Patricia Caliskan

Ella Shawe met the man of her dreams--who also has two children. This isn't a story of how she wants/needs the children's approval. It is how she adapts to life after living with Dan and his children for the past seven months. Ella is trying to be the best step-girlfriend she can be but creating home-cooked meals and going on a cleaning frenzy--both things she is not comfortable doing. None of it is anything that Dan asked her to do. Ella also feels like she is competing with Dan's ex-wife, who seems to be completely perfect. She wanted the children to embrace her and become a family. But Ella also has to content with her mother--a sex therapist who has a radio show. Ella feels like that nothing she does is enough for Dan's children especially his tween daughter who is starting her teen angst early. To add to her insecurities, Dan's mother keeps making off-handed comments about how Ella isn't doing anything correctly especially when it comes to Dan's two children.

What does Ella do? She breaks up with Dan because--well a girl can only take so much. But will Dan be able to bring her back? Can they ever be together as a family? How can she measure up to all that pressure?… (mere)