When I first heard about There’s Always Plan B, one of the first books to be released under Harlequin’s The Next Novel, I wondered if this book would be romantic. Well it is and more......it's a story and exploration of a beautiful woman about to turn 40 who finds herself alone with a teenage daughter to raise. Carly Spencer has been "dumped" by her husband to go in search of himself and is left to pick up the pieces. She decides to relocate to her family home and business, a B&B called Chatsworth-by-the-Sea to assist her mother in rescuing the family home and B&B. Carly decides to use her skills as a one-time event planner to restore the business, using Mary the fabled resident ghost as a draw to increase revenues and pay the mortgage.

Then, who should appear but tall, dark, handsome, and sexy Adam a ghost-buster who threatens to ruin the B&B rep and puts Carly's hormones into overdrive. .If one man isn’t enough in her life, Carly also runs into her old teacher from high school days. He’s a little older than Carly and becomes interested in her and asks her out as well. Two men interested in her, a failing B&B, a teenage daughter and a missing ghost makes this particular book a great read and one you won’t want to miss.

There’s Alway’s Plan B is not only entertaining but it's also an exploration into relationships. Susan Mallery explores .mother/daughter relationships, friendship versus love interests, and self-esteem and “starting over�. ( )

When Carly Spencer's husband quits his job and buys a boat to sail to Hawaii, Carly takes her 15-year-old daughter to Northern California, where she grew up. Her mother still runs Chatsworth-by-the-Sea, a 150-year-old bed-and-breakfast with its own ghost legend. With a hostile mother, a daughter willing to blame her for everything and two men interested in her, her life becomes even more stressful. There's Always Plan B (3) by Susan Mallery has a beautiful setting and a good hero. The teenage daughter is realistic (read: annoying) and the tension between Carly and her mother is all too believable. The abrupt increase of the paranormal aspect toward the end could've used more buildup, but this is an enjoyable book with a likeable heroine.