Rules for a Pretty Woman    by Suzette Francis Order:  USA  Can Avon, 2003 (2003) Paperback Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Melissa Parcel Dr. Lenita Lenny Faulkner has been waiting nine years for her live-in boyfriend, Ralph, to pop the question. She's almost thirty-five and feels she is ready to get married and start having children. On the night she expects him to propose, she ends up with a 'Dear Lenny' note and discovers that he is seeing someone else. Soon after, she finds that Ralph has emptied their investment account of nearly a million dollars, and taken everything that he had ever given her. Lenny is definitely down, but hopes she's not out for the count. She moons over Ralph for quite a while, hoping he will come to his senses and return to their relationship. When she finally allows herself to get angry and move on, she starts dating a string of emotionally unavailable men. Lenny develops a set of rules for her life, including 'I will only change to suit myself,' and 'I will follow my heart.' She stumbles over her rules a few times, but for the most part, they help her to set priorities in her love life and in life in general. Will Lenny ever find Mr. Right? This is an intelligent story about a woman discovering her true value in life. Lenny is a believable, finely crafted character. She exhibits so much strength and integrity in every situation. I found the accounts of her patients and how she deals with their individual problems fascinating. Some of them are funny, while some tug at the reader's heart with sadness. It was difficult to put the book down because I wanted to know if Lenny would find the love she richly deserves. The story's secondary characters round out the plot with an added dimension of emotion. Lenny's up and down relationship with her best friend Karen, the antics of next-door-neighbor Mrs. Stein, and the mailman who delivers mail to the wrong addresses, increase the charm. My one complaint is that the print is very small. I don't have a problem reading most font sizes, but this book was a challenge. Rules for a Pretty Woman is a step above most typical women's fiction. Its romance will attract readers who enjoy a good love story, but there is more to it. Readers looking for an outstanding book this fall will not be disappointed. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Contemporary books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews