Better Luck Next Time: A Novel

Elderly doctor Ward has a story to tell. When he was very young, he worked at the Flying Leap dude ranch in Reno, Nevada. In the 1930s, Reno offered no-questions divorces for residents–and residency could be achieved after living in the city for six weeks. Women wishing to divorce moved to the ranch to wait out that time, forging deep friendships and having fun along the way. Ward became close friends with two women, Emily and Nina, whose marital circumstances were more complex than Wade was capable of fully grasping. Wild, free-spirited Nina regularly visited with her husband, who also regularly visited with another young cowboy. Emily, more demure than Nina but still up for an adventure, wasn’t convinced she’d divorce at all. Flattering and entertaining the women was part of Ward’s job. Falling in love with Emily, and launching an affair, was well outside the job description.

Sleeping with Emily was a risk–Ward risked both a broken heart and unemployment–but he believed the relationship was meant to be. The disappointment was–we see from a distance–inevitable. Ward was a kid; Emily was a woman with a complicated life. But the surprising outcome of their story and the inside look at the Reno divorce trade makes Better Luck Next Time. a heartwarming summer read.