Reviewer: Allie
For a marriage therapist, Paige Reinhardt doesn’t seem to know much about relationships. Her husband, Dave, has been suspended from his law firm and is definitely hiding the details from his wife. After the sudden reappearance of her sister Sloane, who left home for rehab twenty years ago, Paige begins to question certain events in her childhood. Although Sloane now wants to reconnect with Paige and have a sisterly relationship, she has no desire to repair the damaged relationship with her parents.
With Sloane’s influence (and prodding) Paige sets out to solve all the mysteries of her childhood and her parents’ marriage. She also wants answers to the questions she has about Dave, his suspension and their strained relationship. To help in her quest, Paige hires a gorgeous private investigator, who leads her to ask even more questions. Just what does Paige want for her life?
I really enjoyed this book. The complicated family dynamics were relatable and realistic given the fact that Sloane’s addiction fractured the family years ago. The oldest wounds are often the hardest to heal. Paige has certainly been affected by the trauma of her childhood and her family’s inclination to “sweep things under the carpet.” However, Paige is a therapist, so I did find it peculiar that she only began to question her past when her sister returned. Although I guess this could easily be chalked up to classic avoidance. I love the way Heller writes and her characters are well developed. Everyone is flawed from carrying their emotional baggage and the typical dysfunctional ways they deal with it was easily recognizable – you will see some of your friends in this book. The ending wasn’t neat, but that’s okay, because it rarely is in life. I found the novel to be entertaining and thought provoking.
