You Dropped a Blonde on Me

Dakota Cassidy

Shortly out of high school Maxine married Finley Cambridge, the wealthy owner of Cambridge Automobiles. He was twice her age at the time. Now twenty years later he has dumped her and and has taken up with another twenty-year-old. Now Maxine and their son Connor live in a retirement community with her mother. He has taken everything from her and won't pay any money, even for child support.

Now, as an ex-trophy wife, Maxine is at the end of her ropes. She is tired of her mother having to pay for everything for Connor and herself. She has no marketable skills, no experience except as being a wife of a demanding autocrat who can't stay faithful. She arranged parties for him, acted in his car commercials, raised Connor, and did what was expected of her. Now she's nothing. Even Cluck-Cluck Palace won't hire her.

There is one bright spot. After humiliating herself at Cluck-Cluck Palace, she runs into Campbell Barker. Campbell had been the geeky boy who was her chemistry partner back in high school. The geek is gone and a gorgeous hot man now has taken over. Campbell remembers the fierce Max from high school. He is sure that strong woman is still there, waiting to come back out. As soon as they run into each other, Campbell's high school crush comes back and starts developing into more. He is also living at the retirement community temporarily. His father is recovering from a heart attack. Campbell has taken over his dad's handyman business until the older man can once again do his work.

Every time Max turns around, she feels she is embarrassing herself. Campbell is there almost every time to witness her meltdown. She has started fighting back at life, though. If she could fight Finley in their divorce proceedings, perhaps she can find the independent woman who graduated high school and started college twenty years ago.

You Dropped a Blonde on Me is a fun, funny look at the dumped trophy wife. She isn't the typical image because she didn't replace a former wife when she married and she had been more independent when she met Finley. She then allowed herself to become whatever he wanted. At the beginning of each chapter, Dakota Cassidy gives other trophy wives, or "princesses" advice from Max's perspective. The anecdotal advice usually leads into the next chapter.

You Dropped a Blonde on Me is a witty chick lit book. It looks at the second love of older people - both Max and Campbell are 40. Max has a firm, supportive friend in her friend Len. In fact Len, a wedding planner, will not plan her sister's wedding. It is her sister who is replacing Max in Finley Cambridge's life. Len's side story is a good addition to You Dropped a Blonde on Me. Max feels like a real person, not too over the top for this type of book. Campbell has his own historical baggage, adding to the layers of the novel. Connor, too, adds to the believability of this light hearted look at the horrors of divorce and the beginning of a new life.

This is a romance novel, yes. It has its hot, sexy scenes, yes. You Dropped a Blonde on Me also gives insight into the life of a woman in the middle of a nasty divorce. Cassidy attacks a heavy subject with humor and keeps You Dropped a Blonde on Me a lighter book. This is a beach, escapist book with a bit of extra punch.

Notice:  Explicit sexual content