Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book, free of charge, from Simon & Schuster, via Edelweisss, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it
This new book won't be out until May, but with Valentine's Day this weekend, I thought it very appropriate to share with you!
Synopsis:
In this timely and provocative novel, internationally bestselling author Sarah Pekkanen takes us inside a family in crisis and a marriage on the brink after a tragic shooting.
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.
In her characteristic exploration of true-to-life relationships, Sarah Pekkanen has written a complex, compelling, and openhearted novel—her best yet.
Review:
Obviously I opted to review this book, as it is a topic very close to my heart. The first thing I have to say is kudos to Sarah for bringing home how cops and their families are JUST like other middle class families- they have the same worries, same parenting issues, same marriage issues. They just have an added worry (read HUGE stressor) of if the law enforcement spouse/parent will come home from work, every day they leave. This is a topic that has rarely been talked about, much less put into print. Sarah has such a timely topic- with all the anti-law enforcement feeling, this miscreants do NOT think about the people behind the badge, and their families.
By bringing in three voices- Jamie, Mike and his ex-wife, Christie, Sarah gives you a complete feel for the unique stress that police families ALWAYS deal with and how when tragedy and uproar strikes, how the support system can be stretched to its very limits. It takes a VERY strong person to be a law enforcement officer. Trust me, in 25 years, I have seen so many officers who just could NOT do the job- they thought it was going to be easy, 9-5-, put it away when you go home. You can't. Everything that happens on the job created an emotional toll on the officer, and by degrees, onto their families/significant others. Consider it a domino effect. So when the media go after the 'officer', they don't realize what other dominoes will soon start falling and how many lives they are affecting.
Sarah, by means of this fictional story, has given her readers a lot to think about and to appreciate. She has also given us a true love story, and about holding onto what means the most to you, no matter what..
About the Author:
Sarah Pekkanen is the internationally bestselling author of The Opposite of Me, Skipping a Beat, These Girls, The Best of Us, and Catching Air, as well as a series of linked short stories for ereaders. Her work has been published in numerous magazines and newspapers. She lives with her family, including a rescue dog and cat, in Chevy Chase, Maryland.
Giveaway:
The author is giving away a copy of this book on Good Reads until February 16th! So hurry on over and enter to win this book!
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