M A Clarke Scott

A big thanks to author Mary Ann Clarke Scott/M. A. Clarke Scott for providing me with a copy of her novel "Reconcilable Differences" to read in exchange for my honest review. This is the first book in her "Having it All" series about professional women in Vancouver, Canada struggling to balance careers, live, identity, family and home. Her descriptions of Vancouver are so charming... it's now on my list of places I need to visit! It took me several pages at the beginning to figure out what was going on but Kate is a professional mediator who helps couples reconcile through her facilitated discussions as a last effort before filing for divorce. She's settling into her first session with D'Arcy and Eli when their respective divorce attorneys arrive and she realizes Eli's attorney is her old love Simon from her university days. Kate's breakup with Simon was devastating because of some underlying emotional issues she has that are revealed later in the book and she recalls those years of therapy to get her feet back on solid ground. Even though Kate is in a relationship and Simon is married (but separated), the chemistry between them is still there. Kate struggles throughout the book with whether she's really in love with Simon or is she just reliving those strong feelings from when she was 19. And ironically, though Kate's job is to get to the bottom of the problem by listening to her clients and opening the avenues of communication, it takes Kate awhile to self analyze and realize she's not fully disclosing or communicating with Simon. A side story is whether Kate is creating an ethical violation in her mediation by not disclosing her relationship with Simon. Originally written in the 90s, some reviews stated it felt dated. Not realizing this when I read it, I took the quirks to be things unique to Vancouver. Clarke Scott paints with a descriptive pen and Simon's love for Thai food arose throughout the book making me hungry every time. The idyllic setting of Vancouver was picture perfect even when it rained for days on end. A good read if you're in the mood for a romance.… (altro)