It's a fairy tale come true for Julia Jones, a stalled artist living in Boston's Old World Italian neighborhood, the North End. She's engaged to marry the impossibly wonderful (and impossibly wealthy) Asher Bartlett - in a Swiss castle, no less. And after the wedding, she'll get to ditch her dead-end job and go from being a sometime painter to a full-time artist. But when the wedding plans take a turn for the worse, in a flash, Julia's life goes from fairy tale to second-rate soap opera. Determined as she is not to again lose track of her art, she's got to pay the rent - and deal with her diabolical coworker. She does her best to hold it together as brief flickers of romantic hope are followed by repeated rejection. All the while, she's haunted by the biggest mystery of all: what went wrong with Asher? Looking for a fun, often funny read with substance and a jolt of self-love? Pick up Marrying Myself and fall in love with Julia, with Boston - and, most of all, with yourself. "Watch out, world! Christine Melanie Benson has written Marrying Myself , an insightful, sometimes comedic, story about love, family, friendship and finding your own way. I didn't want the book to end." - Carol Orange, award-winning author of A Discerning Eye "Debut novelist Benson's first offering, a contemporary fiction with hints of romance, is filled with surprises and a delightfully off-beat cast. Benson's easy writing style paired with carefully curated descriptions provides for a relaxed, captivating read. At times heartbreaking and at others purely entertaining, readers will fall in love with Julia's story - and the idea that life is a journey, not a destination." - BookLife by Publishers Weekly " Marrying Myself is an exciting tale of one young woman's journey through a glitzy and harrowing mystery in her search for love. At once both deliciously fun and surprisingly wise, Marrying Myself is the perfect way to treat yourself to some pure enjoyment. Don't miss it!" - Psychologist Doug Lisle, Ph.D., co-author of The Pleasure Trap "Vivid characterizations and ingenious plotting make this novel terrific fun and depict veganism - and the largely vegan cast - as sexy and appealing. The empowering message of loving oneself first, last, and foremost will stay with readers - and will undoubtedly get more than a few trying vegan cheesecake!" - Carrie Classon, syndicated columnist, Andrews McMeel Universal "It's not often that a novel I read for fun -- and this one is loads of fun -- leaves me with a sense of confidence and uplift, too. Marrying Myself did that. Through Julia's romantic upheavals and seeing her find her place in a world where she doesn't always fit (she's vegan, for starters), I feel like I fit better, too." ~ Victoria Moran, author of Creating a Charmed Life An attorney who's been running from the law her entire professional life, Christine Melanie Benson is also a news satire writer, short story author, legal writer, and host of the Vegan Posse podcast. Her experience includes over a decade as a regular freelance legal writer for Baltimore's The Daily Record law digest, and her fiction works have been featured in An Eclectic Mix Anthology, RomanticShorts.com, The Binnacle Maine Literary Journal, and satire website The Spoof!. Formerly of Boston and New York City, Christine now makes her home in Nashville, Tennessee. Marrying Myself is her first novel.