Naughty or Nice

I finally finished Eric Jerome Dickey's Naughty or Nice last night. I devoured it for a few weeks and then took a hiatus when I had my own drama to deal with.

For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of reading it yet, the story is about the three McBroom sisters. It is about their relationships with one another and their relationships with men....There is also a back story about their parent's love. What I found most striking about the book overall is how real the sisters are. They often antagonize one another but always find the right way to back each other up when it counts most. They let each other make their own mistakes and are also never too far to help a sister out.

I've read quite a few Dickey books by now. Let's see...Milk in My Coffee was the first I got my hands on...then Between Lovers and Friends and Lovers. What they all have in common is well-rounded, strong female characters and real life confusion and sometimes tragedy. Within a chapter or two I generally care deeply for the characters. I wonder what life has in store for them, or worry their life will continue to be filled with heartache.

Dickey out did himself on the tragedy front on this one. I was completely shocked by Livvy's concluding scenes. I never saw the betrayal coming, or for it to be so deep and twisted. I felt her heartache. Even when she walks away from the situation and says, "Sometimes you gotta make your own happy ending." I could see how cheated she feels. We can't forget she is a cheater, but we also can't ignore she has just been figuratively thrown off a cliff. We know she is going to survive and thrive - but it doesn't soften the shocking blow.

I always find morsels of truth/happiness/hope in Dickey's books. This time it was Frankie's words that struck a cord with me. After making peace with her ex-boyfriend she says, "I was free from that old lover who would never love me. Letting go felt so good." Enough said.

Moving on; finding peace. Isn't that what its all about?