Settling Down

by Dawn Keable

When Dayna Morrison spontaneously treats herself to a diamond ring for her 33rd birthday, she proves to the world that she doesn’t need a man to enjoy the finer things in life. The real question is, can she prove it to herself? Logically, Dayna knows she can survive solo; she doesn't need anyone to help her apply mascara, start her car or to clean up the messes she tackles daily as assistant to the editor at Mrs. magazine, where 'only wedded women find the ultimate bliss'. But she's always believed once Mr. Right appears, her life could, and would, finally jump start out of neutral and really begin. Fault those fairy Snow White. Cinderella. Sleeping Beauty. Their fate until a dude arrived on horseback? Severe food poisoning. Shoeless. In a coma. Then there's Dayna's mom. Whether Soul Train-ing through complete strangers' weddings or giving her daughter the gift of Old Maid cards, personalized with Dayna's face, the memo is the No one can do it alone. The only positive messages of girl power come from her best friend Lydia Chavez. But, since Lydia bought her own home, then found a boyfriend, Dayna's feeling left behind. And a wee bit desperate, especially since that ring, a glittery symbol of singledom hasn't quite given her the confidence she hoped. So when a willing suitor arrives on scene, she can't find any reason not to throw away her soulmate checklist, as well as her J. Lo inspired life map, and try to make it stick. Settling Down, thoughtful humorous women's fiction, explores what happens to an otherwise strong intelligent woman when she looks outside herself for love and happiness. Told in Dayna’s comedic, witty and often sarcastic voice in the spirit of Jennifer Weiner, Settling Down delves into the universal pressure women face to be part of a couple, and the danger that comes from sacrificing your own needs for someone else's.

319 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 29, 2015