Julia's Chocolates by Cathy Lamb

I can't say that I did not enjoy reading this book, but I was a bit disappointed since it came highly recommended.  The story follows a young woman, Julia Bennett, as she escapes the torture and abuse of an abusive mother and blue blood fiance. The story is told in a humorous way, but personally, I find it hard to be glib about subjects as serious as these are.
The novel becomes a kind of "male bashing" vehicle, but there are sympathetic male characters in the book as well, which makes it a bit more palatable in the end.
Julie leaves her wedding gown draped over a tree in North Dakota as she escapes from her horrendous fiance, Robert. This was probably the best part of the book.  I really loved the description of Julia trying to drape that gown over the tree and have it stay there. So initially, I was "hooked," the talent of this young writer was powerful to start.
But I found as I continued reading that the characters were typical and predictable and reminiscent of other such novels, such as the Ya Ya Sisterhood.
I wanted more. The ending was not surprising. I was hoping for more.
Is Cathy Lamb related to Wally?