The story

The story of Margo and B.B., divorced friends living in Boulder Colorado, and of their two teenaged daughters. When Margo falls in love with B.B's ex, it becomes a complex romantic triangle seen through the eyes of both the adults and their children.

Judy says

I was a divorced woman with two teenagers, thankful for a good career, but convinced I would never find a lasting love relationship, when bam! it hit me all over again. Of course, when you fall in love this time around, you bring all that baggage with you, not to mention your kids, who might not think it's all as romantic as you do. What teenager wants to know anything about mom or dad's sex life? And just when they're beginning to discover sex themselves!

The idea for the book came from life experiences but the story is pure fiction. Told from four points of view—two mothers and two daughters—I think the teenaged characters in this book are some of my best. While the story takes place in the early 80's, some things never change, and those feelings and experiences are what I like to write about.

Title

From a line in the book—How come smart women like us keep falling in love with schmucks? I'm still not happy with my choice but I couldn't come up with anything else. At about the same time my novel was released in paperback, Smart Women, Foolish Choices, a non-fiction pop psych book was published. Ask for Smart Women in a bookstore and you'd be directed to Smart Women, Foolish Choices. I know. I tried it enough times. I found the situation maddening but there was nothing anyone could do about it. Today, it all strikes me as funny. Talk about time putting things in perspective!

Dedication

The latest edition is dedicated to my friend, Ruth Kovnat, who is a truly smart woman in every sense of the word. The first edition was dedicated to the smart women in my life, my friends. I've found that non-specific dedications don't mean as much.