Book ~ "The Other Wife" - Shirley Jump (2006)

From Amazon.com ~ The last person she expected to see at her husband's funeral was his wife! But having learned her husband apparently bought his engagement rings in bulk, Penny Reynolds is shocked out of her well-ordered world. She can't bring herself to hate his "wife," Susan, or toss his amazing piano-playing dog (another surprise) out on his rump. Still, she can get answers as to why her hubby led his secret life. All it takes is a little persuading before she and Susan embark on the trip of a lifetime with Harvey the Wonder Dog in tow. She finds her answers (some less welcome than others). But thanks to her ex's legacy and Harvey's "amazing" trainer, Penny's ready to run with whatever curveball life throws at her!

I haven't read a Harlequin in a long long time. This book is part of their "NEXT" series ... Harlequin NEXT books are about women looking for what’s next in their lives. They are stories of women facing up to the glorious unpredictability of life.

The plot sounded interesting - a woman discovers her recently deceased husband has another wife, another life and a dog. And I wasn't in the mood for anything too deep. ... it met this expectation.

It was an easy quick read ... mindless reading for the elliptical machine at the gym. Not a terribly exciting book but it was fun to read about the antics of Harvey the Wonder Dog.

I found it hard to believe, though, that Penny, less than two weeks after the sudden death of her husband, is attracted to Matt, Harvey's agent. And, of course, Matt is attracted to her.

And yes, there is a happy ending. Surprise! Surprise!