
What happens when a seemingly happy, family woman and “soccer mum” in suburban California receives a promotion and finds herself inexorably drawn to her new boss in New York, where she is now required to travel for business on a regular basis? Fireworks happens! Susan Sinclair, her husband Matt and their two boys seemingly have it all – they are living the American dream. Dad, Matt, is a scientist, Mum, Susan, a high-flying corporate executive who still manages to be there for her boys, attend their soccer games and be the “perfect” mum for them. In Degrees of Love, by Lisa Slabach, when Susan attends her first meeting in New York and meets her dreamy, new boss, Reese Kirkpatrick, sparks definitely fly between the pair. Despite the outward appearances, Susan is desperately lonely and unhappy in her marriage to Matt, but will this dalliance with Reese prove to be the undoing of her marriage, or will it just be a harmless fling?
What I liked most about Degrees of Love was the time Lisa Slabach took to draw her characters. We delved deep into Susan’s mind at times and were able to understand the moral and emotional toll this relationship with Reese was taking on her. She knew what she was doing was wrong, but she also knew it was the only thing keeping her alive and sane. Similarly, Reese was far from your average alpha male with looks, wealth, drive, and personality to win over any woman. There was a depth to him that Slabach brought out extremely well. This is pure chick-lit and although probably not the author’s intended audience, I absolutely found myself drawn into the tangled web she had created. I raced through this book because it is so readable. The characters are flawed and very real. I have to compliment Slabach on this excellent novel. I enjoyed it immensely and can highly recommend it to anyone who likes romance with plenty of moral dilemmas and questions thrown into the mix. A great job by this author.
