Flip-Flopped

Jill Smolinski

Living in beautiful Hawaii doesn't mean life will be paradise. Keeley is a volconologist studying a dead volcano. Her marriage is almost as dead. She met Kam at one of her observation posts 5 years earlier. They started dating, then got married. Now they have a lovely 4-year-old son, Dante.

Keeley finally found out Kam had been cheating on her for over a year. She kicked him out of the house. Now he lives with the girlfriend, Suzanne. Keely has custody of Dante but Kam sees him twice a week like clockwork. Now she has taken steps and has her friend Regatta hand the divorce papers to Kam. Then Keeley is stunned to hear that he has hired lawyers and wants custory of Dante.

Her lawyer never left the flower child years behind. Keeley isn't sure anything is being done, especially after Kam's lawyer starts building a case on a series of unfortunate incidences in Keeley's life. Keeley still loves Kam and doesn't want to lose him - if only he would change a little... When Ian enters Keeley's life she gets more confused. Then the dead volcano starts showing signs of life after sixty thousand years or so. She can ignore her personal problems while she concentrates on her profession for a while - can't she?

Jill Smolinski has used a light tone in Flip-Flopped which almost masks the seriousness of her subject. It is told in first person by Keeley who feels a bit scattered and lost during this period of her life. The only solidity she has is Dante.

The title Flip-Flopped has double meanings - it refers to the slower laid-back attitude of the Hawaiians and the emotions and decisions of Keeley, Kam, and other characters involved in the book. By the time the book was done, I could picture each and understand the conflicts.

Smolinski's humor and light touch makes this an enjoyable novel. It's only when it was finished I realized how well she portrayed the circumstances in that humor. OK, this tends towards a chick lit feel - but it's more.

Notice: Suggestive dialogue or situations

The Next Thing on the List by Jill Smolinski