A Better Next: A Novel

(Paperback)

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Description

Jess Lawson, a forty-five-year-old healthcare consultant, wife, and mother of two, has spent most of her adulthood fostering the illusion of having a perfect life. Her impending empty-nest syndrome as her youngest child prepares to start college is troubling enough, but when her doctor husband, Arthur, announces his intention to take a prestigious new job on the other side of the countryand relocate without Jessher world quickly crumbles. Amid their acrimonious divorce, revelations about Arthur's infidelity come to light; and at work, instead of the revitalized career Jess is hoping for, she uncovers surprising financial corruption that threatens a scandal for her clientand the well-being of the many unsuspecting patients and physicians they serve. Ultimately, this superwoman is forced to acknowledge that her put-together veneer can't hold up under the weight of these new burdens. She also, however, refuses to wallow in victimhood. So what now

A smart, relatable story for every woman whos gone bold to sort out her next chapter, A Better Next shows howwith a little soul searching and a supportive circle of friends and colleaguesits possible to redefine happiness and establish a liberating, new normal at any stage of life.

Reviews

2019 International Book Awards Finalist, Fiction: Chick-Lit/Women's Lit

Both sprightly and deeply felt, A Better Next captures the losses, trade-offs, and rewards of the contemporary career woman/wife/mother. Many are the women who will recognize themselves in Jess' story.
Faith Sullivan, award-winning author of Good Night, Mr. Wodehouse

Take a woman determined to move on from a failed marriage, give her the support of loyal women friends, and plunge her into a morally challenging, high-level business merger: now that's a story that will keep you turning the pages late into the night!
Jenni Ogden, author of A Drop in the Ocean

Maren Cooper has created memorable characters, especially in Jess, a smart, strong, and savvy hospital consultant who is blindsided by her husband's affair. The situation may be universal but the story is unique, making for a page-turner tribute to friendships and families.
Romalyn Tilghman, author of Through the Stars with Difficulty

Maren Cooper's touching debut details one woman's journey through divorce and professional challenge. Jess Lawson is devoted to her family and its veneer of perfection, but in her preoccupation with work, she fails to acknowledge her disintegrating marriage. Featuring a strong female protagonist who takes charge of her life, A Better Next would be a fitting and meaningful read for those entering new chapters in their lives.
Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg, author of Eden

Jess Lawson is an expert multi-tasker, successfully juggling marriage, family, and career. Yet when her husband announces that hes through, things threaten to spin out of control. Can she hang on, restore balance, and put everything right Or must she accept what she cant control Maren Coopers debut novel takes the reader on Jesss personal journey with skill, compassion, and insight. A Better Next is a lovely read.
Anne Leigh Parrish, author of The Amendment

A Better Next is a sensitive drama that follows the day-by-day challenges of starting over.
Foreword Reviews

Author Bio

Maren Cooper grew up in the Midwest and now resides in Minnesota. During her long career as a health services executive, she led a number of organizations in their efforts to respond to the challenges of new, competitive business models, im-prove their operating systems, and optimize their governance structures. A lifelong reader, Cooper recently discovered the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis, began taking classes, and slowly unearthed the aspiring writer inside her. She writes best on the shore of Lake Superior, where she retreats frequently to hike, watch the deer devour her hostas, and needlepoint.