Catching Air

May 1, 2014
Pekkanen, having written a number of popular, character-driven novels, returns to comfortable terrain by focusing on two couples running a Vermont bed-and-breakfast.When Rand and Alyssa offer to share their new B&B business with Peter and Kira, it seems an unlikely venture. Brothers Rand and Peter have an icy relationship, and Kira wants to make partner at her Miami law firm, not eggs Benedict for skiers. Rand and Alyssa, spontaneous, world-traveling bohemians, are just as improbable candidates for running an inn, but soon, the four find themselves together, fixing the old place up. Their first guests give them more than they bargained for-newly engaged Scott and Jessica decide to have their large winter wedding at the B&B. Though a boon for business, the timing couldn't be worse: Rand and Alyssa are going to China to adopt a baby. Though Alyssa is thrilled, Rand isn't sure about parenthood, and Peter starts pressuring skittish Kira to start their own family. Alyssa then discovers she's pregnant and needs complete bed rest. Thankfully, Dawn arrives on the scene; she reveals little about herself, but the reader has been privy to her sad tale since the novel's opening. An unassuming assistant at a New York investment firm, Dawn is thrilled (and surprised) when dashing Tucker falls for her. He says he's the CEO's son but changed his name and is starting in the mail room to prove himself; now if only Dawn could help him cook the books so he can make an "investment." Before she knows it, Dawn is on the run with $100,000 in her handbag, Tucker and the police chasing her. Although this novel shares some of the same qualities as Pekkanen's other successes, Dawn's subplot feels like a strained jolt of danger into an otherwise cohesive, if thinly plotted, family drama.A likable, if lesser, effort from Pekkanen.

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May 1, 2014

When Kira Danner and her husband, Peter, use money from an accident settlement to open up a bed-and-breakfast in Killington, VT, they bring Peter's brother, Rand, and his wife, Alyssa, on board in an attempt to heal old family wounds. Alyssa welcomes the opportunity as a way to cope with learning that she cannot have children. As they prepare to host a winter wedding, their mysterious employee Dawn Zukoski brings unexpected changes to all of their lives. Pekkanen (The Best of Us) weaves together a story of family, infertility, and marriage with suspense and intrigue. The setting of Vermont in the winter illustrates that relationships may not be what they seem--all involve the risk of losing one's footing and sliding down a slippery slope. The author explores issues that couples and friends face today--nothing and nobody is perfect, and life has hardships that must be endured. VERDICT Once again, Pekkanen delivers relatable characters and story lines, showcasing the strength and perseverance required to make relationships work. This is an entertaining and emotional read for fans of contemporary women's fiction.--Erin Holt, Williamson Cty. P.L., Franklin, TN

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2014
When Kira and her husband, Peter, decide to join his brother, Rand, and his wife, Alyssa, in Vermont to help run their new bed-and-breakfast, it's a big departure from their previously planned-out lives. Kira trades a demanding, thankless job as a corporate attorney to be the cook, while dependable Peter buries resentment over his brother's cavalier ways to make this new venture work so he and Kira can regroup and maybe start a family. Meanwhile Alyssa, a free-spirited photographer, is so focused on setting down roots that she hasn't noticed Rand's wariness regarding their impending adoption. The foursome's new normal is further jolted when Dawn, a young woman on the run from a dangerous ex, comes to stay with them. Internationally best-selling Pekkanen (The Best of Us, 2013) writes novels that offer thoughtful examinations of how the past shapes adult relationships and of the differences between men and women. Many of the interwoven story lines are finely wrought, and the book as a whole is compelling.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)