Out of Warranty

October 8, 2012
In her quirky new novel, Smith (Waking Up in Dixie) follows two ailing oddballs—one a widow, the other a recluse—as they struggle to overcome medical problems. Cassie Jones, who has been branded a hypochondriac, is relieved to learn that her multitude of symptoms can be traced to a mold allergy—unfortunately, she’s uninsured and is scrambling to find a new husband to take advantage of his coverage. While at the doctor’s, she becomes acquainted with cranky Jack Wilson, whose filthy farmhouse is packed to the rafters with “part trash, part treasure.” They begin a careful friendship based on their mutual poor health, which keeps them on “the same wretched diet” and medications. When it dawns on Jack that he has the insurance Cassie seeks, while she has a clean place for him to live, Jack proposes that they marry and live as platonic friends. But the promise of health might not be enough for the two to overcome what holds them back. Cassie and Jack are both over-the-top and occasionally irritating, but in Smith’s care, they become endearing and believably neurotic protagonists. Agent: Mel Berger, William Morris Endeavor.

October 15, 2012
Can a middle-age woman with a chronic fungal condition find love, or at least decent medical coverage? She might find both in this unlikely winner from the best-selling Haywood Smith. Since the death of her devoted Tom a year ago, Cassie has been keeping up a brave front. But with years of undiagnosed health problems and a dwindling bank account, something has got to improve. She gives a new doctor a try and in the waiting room meets Jack, a sloppy curmudgeon who looks even worse than she does--he's missing a leg and has blue lips, a clear sign of COPD. Jack is rude, but no matter, Cassie's visit with this doctor is a revelation: Finally she has a diagnosis and a plan. She has a genetic deficiency leaving her with a severe allergy to fungus. A new diet and a glass house would be best, but the mold-remediation specialists guarantee her an improved environment when they're done emptying out her bank account. At her next appointment, Jack is there again, with the same diagnosis and the same directive. Only, as he doesn't have a hundred grand for a mold-free house, Cassie volunteers to help him clean. When she gets to his farmhouse outside of Atlanta, she thinks she's stepped into an episode of Hoarders. No wonder Jack is dying. As payment for her help, he begins setting up her online dating accounts. She's humiliated but reluctantly acknowledges she needs better medical insurance, so of course, a new husband. When dating doesn't work out--one handsome archaeologist literally had skeletons in his closet--Jack and Cassie hatch a plan. He moves into her expensively sanitized home, and she gets to marry him for his excellent benefits. Whether this is a marriage made in hell or heaven depends on whether they can stick to the long list of rules and whether they can admit their growing fondness. In Smith's sure hands, this funny tale of unlovable misfits is a gentle, romantic surprise.

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November 15, 2012

Cassie Jones is coping with the death of her husband and the mountain of insurance bills that he left her. Having gone through 24 surgeries and four joint replacements, she was the one who should have died first. But now Cassie is alone with her poor health and bills, so what to do? Moving to Canada isn't really an option so she decides to remarry for health insurance. Online dates and fix ups don't lead to anything. Then she meets a fellow patient at her specialty clinic, Jack, a one-legged divorced curmudgeon who is battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). VERDICT Smith's (The Red Hat Club; Wife-in-Law) social satire pokes fun at the (pre-Obamacare) landscape of dealing with health insurance claims and struggling to find insurance until you're old enough to qualify for Medicare. For fans of Smith's earlier works and boomers who can identify with the issues here.--Robin Nesbitt, Columbus Metropolitan Lib.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2012
When her husband dies suddenly in his sleep, Cassie is faced with spending the rest of her life without the only man she ever loved. Struggling with her own health issues, she goes to see a specialist who might be able to turn her life around, but the bills keep rising, and the treatment is definitely going to cost her. Without decent health insurance and with only a fraction of the life insurance money left, Cassie decides she must remarry before she goes broke. Of course, finding love the second time turns out to be a lot harder, but that's where Jack comes in. Jack is facing the same medical problems as Cassie, and the two get to know each other in the specialist's waiting room. He's gruff and taciturn, but in a seemingly uncharacteristic act, he sets out to help Cassie find the second man of her dreams. A light but enjoyable tale full of laughter and hope, Smith's (Wife-in-Law, 2011) newest story of strength and friendship is sure to please fans and new readers alike.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)