Eliza Hunt has not left the house in months following her children’s graduation. But in anticipation of her twins coming home for a long weekend, she forces herself to go to the store.

Fifteen years ago, Eliza creates The Hudson Valley Ladies' Bulletin Board, a virtual meeting place where women can share different experiences and stories. But when she hears about Valley Girls, a rival forum for suburban mothers, she decides to stir things up on her page and fabricates a nasty rumor. When new mom Olivia York reads all about it on the Bulletin Board, her seemingly perfect life begins to unravel.

"Far from being merely light and entertaining, ELIZA STARTS A RUMOR is a wonderful and warm story about the power of female friendships that made me both laugh and cry."

The website plays a significant role in bringing together Alison Le, a single mother and criminal lawyer who has just moved to Hudson Valley, New York, and Jackie Campbell, who turns out to be something other than what Alison expected. At the same time, Amanda Cole returns to the area with her two daughters after her husband, a big-shot producer, was accused of sexual harassment.

The rumor that Eliza has started will change the lives of these four women forever. Olivia and Alison thought they would be able to lead peaceful, quiet lives in the suburbs of New York. However, it won’t be long before secrets are revealed, divorce papers are signed, love is born and families reconnect. It is safe to say that nothing will ever be the same again.

Jane L. Rosen’s writing is outstanding, and her ability to intertwine the lives of these fantastic ladies and other memorable characters makes it a must-read. The plotline flows smoothly and intrigued me to the point where I found myself eager to learn if a lost dog would be found, even though the pooch did not play a significant role in the novel.

Far from being merely light and entertaining, ELIZA STARTS A RUMOR is a wonderful and warm story about the power of female friendships that made me both laugh and cry. It also revolves around bad things happening to good people and their resilience in overcoming them. Following her critically acclaimed adult debut, NINE WOMEN, ONE DRESS, Rosen suffers no sophomore slump here, and I am eager to see what she has in store for us next.