Author Nicole Givens Kurtz's tale of a dark future is easily one of the best reads this year. Aurora Browne's ordeal as a candidate, women utilized as surrogates under the guise of religion, is one that is harrowing and somberly realisitc.

If you're looking for some excellent new fiction, this novel may be for you. It's a quick read, but well worth it.

Nicole Kurtz's debut novel addresses a variety of issues that many women deal with. Insecurity, miscarriages, infidelity, teen motherhood, interracial relationships, and trust are just a few of the topics A Complete Woman tackles. One might think this is an ambitious number of problems for a 140 page book, but Kurtz pulls it off, blending the issues of her characters into the plotline with tact and fluidity. She tells the story through the eyes of the main character, Tracy, with segues to the flashbacks of both Tracy and her friends.

Each of the characters struggle with her own issues, and each of their stories capture the essence of their personalities. There were some scenes so vivid, I felt like I was in the room, a fly on the wall, watching the scene unfold. A Complete Woman is a compelling read that confronts what it is to each of us to be a "complete woman", with a recurring theme and ultimate bottom line of self-love.

Reviewed by CandaceK

A miscarriage ends Tracy Johnson's three year relationship. This was her third miscarriage, and it leaves her emotionally devastated as Tracy attempts to reconcile her life with her vision of "a complete woman." She believes a woman who cannot bear children to be incomplete.

Soon the death of a friend's mother brings Tracy and her high school friends together. Each struggles with their own definitions of what makes a complete woman and what they lack. Issues of sexuality, lies, and secrets leave Tracy with a profound epiphany.

A strong voice in women's fiction, author Nicole Kurtz examines what it takes to be A COMPLETE WOMAN. The rich complexity of this question comes vividly alive as women find themselves lacking because they define themselves by their relationships, their ability to procreate, or to be something "more". Kurtz reveals the superficiality of the stereotypes that often define women's lives in this vividly created work that almost all women can identify with. A powerful voice in women's fiction, Nicole Kurtz is a writer that commands reader's attention. A COMPLETE WOMAN comes very highly recommended.

While her life may be quite different, Tracy Johnson, Kurtz's main character, has the same emotions, experiences and self-destructive thinking many woman have, regardless of where they come from or where they are. Constantly seeking to define her own identy through her role in the live's of others, Tracy travels a long and often difficult journey of self-discovery and truth. Written in an easy "pull up a chair" manner, A Complete Woman is difficult to put down.