Cupid’s working overtime in the unlikely venue of N.O. Drugs, where plus-sized beauty Ciana Jambon works with dread-locked pharmacy student Lennon Israel, who’s so handsome, so meticulous he just has to be gay. But she can't help herself—she’s got the crush of the century.
Unbeknownst to her, Lennon’s carrying his own torch. Family problems distract both of them (alongside the true New Orleans oddballs who scuffle between the Seasonal Specials and Depends aisles) until tragedy leaves Ciana reeling. Lennon wonders if there’s a murderer in her clan, and he’s pretty sure he’s the only one who can help. What woman can resist a knight in shining armor?
Friedmann’s witty portrayal of Ciana's and Lennon’s families from hell, as well as the deliciously dysfunctional relatives of their wise co-worker, Vendetta Greene, will have you laughing out loud as well as nodding in recognition.
(Originally titled Side Effects )
WARNING: This is anything but a formula romance. But it is a great love story—and the perfect prescription for anyone feeling tired, rundown, and depressed from reading the same old thing over and over again. The only side effect is a slight watering of the eyes as the first tender shoots of love start to bud and blossom.
A veritable (prescription drug) cocktail of Walker Percy's southern elegance laced with the zany black comedy of the Silver Linings Playbook.
“Friedmann's charming story of the ... affection among three diverse co-workers at a New Orleans pharmacy also now reads as a tribute to a unique American city.†-Publishers Weekly
"The story is by turns humorous and heartbreaking, and the author is adept at capturing that quirky combination of love and resentment that characterizes so many families. Friedmann’s themes of sibling rivalry and unlikely friendships will linger with readers.†-School Library Journal