An Ex to Grind    by Jane Heller Order:  USA  Can William Morrow, 2005 (2005) Hardcover, e-Book     Reviewed by Tarah Schaeffer This is the story of a successful New York business woman with a leech of an ex-husband who just won't budge from her mind. In this 21st century, some wives end up paying their husbands alimony. Dan Swain used to be a professional football player, until a hard tackle ruined his career. Since then, instead of going out and looking for another job, he would sit around the house and do nothing while his wife worked her tail off trying to keep them afloat. Finally, top financial planner Melanie Banks couldn't take it any more and filed for divorce. Her troubles don't end there; that's only the beginning. As part of their divorce settlement the judge stipulated that Melanie would have to pay alimony for the next eight years - half of her income! However, there's a loophole, if Dan lives with someone for three months, or gets married, within that time, Melanie will be off the hook. So, she consults a famous matchmaker to find someone for him. Normally, said matchmaker doesn't do this sort of thing but some 'choice perks' work it out. After a couple of ladies go bust, Melanie decides that if she wants this to work, she is going to have to work harder. She picks out a woman who seems perfect for Dan, and the matchmaker agrees to set her up with him - for a price. Dan and his new romantic interest click from day one. He no longer lounges around the house; he even starts looking for a new job. So, why isn't Melanie happy? Read the novel and find out. Though Melanie became so wrapped up in her scheme at times that I became bored by her long-winded musings, I do recommend An Ex to Grind for its strong character development and coherent storyline. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Romance books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews