BOOKS: TART - A Novel by Jody Gehrman

TART
by Jody Gehrman
(Red Dress Ink, 2005)

Always wary of yet another Bridget Jones wannabee in the recent profusion of “chick lit,” TART is decidedly different--refreshing!--with a slightly older (late twentysomething) and wiser--well, at least more experienced--strong, central female character. Not another whiney, self-absorbed, neurotic, hopelessly romantic office girl, still waiting for her prince to arrive and sweep her off her feet, Claudia Bloom is more of a jaded realist.

After a disastrous walk on the mild side, suffering a broken engagement and a broken heart (dumped by her fiancé for The Younger Woman), Claudia packs up her life in Texas and takes off to a new life as a theatre arts college professor in California. She re-connects with her past and her dysfunctional, New Age family, while re-committing to “tart-dom,” her philosophy of having fun and enjoying meaningless sex, swearing off men, marriage and monogamy:

"How can anyone believe in marriage in the twenty-first century? Didn’t we all listen to our parents bicker while we turned up the volume on Hawaii Five-O? Didn’t we learn the fairy tale was dead when we found half our parental unit shoving their socks and underwear into a suitcase while the other half spit out vile insults?"

Of course, her tart philosophy is put to the test almost immediately, when she meets the ruggedly sexy, undeniable Clay Parker--her white knight on a motorcycle, who rescues her when her stolen van breaks down and explodes on the side of the road in the first chapter...and the fun begins.

Somewhat predictable, yes, but still enjoyable. Author Jody Gehrman has included some out of the ordinary twists and turns to keep things lively.