GOING TO EMPTY

A passionate woman battles her debilitating jealousy in this relationship-oriented novel.

As a recent college graduate, Olivia DeMarco follows her impulsivity from California to Algonquin Island, off the coast of Maine. There, she meets Dane Hanson, a handsome sculptor, carpenter, and physical therapist. Although both families object to the match, Dane and Olivia marry within months of their first date, secure in nothing other than the fact of their love. But when Olivia becomes unexpectedly pregnant with twins, Dane’s passivity and inability to bring “home the bacon” stir up resentment in their relationship. Forced to go back to work when her children are still young, Olivia finds herself irresistibly attracted to Samuel Ferrell, one of her new co-workers. He’s rugged and charming—or so readers are repeatedly told, despite his wince-inducing dialogue—and over time, they both admit that they can’t imagine being with anyone else. But even though Samuel commits himself to her in every conceivable way, upending both their lives in the process, Olivia can’t fully trust his desire and love for her. Rationality tussles with a “demonic presence” in her internal monologue: “Get a grip,” she’ll rue, before continuing to dig into Samuel’s past, monitor his whereabouts, and interrogate him about every woman he meets. Her self-awareness adds texture and nuance to what could otherwise be a slog of repetitive scenes. Ucci smartly emphasizes that one of the worst things about insecurities is that they recur, day by mundane day. And as Olivia constantly discovers, it takes more than willpower and self-castigation to combat them. Her narration often overexplains situations to readers, but ultimately, her head is both a predictable and a captivating place to be trapped for 383 pages.

A typical romantic setup turns intriguing when jealousy becomes the central character.