Lani Diane Rich, Maybe Baby

Lani Diane Rich, Maybe Baby - Six years ago when minor accidents frequently occurred just before her wedding to Nick James, Dana Wiley saw them as an omen; she jilted Nick, thinking maybe she should not marry at this time. Dana goes to explain to her former fianc her feelings, but instead catches him with half naked Melanie Biggs, her nemesis since high school. She flees to her Upstate New York winery.

When the grapes become diseased, Dana is forced to shut down the winery. She takes a job as a secretary at the Rosemont Home of Central New York in Syracuse. There she wonders if she made a mistake when she dropped Nick who she still loves and wonders if maybe she should reconsider. With the grapes okay, but needing money to reopen, Dana journeys to Manhattan to ask her dizzy mom Babs for the capital. There she sees Nick who is assisting Babs with a charity event by stealing a valuable bird, a kakapo, for her. Upon seeing Dana, Nick, who quit his bartending job at Murphy's to head to California has no maybes, he still loves her and decides to make one last try to win her trust.

Though Babs can drive the Ancient Mariner and readers to drink, fans will appreciate this fine, contemporary romance starring a commitment-phobic female and the dude who still loves her, though he has struck out twice with her. The amusing storyline contains a serious element involving failure to communicate, but that is overwhelmed by the antics of the cast. Fans of offbeat romantic romps will enjoy MAYBE BABY, but wonder in an age of communication why the lead couple failed to talk to one another.

Warner, Jun 2005, $6.50, 304 pp.

ISBN: 0446615781

Harriet Klausner