Just Breathe
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Fate takes a turn in Wiggs' latest romance
REVIEW BY LOIS DYER Cartoonist Sarah Moon left small-town Glenmuir, California, after high school, landed in Chicago and never planned to return. But when she discovers her husband is having an affair, she packs her car, shakes the dust of the Windy City from her shoes and heads west. Back to the Pacific Coast just north of San Francisco, back to the father she hasn't seen in far too long and the house she grew up in, back to the town where she felt she never quite fit, in Just Breathe, the latest from best-selling author Susan Wiggs. Sarah has hardly begun to recover from the shock of her husband's betrayal when she learns she's pregnant. With twins, no less: fathered by the charming, faithless spouse with whom she no longer wants to share parenting children. Reeling from one too many stunning surprises, Sarah takes a deep breath and moves forward, settling into the rhythm of summer days in Glenmuir, determined to build a life for herself and her babies. And then fate, surely laughing up its sleeve, catapults Sarah's high-school crush, Will Bonner, back into her life. His troubled teenaged daughter, Aurora, reminds Sarah too much of herself at that age. Already coping with too many emotional and practical problems, Sarah's determined not to get involved, but it becomes increasingly clear that she can't ignore either Will or the teen. Before long, Sarah is head-over-heels in love with Will and caring far too much about his daughter's wellbeing. In this poignant, heart-wrenching and often funny novel, Wiggs deftly handles serious life issues in a compelling, humorous way. Readers will cheer for Sarah and Will as they join forces to cope with her pregnancy, Aurora's secrets and the unexpected attraction they find with each other. There's a nice mystery thread here as well, strengthening the plot and enriching the novel's appeal. Lois Faye Dyer writes from Port Orchard, Oregon.
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