Lessons in Laughing Out Loud

Magical shoes inspire a total life makeover in Coleman’s sixth novel (after The Home for Broken Hearts). Though her friends count her as “always up for a good night out,” Willow Briars actually finds little in life worth laughing about these days. She’s jumped from job to job, pursued unattainable men, and fought the low self-esteem that comes with her full figure (her thin, successful, happily married identical twin sister isn’t helping). While running an errand for her overbearing boss one day, Willow discovers a pair of vintage pumps in a mysterious back-alley shop that slim her instantly but turn her life upside down. Later that night, her 15-year-old ex-stepdaughter, Chloe, shows up, pregnant and terrified. As Willow searches for ways to help, she confronts her own failed marriage and finds inspiration to begin making positive changes. Repairing her psyche, however, will also mean confronting a traumatic past and exposing that old chestnut: a long-held family secret. After sidelining an initially intriguing premise, Coleman’s tone veers wildly from romantic comedy to gritty drama, making her heroine hard to pin down. Whether seeking humor or pathos, readers will likely be disappointed on either front. Agent: Jill Grinberg, Jill Grinberg Literary Management. (Mar.)