Three Good Things

Since her divorce, Ellen McClarety has opened up a successful bake shop in her small Wisconsin town and struggled to settle into single life. Her sister, Lanie, is an accomplished attorney with a newborn child, but she fears her husband, Rob, may be cheating on her with one of his co-workers. Ellen begins dating Henry, a local man still hung up on his recently deceased wife, but right when Ellen lets her guard down, her ex comes slinking back. Meanwhile, Lanie tries to get to the bottom of Rob’s distant behavior. Throughout the drama, the sisters bemoan the death of their mother years ago, though they soon realize that together they can pull through. But even with a sister by one’s side, nothing is as simple as it seems. Francis’s tepid chick lit debut is a feel-good story, but there’s little of substance—the action revolves around tangled love interests, misunderstandings, deaths, and easy coincidences. Francis’s portrayal of family dynamics rings true, but it’s not enough to sustain interest. Agent: Meg Ruley, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (Jan.)