Aphrodite Stumbles

In a small resort town, artist Tess Margrave squeaks out a living drawing caricatures for tourists. Her mother is addicted to cosmetic surgery and heads a club of likeminded women. Her father, a cosmetic surgeon, has a fondness for one of the club members. Tess worries that her boyfriend who owns an art gallery doesn't care enough. She yearns for a different life on her own terms. But independence slips further from reach when Lio, her half-brother, arrives from Chile. Born when their mother was fourteen, he is anxious for details, but Tess keeps his identity under wraps at their mother's urging. Lio isn't all that he seems, and when he romances her father's mistress and chaos ensues, Tess discovers that the surgery addicts, her parents-even her cat-harbor a secret about the lady. Her determination to unlock the puzzle becomes a two-edged sword: Saving her parents' marriage could cut short her freedom. It could also cut short her life.