Smart Women

This sharp, insightful novel explores the messy realities of post-divorce life through two women navigating love, friendship, and the complications of starting over. Margo and B.B., both thirtysomething and newly single, attempt to rebuild their lives in Colorado while their teenage daughters observe their efforts with a blend of amusement and mortification. Their journey takes an unexpected turn when B.B.'s ex-husband becomes Margo's new next-door neighbor, creating a tangled web of past relationships and new possibilities that tests the boundaries of their fresh start.

Blume masterfully captures the specific anxieties and quiet triumphs of women re-entering the dating world and rediscovering their independence after marriage. The novel stands out for its honest portrayal of female friendship as a vital anchor through personal upheaval, and the teenage perspectives provide a clever, often hilarious counterpoint to the adults' dramas. Readers who appreciate character-driven stories about resilience, complex relationships, and the unglamorous but rewarding work of building a new life will find this story deeply resonant and surprisingly comforting.