It may be colder than a well-digger’s can outside, but inside, I’ve come across the first must-read novel that will make perfect beach (or couch cozy if the thermometer continues to fall) read.

Pauline’s perils begin while she is at work. Although she is a highly regarded employee, downsizing can affect even the most promising career track. A termination letter throws her into a tailspin.

Now the military veteran doesn’t know what to do with herself. She thought she had a solid marriage, but it seems like her husband is growing distant and spending more and more time with one of his co-workers, Lindsay.

Pauline decided to take advantage of the G. I. Bill and goes back to school. She wants to start a business, but has no idea what kind. She takes business classes and one poetry class. Her professor is a heart throb. Pauline’s life spirals further out of control.

What ensures is both heartbreaking and hysterical, but leaning more toward the hysterical. I laughed so hard at times that I almost wet myself. I think the funniest scene, and there are so many, was when Pauline left the dog, George Bush, tied to the garage door, forgot about him, then hit the button to raise the door. The second funniest scene is when both Pauline and her 16-year-old daughter are in the doctor’s office. No more tips…you have to read this! It’s the funniest book I’ve read since Jackie Lee Miles released Divorcing Dwayne in 2008. ( )