LUCK, LOVE & LEMON PIE by Amy E. Reichert

I fell in love with author, Amy E. Reichert after reading THE COINCIDENCE of COCONUT CAKE. Then I started following her facebook page and blog. She not only writes wonderful novels about real woman, for women, you feel as if you know her and she’s somehow your friend. That may sound strange, but for those of us who are fans, it makes sense.

When I heard Amy had a new novel being published, I was thrilled. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on LUCK, LOVE & LEMON PIE! I knew it was going to be another delicious read, and guess what? I was right! Just like I fell in love with Luella in Coconut, MJ Boudreaux became my new literary BFF in Lemon Pie.

MJ and her husband of 20-years Chris, are in a modern marriage, experiencing a mid-life crisis. Behaving more like roommates than lovers, Chris frequents the casinos, and MJ tries to find a way to bring him home to the nest, and their two teenagers. After whining and nagging, she decides to call his bluff and learn poker too, hoping this will lead to quality time together. What happens next isn’t quite expected!

MJ, Chris and the family learn MJ’s quite the poker shark and she enjoys hanging around chips and felt tables. Soon she’s playing regularly and then she’s playing at a high-stakes tournament with big-money whales in Las Vegas. This is about the same time MJ gets a little full of herself and forgets she’s a wife and mother from Milwaukee and why she got into this whole poker thing in the first place … and basically, about her marriage! But Chris has his part in this whole mess, too and it’s going to take a lot of work to get back to “happily ever after.”

I loved the relationship between MJ and Chris, although I found him a bit too secure, for what he was contributing, and MJ too accepting of his crap. But that’s the way it is in every relationship; give and take, never even. The takeaway for me in LUCK, LOVE & LEMON PIE is a reminder not to take what I have for granted; keep nurturing my “gardens” and to always be grateful.

For all things AMY, check out http://www.amyereichert.com.

LUCK, LOVE & LEMON PIE will be published Tuesday, July 12th.