that you can't go home even with money to flaunt. The story line is at its best when it concentrates on the obvious relationships between Kat and her parents, her son, and Riley; it feels overwhelmed when the concentration turns to other angst-laden issues like abuse and stalking etc. Still Susan Donovan provides an entertaining contemporary as Kat and Riley need to overcome distrust if they are to enjoy a second chance at love.

Harriet Klausner