Do you remember when you were in a long-term relationship and thought it was time to get married? Did you go after your guy with games and manipulation when he didn't come through? If so, then you will totally identify with the heroine of this novel. If you've never gone that route and it doesn't sound appealing, you'll have a tougher time. The heroine's mother, however, goes a long way in making up for the troublesome heroine.

Shelby Barrett has had it. Her boyfriend Matt won't propose, and they've been dating for three whole years! Shelby goes to her mother, romance novelist Diana Valentine, for advice, and ends up pulling some stunts that cause lots of trouble. She sends flowers to herself from a made-up man who turns out to actually exist. Diana also faces issues and acts as the second - not secondary - heroine of this novel.

If you can't already tell, I thought Shelby was a total twit. I kept wanting to shake her and scream, "Grow up!" Of course, hindsight is 20/20, and I do remember feeling the same way at 23, but resorting to games and sticking with someone who is more and more obviously a creep is ridiculous. Shelby also has trouble making up her mind about her two men, and the choice is soooo obvious. She gets to be a better character as the book goes on, but if she had been the only heroine, this book would have gotten a much lower grade.

Shelby's mother, however, makes this book worth reading. She is a mature and wise widow who enjoys her life just like it is, thank you very much. She had passion that ended badly and then a solid marriage that was good, but not passionate. She's happy on her own now. Enter Lance Gregory, a.k.a. Lance Romance to his family (he's Shelby's boyfriend's uncle). Initially pursuing Diana to eliminate any interference in Shelby and Matt's relationship, he comes to have feelings for her and tries to change her mind. Diana's fears and hesitations are wonderfully reasonable (a nice counterpoint to her daughter), and oh so normal.

There are three men who star in this novel. David Jones, the made-up man who actually exists, is the best of the lot. He’s a normal, everyday-average guy who gets drawn into Shelby's life when Matt confronts him about sending flowers to Shelby (which he didn't) in an absolutely hysterical scene. David falls hard for Shelby and pursues her, and takes a lot more crap than he should, particularly since Shelby didn't seem worth it to me. Matt's a jerk - end of story. He wants to keep Shelby and placate her even though he's not ready to marry her. Please. Lance is somewhere between the two. He seems to have a good heart and truly enjoys being with Diana, yet he's a slick player.

There's definitely humor in this story. Shelby's roommate and friends are very entertaining, and their attitudes toward Matt are too funny. Diana's friend Suzanne is another wonderful secondary character.

The sweetness of David and Shelby's developing romance is so nice. There's not a lot of heat, but the attraction and feeling are so strong that readers know where the true love is, even if Shelby doesn't. Still, it's very hard to warm up to a couple when one half of that couple is annoying.

If you can put up with Shelby, you might like this book because of Shelby's better half, and Diana and Lance and their relationship. If immature twits bother you, you'll have a harder time getting through to the good stuff. I think I'll go call my sister, who can be a real-life Shelby at times and much more entertainingly so.