THE BEST OF US by Sarah Pekkanen

LATEST WINNER: Winner of the "Let's Hear It For The Boys" $10 Amazon Gift Card goes to Bridget T aka Iambtinrb... please email me at stephanieelliotATgmail.com with your full name and address!

The Best of Us 

Sarah Pekkanen

Hey there! So I've had a lot going on recently, which I will be telling you more about in the coming week or so, but in between a little thing called What She Left Us, I've also been double-time reading two great books and one of them debuts this week and one has already debuted. I'll share the one that already debuted later this week or next week … it's When She Was Gone by Gwendolyn Gross and it's STUNNING!... as is the one I bring to you right now…

… which is by the FABULOUS Sarah Pekkanen who you all know I have loved since her first book The Opposite of Me. Her fourth book is out tomorrow, April 9 and it's called The Best of Us.

In The Best of Us, Sarah weaves the story of four couples as they embark on all-expenses paid vacation to Jamaica to celebrate one husband's birthday, only to be in the midst of a hurricane during their trip.

I love stories like this one in particular because I always jump into them thinking, "How am I going to keep all of these characters and their stories separate from one another," and Sarah just writes it so I can easily compartmentalize them in my brain!

Each character, from organized and put-together Allie, to stressed-out-mother-of-four Tina… to Savannah, who is trying to have it all while things are falling apart in her life, and Pauline, who doesn't know the others that well and is trying to host the event … are defined perfectly… Sarah vividly draws the picture of each woman and I felt compassion and understanding for each women's struggles, desires and personal issues.

Here is the full synopsis:

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.

If you could take an all-expenses paid vacation, where would you want to go? I definitely would want to go to Bora Bora or Tahiti (is that even the same place? I am horrible at geography!) and stay at one of those over-the-water rooms where the floor is glass and you can see the fish swimming. I love the beach so much so ocean destinations are my go-to dream destinations! How about you? Share your dream all-inclusive destination for a chance to win The Best of Us by Sarah Pekkanen! We are giving away TWO books this time! Thank you to Sarah and her publisher! 

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If you're new to Booking with Manic, thank you for stopping by! We love new readers! Some notes - If you're entering to win a book, please leave a comment on this post and use an identifying name when commenting. It's usually a great idea to include an email, which I will never give out to anyone else. You can only enter once please. You'll need to check back here in a few days to see if you've won the book -- I will either list the winner in a new post OR highlight the winner's name at the top of this post, or tell you where you can find the winner's name at the top of this post. I do NOT personally contact the winners. It is YOUR responsibility to come back to see if you've won. Most books are supplied directly through publishers, publicists and the authors. Winners will receive books directly from the publisher or author within 3 weeks from the time you provide me with your address, unless I send you the book (sometimes I will). Sorry, but we can only ship to U.S. and Canada so if you're from another country, thank you for coming by to read and discover new authors, but we can't send you a book. Any questions on how I run the blog or suggestions on who you would like to see featured, please email me at stephanieelliot[at]gmail.com. Thank you for your support!