Synopsis:

Susie takes her Top Shelf margaritas on the rocks, no salt, and spends Friday nights at the Candy Bar, the hottest spot in South Beach. She wears a perfect size 2, and blows her money on Jimmy Choo shoes. But appearances can be deceiving. She can never meet her father's impossible expectations and has given up trying. Susie was disfigured at birth and her father, a renowned plastic surgeon, started her life under the knife. The flaws that remain are carried deep. She's a champion for the underdog and volunteers at a homeless shelter. But as a college drop-out, she can't keep a job or a man in her life, and even the art she loves lacks that special spark. One night at the Candy Bar during a tropical storm, she feels something as light as a champagne fizz brush over her. She has been touched by magic and is able to see the world differently. Literally. Her grey world is suddenly filled with bright, vibrant color. She is about to begin an adventure of a lifetime, a six week sojourn in Florence to study painting, when a problem prevents her from leaving. Brett--a hot firefighter who she has known and loved for years, has fallen in love with her too. An explosion nearly costs Brett his life and leaves him scarred. He pushes her away, not wanting to be one of her "pity projects." At first she refuses, unwilling to leave anyone in need, little alone the man she loves.

But with the gift of sight came the ability to see the future. Is it possible she can have both--her dream of Italy and the man she loves, or will she always be desperately seeking Susie?
 

SRR GRADE:  B
 

The one thing Susie Levine has confidence in is her painting; she has never felt confident in her appearance, frequently comparing herself to her friends and family and finding herself lacking. In Desperately Seeking Susie, Patrice Wilton let's the reader see from the beginning that Susie is the one searching, for herself. It is the reader's luck to join Susie on her search, observing all her steps and missteps along the way.

While trying to find out who she is, Susie also meets the man of her dreams; does he feel the same, and how Susie validates her feelings for him lead to many interesting situations. Ms. Wilton is a very descriptive writer; she does not shy away from the passion between her main characters, reminding us often that Desperately Seeking Susie is a romance, by including combustible, steamy love scenes between the main characters Susie and Brett. The reader is fortunate in being able to experience a variety of eccentric personalities in the secondary characters as well, just one more element designed to keep us entertained for hours. And luckily for us, this is an entertaining book to read: I definitely recommend picking up a copy and finding that out for yourself!