After  weeks of reading no magazines for except the New York, I was in magazine heaven. Note the the trend for golden cover hues and double your pleasure with two Clooney covers. Normally I order books online, but yesterday, I scanned the new book shelves for something light and escapist. A sunset scene depicted on a cover caught my eye. The deceptively simple title: A Summer in Europe by Marilyn Brant promised escape. A summer in Europe? Think of the possibilities. The tagline enticed: It's not where you go. It's what you take back with you.
For the main character, 30-year-old Gwendolyn Reese, it's a chance to rediscover herself on an all-expenses-paid grand tour of Europe after her mom dies. The hitch is the trip is paid for her 67-year-old Aunt Bea and her merry band of senior Mah Jong cronies. What does Gwen have to lose after her noncommittal boyfriend disappoints again. The adventure begins promptly with chapter two. Before long the reader is swept into the vicarious joys of travel, good food and unexpected adventures. Granted, I'm not finished, but this is one journey I'll savor to the end.