Genre: Chick Lit/Suspense
Published: 2016
Pages: 339
Newport Cove comes off as an idyllic American suburb, but in this community, not everyone is who they seem. Kellie is jumping back into her real estate career only to find herself attracted to a coworker who isn't her husband. Susan is already a successful businesswoman, helping the elderly in their daily tasks, but is struggling to move on from her ex-husband and his new girlfriend. Gigi has different problems altogether, with her husband running for office and a daughter who seemingly hates her- and a potential political career probably won't help matters. Then Tessa moves into the neighborhood. Nervous and staying out of the way, she seems to be hiding the biggest secrets of all.
I know there has been a trend of these types of books recently, though this was the first one that caught my eye. A woman hiding a terrible secret? A woman stalking her ex-husband? A married woman with a crush on another man? Many of them worrying they're not doing well as parents. There is plenty of domestic drama here. Some of the drama is good for a laugh, too. The discussions of the online community between chapters, particularly the dog poop mystery, are authentic. We all know a Frank. ;)
And so the story follows each of these women as they deal with their individual struggles in a seemingly "perfect" neighborhood. Meanwhile, the events leading up to Tessa's secret are told in flashbacks. The problem is that these characters' stories never really intertwine with one another's. We see Tessa behaving erratically around the others because she is so anxious about what happens if her reason for moving is revealed. Actually, her problems are pretty much pushed under the rug after all that worrying about the "what ifs." That was disappointing. Actually, none of the women's problems really affect the others. So why are they all a part of the same book?
There was plenty of room for other drama that never quite sufficed. I was hoping for lots of drama with Susan following her ex-husband, according to the summary. She never really does follow him. Her ending is disappointing too, like she was inspired by Tessa to suddenly throw her problems away and forget about them. I also wish that Pekkanen spent less time on the subplot starring the elderly man that Susan is helping out. It never really adds anything to the story at hand. And then there's Gigi. I found that Pekkanen spends the most time on Gigi's story, one filled with political drama as her husband runs for office. It clearly takes a toll on her family. Mostly, though, she wants to repair the relationship with her teenage daughter. I really liked the adult perspective on this. In so many teen stories I used to read, it's the angsty teen who feels like they're always right. Now I liked seeing how it affected Gigi and how sad she was over the conflict. It would be tough, as a parent, to think that your child hated you.
I have to say that I found the most exciting drama to be with Kellie. Whenever the book switched to a different POV, this was who I looked forward to reading next because there was a lot more tension and interest than with the other women. (Even Tessa's story only flips between flashbacks and just worrying.) I wanted to feel for her because she couldn't help her feelings, which were exciting and different. And yet she has a lovely family at home, but their life is a little dull. So you wonder..
Despite all this tension, there is a lack of action. There is a lot of time spent worrying and not doing, if you get my drift. Why couldn't there have been a bit more confrontation, giving everything that the women were dealing with? Sure, there were some fakeout moments, like Tessa and her husband thinking their kid has gone missing. My biggest issue with this book was that it wasn't the thriller it said it was, nor was it truly a solid story. I spent a lot of time expecting things to happen, and nothing happened.
Part of it was probably marketing. But the rest was a lack of action that should have happened. And, okay, Tessa's secret is interesting. But it's somewhat obvious what she does, especially as the flashbacks unfold. I still would have liked to see more action and the women getting involved in each other's lives so there was a real storyline. With some action and some consequences (especially for Tessa) this would have been better.
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