Sure enough, I decided to immediately read Bridget Asher's next book, and found out Bridget Asher is a pseudonym for author Julianna Baggott, author of The Miss America Family, which I've seen on several occasions and toyed with the idea of picking up, but never have. Next time I see it, I am absolutely picking it up.
Gwen is out with her husband on an ice cream run, when she runs into the Elliot, who she dated for a few weeks as a senior in college, before slapping him in a bar and never speaking to him again. After she orders, he orders two scoops of Gwen Merchant, which isn't on the menu according to the peeved scoopist, and he manages to rankle Gwen again. She tells him she's married and he laughs and says she's lying. She holds up the ring to prove it, and is gratified by the shocked look on his face. When Peter, her husband, comes up Elliot tells him Gwen has invited him to a party as he's new to town, thus insinuating himself back into her life. Gwen knows she can't handle this as she's used to the love in small doses that Peter and she have. His overwhelming, enveloping love isn't something she's prepared to deal with. Her mom died when she was five, and her dad has never shown her the kind of love Eliot offered. When Eliot saves her life at the party, Peter offers him anything he wants. What he chooses is Gwen as his pretend wife for a weekend at the lake house with his dying mother.

I loved this book as well. Asher has this quirky off beat character development and voice in her novels that is pretty fascinating. And no matter how much it fits the chick lit genre, and I found myself correctly predicting a couple of things in this book, the twists were entertaining and not quite expected.