Lucy's Launderette

September 1, 2003
Lucy Madison's life is a mess. Her beloved grandfather, Jeremy, has just died; she works at an art gallery for the boss from hell; and her crazy and possibly dangerous brother, Dirk, is back in town. In walks Paul Bleeker, a handsome artist Lucy has always admired. Although he sweeps her off her feet, his interest waxes and wanes. Then Lucy is surprised to discover that her grandfather's sour girlfriend, Connie, is pregnant, and she makes every effort to befriend her. Finally, Lucy stumbles upon a project for herself: fixing up her grandfather's launderette, which now belongs to Connie. She finds herself employing both her artistic skills and her newfound business savvy to turn the launderette into the hippest place in town. Though her brother remains a thorn in her side, Lucy can't help but wonder about Sam, Dirk's caseworker with the sexy voice. Burke's debut is frothy fun and definitely worth a spin.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)