Dear Ms. Weiner,
Ever since I picked up a copy of your first novel, Good in Bed, I have been a fan. Your real portrayals of women along with your ability to write with wit and compassion are so different from other writers of the so-called chick-lit genre that I eagerly anticipate the release of your new books and purchase them immediately - in hardcover.
I'm sad to say, though, that Fly Away Home is not your best piece of work. The premise -- a loyal senator's wife humiliated by her husband's admission of an extra-marital affair, the lives of their two polar-opposite daughters, Diana and Lizzie, and the attempt at reconciliation -- seemed like it was "ripped from the headlines", especially with the references to similar real-life scandals. I found none of the characters - not even Milo, Diana's son -- particularly likeable, and I found some of the situations your characters faced in the context of the story (an unexpected pregnancy, for one) far-fetched.
I still adore your work, and am marking this down as a one-time only blip. Bring back the real characters and tell a story that we can relate to, and don't fall into the trap about writing about the hot scandal.
Best,
Suzanne
