Alice's Review: The Best of Us

Summary: An all-expense-paid week at a luxury villa in Jamaica—it’s the invitation of a lifetime for a group of old college friends. All four women are desperate not just for a reunion, but for an escape: Tina is drowning under the demands of mothering four young children. Allie is shattered by the news that a genetic illness 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 wealthy husband an unforgettable thirty-fifth birthday celebration, hoping it will gloss over the cracks already splitting apart their new marriage.    Languid hours on a private beach, gourmet dinners, and late nights of drinking kick off an idyllic week for the women and their husbands. But as a powerful hurricane bears down on the island, turmoil swirls inside the villa, forcing each of the women to reevaluate everything she knows about her friends—and herself. ~amazon.com

Review:  I have been very curious about Sarah Pekkanen's novels for a while.  Our Julie is a big fan of hers and I wondered what the buzz was all about.  Now, I know.  Sarah Pekkanen is wonderful.

I found the premise a bit unlikely but maybe that’s because none of my friends are multi-millionaires who can afford a vacation aboard a charted flight to Jamaica in a private villa complete with personal Chef and helicopter rides let alone invite a handful of their closest friends.  It’s surreal.  That is my only negative comment about The Best of Us.  The rest is wonderful.

From the first page, to the last page I was so engrossed in this story.  I really loved it.  Each character was very different, each marriage was different.  I loved how diverse each character was.  I also loved how my feeling towards the characters changed throughout the novel.  The novel felt authentic.  That Tina, Allie, Savannah and Dwight remained friends after college was real.  The way the interacted with each other, the experiences they shared, everything felt so true. 

If you follow our blog, you already know the love we feel for Ms. Pekkanen.  I’m sure you have read Julie’s reviews singing her praises.  I’m happy to finally join the chorus.  I recommend The Best of Us to all.  It ‘s a great summer beach read, light, funny, yet insightful.  It has substance, memorable characters, and the ability to make the reader feel like the fifth friend in that house and slip right into their world like you’ve known them all along as well.  

Final Take:  4/5

Pick up The Best of Us from your bookseller on April 9, 2013.  Enjoy!