GUEST REVIEW

Singled out and mingling in
by Deb Kincaid

 
Seattle author Jane Porter's last novel, Flirting with Forty, was Redbook Magazine's #1 Hot Summer Read, according to 5 Spot Publishers. Her newest book, Odd Mom Out, is another welcome serving of her lively romantic fiction. The story explores the theme of tough choices working, single mothers make. Readers will smile, wince, laugh, and stress along with first-person narrator and protagonist Marta Zinsser as she elbows her way through familiar conflicts. 
 
Anxiety crackles as Marta tries to make a go of her fledgling advertising agency, understand and support her precocious 9-year-old daughter, and analyze her exasperating attraction to a particular man. Our heroine tries to achieve equilibrium between desires, goals, and obligations. But her daughter has goals of her own that push Marta into unforeseen directions. 
 
36-year-old Marta is mother to Eva, conceived through artificial insemination after Marta ends a relationship. The two are extremely close. She and 9-year-old Eva relocate from New York to Seattle to be near Eva's grandmother, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Moving to Seattle thrusts Marta back into the elitist society she escaped years ago. Having always prided herself on her nonconformity, Marta now goes head to head with her daughter, whose goal to become popular at school is anathema to Marta. Eva pleads with her mom to just "be normal!" But Marta drives a '57 Ford truck, rides a Harley, and prefers cargo pants and flip-flops over designer wear. Marta doesn't do normal. 
 
It's been 10 years now since Marta swore off romantic relationships, so she finds it disconcerting when one morning as she's jogging she's so profoundly affected by another jogger. 
 
"I imagine he's got to be a professional athlete. Maybe one of the Seattle Seahawks or perhaps a Mariner. Either way, he's definitely amazing, and as he disappears into the fog in front of me, I slow, suddenly lightheaded, almost dizzy...I slow even more...trying to catch my breath. And my breathlessness has nothing to do with my physical conditioning." 
 
Being neighbors, she runs into him a couple of times, and learns a bit about him. His name is Luke Flynn, he drinks Alaskan Amber, and drives a well-used Land Rover. Marta has gotten along just fine without a man all this time, so why does just being near him make breathing difficult? 

At work, striving to land the Freedom motorcycles account, Marta faces the challenge of convincing the macho board members she's up to the task. She and her team pull out all the stops to work up a marketing campaign, working long hours – which Eva resents. Meanwhile, in order to boost her popularity, Eva wants her mother to get involved in
school committees. Unable to get Eva to abandon her quest, Marta signs up for a time-sucking school committee where she must find a way to get along with the supercilious Taylor Young, mom of Eva's classmate, Jemma, and committee coordinator. 

Porter has crafted another winner with Odd Mom Out. Porter's superb dialogue skills and chatty writing style make readers feel like old friends of Marta who are catching up. Although initially exposition-heavy, the story quickly kicks into gear and picks up speed. Porter's skillful use of pacing and judicious selection of detail complement the rich characterization, smooth interweaving of conflicts, and authenticity of story. Her multi-dimensional characters are well-drawn with distinct personalities and philosophies, and the dynamic between Marta and her friends is completely believable. 
 
Porter expertly weaves at least five elements of conflict. Portrayal of the business environment, Marta's internal dialogue, and characters emotional responses are spot on. Any who have been single, working parents will feel Marta's tension, frustration, and despair when she is repeatedly forced to make tradeoffs between business and family. 
 
Ultimately, changing circumstances force Marta to reevaluate long-held convictions, recognize her limitations, and force her to define and embrace what's truly important. Burned badly in love, should she try it again? Adamantly a "mom first," is she crazy to try to run a demanding business, and raise a daughter, too? Will the bond Marta and Eva have withstand the pressures? Whether talking career or romance, this book will appeal to all moms who inevitably wonder, "Did I make the right choice?" 

*****

Jane Porter, 39 years old, was born in Visalia, California. A former English teacher, she holds an MA in writing from the University of San Francisco. She has published three chick lit novels: The Frog Prince, Flirting With Forty, and Odd Mom Out, published by 5 Spot, and released in September 2007. She has also penned several classic romance titles, her most recent, At the Greek Boss's Bidding, of the Harlequin Presents series. She lives in Seattle, Washington with her two sons. 
 

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