Contemporary
Thirty-nine Again
By Kris Jones
Jun 2, 2009 - 11:54:57 AM

Sabrina O'Hara has no qualms about celebrating her thirty-ninth birthday a second time. After all, the first time sucked. She was recovering from a radical lumpectomy and going through chemo. The universe owed her a second chance at ending her third decade. Now, after one year of being cancer-free, she's letting herself envision a future. Work is going well, she has a decent relationship with both parents, she has great friends and a long-time, live-in boyfriend, Scott. Life is great. She's happy. Well, except for a few tiny things--her accounting career doesn't feed her artistic soul, her parents can't be in the same room for five minutes without a throwdown, and Scott doesn't seem to be interested in her anymore. He not only hasn't proposed, he doesn't look at her, much less touch her. Still and all, life is good. She's alive, and after the last year that's enough to be thankful for. That's how Sabrina feels as she celebrates her second thirty-ninth birthday with a run along the Baltimore Harbor with her personal trainer, Evan.

Now Evan, there's a bright spot. He's sexy as heck and makes her feel witty and special. Lately, Evan's been on her mind, and he shouldn't be. He's only thirty-three--a baby, compared to her--and besides, she has Scott, right? Someone like Evan could never be interested in her, especially now, with her scars, the scars even Scott, who loves her, can't stand to look at.

Before they even start their run, Sabrina loses her balance and practically falls into the harbor. Evan's tender care and even sweeter kiss sends her into a tailspin. She goes home early and falls asleep on the sofa.

She wakes in the early hours, surprising a burglar who's trying to make off with Scott's laptop computer, of all things. In the midst of her fighting off one man, another bursts through the door and shoots him. Dead. And the second guy? Good grief, it's Evan. What follows is a scary, thrilling, confusing new world where none of the men involved turn out to be who she thinks they are. Well, except for the ones trying to kill her.

One year ago, on her first thirty-ninth birthday, Sabrina beat Death in the form of the C word. Will Mexican drug lords and human traffickers succeed where cancer didn't?

From the first paragraph to the last, THIRTY-NINE AGAIN is a winner. Told in the first person, Sabrina gives readers the inside scoop on what it feels like to come back from a bout with breast cancer. Sabrina thinks she appreciates all life has to offer, but she soon acknowledges that the fears and self-doubt women often experience after breast surgery are keeping her from truly living. Thinking she has no choice if she doesn't want to be alone, she takes the path of least resistance, in her relationships and in life.

Sabrina is funny and nice. She becomes wiser as she recognizes she's her own worst enemy. I cheered as she grew in self-knowledge. She's a fighter, and good thing because the action in this book is fast and intense. Along with Sabrina is a full cast of wonderful characters. Her friend Jess is true, and Leo the Lawyer, whom Sabrina thinks is a flaky womanizer turns out to be more like his roaring namesake than she imagines. Scott is written so realistically he's easy to understand. And then there's the delicious Evan. I'll leave you to discover his many yummy facets.

Fans of romance and suspense will find this book well worth the read! I have a feeling that like Sabrina's birthday, I'll be enjoying this book again.