TWELVE TIMES BLESSED (2003)

Mitchard has established herself as a master of literary chiaroscuro in novels like 1996's The Deep End of the Ocean, deftly illuminating the shadows and nuances of family life. So what fresh hell is this? Beginning with the Lifetime-ready title, Mitchard offers a cliched sketch more like finger painting: A middle-aged, widowed mother (named True, no less) wonders whether she'll ever love again; enter the strapping younger man who owns a restaurant in her small Cape Cod town, joining a sitcom-worthy cast that includes True's meddlesome mother and a devoted gay friend. While Mitchard's writing is so good she brings wisdom and affection to even this overblown romance, her older fans shouldn't count this Blessing.