In Tracie Banister’s sophomore novel, In Need of
Therapy, she introduces us to Pilar Alvarez, a South Beach based
psychologist that has her own set of issues to handle. Not only is her
Cuban family a little crazy, but she has three
muy caliente men in her life. What is a single lady to do but have a little bit of fun?
If you read Ms. Banister’s debut novel, Blame It On
The Fame, then you already know that she has a knack for weaving a tale
that will suck you in with characters that are as vividly brought to
life on the pages as the hot locations that
they are playing in. The character of Pilar is so completely adorable
with her quirks that you are going to eagerly keep turning the pages to
see what happens next. And you are going to be enamored with three very
different men that are all vying for a spot
in Pilar’s life (and heart) – Her cheating ex, Victor, that vows he is
ready to change for her as he makes one grand gesture after another to
try to reclaim his position in her life; Hot lifeguard Mitch, who is
unfortunately a patient as well; and fellow psychologist
Ford, who has an adorable moppet of a son and a wedding ring firmly in
place on his finger. You add a scandal causing sister, a fun best
friend, and an over-bearing mother, who just wants her daughter to get
married, and you have quite the story.
This review took me almost two weeks to write. Not
because I couldn’t think of the words to use to praise the book, but
because the review was beginning to sound like a squee’ing fan girl.
However, I think all the “squee” in the world is appropriate
for In Need Of Therapy and would happily recommend this book to
everyone that I know. Two books in and Tracie Banister has proven that
she has what it takes to keep readers entertained for many years to
come.
Author Bio: An avid reader and writer, Tracie Banister has been
scribbling stories since she was a child, most of them featuring feisty heroines
with complicated love lives like her favorite fictional protagonist Scarlett
O'Hara. Her work was first seen on the stage of her elementary school,
where her 4th grade class performed an original holiday play that she penned
(Like all good divas-in-the-making, she, also, starred in and tried to direct
the production.) Her dreams of authorial success were put on the backburner
when she reached adulthood and discovered that she needed a "real" job in order
to pay her bills. Her career as personal assistant to a local
entrepreneur lasted for 12 years. When it ended, Tracie decided
to follow her bliss and dedicate herself to writing
full-time. Her debut novel, the Hollywood-themed Blame It on the
Fame, was released in January, 2012. And she followed that up
with the fun summer read, In Need of Therapy.
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About the book:
Lending a sympathetic ear and dispensing sage words of advice is all
part of the job for psychologist Pilar Alvarez, and she’s everything a
good therapist should be: warm, compassionate, supportive. She
listens, she cares, and she has all the answers, but how’s the woman
everyone turns to in their hour of need supposed to cope when her own
life starts to fall apart?
While working hard to make a success of her recently-opened practice in trendy South Beach, Pilar must also find time to cater to the demands of her boisterous Cuban family, which includes younger sister Izzy, an unemployed, navel-pierced wild child who can't stay out of trouble, and their mother, a beauty queen turned drama queen who’s equally obsessed with her fading looks and getting Pilar married before it’s “too late.” Although she’d like to oblige her mother and make a permanent love connection, Pilar’s romantic prospects look grim. Her cheating ex, who swears that he’s reformed, is stalking her. A hunky, but strictly off-limits, patient with bad-boy appeal and intimacy issues is making passes. And the sexy shrink in the suite across the hall has a gold band on his left ring finger.
When a series of personal and professional disasters lead Pilar into the arms of one of her unsuitable suitors, she's left shaken, confused, and full of self-doubt. With time running out, she must make sense of her feelings and learn to trust herself again so that she can save her business, her family, and most importantly, her heart.
While working hard to make a success of her recently-opened practice in trendy South Beach, Pilar must also find time to cater to the demands of her boisterous Cuban family, which includes younger sister Izzy, an unemployed, navel-pierced wild child who can't stay out of trouble, and their mother, a beauty queen turned drama queen who’s equally obsessed with her fading looks and getting Pilar married before it’s “too late.” Although she’d like to oblige her mother and make a permanent love connection, Pilar’s romantic prospects look grim. Her cheating ex, who swears that he’s reformed, is stalking her. A hunky, but strictly off-limits, patient with bad-boy appeal and intimacy issues is making passes. And the sexy shrink in the suite across the hall has a gold band on his left ring finger.
When a series of personal and professional disasters lead Pilar into the arms of one of her unsuitable suitors, she's left shaken, confused, and full of self-doubt. With time running out, she must make sense of her feelings and learn to trust herself again so that she can save her business, her family, and most importantly, her heart.
