With her fortieth birthday upon her, Meredith McKenna doesn’t expect her ex-husband to contact her. They’ve been married and divorced, twice, and now, Jack is making overtures towards yet another reconciliation. This time though, Meredith listens closely to his words, and she doesn’t like what she’s hearing. Jack wants Meredith again…as long as he has the option to have a discreet affair if he finds himself attracted to someone else. As a successful motivational speaker, Jack certainly has a way with words, but this time, Meredith isn’t buying it. She’s had it with Jack, so after a pretend seduction attempt, she leaves him in the hotel room in a most compromising position. Laughing to herself, Meredith leaves the hotel room and steps into the elevator… only to fall down the shaft and die! Sounds like the end of any romance or reunion between Jack and Meredith, but creative author Daisy Dexter Dobbs has a few surprises up her sleeve, and Meredith’s trip to hell proves to be just one of those surprises.

The first part of this story reads like any romance. The heroine gets revenge on her cheating ex, even though she’s still a bit in love with him. The death of said heroine however greatly changes things. I was surprised and pleased by the twists and turns Ms. Dobbs created in this story. I was entertained and most definitely hooked. Though I didn’t always like Jack, and I didn’t understand why Meredith was willing to give him yet another chance, I found that by the end of the story, Jack had undergone a surprising character overhaul that, while maybe not that realistic, was satisfying nonetheless. It is Meredith who steals the show. Ms. Dobbs is a master at articulating heroines who aren’t afraid to stand up for themselves and who find beauty in themselves. These are real women who are searching for happiness, and Meredith’s quest definitely takes a few detours, but it proves to be an intriguing and absorbing quest. If you’re looking for a story that’s a bit out of the ordinary, but that features a kick-butt heroine, look no farther than Wicked Payback.



Reviewed by: Sarah W