Grace and Ted Chapman seem like the perfect literary couple, but looks can be deceiving. Ted is a famous best-selling author whose books aren't selling much anymore. His moods and demands are legendary in the publishing world, but only Grace knows how intimidating he can be. Thank goodness for their assistant Ellen who keeps everything organized and running properly, giving Ted little reason to throw a tantrum. Problem is, Ellen must leave to take care of her ailing mother in Florida. Grace fears what happens when she fails, as she most likely will, to keep Ted happy and on an even keel. Then Beth appears, as if out of nowhere, and she is the answer to Grace's prayers. Beth is even more organized than Ellen, but she makes Grace uneasy. When Beth starts dressing like Grace and taking her place at events, Grace's normal unflappable reserve leaves her. Soon, Beth is on the run, heading back to England to get her life back in order.
At first, I thought this would be focusing on an emotionally abusive husband, but the story soon became more about the devious assistant and her plan to take Grace's place. Somehow, the assistant seems to tame Ted quickly which makes me ask the question: is he really as abusive as he seems at first or was Grace just too timid? The ending is somewhat unsatisfactory if you like judgement or at least closure.
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