The Widow Waltz

April 8, 2013
Koslow (Little Pink Slips) illustrates how a family upheaval can prompt personal change in this entertaining but ultimately uninspired novel. Fifty-year-old Georgia Waltz’s husband Ben Silver has always taken care of his family, providing them with a luxurious condo overlooking Central Park and an expansive beach house in the Hamptons. But when Ben dies during a marathon training run, Georgia discovers that their life of luxury has been built on lies; the real estate is mortgaged to the hilt, they owe thousands of dollars to creditors, and Ben has left behind less than $40,000 for Georgia and her two daughters, Nicola and Louisa, both in their early 20s. Georgia, determined to get to the bottom of Ben’s deceit, embarks on an odyssey that includes a new career venture and a tentative attempt at dating. Meanwhile, Nicola and Louisa stumble their way toward independence. Koslow’s novel is diverting, and the three different viewpoints add interest, but Georgia’s romance is tepid and unconvincing, and the resolution is abrupt and overly tidy. Agent: Christy Fletcher, Fletcher & Company.

April 1, 2013
Former McCall's editor-in-chief Koslow (Slouching toward Adulthood, 2012, etc.) choreographs an entertaining but lightweight story about a mother and two daughters who are suddenly forced to redefine their lives and relationships step by step. Georgia Silver-Waltz becomes a 50-year-old widow when husband Ben suffers a fatal heart attack while preparing for the New York marathon. Thanks to Ben's lucrative law practice, Georgia's lived a pampered life, and the couple has always indulged their two daughters. Nicola, aka Cola, Korean-born, was adopted as a baby. She's drifted from one interest to another without much to show for it, but she can slice and dice with the best of them thanks to a stint learning a few culinary skills in Paris. Louisa, or Luey, was born to Ben and Georgia a year after Cola was adopted. She's rebellious, brilliant and often resents her older sister. But when mother and daughters find themselves virtually penniless--at least as far as upper-class New Yorkers are concerned--they come together, not always harmoniously, and do what they have to do to survive: sell their apartment, put the family's East Hampton beach house on the market, auction off valuables on eBay and--gasp!--get real jobs. Georgia edits essays for students applying to college; Cola accepts a position working at her uncle's exclusive jewelry store; and enterprising Luey starts a business as a dog walker/sitter. As the family's dynamics change, each woman discovers her own special strengths and develops stronger bonds with the others. Georgia, determined to investigate Ben's actions and uncover what happened to their holdings, works to hold together the family and support her daughters' decisions, Luey's in particular. And when the money trail finally unravels--no surprise to readers since the plot is pretty transparent--Georgia resolves issues about her own future. Koslow knows how to please her target audience; although there are a few missteps, particularly toward the end when the resolution seems hard to swallow, the perfectly frothy, romantic story will appeal to readers who want a few hours to engage in a different world.

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June 1, 2013

Georgia is shocked when Ben, her perfect husband of many years, dies while training for the New York City marathon. Grief quickly turns to anger and disbelief when the couple's attorney tells Georgia that Ben left her and her two college-age daughters, Nicola and Louisa, without a penny. Their extremely upper-class New York City lifestyle was a sham and mortgaged to the hilt. Georgia and her daughters attempt to adjust to their new lives--they sell their posh Manhattan apartment and move to their on-the-market Hamptons beach house to regroup. Meanwhile, Georgia is on the hunt to solve the mystery of her husband and their disappearing finances. She has a lot to deal with--Nicola is considering dropping out of school, Louisa may be pregnant, Georgia's mother, Camille, is battling Alzheimer's, and a lovely man named Nat keeps asking her out. But Georgia's brother and his partner sweep in and help as they can, and Georgia finds an untapped inner strength that keeps her newly formed family safe and afloat. VERDICT Koslow's fourth novel (after With Friends Like These) is well-written, page-turning domestic fiction about a family's reinvention and healing that will attract fans of Elizabeth Berg.--Beth Gibbs, Davidson NC

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2013
For Georgia Waltz, the first shock comes when her supremely fit and healthy husband, Ben, suffers a massive heart attack running practice laps for the New York City marathon. The second comes when she learns that her now-deceased hubby, previously a wealthy lawyer, left her and their two grown daughters penniless. Reeling with disbelief and a feeling of betrayal, Georgia struggles to make ends meet, searching for explanations as she follows the money trail, unearthing more surprises in the process. There's the mystery of an emerald and diamond ring that her husband had appraised before his death. And the possibility of another woman. Meanwhile, her younger daughter, Luey, carries a secret of her own, and her eldest, Nicola, returns home from Paris to attend Ben's funeral and adjust to life without his support. Initially, the three women hold a tight rein on their emotions, but as their stories unfold in alternating passages, they reveal their vulnerabilities and newfound strengths, drawing the reader in. This heartfelt, witty addition to women's fiction will appeal to fans of Elizabeth Berg and Anna Quindlen.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)