11. Small Acts of Sex and Electricity by Lise Haines

This novel follows two childhood friends, Mattie and Jane, shortly after Jane’s beloved grandmother dies. Mattie is a Chicago art appraiser who has been secretly in love with Jane’s husband, Mike, since college. When Jane’s grandmother’s house needs to be cleared out after her death, Jane invites Mattie to help appraise items. Shortly after going to Santa Barbara, Mattie finds herself living Jane’s family life when Jane drives off in her grandmother’s 40-year-old Jaguar. While Jane’s two young daughters struggle to make sense of their mother’s abrupt disappearance, Mattie finds herself falling in love with Mike again.

Mattie is a hard character to sympathize with and is a very passive person. Jane appears to only think of herself, and disregards her husband and children a little too easily. I kept hoping this book would get better, but was left mostly disappointed by it. For readers looking for more books like this, All is Vanity, by Christina Schwarz is a much better look at one friend taking over another friend's life.