On A Night Like This

In the tradition of Elizabeth Berg and Sue Miller, first-time novelist Ellen Sussman offers a rich, powerful story of a fiercely independent single mother who must learn to confront loss in order to find love.They met in high school, but had nothing in common: Blair Clemens, the weird hippie-chick who kept to herself, and Luke Bellingham, the golden boy--rich, handsome, and destined for greatness. Now, years later, Luke has fulfilled his early promise and is one of the country's most acclaimed screenwriters. Blair is a struggling single mother with a teenage daughter, a job as a chef, and a tragic secret that will test all of her emotional resources. Still as feisty and as offbeat as ever, Blair loves no one other than her daughter and she intends to keep things that way. That is, until she crosses paths once again with Luke Bellingham. Now, Blair is faced with the decision of her lifetime: what to do when the right man comes along...but at the wrong time.

In Sussman's heart-wrenching debut, two former high school classmates take a second chance at love, despite one partner's terminal cancer. Resisting the impulse to descend into bathos, Sussman shows remarkable restraint in her depiction of a love affair that transforms a dying woman's last days into a celebration of life. When Luke Bellingham, an acclaimed screenwriter in his 40s, agrees to become "Finder of Lost Souls" for his 25th high school reunion, the only lost classmate he really wants to find is the enigmatic Blair Clemens, whose gang rape at 17 inspired his Oscar-winning screenplay, Pescadero. Suffering from writer's block and his wife's sudden desertion, Luke is thrilled to discover that Blair lives near him in San Francisco. Bohemian Blair is now a single mom as well as chef of a chic restaurant, but beginning a relationship is definitely not on her agenda when she agrees to reconnect with Luke after first meeting his cute dog, Sweetpea. All she wants to do is work, have no-strings sex with her ever-randy ex-hippie landlord and enjoy what's left of her life with her teenage daughter, Amanda. At their initial meeting, the immediately smitten Luke informs her, "On a night like this, I could fall in love," and Blair, frightened by her own attraction, quickly retorts, "Don't bother... I'm dying." The novel's elegant denouement and Sussman's fluid treatment of tough moments make this a keeper for fans of high-caliber weepies.
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Blair Clemens is dying, and although she's not in denial, she's not sure how to tell her 16-year-old daughter, Amanda. She's raised Amanda by herself, and the closest people in her life are Daniel, her boss at the restaurant where she works, and Casey, her sleazy landlord--until Luke Bellingham walks back into her life. Luke and Blair went to high school together, though quiet outcast Blair never got close to handsome, popular Luke. He is still reeling from his wife's departure three months' prior and trying to hunt her down. He gets involved with organizing his high-school reunion almost by accident, and agrees to help track down former students. First on his list is Blair. The sparks fly instantaneously between the two, but between Blair's illness and Luke's determination to locate his wife, there might be too many issues separating them. Or are there? When Luke's wife unexpectedly returns, Luke finds himself still longing for Blair. Readers should have a box of tissues handy while reading this sweet, romantic debut. Kristine Huntley
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