On Second Thought

I stopped reading Kristan Higgins' contemporary romance novels several years ago because I hated the way her heroines were utterly desperate to marry and have babies, to the exclusion of any other motivation in life. So far, however, her two women's fiction novels have been better, with well-rounded female characters and complex relationships. On Second Thought was a real attention-grabber and page turner.

Starting the first chapter with the unexpected and sudden death of Kate's husband, Nathan, promised a long miserable slog of a book, but Higgins does such a wonderful job of portraying complex grief that I kept reading to see how Kate would come out from under the worst of it, especially when she is given a few surprises along the way. I liked the fact that, although Nathan turned out to be not quite the perfect human Kate had thought he was, he didn't turn out to be a jerk either, so that her recovery could conveniently speed along and she could find the right guy.

The other heroine, Kate's half-sister, Ainsley, has more of a typical Higgins heroine arc, with a long-term boyfriend who dumps her and one of Higgins' classic gruff heroes ready to step in. However, the more interesting relationship that develops is between Kate and Ainsley, who had previously been cordial but not close. The upheaval in both of their lives allows them to bond in ways that wouldn't have been possible when they were younger, and they come to new understandings about their parents, siblings, and in-laws. There was no dramatic breakthrough, either, just two women slowly realizing how much they care about each other.

Dramatic, complicated, sometimes humorous and ultimately hopeful - I think Higgins has found a winning formula here. I hope she continues on this women's fiction path and leaves the desperate for love romance heroines behind.