WEDDING FOR ONE is Mariah's story, beginning moments before her aborted wedding, when she flees the church with her mother's words ringing in her ears: "Don't run away, Mariah... For once in your life, stick to something." Eight years later her mother's pleas inspire her to return to convince former groom Nathan Goodman to stick around the family business Cactus Confections. Nathan has become her father's right hand man, the son he never had, exhibiting the stable qualities Mariah never mastered. She strikes a deal with Nathan. In exchange for his participation in the Mariah Monroe Institute for Self-Discovery for one, she will assist him at the factory. They both get a lot more than they bargained for.

TATOO FOR TWO picks up two years later with Nikki's story. A class reunion and her sister's desperate phone call regarding her father's health forces Nikki to confront the past. Her conservative parents do not know she owns True to You Tattoo, a tattoo parlor that combines metaphysics and art. She has told them she owns a boutique and eloped with a doctor named Warren. When Hollister Marx shows up on her doorstop, she knows she has met the perfect man to stand-in for her fictional husband. NowNikki has only to convince the very conservative Hollister to along with a fictional name and life history for a week.

Author Dawn Atkins demonstrates the deft skill of a master as she intricately weaves these two fabulous tales. Bad girls Mariah and Nikki each find their own eccentric path to love with joy, mistakes, and laughter with men who idealize conservatism. These are not the usual prissy heroines, but women with heart, GEDs, and attitude. Told with the liveliness and verve fans have come to expect from this marvelous author, WEDDING FOR ONE and TATOO FOR TWO belongs on the keeper shelf, coming very highly recommended.


Funny, touching, and terrific!   February 25, 2003
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

You'll love these stories! Dawn Atkins knows how to create characters who touch your heart and tickle your funny bone. Her heroines are spunky and caring; her heros are stand-up guys you'll want to know better. Cactus Confections added lots of interest to Wedding for One (you could tell this author had done her research). And anyone who's ever wanted a "do-over" weekend in their life will relate to Nikki and Hollis in Tattoo for Two. I couldn't wait to read this book -- and now I'm eagerly looking forward to Dawn Atkins' next release!