My Favorite Midlife Crisis (Yet)

May 15, 2006
Still recovering from the discovery two years before that her husband of 26 years is gay (a revelation referred to as "The Treachery"), 54-year-old gynecologic oncologist Dr. Gwyneth Berke is resigned to a life of scientific pursuits, sulking in her luxury downtown Baltimore apartment and helping to care for her ailing father. Enter her best friends, widowed artist Kat and voluptuous entrepreneur Fleur, who coax Gwyn into dating again, a venture made easy by her looks, money and accomplishments. Though the men she meets at first are flakes, sexy lightning strikes at a medical conference when Gwyn meets Simon York, a renowned British gynecologist and researcher who doggedly woos a receptive Gwyn into the kind of torrid relationship that only two gynecologists can have. But Gwyn can't help wondering if Simon really is who he seems. He's too good—and too busy—to be true. More than light fare for the menopausal set, Devens's wise and witty debut is a distinguished addition to a crowded field.

September 15, 2006
Dr. Gwyn Berke and her two best friends, Kat and Fleur, are in their fifties. Gwyn's husband left her for another man, Kat's husband died, and Fleur has never been married. All three discover it's not easy to find available, attractive men. Fleur will try anything, from online dating services to supper clubs. Gwyn has a medical practice and a father with Alzheimer's. Where can she find the time for a relationship? And Kat's grown daughter objects to her dating. Devens's debut novel is an enjoyable story with a few problems, one of which is that there are too many characters interacting with Gwyn. The tired story line doesn't help either: a friend has cancer, and everyone rallies around her (see also Lorna Landvik's "Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons"and Mary Alice Monroe's "The Book Club". However, the book does cover an age group usually left out of the literary loop, and there's also a great deal of humor. Recommended for all public libraries." - Lesa M. Holstine, Glendale P.L., AZ"

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2006
Gwyneth Berke is about as fulfilled as a woman can get. She's a prominent doctor with a Baltimore ob-gyn practice, specializing in gynecologic oncology. She has a beautiful apartment, money, and two wonderful grown sons. Like most of us, she also has a few crosses to bear. Her ex-husband left her for another man, her father has Alzheimer's, and now in her midfifties, finding a good man is like finding a needle in a haystack. It's not as though Gwyneth is actively looking, but her two best friends, also single, are anxious for her to join them in the dating pool. We get to go along for the ride as Gwyneth and her friends make their way through the slim pickings of available men. While this seems to be the main theme of the book, Devens' novel is really about women successful in life, in friends, and in their chosen profession, realizing what's really important as they reach middle age. Wonderful characters make this humorous and heartwarming tale a pleasure to read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)