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Dinner and Romance by Shannon Fay

From the November 21, 2016 issue Tagline: Carol decided to spend Thanksgiving alone...until gorgeous Nathan appeared!

Woman's World Tropes: Holiday, shy man, nostalgia (Wizard of Oz)

Observations: Here's another great example of a Woman's World strong heroine. She's alone for Thanksgiving and feels a little lonely but puts a positive spin on her situation. Note that Fay doesn't belabor the point. She could have chosen to emphasize Carol being by herself for the holiday and tweak our heartstrings, but she didn't. She shows Carol being okay with her life. There's only the tiniest hint that she's not completely content...

In many ways, I missed having someone to share my quiet holiday. My ex had moved on with his life, but since the divorce, no one special had crossed my path.

See? There's no drama or "woe is me" thoughts. This is important. While character growth is a good thing, don't stray too far into a heroine who is a whiner or pessimistic or is too happy wallowing in her problems. This is not the type of woman Woman's World likes to feature. Carol's problem is very subtly handled. You can feel her indecision at the end, but she chooses to step out of her comfort zone anyway.

Photo credit: Carmen via Flickr Creative Commons License Labels: Author: Fay, Black Moment, Character Growth, Holiday, Moving On 
I particularly liked this story. Is it me, or does Woman's World rarely feature stories about divorcees? I also liked the heroine's healthy attitude, enjoying a break from being a single parent, etc.

November 30, 2016 at 8:52 PM 
Bettye, I have seen a few over the years with a divorced character. I think as long as the story is positive (I agree with Kate's comments here) and well written, WW will publish it if they like it.

I thought this was a great story.

December 9, 2016 at 7:43 AM 
I liked this story and the characters. I liked how she handled the situation with the ex. Very classy.

January 5, 2017 at 6:56 AM