Although Gracie misses her career as a children’s book writer and sometimes questions the shallowness of their lifestyle, she’s fully absorbed in her life as “Wife of.” She never sees it coming when her husband dumps her – via Cingular Wireless no less – just shy of their ten-year anniversary (“I’ve been Cruised” – as in Tom Cruise – she says) and she finds herself living the worst fear of every Mrs. in Hollywood: Gracie has become a mere Starter Wife.

As the news hits the Westside social circuit, she’s an instant pariah. Her phone isn’t ringing, her mailbox is empty, and through her florist’s faux pas, she finds out her husband is dating a pop starlet. She’s 41 and over the hill in a town that worships youth, beauty, and status. But when Gracie turns to her best friend Joan for some much-needed divorce therapy, she’s offered the chance to escape at her friend’s luxury condo in Malibu Colony. There, Gracie gets to know an unlikely cast of characters, including a mysterious hunk who saves her from drowning, the gated community’s security guard, and her ex-husband’s boss. Through her new relationships and time on her own, Gracie realizes that she has much more to offer than just being a Starter Wife.