Chick lit author Barnes (Split Ends
) knits together a complex story of a widow's attempt to build a new solo life. Eighteen months after a painless heart attack fells Ed Price, his 31-year-old wife, Lorna, decides to return to work as a midwife. Impeding her resolve are her financially strapped parents, who move in with her after losing their house; unsympathetic siblings; and rebellious five-year-old Leo. Lorna's troubles mount when she starts dating as well. Aiding (and sometimes complicating) the struggle are Lorna's friends, colleagues and patients, who offer advice and life lessons as she engages in ill-advised amatory adventures with sly, manipulative gynecologist Eoin Sullivan. Though the British flavor is at times a little bland, Barnes knows how to keep the soap opera rolling along. (Oct.)
