| Women |
| Romantic Comedy |
| Contemporary |
| Romance |
| Fiction |
Summary
Summary
In this New York Times -bestselling author's "very funny novel," a frustrated woman gets the ultimate makeover--by making an unwitting deal with the devil ( Library Journal ).
Florida real estate agent Barbara Chessner is down on her luck, up several dress sizes, drowning herself in Bloody Marys--and, worst of all, has just been dumped by her husband for a blonde TV weatherperson. Tired of living the life of a woman in a "before" ad, Barbara stumbles outside in the midst of a thunderstorm and beseeches heaven to help her--unaware that someone diabolical might be listening . . .
Barbara wakes up with golden hair (not her own premature gray), perfect pitch (she's tone deaf), a strange black dog (registered to her), no double chin, a waistline . . . and definite cleavage! Talk about a good night's sleep!
Even more bizarre and seemingly wonderful things begin to happen to Barbara, including some potential new romances, and her friends at the real estate agency attribute the inexplicable to everything from hot flashes to dark forces. Not even she knows what the devil is going on. But when she finds out, all hell is going to break loose . . .
"Barbara is a terrific character--clever, witty, and truly likable." -- Library Journal
"Sly, smart-mouthed fun." -- People
"Fiendishly funny." -- Booklist
Reviews (1)
Kirkus Review
A fourth novel (after The Club, 1995, etc.) from Heller (whose name may or may not have inspired her novel's witty hook) puts a devilishly zany spin on the hard-to-enliven subject of midlife crisis. Things couldn't get much worse for real-estate agent Barbara Chessner of 666 (yes, that's 666) Seacrest Way, Banyan Beach, Florida. A bottle of wine has become her nightly norm; she can't sell a house to save her life; and, at 38, she's already gray- haired and dumpy. One night in the midst of a powerful thunderstorm her misery reaches its peak: Mitchell, her husband of ten years (whom she doesn't even love), dumps her for buck-toothed but blond and busty local weatherperson Chrissy Hemplewhite. On top of everything else, Barbara's suddenly all alone. So she does the only thing she can do: She strikes a midnight-hour deal with the devil. The catch is that she doesn't know what she's done: She thought she was praying to God when she called out to the stormy ocean, ``I'll do anything if you'll help me.'' When Barbara shows up at work the next morning, her stomach is newly flat, her hair is suddenly blond and smooth, her bustline is mysteriously enhanced, and she's acquired a certain je-ne-sais-quoi that has her officemates deeply puzzled. Life picks up all around: She makes an immediate, significant sale to David Bettinger, a former short, fat, bald orthodontist and current stud who turns out to be another ``darksider.'' He gives Barbara the score when in the heat of passion she discovers that he has a tail. Meanwhile, Jeremy Cook, her brother Ben's best friend, becomes rather more than an acquaintance, and her loyal dog Pete turns out to be much more than man-or woman's-best friend. Campy, over the top, down-and-dirty, and a whole lot of fun.
