Promises, Promises

September 5, 2011
It’s the ultimate do-over fantasy: three unhappy people stuck in soul-sapping jobs and relationships promise to turn it all around—and make a delicious mess of it. This U.S. entry from seasoned British chick lit champ James (The Queen of New Beginnings) proves that bitter dissatisfaction, aching loneliness, and stubborn self-deception span the economic spectrum. Maggie, married to a couch potato she nicknames Mr. Blobby, cleans houses for a living and faces a major decision when she meets another man; Ella, shaking off seven bad years with a widower and his sad, manipulative kids (“A dead wife never leaves the marriage; she’s there for eternity, immortalized, sanctified, an untouchable, ruthlessly divisive meddling force”), takes on a redecorating project in a home Maggie cleans, for the wealthy Edwardses. Ethan Edwards, business and marriage both in decline, seeks solace in one-night stands—but hopes for more with Ella. Individual emotional meltdowns trigger alternately heartbreaking and hilarious collateral damage and lead each character into relationships they couldn’t predict and can’t resist. Their liberations may be a foregone conclusion, but gooey dollops of happily-ever-after romance, rowdy humor, surprisingly affecting drama, and a despicable supporting cast make this formulaic page-turner rollicking and satisfying.