Mr. Right For The Moment

After freeing herself from a long marriage marred by her husband’s infidelity, a military wife rejoins the dating world only to run across more players and cheaters in Franklin’s debut novel.

Smart-mouthed Tiffany Lynn Scott spent 26 years as the woman behind the man, constantly sacrificing her own desires for her husband’s military career—only to have him cheat on her multiple times. After leaving him, she rejoins the ranks of the single in her 40s, and her days and nights are filled with meeting, greeting, and Internet dating. She’s constantly searching for Mr. Right, but too often settles for her eponymous “Mr. Right for the Moment.” Among the men is Smith, aka “Lizaaad,” nicknamed for his ample endowment; he’s a military man who skirts the line between friend and lover with her until, one day, a massage turns into a flurry of sexual passion. Smith has a fiancee and a wedding day looming, yet Tiff finds herself smitten, even as his jealous nature and the impossibility of a future with him becomes ever more apparent. When he’s shipped off to Iraq, she’s heartbroken, but then a buff, streetwise Southerner she calls “Big Country” comes into her life. He approaches her in a sincere manner that she’s not accustomed to from men, even though he’s up front about seeing other women. Her greatest ally is her Reality—her name for the sassy avatar of her inner voice, who appears in different outfits to warn her of suitors’ duplicitous actions. Franklin’s novel is a light, humorous read narrated from Tiff's point of view, which takes full advantage of the heroine’s fast-talking style and use of modern slang and military jargon. Tiff’s affinity for the vulgar accentuates the book’s humor, while its more erotic scenes are even steamier for their straightforwardness. Tiff is a refreshing lead, and proof that a middle-aged woman can be vivacious, powerful, yet still fallible. This same nuance isn’t granted to her love interests, however, who are each portrayed as little more than sex-obsessed men who weaponize their charms; indeed, Big Country and Lizaaad have little character beyond their appearance and penis size. There’s also little plot, so those expecting a fairy tale about finding Prince Charming may be disappointed.

Deliciously crass with a unique focus on men who aren’t the one.