Book ~ "Things You Won't Say" (2015) Sarah Pekkanen

From Goodreads ~ How far would you go to save your family?

Every morning, as her husband Mike straps on his SIG Sauer and pulls on his heavy Magnum boots, Jamie Anderson tenses up. Then comes the call she has always dreaded: there's been a shooting at police headquarters. Mike isn't hurt but his long-time partner is grievously injured. As weeks pass and her husband's insomnia and disconnectedness mount, Jamie realizes he is an invisible casualty of the attack. Then the phone rings again. Another shooting but this time Mike has pulled the trigger.

But the shooting does more than just alter Jamie's world. It's about to change everything for two other women. Christie Simmons, Mike's flamboyant ex, sees the tragedy as an opportunity for a second chance with Mike. And Jamie's younger sister, Lou, must face her own losses to help the big sister who raised her. As the press descends and public cries of police brutality swell, Jamie tries desperately to hold together her family, no matter what it takes.

Mike is a cop whose partner, Ricky, was shot.  Ricky has a long road to recovery and will never be a cop again.  Mike carries around the guilt that it could have been him and distances himself from his family.  Declining therapy and mediation, he goes back to work even though his wife, Jamie, doesn't think he's ready.  While out on patrol, Mike shoots a teenager while trying to break up a gang fight.  Needless to say, this makes things worse as there is an investigation.

Jamie is mom to their three young children and stepmom to Mike's son, Henry.  It's all she can do to take care of the household on her own while trying to reconnect with Mike.

Lou is Jamie's sister.  She works at a zoo and is especially attached to a pregnant elephant, Tabitha.  She tries to give Jamie as much support as she can.

Christie is Henry's mother.  She quits her job in a hair salon when she is approached to work for a private investigator to catch cheating husbands.

This is the second book I've read by this author.  While I enjoyed The Best of Us, I wasn't crazy about this one.  I found it a bit draggy and thought the writing could have been a bit tighter.  It is written from third person perspective with the focus shifting between the various characters.  There is some mature language and adult activity.

I can't say I liked any of the characters.  I wish the story had started before the shooting of Ricky when things were good between Jamie and Mike when they were likable ... I  might have developed a connection with them.  When the story begins, Ricky has just been shot and Mike is dealing with it ... and Jamie is trying to deal with Mike dealing with it.  Mike had shut her out and Jamie was always trying to work her way back into his affections and attention.  Things got worse when Mike shot the teenager.  I thought it was good that Jamie had her younger sister, Lou, around to help her but I found her odd.  There was way too much focus on Lou and her love of animals, especially Tabitha.  I found it took away the focus from what I thought was the real story of Jamie and Mike.  Christie was good to have in the story as she caused more tension between Mike and Jamie but her character was ridiculous and there was a lot of unnecessary focus on her too.

Book ~"The Best of Us" (2013) Sarah Pekkanen

From Goodreads ~ Paradise isn’t quite what it seems as four college friends meet for an island vacation.  Following a once-in-a-lifetime invitation, a group of old college friends leap at the chance to bring their husbands for a week’s vacation at a private villa in Jamaica to celebrate a former classmates' thirty-fifth birthday.

All four women are desperate for a break and this seems like a perfect opportunity. Tina is drowning under the demands of mothering four young children. Allie needs to escape from the shattering news about an illness that runs in her family. Savannah is carrying the secret of her husband’s infidelity. And, finally, there’s Pauline, who spares no expense to throw her husband an unforgettable birthday celebration, hoping it will gloss over the cracks that have already formed in their new marriage.

The week begins idyllically, filled with languorous days and late nights of drinking and laughter. But as a hurricane approaches the island, turmoil builds, forcing each woman to re-evaluate everything she’s known about the others—and herself.

Dwight, Tina, Allie and Savannah when to university together.  It's Dwight's 35th birthday and his wife, Pauline, wants to do something special.  So she rents a villa in Jamaica for a week and flies everyone and their spouses there on Dwight's private jet to spend a week celebrating.  She has everything planned from the meals (she has hired a chef) to the activities (how about a tour in a helicopter?).

Dwight was a dork in university but has done well for himself and is now rich.  He is still awkward and Pauline basically married him because of his money and the status he could provide.  She has a disabled sister who is in a home (Dwight doesn't know the seriousness of her disability because Pauline was concerned it would taint her) plus her mother who she (actually Dwight) is supporting.

Tina is married to Gio and they have four kids.  Tina is a stay-at-home-mom who is tired tired tired.  From the time she gets up 'til the time she goes to bed she's on the go taking care of her family and doesn't feel like she'll ever catch up.

Allie is married to Ryan and they have two kids.  Allie is a peacekeeper and is always taking care of others.  She was adopted and recently discovered that she may carry the ALS gene.

Savannah is a real estate agent and recently split from her husband, Gary ... he left her for another woman.  She's is out to take Gary for all she can and wants to show Gary what he gave up.

Needless to say, everyone welcomes the holiday.

Once they get to Jamaica, there is a lot of relaxing, partying and finding themselves ... all with the threat of Hurricane Betty.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it.  I liked the writing style and it flowed well. The language at times is mature.

Each of the characters are different yet I could feel the bound between them.  I didn't agree with some of their actions but they had to do what they had to do.

I look forward to reading other books by this author.

I received a copy of this ebook at no charge in exchange for my honest review.