On the suburban avenue of one of America’s 20 safest communities, four women hide secrets beneath work and family.
Pekkanen (Things You Won’t Say, 2015, etc.) deftly intertwines four stories into a tapestry depicting the frayed seams underlying small-town American domesticity. Newport Cove is bound together by Wine and Whine nights for the women, block parties for the children, and an electronic listserv riddled with passive-aggressive messages about dog poop, the propriety of political comments, and snarky advice. Worn down by her teenage daughter’s sulky tantrums, Gigi could always rely on her husband for support, but now his political ambitions threaten not only to expose her less-than-perfect past, but also to endanger her happy home. Barely surviving her recent divorce from Randall, Susan comforts herself with work and caring for her son, Cole. So why does she find herself obsessing over her ex-husband and his girlfriend, Daphne? Maybe it’s because Daphne was her friend first. Back at work after years of being a stay-at-home mom, Kellie delights in the attentions of her handsome, married co-worker even though she loves her own husband dearly. It’s just an innocent crush, right? Tessa, her husband, and children have recently and rather suddenly moved to Newport Cove. They seem friendly, if a little standoffish. That is, until Harry has a nearly hysterical fit at the Halloween parade, thinking another father is trying to abduct his son. A mistress of women's fiction, Pekkanen transforms clichéd suburban troubles—from adolescent drama to infidelity—into a compelling, suspenseful tale. Indeed, as Gigi, Susan, and Kellie struggle to upend their lives, it’s Tessa who harbors the darkest secret. And Pekkanen parcels out the clues slowly, ratcheting up the suspense, slowly exposing every parent’s worst fears. Of course, in the end, friendship binds them together with saccharine ties.
A Peyton Place with warm hearts.Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-5011-0649-1
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Washington Square/Pocket
Review Posted Online: April 12, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2016
Categories: FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP
Did you like this book?
Hoover is one of the freshest voices in new-adult fiction, and her latest resonates with true emotion, unforgettable...
15
GET IT
Sydney and Ridge make beautiful music together in a love triangle written by Hoover (Losing Hope, 2013, etc.), with a link to a digital soundtrack by American Idol contestant Griffin Peterson.
Hoover is a master at writing scenes from dual perspectives. While music student Sydney is watching her neighbor Ridge play guitar on his balcony across the courtyard, Ridge is watching Sydney’s boyfriend, Hunter, secretly make out with her best friend on her balcony. The two begin a songwriting partnership that grows into something more once Sydney dumps Hunter and decides to crash with Ridge and his two roommates while she gets back on her feet. She finds out after the fact that Ridge already has a long-distance girlfriend, Maggie—and that he's deaf. Ridge’s deafness doesn’t impede their relationship or their music. In fact, it creates opportunities for sexy nonverbal communication and witty text messages: Ridge tenderly washes off a message he wrote on Sydney’s hand in ink, and when Sydney adds a few too many e’s to the word “squee” in her text, Ridge replies, “If those letters really make up a sound, I am so, so glad I can’t hear it.” While they fight their mutual attraction, their hope that “maybe someday” they can be together playfully comes out in their music. Peterson’s eight original songs flesh out Sydney’s lyrics with a good mix of moody musical styles: “Living a Lie” has the drama of a Coldplay piano ballad, while the chorus of “Maybe Someday” marches to the rhythm of the Lumineers. But Ridge’s lingering feelings for Maggie cause heartache for all three of them. Independent Maggie never complains about Ridge’s friendship with Sydney, and it's hard to even want Ridge to leave Maggie when she reveals her devastating secret. But Ridge can’t hide his feelings for Sydney long—and they face their dilemma with refreshing emotional honesty.
Hoover is one of the freshest voices in new-adult fiction, and her latest resonates with true emotion, unforgettable characters and just the right amount of sexual tension.Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4767-5316-4
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: May 6, 2014
Categories: ROMANCE | CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE | FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP
Did you like this book?
Named for an imperfectly worded fortune cookie, Hoover's (It Ends with Us, 2016, etc.) latest compares a woman’s relationship with her husband before and after she finds out she’s infertile.
Quinn meets her future husband, Graham, in front of her soon-to-be-ex-fiance’s apartment, where Graham is about to confront him for having an affair with his girlfriend. A few years later, they are happily married but struggling to conceive. The “then and now” format—with alternating chapters moving back and forth in time—allows a hopeful romance to blossom within a dark but relatable dilemma. Back then, Quinn’s bad breakup leads her to the love of her life. In the now, she’s exhausted a laundry list of fertility options, from IVF treatments to adoption, and the silver lining is harder to find. Quinn’s bad relationship with her wealthy mother also prevents her from asking for more money to throw at the problem. But just when Quinn’s narrative starts to sound like she’s writing a long Facebook rant about her struggles, she reveals the larger issue: Ever since she and Graham have been trying to have a baby, intimacy has become a chore, and she doesn’t know how to tell him. Instead, she hopes the contents of a mystery box she’s kept since their wedding day will help her decide their fate. With a few well-timed silences, Hoover turns the fairly common problem of infertility into the more universal problem of poor communication. Graham and Quinn may or may not become parents, but if they don’t talk about their feelings, they won’t remain a couple, either.
Finding positivity in negative pregnancy-test results, this depiction of a marriage in crisis is nearly perfect.Pub Date: July 17, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5011-7159-8
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: April 30, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2018
Categories: FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP
Did you like this book?
© Copyright 2023 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
