New Uses for Old Boyfriends

The return to the seaside town of Black Dog Bay from Kendrick's most recent novel Cure for the Common Breakup adds to the highly charming adorableness of her latest. Following a bank-breaking divorce and ill-advised last ditch effort to hit him where it hurts by purchasing an expensive %E2%80%9C%E2%80%98FU'-V", Lila Alders is forced to move back into her childhood home, with her recently widowed, mother Daphne, who never lets anyone see her without perfect hair and makeup. The time Lila had hoped to use figuring out the rest of her life while gorging on M&Ms and wine at the nearby The Whinery ends up being used to help rid Daphne of her penchant for brushing problems under the rug%E2%80%94namely, by forcing her to acknowledge her extremely tumultuous financial situation. With the help of a multitude of friendly neighborhood ex-boyfriends including Lila's first love turned property manager Ben and ex-Marine Malcolm, Lila ingeniously decides to use Daphne's stock piles of (expensive) vintage clothing, to get her mother out of debt. Lila and Daphne's road back into financial security and to becoming responsible for their own happiness is filled with witty banter, unpredictable trials, and most importantly, renewed love for things old and long forgotten. While the characters and some of the storylines from Kendrick's previous book do continue, readers will be just as taken picking up with this novel. (Feb.)