Publisher: Harlequin (March 2007)

This romance tackles deeper issues of self and body image through the anorexia and diabetes of two characters while at the same time maintaining all the charm and delight so characteristic of Sherryl Wood's voice. The characters are superb. The romantic conflict is believable and heart-warming. The plot captivates the reader from start to finish. A perfect combination of real life issues and romance!

A Slice of Heaven by Sherryl Woods is the second book of the superb Sweet Magnolias trilogy set in the small town of Serenity, South Carolina. Bonded together as childhood friends the Sweet Magnolias now face the difficulties and challenges of adult life together. Preceded by Stealing Home which told the story of Maddie, this stunning sequel tells the story of Dana Sue and her daughter Annie. The last book, Feels Like Family focuses on the third Sweet Magnolia, Helen.

Dana Sue owns Sullivan's, the best restaurant in Serenity, South Carolina. After tossing her cheating husband Ronnie out on the front lawn with his suitcase, Dana Sue struggles to get her life back on track with the help of her two friends, Maddie and Helen. Despite Dana Sue's culinary marvels, her teen-age daughter Annie finds every excuse not to eat. Although concerned about the increasing signs of Annie's anorexia, Annie is battling her own issues of weight gain and borderline diabetes.

When Annie's anorexia reaches a crisis point, Dana Sue is forced to telephone Ronnie. When Ronnie returns to Serenity to help his daughter, he is determined to win over Dana Sue. This time, he will not make the same mistake of walking away from the woman he loves --- even if Dana Sue and all the town of Serenity cannot forget his one earlier indiscretion. Can he win over the Sweet Magnolias, including Helen, the divorce attorney who raked him over the coals two years ago? Can Dana Sue come to terms with her daughter's problems and her own weight issues? How does she resolve her still too present feelings for Ronnie when her mind argues against everything her heart and body tell her? What will her friends think, to say nothing of Serenity?

This romance tackles some of the issues that face women and girls today head-on without simplifying the difficulty of treatment and hospitalization. Even without the initial citing of her sources, the the tough yet sensitive writing impresses the reader as well-researched. The real skill and beauty of this book is the author's ability to tackle these current serious issues in a contemporary romance novel with a hero and heroine whose interaction sizzles and captivates. I would NOT want the kind of well-meaning interference from friends that the Dana Sue and Annie experienced in their personal life (like most of us Southerns have experienced if not hated at one time or another), but in this work of fiction, the interference is both humorous and a meaningful expression of love --- and only endears the reader to the small town world inside Serenity, South Carolina. How can Sherryl Woods take one of the worst parts of Southern living and turn it into something so good in her novels? How can she discuss women's health issues without nagging like so many of the health nannies on our local news? Yet she does --- and she does so magnificently! Readers will love the scene where Ronnie and Dana Sue finally come to a decision. Unexpected and so uniquely romantic! Can today's men be shining knights, and if so, what would they be like?

This romance is appropriate for both adults and adolescents of a certain maturity. The romance and love scenes are wholesome and not overly explicit and yet the complexity of the relationship and surrounding issues is sufficient to interest the adult reader. A Slice of Heaven offers a glimpse of healthy self images to both adolescents and adults. Bravo!