LITTLE LADY, BIG APPLE

London life coach crosses the pond to share her talents.

Browne introduced Melissa Romney-Jones in The Little Lady Agency (2006). Now, a year later, the plucky Melissa has astonished friends and family by growing The Little Lady Agency into a lucrative business. It seems that London is teeming with bachelors in need of female advice. Now that business is booming, Melissa has sworn off wearing the blonde wig that helped transform her into her alter ego, Honey, a take-no-prisoners bombshell. Sometimes Melissa longs for the blonde tresses, especially when dealing with her high-strung family and high-maintenance clients. When a promotion forces her American boyfriend, Jonathan, to relocate to Manhattan, Melissa fears her charmed life has begun a downward spiral. Jonathan comes up with a solution: a month-long holiday to New York. There’s one hitch—Jonathan’s jealous of Melissa’s male clients and wants Melissa to focus on their relationship while in the States. Once in New York, things don’t pan out as Melissa envisioned. Ghosts of Jonathan’s past marriage pop up, making Melissa feel insecure, and, due to the demands of Jonathan’s job, she’s not getting nearly enough quality time with him. Shopping can only entertain a girl for so long. Feeling idle, Melissa takes on a few freelance projects. Her moonlighting lands her in the tabloids and in hot water with Jonathan. When it seems that the relationship of these two careerists can’t be salvaged, Melissa heads back to London to mend her broken heart and run her business. But there may be one last hope for romance.

A scrumptious treat. Browne has managed to spruce up her writing for this second installment.