My Husband's Sweethearts

June 16, 2008
Faced with the imminent death of her charming, cheating and estranged husband Artie, Lucy Shoreman decides to call the names in his little black book and invite the ladies to his Philadelphia home to say a final farewell. For her part, 30-ish Lucy, who's 18 years Artie's junior, can't decide whether she loves or hates the man, while her much-married mother insists he deserves forgiveness. As a broad spectrum of his ex-lovers arrives, including a surprised mother-and-daughter duo and a troubled young woman Lucy takes under her wing, Artie's previously undisclosed and estranged grown son, John, shows up and seems as wickedly appealing as Dad. Asher, a pen name of prolific author Julianna Baggott, takes the edge off her sharply drawn characters with a succession of familiar sentiments. But flashes of wit and a parade of memorable women keep pages turning as Lucy grows increasingly and endearingly confused about her feelings toward Artie, John and the rest.

July 1, 2008
Lucy Shoreman returns to her cheating husband, Artie, when she learns he is dying. Furious, but still in love, she drunkenly calls the sweethearts in his black book to come take their turns by his bedside. She is stunned when two arrive. Elspa, a pierced twentysomething, claims Artie saved her life, while Eleanor, a polished fortysomething, is ready for him to go to hell. The three women, along with Lucys feisty mother, become unlikely friends as they share Arties dying days and usher through a stream of other grieving sweethearts. John, the son Artie forgot to mention he had, joins the deathbed party, too. In this spirited debut, Asher creates an unconventional familyone brought together by a flawed but lovable man and kept together by a wounded but openhearted woman. As each characters individual story is revealed, the reader is further enveloped by this humorous yet touching tale.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)