cover image So Much for My Happy Ending

So Much for My Happy Ending

Kyra Davis. Mira Books, $13.95 (408pp) ISBN 978-0-7783-2351-8

Between her heinous boss and beatnik mother, 26-year-old San Francisco department store manager April Silverperson's only hope for escape is Tad Showers, a modern Prince Charming. His wildly romantic gestures sweep April off her feet, so when he proposes, things finally seem to be going April's way. Trouble starts brewing shortly after their fairy-tale wedding at The Ritz, beginning with a less-than-romantic honeymoon in Spain. On their return to San Francisco, Tad's true colors begin to show: mountains of hidden credit card debt, a secret family history and embezzlement make up only a small measure of Tad's dark side. In diary-style prose, April tells the story of her husband's strange unraveling, finding her own strength and self-determination along the way. Davis crafts an engaging, humorous voice for April and strong if familiar characters to support her, including April's feisty grandmother and a sensitive rock singer named Jeremiah. The fusion of light-hearted romance and keen domestic suspense makes this an absorbing if slight read.