While the '70s were about equal rights and the sexual revolution, women in the '80s were more concerned about their economic situation. It's easy to understand why some of the women in these stories would fantasize about finding romance on a cruise ship, or running off to a big city and becoming a fashion model, but as this collection of stories reveals, there are no shortcuts to happiness. These were not the days of speed dating and finding love online. Women looked for love with personal ads and a very rudimentary form of computer dating.

From a housewife dealing with financial hardship to a housekeeper who finds herself in a love triangle with her employer, love may be complicated, painful and even elusive, but it is inevitable. The women who do come undone in these stories eventually find a way to put themselves back together, but what a great ride (and read) it is watching them get there.