The World According to Ali

by T.L. Gray

He met Ali MacPherson at a party he didn't want to attend.

She warned him she was a fast girl, then wrote her number on a paper towel in flaming red lipstick and dared him to call her.

Charleston-bred Jordan Finch is a divorced single father starting over in Chicago. His time is divided between re-establishing his architectural firm and rearing a teenage daughter, so dating hasn't exactly been high on his list of priorities. Until he met Ali. Now he's juggling a love-struck daughter, business, and the most outrageously sexy woman he's ever met-while trying to remain calm about the fact that custody of his daughter could hinge on the behavior of those he associates with.

Ali MacPherson takes what she wants from life. A self-made, successful businesswoman, she runs a boutique featuring a "to hell with men" section, guaranteed to make a woman feel better about herself, including teenage girls hoping to make their prom dates go blind. But after her last disastrous date, she's ready to swear off dating altogether. There's just one problem-now that she's met the elegantly handsome Jordan Finch, she's having one of her urges.

284 pages, Paperback

First published October 27, 2005

Reviews

[T.L. Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having just devoured Object of His Obsession, I was expecting a dark, deep and well-thought out murder mystery, yet was pleasantly taken once again by surprise by this other author who shares my name, T.L. Gray. I found myself immersed in an inspiring romance, carried by a strong female lead full of imperfections and faults (my favorite kind of character).

The chip of bitterness on Ali's shoulders was clearly identifiable, and pulled me right into the story with her. The fact that the object of her obsession was a divorced, single-father, isn't your typical romantic male lead, which is probably why I loved it so much. I also loved his teenaged daughter, who also isn't your typical perfect teenager, but full of doubts, fears, and insecurities.

I'm quickly becoming a fan of the 'other' T.L. Gray.

[Terry Odell · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice enough contemporary romance. Dragged on a bit, and there was one very short scene where the author introduced a new POV character and hinted at a new plot thread, but it was never revisited. But a decent quick read, with likable, nicely flawed characters.