Stretch Marks: A Novel by Kimberly Stuart is her standalone chick-lit surprise-family-oriented comedy with romantic elements centred around an abruptly single soon-to-be-mother social worker and her quirky circle of supportive acquaintances, free courtesy of Christian publisher David C. Cook.
According to the customer reviews, this actually has unconventional non-Christian main characters and is low on the "inspirational" content while tackling a number of unexpected social issues, although there's apparently some heartwarming affirmations about empathy and understanding people who are different from you and such built-in to the story.
This has previously been offered free in 2013.
Currently free @
B&N (also
UK),
Amazon (available to Canadians and in the
UK),
iTunes &
Google Play (both available to Canadians), and also
ChristianBook (DRM-Free ePub available to selected countries), and may also be free at other venues listed on the
publisher's catalogue page.
Description
Mia is a granola-eating, sensible shoe–wearing, carbon footprint–conscious twenty-something living in a multicultural neighborhood in Chicago. Her mother, Babs, is a stiletto-wearing Zsa Zsa Gabor type who works as an activities hostess on a Caribbean cruise line … and if you guessed there’s some tension there, you’d be right. Factor in an unexpected pregnancy and Mia’s idealistic boyfriend—Lars is such a visionary he doesn’t believe in the institution of marriage—and the mother-daughter relationship is, well, stretched very thin. As is Mia’s sanity when Babs shows up to … help.
Actually, Mia has a whole neighborhood of quirky characters who want to help, including her BFF Frankie, a magenta-haired librarian; Silas, the courtly gentleman of indeterminate age who lives downstairs; and Adam, proprietor of the corner grocery store where Mia shops. But it’s Adam—endearing, kind, possessed of a perfect smile and impeccable Persian manners—who ultimately charms Babs and rescues Mia from more than one mother-induced meltdown. Could it be that Mia and Babs might actually be able to get along?
With Kimberly Stuart’s trademark irreverent humor and a surprising and satisfying take on romance, Stretch Marks is an authentic but tender story about family, grace, and the importance of a good grocer.