The Journal of Mortifying Moments_A Novel
by Robyn Harding
Kerry Spence is unfulfilled by her soulless career in advertising, disappointed by her dysfunctional relationship, and horrified by the ever-increasing size of her ass. Ever since her gorgeous, self-absorbed boyfriend Sam demoted her to late night hook-up status, she has fortified herself with prime-time TV and blissful binges on cream cheese frosting, awaiting an epiphany that will reveal her next move.
Of course, everybody in her life is full of advice. Her free-spirited divorcee mother–when not necking furiously with her much younger boyfriend– sagely counsels her daughter to do whatever it takes to snag Sam back, since, quite frankly, he is the best she can do. Her friends ply her with fruity cocktails and dispense bits of ‘Cosmo’ wisdom like “Divide your age in half and add seven–that’s the youngest man you are allowed to date” and “Scotch tape can eliminate forehead wrinkles.” And then there is Kerry’s shrink, the calm, unflappable therapist who suggests she start “a diary of past encounters with men that may be contributing to her negative and dysfunctional quasi-relationship.” Or, as Kerry sees it, a journal of mortifying moments.
Beginning with a kissing game gone bad in grade school, the journal jump-starts Kerry’s stroll down memory lane of man troubles. But just as Kerry decides her poorly dressed therapist is as crazy as everybody else in her orbit, she begins to realize the journal may actually make some sense–as she plumbs the depths of her most embarrassing experiences on a quest for personal awareness that will give her the strength to turn her life around–and just maybe find love again.
The Journal of Mortifying Moments is a hysterically funny glimpse into the quirky, slightly obsessive, and completely lovable mind of Kerry Spence. But somewhere amidst the laugh-out-loud hilarity of Kerry’s exploits emerges the story of a woman who learns to stop trying to be someone she’s not, and start loving the wonderful, quirky person she is, once and for all.
**From Publishers Weekly
"It was my therapist's idea—the journal of mortifying moments." Thus begins Kerry Spence's revisitation of all the most miserable episodes in her life in an effort to overhaul her self-defeating dating habits. It's not just her love life that's a problem: her career in advertising is going nowhere, and her friends are making choices she cannot begin to comprehend. Just in case the journal doesn't do the trick, she visits Ramona the psychic, who helps her to "read what our intuition already knows," and consults Dr. Rainbow Hashawarma's book You Get What You Give. Primed with plenty of advice, she decides to break the unhealthy hook-up cycle with her hot semiboyfriend Sam, take up yoga and volunteer somewhere meaningful. The latter goal brings the "high- to medium-risk teen" Tiffany into her life. Kerry begins to gain perspective on her own life as she coaxes her angst-ridden mentee through teenagehood. She also meets the charming Nick, who almost makes her forget about Sam. Just when it seems that Kerry's life is sorting itself out, she's confronted with an unexpected turn of events that appears to solve her problems. But is it that easy? Of course not. Kerry's cringe-worthy worst memories are laugh-out-loud funny, and chick-lit fans will applaud her honest efforts to break bad behavior patterns.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From the Inside Flap
Kerry Spence is unfulfilled by her soulless career in advertising, disappointed by her dysfunctional relationship, and horrified by the ever-increasing size of her ass. Ever since her gorgeous, self-absorbed boyfriend Sam demoted her to late night hook-up status, she has fortified herself with prime-time TV and blissful binges on cream cheese frosting, awaiting an epiphany that will reveal her next move.
Of course, everybody in her life is full of advice. Her free-spirited divorcee mother–when not necking furiously with her much younger boyfriend– sagely counsels her daughter to do whatever it takes to snag Sam back, since, quite frankly, he is the best she can do. Her friends ply her with fruity cocktails and dispense bits of ‘Cosmo' wisdom like "Divide your age in half and add seven–that's the youngest man you are allowed to date" and "Scotch tape can eliminate forehead wrinkles." And then there is Kerry's shrink, the calm, unflappable therapist who suggests she start "a diary of past encounters with men that may be contributing to her negative and dysfunctional quasi-relationship." Or, as Kerry sees it, a journal of mortifying moments.
Beginning with a kissing game gone bad in grade school, the journal jump-starts Kerry's stroll down memory lane of man troubles. But just as Kerry decides her poorly dressed therapist is as crazy as everybody else in her orbit, she begins to realize the journal may actually make some sense–as she plumbs the depths of her most embarrassing experiences on a quest for personal awareness that will give her the strength to turn her life around–and just maybe find love again.
The Journal of Mortifying Moments is a hysterically funny glimpse into the quirky, slightly obsessive, and completely lovable mind of Kerry Spence. But somewhere amidst the laugh-out-loud hilarity of Kerry's exploits emerges the story of a woman who learns to stop trying to be someone she's not, and start loving the wonderful, quirky person she is, once and for all.
Of course, everybody in her life is full of advice. Her free-spirited divorcee mother–when not necking furiously with her much younger boyfriend– sagely counsels her daughter to do whatever it takes to snag Sam back, since, quite frankly, he is the best she can do. Her friends ply her with fruity cocktails and dispense bits of ‘Cosmo’ wisdom like “Divide your age in half and add seven–that’s the youngest man you are allowed to date” and “Scotch tape can eliminate forehead wrinkles.” And then there is Kerry’s shrink, the calm, unflappable therapist who suggests she start “a diary of past encounters with men that may be contributing to her negative and dysfunctional quasi-relationship.” Or, as Kerry sees it, a journal of mortifying moments.
Beginning with a kissing game gone bad in grade school, the journal jump-starts Kerry’s stroll down memory lane of man troubles. But just as Kerry decides her poorly dressed therapist is as crazy as everybody else in her orbit, she begins to realize the journal may actually make some sense–as she plumbs the depths of her most embarrassing experiences on a quest for personal awareness that will give her the strength to turn her life around–and just maybe find love again.
The Journal of Mortifying Moments is a hysterically funny glimpse into the quirky, slightly obsessive, and completely lovable mind of Kerry Spence. But somewhere amidst the laugh-out-loud hilarity of Kerry’s exploits emerges the story of a woman who learns to stop trying to be someone she’s not, and start loving the wonderful, quirky person she is, once and for all.
**From Publishers Weekly
"It was my therapist's idea—the journal of mortifying moments." Thus begins Kerry Spence's revisitation of all the most miserable episodes in her life in an effort to overhaul her self-defeating dating habits. It's not just her love life that's a problem: her career in advertising is going nowhere, and her friends are making choices she cannot begin to comprehend. Just in case the journal doesn't do the trick, she visits Ramona the psychic, who helps her to "read what our intuition already knows," and consults Dr. Rainbow Hashawarma's book You Get What You Give. Primed with plenty of advice, she decides to break the unhealthy hook-up cycle with her hot semiboyfriend Sam, take up yoga and volunteer somewhere meaningful. The latter goal brings the "high- to medium-risk teen" Tiffany into her life. Kerry begins to gain perspective on her own life as she coaxes her angst-ridden mentee through teenagehood. She also meets the charming Nick, who almost makes her forget about Sam. Just when it seems that Kerry's life is sorting itself out, she's confronted with an unexpected turn of events that appears to solve her problems. But is it that easy? Of course not. Kerry's cringe-worthy worst memories are laugh-out-loud funny, and chick-lit fans will applaud her honest efforts to break bad behavior patterns.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From the Inside Flap
Kerry Spence is unfulfilled by her soulless career in advertising, disappointed by her dysfunctional relationship, and horrified by the ever-increasing size of her ass. Ever since her gorgeous, self-absorbed boyfriend Sam demoted her to late night hook-up status, she has fortified herself with prime-time TV and blissful binges on cream cheese frosting, awaiting an epiphany that will reveal her next move.
Of course, everybody in her life is full of advice. Her free-spirited divorcee mother–when not necking furiously with her much younger boyfriend– sagely counsels her daughter to do whatever it takes to snag Sam back, since, quite frankly, he is the best she can do. Her friends ply her with fruity cocktails and dispense bits of ‘Cosmo' wisdom like "Divide your age in half and add seven–that's the youngest man you are allowed to date" and "Scotch tape can eliminate forehead wrinkles." And then there is Kerry's shrink, the calm, unflappable therapist who suggests she start "a diary of past encounters with men that may be contributing to her negative and dysfunctional quasi-relationship." Or, as Kerry sees it, a journal of mortifying moments.
Beginning with a kissing game gone bad in grade school, the journal jump-starts Kerry's stroll down memory lane of man troubles. But just as Kerry decides her poorly dressed therapist is as crazy as everybody else in her orbit, she begins to realize the journal may actually make some sense–as she plumbs the depths of her most embarrassing experiences on a quest for personal awareness that will give her the strength to turn her life around–and just maybe find love again.
The Journal of Mortifying Moments is a hysterically funny glimpse into the quirky, slightly obsessive, and completely lovable mind of Kerry Spence. But somewhere amidst the laugh-out-loud hilarity of Kerry's exploits emerges the story of a woman who learns to stop trying to be someone she's not, and start loving the wonderful, quirky person she is, once and for all.