Winner of the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer of the Year Award
Melody Mountain Ranch is a gated, planned, suburban heaven for everyone but interior decorator Hope Jordan. As Hope struggles through the letdown of several unsuccessful fertility treatments, her cul-de-sac neighbors Will Pierce-Cohn, a stay-at-home dad and community activist; Frank Griffin, a minister–cum–homeowners’ board president; and Tim Trautman, a soon-to-be father of five, jockey for her attentions.
When Hope has a few too many cocktails and inadvertently eats hash-laced brownies at the playground ribbon-cutting gala/Memorial Weekend poolside potluck, she falls into the arms of one of her three wannabe paramours. Maybe all three. She wakes up with only fleeting memories of the evening, and soon discovers that her dream of getting pregnant has become a crushing reality. With all eyes on her, Hope is forced to watch as the walls holding up her picture-perfect neighborhood begin to crumble.
“Hull’s satisfying debut explores the McMansions of Melody Mountain Ranch, a planned suburb where eating disorders, lesbian affairs, and a coven of teenage witches are just a few of the outrageous secrets hiding behind the idyllic facades. Hull deftly handles a multitude of complicated characters and brings about a conclusion that will leave readers suitably scandalized.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Hull’s amusing debut will appeal most to readers who like their fiction with extra froth.”
—Booklist
“This debut novel is a fun, sexy suburban soap opera with a touch of mystery. A wide cast of interesting characters adds more than one subplot, but they are all absolutely entertaining and make this a worthwhile read.”
—Library Journal
“Hull writes the novel in the point of view of each main character, while remaining in third person. Her ability to differentiate among voices is impressive . . . The ending is an appropriate conclusion to all the story lines that Hull set in motion.”
—Chick Lit Central
