Painting Naked — Maggie Dana

Painting Naked is a sparklingly attractive novel written with humour, brio, and a refreshing unsentimentality." - Elizabeth Buchan, author of Wives Behaving BadlyJillian Hunter treasures her independence. She's raised two sons by herself, launched a small business, and restored a tumbledown beach cottage in Connecticut. Finally, at fifty-two, she's ready for another shot at love, but soon discovers most single men her age prefer women in their twenties. Then a trip to London reunites her with Colin - an old flame she hasn't seen in thirty-five years - and Jill falls for him all over again. This could be her chance for a new beginning, one she never expected, and certainly not at her age. But Colin isn't quite the boy Jill remembers and she ends up risking everything she's worked for - her business, her home, and her two closest friends - to make a life with him. And when faced with the risk of losing Colin as well, Jill is forced to take an uncomfortably close look at the woman she's allowed herself to become and figure out a way to win herself back. Funny, sophisticated, and wise, Painting Naked is a coming-of-middle-age story about girlfriends when you're no longer a girl, about growing up when you're already grown up, and the price you're willing to pay for the love of your life."A wonderfully uplifting story about a woman on her way to fulfillment." - Katie Fforde, author of Wedding Season"Painting Naked seduces easily and satisfies completely. Rich, funny, and loving, reading this book is akin to sharing a perfect meal with old friends. I never wanted the story to end." - Jeanne Ray, author of Julie and Romeo "With clear-eyed affection, sumptuous prose, and indomitable wit, Painting Naked examines loss, sorrow, and redemption. Maggie Dana's first novel is proof that middle age offers no protection against vulnerability when it comes to love and lust. Fifty-something Jill Hunter is as vital, lively, and as optimistic about the future as any twenty-year-old." - Ca