BOOKS

Shelley Jacobsen is in her forties with three-year-old twins and feels trapped in her life. She thought returning to the working world would provide some excitement but the coffee and décor shop that she opened with her bestie Di is proving to be another gilded cage. To make matters worse, Jerry, her husband, is consumed with Jewish guilt since having the twins, which reminds Shelley that she will always be a Shiksa in his family’s eyes.

Then she meets Wayde Smith, a sexy twenty-two-yearold surfer who smells like a Pina Colada Coconut Vanilla Dessert. She hires him as the shop’s new barista and he offers to surf coach her kids. Why can’t a woman be friends with a young male employee? Shelley is tired of fighting with Jerry; she just wants some fun. But will the fun stay harmless, or is Shelley heading for a total wipeout?

Being Shelley is a mix of light and dark as it touches on female ageing, sexual harassment, long-term marriage, motherhood, and evolving female friendships.