Pretty Woman

March 14, 2005
Rotund Rosie Bliss, née Gardener, is miserable. She has known all along that her husband married her for her money—she runs a successful mail-order business, Nature's Decorations—but she has always lacked the courage to do anything about it. She even lost her best friend and business partner, Vickie, over the truth. In a rare show of spine, Rosie throws out the sorry Kent when he misses their third anniversary dinner. Kent isn't sorry to leave ("You're nothing but a fat pig with big feet"), but he slinks back the next day when he discovers that Rosie has won the lottery—a $302 million jackpot. As she fights to keep Kent's hands off her windfall and resolves to become the pretty woman he never saw in her, Rosie is cheered on by wonderful trainer Jack Silver, housekeeper Luna Mae, and Vickie, with whom Rosie renews her friendship. Kent schemes alternately to get Rosie back and to steal from her, but ends by almost believably growing up, even seeing her transformation as an inspiration for his own necessary changes. Rosie, however, isn't waiting around for him. The concluding triathlon, in which Michaels's likable heroine shows her stuff, is a strong finish to a frothy read.

March 15, 2005
Despite owning her own successful business, Rosie has lived for the approval of her husband, Kent, who never approves. He spends her money lavishly, sleeps in a separate bed, and takes every opportunity to inform Rosie how ugly and overweight she is--until she kicks him out without a cent. Kent is not happy. He is even less so when he suspects that Rosie has purchased a winning lottery ticket worth $302 million. Rosie, shocked she has won, hides the ticket. She has some decisions to make. Rosie wins back an old friend, expands her business, gets a dog, and hires Jack, a fitness trainer. Kent casts a long shadow over Rosie's life and her burgeoning relationship with Jack, but as Rosie's self-esteem grows, even Kent bows before her. Although readers may take issue with Michaels' definition of " fat," fans will still love her newest romance, with its animated characters and exploration of the possibilities of inner strength.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)