Category Archives: The Best of Us

January 13, 2019 · 11:58 pm

Review: The Best of Us by Robyn Carr

Title: The Best of Us by Robyn Carr
Sullivan’s Crossing Series Book Four
Publisher: MIRA
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 336 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

In Sullivan’s Crossing, #1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr has created a place where good people, powerful emotions, great humor and a healthy dose of common sense are the key ingredients to a happy life. Sullivan’s Crossing brings out the best in people. It’s a place you’ll want to visit again and again.

Dr. Leigh Culver loves practicing medicine in Timberlake, Colorado. It is a much-needed change of pace from her stressful life in Chicago. The only drawback is she misses her aunt Helen, the woman who raised her. But it’s time that Leigh has her independence, and she hopes the beauty of the Colorado wilderness will entice her aunt to visit often.

Helen Culver is an independent woman who lovingly raised her sister’s orphaned child. Now, with Leigh grown, it’s time for her to live life for herself. The retired teacher has become a successful mystery writer who loves to travel and intends to never experience winter again.

When Helen visits Leigh, she is surprised to find her niece still needs her, especially when it comes to sorting out her love life. But the biggest surprise comes when Leigh takes Helen out to Sullivan’s Crossing and Helen finds herself falling for the place and one special person. Helen and Leigh will each have to decide if they can open themselves up to love neither expected to find and seize the opportunity to live their best lives.

Review:

The Best of Us by Robyn Carr is delightfully charming romance featuring two love stories. Although this newest release is the fourth installment in the Sullivan’s Crossing series, it can be read as a standalone.

Dr. Leigh Culver has no regrets about relocating to the small town of Timberlake. She is enjoying the slower pace and her new friendship with camp ground owner Sully. Having had her heart broken years earlier by her high school sweetheart, Leigh is not looking for love. But after pub owner Rob Shandon brings his teenage son Finn to the clinic for stitches, she is surprised when he asks her out. Since the widowed father of two is not looking for a permanent relationship, Leigh sees no harm in dating him. Their not so secret romance takes an unexpectedly serious turn but is Leigh ready to commit to a future with Rob?

Leigh’s aunt Helen is a retired school teacher and a successful author. Having raised Leigh after her sister’s death, Helen is enjoying the freedom to travel and visit friends across the country.  After selling her house in Illinois, she plans to spend the summer with Leigh while working on her current novel.  After her niece introduces her to Sully, Helen begins spending quiet, slow-paced days with him his campground.  Despite having little in common, Sully and Helen become fast friends and both are shocked to discover their feelings go deeper than friendship.

Leigh and Rob’s relationship is sizzling hot but they do not plan on their romance becoming serious. Rob is the first to realize he is falling in love but Leigh tends to keep him at an emotional distance.  Leigh is not exactly ready to admit to herself that she might feel more for Rob than lust, but her memories of her previous heartbreak still haunt her. When circumstances force them to consider a future together, will Rob convince Leigh to consider taking their relationship to the next level?

The Best of Us by Robyn Carr is a sweet novel of family, friendship and love. All of the characters are well-drawn and multi-dimensional. Rob and Leigh’s relationship is quite passionate but Leigh has a lot of a growing to do before she is ready to risk her heart again.  Helen and Sully’s romance is quite endearing and tugs on readers’ heartstrings. The tight-knit community welcomes newcomers into their fold and the small town setting is quite homey. This newest addition to the Sullivan’s Crossing series is a warm and heartfelt novel that old and new fans are sure to love.

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Filed under Contemporary, Harlequin, Mira, Rated B, Review, Robyn Carr, Romance, Sullivans Crossing Series, The Best of Us

April 9, 2013 · 3:57 am

Review: The Best of Us by Sarah Pekkanen

Title: The Best of Us by Sarah Pekkanen
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Genre: Contemporary, Fiction
Length: 352 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

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 re-evaluate everything she knows about her friends—and herself.

The Review:

Sarah Pekkanen’s The Best of Us is a marvelous novel about friendship. But it is also a journey of self-discovery as each of the women comes to terms with the various challenges facing them as they enjoy a decadent week long vacation in Jamaica.

Tina, Allie, Savannah and Dwight were best friends in college. Tina is now married to Gio and is a stay at home mom to their four young children. Allie is married to Ryan and now their two kids are older, she is working part time as a social worker. Savannah is a real estate agent and unbeknownst to her friends, she and her husband Gary are separated and on the verge of divorce. Dwight is a socially awkward millionaire and it is his wife Pauline who has arranged the extravagant celebration for his thirty-fifth birthday.

As they embark on their trip, each of the women is at a crisis point in their lives. Tina loves her four children, but Gio’s long hours leave her as the kids’ primary caregiver and she is exhausted emotionally and physically from the demands of motherhood. Allie has learned devastating information about her birth father that leaves her reeling. Savannah is hoping the trip will take her mind off her conflicted feelings about Gary’s infidelity and their impending divorce. Pauline is faltering under the weight of the secrets she is keeping from Dwight.

All of the characters in The Best of Us are well-developed and multi-faceted. Tina and Allie are the most realistic and easy to relate while Savannah and Pauline come across as a little superficial. But there are hidden depths to each of these women, and their reactions to the unfolding drama are not as predictable as one would think. I wavered between liking and disliking each of the women throughout the story, and by the end of the novel, my opinions of each of them had dramatically altered from my first impressions.

The lavish party and lush tropical location counteract the more serious aspects of the storyline. Spirits are high with the liquor flowing freely and there is much laughter as everyone begins to relax and enjoy themselves. There are many light-hearted moments as everyone partakes in luscious meals and explores their idyllic surroundings.

The plot is unpredictable and Sarah Pekkanen keeps the reader off balance with some very surprising twists and turns. As the story progresses, the sense of camaraderie is occasionally marred by squabbles and jealousy. Loyalties shift as perceptions change due to some of the events that occur between the various characters.

But what makes The Best of Us such an outstanding read is the growth of the characters. They each gain new insight not only about themselves, but one another as well. The bonds of friendship are challenged but will emerge stronger than ever in the wake of unexpected revelations. An emotionally satisfying and compelling novel that I highly recommend.

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Filed under Contemporary, Fiction, Rated B, Review, Sarah Pekkanen, The Best of Us, Washington Square Press