Tart

Really enjoyed this book...just the right amount of funny and heartwarming with real life situations. You won't want to stop reading it.

When her lover Jonathan decides he would rather have a younger model, actress Claudia Bloom packs her bags, jumps into his dilapidated VW bus and head to UC Santa Cruz where she will teach drama. Of course the VW dies on the way, and she is rescued by sexy Clay Parker. After a one night stand that leads to several more nights she is embarrassed when Clay's not-quite-ex-wife Monica walks in on them. Even more mortifying is she's a fellow faculty member. While Monica is giving her the evil eye, her students wonder if she's qualified, and the dean thinks she's flaky, Claudia figures she won't be getting tenure. But you can't keep a good tart down. When Clay's divorce becomes final, he's ready to start seeing her again, and then she discovers he has yet another tie to her job... Gehrman is a funny and talented writer. While the book is not exactly literature, it is very entertaining, and she brings humanity to her characters that will resonate with readers. Her writing is crisp and her dialogue is spot on. Claudia is a flawed and real character. I just hate when authors resort to lack of communication and assumptions to move a story along. But overall, I really enjoyed the story and it helped me endure a long flight. © Tracy Vest, December 2008

I love to laugh, and Tart had me laughing out loud in the first paragraph. Gehrman's well-done characterization of a young woman who gets herself perpetually caught in sticky webs of her own weaving is both hilarious and yet, also poignant. Entertaining, well-written and delightful, I highly recommend Tart. Those living on the West Coast will find Gehrman's send-ups of New Age communities and dysfunctional families insightful and funny.

I thought this book was great. I read it on the beach in Hawaii and it was easy and fun. Looking for a book to enjoy on vacation, this is it.

What can I say? I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Gehrman has created a wealth of interesting characters in an off-beat and quirky book. Like the free spirited setting of Santa Cruz, so is our main character, Claudia Bloom. The inner workings of Claudia's past, present, and future all come together beautifully, but not without the requisite twists and turns, including a tumultuous childhood, unstable family members, and the love of her life- who just happens to be married. This is a great read and another unique addition to the RDI series.

Claudia Bloom is a vibrant, imperfect, funny, and unpredictable woman who lands in a strange world and tries desperately to fit in, all while coping with turning 30, and what that means when you call yourself a Tart. I cheered and cried and could not put it down. Don't let the fact it is published by a romance imprint dissuade you from buying this book. Jody Gehrman is an excellent writer with a knack for bringing the details of a moment into cinematic clarity. Her characters are strong and memorable. Highly recommended.