Wednesday, June 9, 2010

The Stepmothers' Support Group-Samantha Baker

The Stepmothers' Support Group
Samantha Baker
Avon, Jun 22 2010, $14.99
ISBN: 9780061840357

In London, Eve Owen and widower Ian Newsome meet over a magazine review she is doing on his book re his late wife. They fall in love, but she is totally unprepared to deal with his kids (twelve years old Hannah, eight years old Sophie and five years old Alfie).

Her best friend school teacher Claire Adams is a single mom of thirteen year old Louisa so she listens to Eve’s woes of becoming a stepmother. Clare helps and soon the two BFFs forge the Stepmothers' Support Group. Clare's younger sister Lily joins them as she is dating a single dad with a toddler. Mandy becomes a member as she struggles to merge two families with teenagers in both into a cohesive unit. Finally Mel’s boyfriend has a tweener.

This is an intriguing look at the not wicked stepmother as the club members want loving relationships with the offspring of their significant other. Clare and Eve are fully developed but the rest of the ensemble pale in comparison as there are too many characters with too many issues to keep score. Still readers who enjoy a well written family drama will appreciate The Stepmothers’ Support Group as the women want to do their best but don’t always succeed.

Harriet Klausner

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