(62)The Ninth Wife by Amy Stolls

Should a 35 year old single woman say yes to the first marriage proposal that comes along?

35 year old Bess Gray is on the verge of giving up on love. Until she meets handsome, Irishman Rory. He is charming and funny and everything she wants in a man, so why does Bess freak out when he proposes after three months of dating? Well, because she discovers that Rory has been married eight times before. Bess will be The Ninth Wife.

The earth shattering news on Rory's past prompts Bess to use her mad googling skills and starts her on a journey to find Rory's eight wives. Well, at least six of them. Her grandparents have been married for 65 years, so a man who has been married eight times must be defective, right? That is what Bess has set out to find out. She embarks on a cross country roadtrip with her Grandparents, her best friend Crickett, his Shar-Pei, Stella and a mannequin named Peace. What will the Ex's tell her? Will she find the answers she is seeking? Will she be able to define "true love" or will she just chuck Rory aside as damaged goods? Read to find out!

I really, really enjoyed The Ninth Wife. As a single woman who got her first proposal at the age of 34, I can somewhat relate to Bess's feelings and desires to find "the one". I can also understand her trepidation at finding out her beloved has been married eight times? Wouldn't you freak out a bit, too?

The Ninth Wife was told in alternating voices. One chapter was Bess, the next chapter was Rory, as he was explaining his history to Bess. It was a unique way of telling the story and made it considerably harder to just "tell" Bess to dump him. The characters are funny, intelligent, and real. I debated hard about giving it a "Best of". I do think it is the best "Chick Lit" novel I have read so far this year, but it didn't evoke the type of emotional response I come to expect from my "Best of Labels". But trust that it is a strong contender and a book you should run right out and pick up!