OK, I read my first Picoult book - Salem Falls last month - thoroughly enjoyed it. Read Keeping Faith over New Years - liked that one too. Now I'm reading "Mercy" and I'm noticing a trend w/ her female lead characters, and I'm wondering if anyone else noticed this or if it continues into other books.

Salem Falls - female lead appears to have major self-esteem issues, will not pursue a romantic relationship until it essentially lands in her lap, and then she just can't seem to believe that anyone like this guy would look twice at her.

Keeping Faith - female lead is going thru a divorce, but it seems that a great deal of her identity is wrapped up in being this guy's wife, does everything for him, makes herself a doormat for him - "if only" he'd come back (eventually she wakes up).

Mercy - female lead again doesn't seem to think of herself as pretty or attractive but somehow managed to land the "catch" of the town. Even when his high school girfriend returns on a book tour, a successful author touring all over the place, this woman who never left her hometown feels none of that matters because SHE'S the one who married the cap'n of the football team. She does everything for him and her love is not returned equally at all.

Does she write any books where the woman doesn't seem to have some inadequacy complex or doesn't get her entire identity from her husband? I liked the first 2 books but I'm having a hard time sticking to "Mercy" because this character thing is getting old.