Something New

Blogging and weight loss are the mundane means by which Ellen Ivers, a 40-something wife and stay-at-home mom, attempts to alchemize her lackluster life into something shiny in Thomas’s trite tale of privileged dissatisfaction. Ellen, “the kind of woman who was once hot but has let herself go,” has a loving husband, three sweet children, and “all the creature comforts [she] desire[s].” But she’s bored. She starts writing again, enters a blogging contest, and starts working out. But what initially began as a way to revive her life begets unexpected rewards, namely the attentions of Ben Campbell, a sexy, married cop. They are immediately attracted to each other, but resist temptation. Ellen blogs about their relationship, and while it is liberating and cathartic, it’s also in the public eye, and not long before their attraction attracts the attention of someone who matters. Ellen is a moderately interesting heroine, and her story, germane in its dullness, is nonetheless a breezy read Agent: Wendy Sherman Associates. (Nov.)