In Need of Therapy

In Need of Therapy, by Tracie Banister.

"Maybe Victor keeps coming back because your rejections lack conviction? Maybe there's some part of you that enjoys all the attention?" Ford posited.

I arched an eyebrow. "Are you psychoanalyzing me, Dr. Fordham?"

"Just some food for thought, Dr. Alvarez."

"And here's some food for our stomachs," I said as the waiter approached our table with two burger and fries-filled plates. His timing couldn't have been more perfect. While I enjoyed shrinking other people's heads, it made me nervous when the same was done to mine.

In Need of Therapy is about Pilar and her crazy Cuban-American family. Pilar is a psychologist who just started a practice in South Beach, and she has two sisters - one of whom is married with kids, and the other who is much younger (23), currently unemployed, and living with Pilar. Pilar's mother worries about her "becoming an old maid," as Pilar is almost 30 and has no romantic prospects - not counting her persistent ex, Victor, who declares his love for her every time he stalks bumps into her. One day, however, a cute new psychologist moves in to the suite across the hall in Pilar's office building. Slight problem, though: he's married.

Official synopsis:

While working hard to make a success of her recently-opened practice in trendy South Beach, Pilar must also find time to cater to the demands of her boisterous Cuban family, which includes younger sister Izzy, an unemployed, navel-pierced wild child who can't stay out of trouble, and their mother, a beauty queen turned drama queen who’s equally obsessed with her fading looks and getting Pilar married before it’s “too late.” Although she’d like to oblige her mother and make a permanent love connection, Pilar’s romantic prospects look grim. Her cheating ex, who swears that he’s reformed, is stalking her. A hunky, but strictly off-limits, patient with bad-boy appeal and intimacy issues is making passes. And the sexy shrink in the suite across the hall has a gold band on his left ring finger.

When a series of personal and professional disasters lead Pilar into the arms of one of her unsuitable suitors, she's left shaken, confused, and full of self-doubt. With time running out, she must make sense of her feelings and learn to trust herself again so that she can save her business, her family, and most importantly, her heart.
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Overall I enjoyed this book. The parts with Victor and others in the book made me laugh, and Pilar has a good sense of humor. At times I thought the writing was almost too descriptive - ie, "Ford posited," in the excerpt I posted at top - but in general it had a good flow to it. Another blogger described this book as "My Big Fat Greek Wedding but Cuban-style" and I would definitely agree with that; I was surprised to learn the author is not Spanish, since there are many Spanish words sprinkled throughout the novel, and Pilar's big family seemed authentically Cuban.

I also really liked the ending of this novel. Although parts were predictable, Victor's fate ended up surprising me, though it actually made perfect sense. It would also be interesting to learn more about Pilar and her family, maybe in a series of books, but the ending seemed rather finite overall.

3 stars out of 5.

*Disclosure: I received an e-copy of this book to review. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own.