Book excerpt: Shaken by a nasty divorce, a woman transforms her life and finds two chances at love in this novel by the New York Times–bestselling author of Serendipity. Chin up. Emily Thorn faces the pain and heartache of love lost and years wasted. At forty, all she has to show for twenty years of marriage is a FedEx letter from her husband that begins “Dear Emily” —and ends their life together. She had put her own life on hold to pay Ian’s way through medical school. She believed him when he told her that one day she’d have everything she ever wanted—children, an education, a career of her own. What she got was overweight, out of shape—and dumped. Emily needs to reclaim her life. Slimming down and starting up a chain of fitness centers, she is soon skyrocketing toward entrepreneurial success . . . and into relationships with two exciting new men. One is kind and compassionate, the other unpredictable and alarmingly sensual. Now, to keep her hard-won independence and balance it with a truly fulfilling love, all she has to do is choose the right one . . . Praise for Dear Fern “Michaels shines at molding strength, weakness, guilt and pride into one sharply believable character—a woman who will appeal to first-time readers and devoted fans.” —Publishers Weekly “Michaels provides a variety of lively, sympathetic characters and turns a difficult subject into an intensely crafted and involving story about a complex, sometimes exasperating, never boring, archetypical pre-feminist woman. This one’s a prime read!” —RT Book Reviews