Phaze, $6.00, ISBN 1-59426-514-3
Contemporary Erotica, 2006
Another Bite of the Apple is a sequel (the same heroine featured in these two books) to Three Days in New York. If you want to read that book but haven’t done so, this one serves as a spoiler to that book so you’ve better stop reading now.
This story kicks off a few months after Three Days in New York ended. Elizabeth is living in New York City after her brief affair with Richard crystallized her decision to leave her husband Glenn. Now a divorcée, Elizabeth lives in a small apartment in Brooklyn while trying to kick start her career as an artist at the age of forty-one. To make ends meet, she also works at a waitress in the evenings at the restaurant called Nana’s. Her employer is Rob. She thinks she’s in love with Rob, but Rob is currently involved with Marianne, who conveniently often goes away on tour since Marianne is a classical pianist. Meanwhile, Richard, the man she had an affair with months ago, calls and seems to be looking for some kind of reconciliation. Elizabeth also learns that his son, a jock, is gay and he’s going to move in with a fellow team mate to an apartment while her ex-husband’s girlfriend Carol will be moving in with Glenn.
Like the book that comes before it, Another Bite of the Apple is a quick and entertaining read. Author Robin Slick allows Marianne to be a likable heroine. I find that I can relate to or at least understand her insecurities and the reasons for her various actions and decisions in this story. There is a happy ending here as Elizabeth gets her man, but I’m quite iffy about the romance since there is a “Marianne doesn’t want kids! Marianne is always away concentrating on her career! Therefore, Elizabeth is a nicer person!” slant that doesn’t sit well with me. Also, Rob comes off as a little too wishy-washy with his affections to convince me that he’s in for the long haul with Elizabeth. But then again, this book is obviously a chick-lit story rather than romance novel so such ambiguity in the happily ever after is probably to be expected.
Generally, I enjoy reading this book but since it’s only 128 pages long, it doesn’t make much of an impact on me and I have this suspicion that I would forget much about this story in the next few days.
