Hearts on the Line

Now in her second installment, Marla is still firing Cupid darts at work, a plush dating service she calls the "Double D"-which doesn't stand for dream date. She and her husband Adolfo work hard to achieve their goal of leaving their small apartment behind and buying a home, but with a boss who requires Marla to cross ethical lines, a tiny spark is all it takes, and Marla goes from being vice-president of a multi-city enterprise to unemployment. Adolfo's passion switches to anger and then resentment, Marla's celebrity hob-knobbing, shopping in boutiques, and pricey Botox habit all skid to a dead stop. Bills pile up. Determined, Marla turns to Craig's list, connecting with a series of flaky employers, and if the 99 Cent Store doesn't carry it, she doesn't buy it. Broke and depressed, however, she rarely finds time to write. When a former client calls and asks if she'd work with him as a matchmaker privately, she shifts into a whole new level. Amazing things start happening. Not only does she help people find soul mates instead of trophies and sugar-daddies, she finds the emotional space to heal personal traumas in the past, ranging from the bullying she endured in her youth, a near rape, a disastrous previous marriage, and her father's death-an unusual experience involving the ocean's kiss. Marla writes as never before. Adolfo is proud of her, but Marla still holds grudges as they search for a new home. She decides to rekindle the flame in her marriage and thinks she knows just the person to help: Chantal, a former client who owns a spa specializing in Brazilian hot waxes. This proves to be a hilarious blend of torture, comedy, and high hopes-a bit like life itself. Along with her clients, Marla's heart is on the line as she discovers the powerful ways in which dreams are real.