In her sequel to Ladies With Options, Cynthia Hartwick revisits the investing ladies of the Mostly Methodist Club. This tale is set as the tech bubble began to burst and, like many people in the 1990’s, the investors of Larksdale, Minnesota are starting to feel the pinch. While this tale of how they persevere is not quite so charming as its predecessor, it is still a very fun read.

The novel is told from the point of view of Callie Brentland, the niece of Mostly Methodist member Dolly and an engineer at PMT, Larksdale’s largest employer and the Ladies’ biggest investment. In between working at PMT, lusting after hunky co-worker Jake, and helping her Aunt Dolly, Callie is an honorary member of the investing club. Surrounded by friends and loved ones, it seems like an idyllic life.

However, there is trouble on the horizon. Along with the drying up of the tech boom, PMT is bought out by a large conglomerate with devastating results. Instant stock option millionaires lose their savings and many at PMT begin losing jobs. Callie and the Ladies are determined to do something to turn things around.

As they band together to fight for PMT, Callie and the Ladies grow closer to one another, as does Callie to her friends in Larksdale. Watching her learn about friendship and love is very touching at times and it brings a warm quality to this otherwise breezy tale of plots and counterplots.

Hartwick’s style is witty and upbeat, making this book a delight to read. The main female characters are each distinctive and appealing. Even in the face of adversity, the Ladies are still upbeat and meet each challenge head-on. As I read the book, I found myself rooting for the underdogs and hoping they would overthrow the corrupt conglomerate.

My only real quibbles with the novel are with the mix of first-person and third-person perspectives within the story. Though the story is primarily told in first-person by Callie, some third-person passages are, however, inserted to detail events that Callie would have no way of knowing. While these passages helped give some insight into the personal lives of the Ladies, the head-hopping did get a tad difficult to follow.

This is a breezy and humorous tale with some very heart-warming moments. Those looking for high drama and deep emotion may be disappointed, but anyone looking for a fun place to spend an afternoon will like enjoy a trip to Larksdale.