Sheryl’s Last Stand: Belly Dancing and Beyond

Kerrie Noor

Sheryl is a sturdily-built woman whose talents are belly dancing and DIY, neither of which were appreciated by the shallow Martin, the married man who broke her heart when he moved on to the younger Imogene. Now Sheryl spends all her time doing chores for her mother, fantasizing about the American wrestler Johnston, and failing to pick up on the passion of Steven, the librarian/aspiring novelist who secretly pines for her. When Nefertiti, Sheryl’s aging belly-dancing instructor, is invited to perform at a wrestling event in Oban, Scotland, and asks Sheryl to be her helper, this could be Sheryl’s big chance at happiness–or her big chance at embarrassment.

“Sheryl’s Last Stand” belongs to the genre of comedic chick-lit featuring hard-drinking British heroines, of which “Bridget Jones’s Diary” is a particularly genteel, American-friendly version. “Sheryl’s Last Stand” is much more over the top with the drinking and the slapstick, and involves a slight mystery plot as well. Although some readers might be put off by a main character who spends most of the book hungover, fans of romance, chick lit/comedy, and cozy mysteries will all find things to enjoy about this book. A quick read good for a light laugh, and–who knows?–it might make you want to find out more about belly dancing.

You can pick up a free copy of “Sheryl’s Last Stand,” plus a whole bunch more free books featuring feisty and funny heroines, in the Where Women Rule Giveaway, running until July 17.