The Bright Side of Disaster by Katherine Center

Summary from Goodreads:
Jenny Harris always expected that she’d fall in love, get married, and have a baby–in that order. Now, very pregnant and not quite married, she actually doesn’t mind that she and her live-in fiancé, Dean, accidentally started their family a little earlier than planned; she’s happy to have so much to look forward to. But Dean–whom Jenny loves enough to overlook his bad facial hair, his smoking habit, and his total commitment to a cheesy cover band–is acting distant, and not in a pre-wedding-jitters kind of way. The night he runs out for cigarettes and just doesn’t come back, he demotes himself from future husband to sperm donor.

And the very next day, Jenny goes into labor.

In the months that follow, Jenny plunges into a life she never anticipated: single motherhood. At least with the sleep deprivation, sore boobs, and fits of crying (both hers and the baby’s), there’s not much time to dwell on her broken heart. And things start looking up. She learns how to do everything one-handed, makes friends in a mommy group, and even manages to give dating tips to her sweet, clueless father–who’s trying to court her sassy mother again, fifteen years after their divorce. She also gets to know a handsome, helpful neighbor–with a knack for soothing babies–who invites her out dancing. But Dean is never far from Jenny’s thoughts or, it turns out, her doorstep, and in the end Jenny must choose between the old life she thought she wanted and the new life she’s been lucky to find.

A spirited debut novel with a terrifically appealing voice, a fantastic sense of humor, and a lot of heart, The Bright Side of Disaster reminds us that sometimes it takes the worst-case scenario to show us the best in everything.

My thoughts:

After reading Katherine Center's Get Lucky I knew I wanted to read more of her work. On our recent tour of the local used bookstores I found a copy of The Bright Side of Disaster and immediately picked it up.

I think that this is a story that every woman can relate to. Having gone through a difficult breakup herself or knowing someone who has. It is about Jenny's relationship with Dean, but also with herself. It chronicles Jenny's plunge into single motherhood with humor. Anyone with children will frequently laugh in agreement with the things that Jenny goes through.

I found myself getting frustrated with Jenny, wanting her to realize the things that she was oblivious to. The way that Dean was treating her, the subtle clues that things weren't quite right. All of those things that we can all see so clearly in hindsight in our own lives.

I devoured this book in short order and am looking forward to picking up more from Katherine Center. I would recommend this one to anyone who enjoys reading about motherhood from the new mom's perspective.