Ex and the Single Girl    by Lani Diane Rich Order:  USA  Can 5 Spot, 2005 (2005) Paperback Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Shannon Bigham When Portia Fallon's boyfriend Peter dumps her on Valentine's Day, she falls into a depression and holes up in her apartment. She has no man and is making little progress with her Ph.D. dissertation. Then her mother Mags calls her from Truly, Georgia, insisting that Portia come home for the summer. Mags claims that she has thrown her back out and she needs temporary help running the family bookstore. Portia grudgingly agrees and heads home. Of course, Mags has not hurt her back and it is soon apparent to Portia that she has something up her sleeve. The Miz Fallons are an interesting bunch. As well as Portia's stylish and beautiful meddling mother, there is Vera, her tarot-card wheeling aunt, and her strong, 'take-no-prisoners' grandmother Bev. While the three are different from each other, they have one thing in common – they cannot keep a man. Now it appears that Portia has joined their ranks. After foisting gin-and-tonics on Portia (the Miz Fallons' 'official drink') during a welcome home party, Mags tries to set her up with Ian, a famous author (and eligible bachelor) from London, in Truly for the summer to write a book. Ian and Portia strike up a tentative friendship. But just when things are developing between the two, Peter shows up in Truly with a diamond ring. Portia is now between a rock and a hard place – will she ditch Ian for Peter (and simultaneously break the curse of the Miz Fallons)? Ex And The Single Girl is a fun read, and I enjoyed the southern flair of the characters in small town Truly, Georgia. Portia is a likeable gal, Ian is charming, and the Miz Fallons are a hoot. Portia gets her love life straightened out, as well as discovering more about her family than she knew before (which includes finding long lost, but not forgotten, family members). The book will appeal to fans of chick lit, women's fiction, southern fiction, and romance. 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