Her ex-husband had left her emotionally scared. Their daughter had just entered college and the two of them were celebrating in their new found freedom. She thought they were everything to each other. When she found out she was pregnant and he wanted her to get an abortion, she left him the next day. She still hadn’t forgiven him. The divorce had been final for a year but Eve wasn’t sure she was ready to go back to the world of dating. When Aidan asked her out she was a little shocked; she had changed his diapers when he was a baby. Soon they became a couple. Someone was trying to harm Eve. She wasn’t sure whom she could trust. Could it be her ex-husband Will or Aidan? Could it be Trish, Aidan’s former girlfriend? Would Eve live to find happiness again?

Lisa Hilleren’s "Reconstructing Eve" is an entertaining, romantic suspense. Eve is a multidimensional character. She proves it is never too late to find love and love knows no boundaries of age. Part of her still cared for her former husband but the two had never worked through their differences. It was refreshing to watch as they came to terms with their past. The scene at the cemetery was touching but has been handled delicately by the author. Eve also proves that women over forty can still be desirable. There are a large list of suspects in this tale keeping the reader guessing who the guilty party was. The ending was fantastic, romantic and every woman’s dream. Hilleren is a talented author. I will be watching for more of her books.

When Aidan Wharton asks Eve Merritt for a date, one might wonder why she refuses to go. After all, Aidan, a handsome, rich, well-connected, 31 year old, is most women’s dream date. That is, if you are a supermodel look-alike, not a 44 year old divorcee, with a grown-up daughter, and (even worse) jiggly thighs. To make matters more complicated, Eve used to babysit Aidan when he was little, and their parents know each other. However, temptation is hard to resist. Eve, who has been a good daughter, wife, and mother all her life, suddenly decides to just take a bite of the apple and have some fun. What she doesn’t expect are Aidan’s total adoration and commitment; her ex-husband’s bid to renew their relationship; a stalker from Aidan’s past creating trouble; and finally a crazed killer who seems determined to get both of them. Could things be any more complicated? Yes, when Eve finds herself falling hard for Aidan and tries to talk herself out of something that (of course!) can never work long term, especially not the happy-ever-after future complete with the big wedding that Aidan has in mind. Has Eve got the courage to overcome the decades of old conditioning and for once put her own happiness and well-being first?

This is more than just a fun, chick-lit read. Lisa Hilleren taps straight into most women’s anxieties and insecurities when faced with a new relationship after the end of a long marriage. In many cases, women struggle to reinvent themselves after their former role of dutiful wife and mother has ended. Can Eve overcome the many obstacles facing her, or will she fail in her task? The dialogue is real and snappy, and the author takes readers right into Eve’s head.

There is an underlying message that gives women hope, and the author herself says, “Supporting women on their journeys of self-discovery is my passion; it's the driving force behind my writing.” Eve learns her life lessons, and finally cultivates self-belief through love, regardless of jiggly thighs. The characters interact in a most credible way, making them believable and ultimately appealing. The author has a deft touch when it comes to characterization and there are no one-dimensional actors in this theater of life. Readers will laugh and empathize with the characters. There is passion, humor, tenderness, sadness, and ultimately self-discovery and redemption. There are a few adult love scenes but they flow seamlessly into this excellent story. Highly recommended.

Forty-four year old Eve Merritt has been divorced only a year or so. Having lost her marriage at the same time she lost a child, Eve has pulled back from life and refuses to date, despite her daughter Harley’s encouragement. Enter thirty-one year old Aidan Wharton, who has adored Eve ever since she babysat (and befriended) him years ago. Try as she might, Eve can’t resist Aidan’s advances, but from the moment they begin their affair, Eve’s confronted with a number of obstacles. Suddenly, her ex-husband wants her back, and Harley clearly isn’t happy with Eve’s choice of man. To make matters worse, someone flattens a tire on Eve’s new convertible, and a woman who has stalked Aidan in the past reappears.

"Reconstructing Eve" is a well-written romance with the main character Eve faced with going with her new love, Aidan, or going back to former husband, Will, who is no slouch in the looks department. The stalker issue is a nice "road bump" in this story, but bringing in a professional security group, makes this nice romance a little complex. That said, having Eve and Aidan develop a website for victims of stalking and harassment is a nice subplot. Eve, Will, Harley and Eve's parents are believable characters and Aidan is delightful, but his teenage breakdown should be explained more. All in all, a good book that readers will enjoy for its tale of a woman remaking her life as bad things happen.

When 44 year old Eve is set up with a younger man by her daughter (and mother!) little does she expect the heart sparks to fly. After repeated refusals to accept a seemingly innocent dinner date with young, hunky, lawyer Aidan (she used to babysit him, for God’s sake!), Eve is finally faced with a ridiculous thought that she could actually bed the man whose diapers she once changed. To make things more complicated, Eve’s ex-husband has decided that their separation is a heinous mistake and is making every effort to reunite with the wife that he himself threw away two years before. Add to these the fact that Aidan’s former love life includes a jealous, rejected suitor from years gone by as well as a brother determined to undermine the family empire. No doubt that Eve finds herself in a dangerous affair that forces her to choose between her heart and her libido. Accustomed to apologizing for circumstances beyond her control and situations not her fault, Eve learns that there is nothing wrong with putting yourself “first” when dealing with love.

Lisa Hilleren creates the perfect (more than perfect) sample of chick lit summer read in "Reconstructing Eve". It is naughtily delicious, but maintains the substance of a well-written story. The suspense depicted between Eve’s former husband and current lover is heartwarming, but the pain attached to love lost and love gained concludes in an interesting twist of faith and unexpected trust. This crazy love story is a thoroughly enjoyable one, but remember, one blush at a time!