Synopses & Reviews
From the author of the acclaimed The Opposite of Me, a poignant, witty novel about marriage, forgiveness, and the choices that give shape—and limits—to our lives.
What would you do if your husband suddenly wanted to rewrite all of the rules of your relationship? This is the question at the heart of Skipping a Beat, Pekkanen’s thought-provoking second book.
From the outside, Julia and Michael seem to have it all. Both products of difficult childhoods in rural West Virginia – where they were simply Julie and Mike – they become high school sweethearts and fall in love. Shortly after graduation, they flee their small town to start afresh. Now thirty-somethings, they are living a rarified life in their multi-million-dollar, Washington D.C. home. Julia is a highly sought-after party planner, while Michael has just sold his wildly successful flavored water company for $70 million.
But one day, Michael collapses in his office. Four minutes and eight seconds after his cardiac arrest, a portable defibrillator jump-starts his heart. But in those lost minutes he becomes a different man. Money is meaningless to him - and he wants to give it all away. Julia, who sees bits of her life reflected in scenes from the world’s great operas, is now facing with a choice she never anticipated. Should she should walk away from the man she once adored – but who truthfully became a stranger to her long before this pronouncement - or give in to her husband's pleas for a second chance and a promise of a poorer but happier life?
As wry and engaging as her debut, but with quiet depth and newfound maturity, Skipping a Beat is an unforgettable portrait of a marriage whose glamorous surface belies the complications and betrayals beneath.
Review
Acclaim for Beth Kendrick :
“Kendrick writes with a wicked sense of humor and great wisdom.”—Chicago Tribune
“Kendrick...shines in portraying the subtleties of female friendships.” —Publishers Weekly
“Kendrick’s latest effervescent novel is a hopelessly, hopefully romantic treat.” —Booklist (Starred Review)
“Clever, wise, and wonderful.”—Jane Porter, Author of She’s Gone Country
Review
Praise for Yona Zeldis McDonough and A Wedding in Great Neck
“A born storyteller.”—Laura Jacobs, author of Women About Town
“[McDonough is] an author at the top of her form.”—Megan McAndrew, author of Dreaming in French
“Prose as sparkling as a champagne toast.”—Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You
“Spirited, entertaining, and a delight to read.”—Lucy Jackson, author of Posh
"McDonoughs skill is to be commended. A tender, clever story with emotional heft.”—Booklist
"Fans of womens fiction about weddings and family drama are sure to enjoy.”—Library Journal
Review
"The impossible choice between true love and the trappings of success is explored in Skipping a Beat.
Review
"A provocative, poignant look at marriage, money and the things that matter most." —Beth Kendrick, author of The Pre-Nup
Review
"Original, engaging, and soulful, Skipping a Beat explores the complexity of marriage and what it really means to share a life. I fell in love with Julia, a funny, flawed and utterly real heroine—and felt the weight of her dilemma with every page, all the way through to the surprising, satisfying finish." —Emily Giffin, New York Times bestselling author of Something Borrowed and Heart of the Matter
Review
"Tender and funny in turn, Sarah Pekkanen has made modern marriage exciting in this imaginative and heartfelt tale of love and healing." —Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus, #1 New York Times bestselling authors of The Nanny Diaries
Review
"In her second novel, Pekkanen (The Opposite of Me) offers a wonderfully compelling, compassionate, and complicated portrait of the marriage of Julie and Michael Dunhill. Meeting in high school, the two were both determined to leave their hometown behind and make something of their lives, contrary to how they were raised. With Michael’s colossal and unpredicted financial success, these once loving sweethearts drift apart and find different foci for their passionate energies—Michael is completely absorbed in his DrinkUp company and Julie in her party-planning business. When Michael collapses on his office floor and dies for four minutes and eight seconds, their whole world changes, and both are left to reevaluate what they thought was important in life. For Julie though, this is a struggle to overcome the disappointment, sense of abandonment, and misunderstandings she’s harbored against her husband for years. VERDICT: In this compelling and satisfying read, Pekkanen offers relatable characters that move you and an ending that surprises and pleases. Highly recommended." —Library Journal, starred review
Review
“A two-hanky weepy… A tragic turn of events redirects what could have been a predictable romance into a drama on the fragility of love and marriage.” —Kirkus
Review
“An insightful examination of a marriage. The moving story and bittersweet ending will draw in readers” —Booklist
Review
"This portrait of a couple forced to take responsibility for the breakdown of their relationship is at once heartbreaking and familiar." —People
Review
“Intelligent and entertaining.” —The Washington Post
Review
“The impossible choice between true love and the trappings of success is explored in Skipping a Beat. Sarah Pekkanen proves masterful at creating nuanced, complex characters deadlocked with emotional conflict, and the story culminates in an ending that will leave readers breathless. Evocative and compelling, it couldn’t be more satisfying.” —Jen Lancaster, author of Bitter is the New Black
Review
Praise for Two of a Kind
"McDonough crafts a complex romantic tale of two families, skillfully developing multidimensional characters. . .Multiple points of view show the complications of dating for parents, the compromise of interfaith romance, and the unforeseen consequences when lives get out of balance. Readers will delight in this layered tale of friendship and love."—Publishers Weekly
"Honest and engrossing, this novel explores the intricacies of unexpected attraction, falling in love after losing a spouse and combining two resistant families. The characters are complex and captivating, adding depth to an already engaging plot, which culminates in a surprising twist. Four and a half stars."—Romantic Times
“Every now and then I stumble upon a truly delightful piece of womens fiction. Two of a Kind falls into that category. . .A one of a kind tale.”—Romance Reviews
Praise for Yona Zeldis McDonough and A Wedding in Great Neck
“A born storyteller.”—Laura Jacobs, author of Women About Town
“[McDonough is] an author at the top of her form.”—Megan McAndrew, author of Dreaming in French
“Prose as sparkling as a champagne toast.”—Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You
“Spirited, entertaining, and a delight to read.”—Lucy Jackson, author of Posh
"McDonoughs skill is to be commended. A tender, clever story with emotional heft.”—Booklist
"Fans of womens fiction about weddings and family drama are sure to enjoy.”—Library Journal
Synopsis
Sarah Pekkanen's poignant second novel about marriage, forgiveness, and the things that really matter, which will have readers laughing and crying.
Synopsis
From the author of the acclaimed The Opposite of Me, a poignant, witty novel about marriage, forgiveness, and the choices that give shape--and limits--to our lives.
What would you do if your husband suddenly wanted to rewrite all of the rules of your relationship? This is the question at the heart of Skipping a Beat, Pekkanen's thought-provoking second book.
From the outside, Julia and Michael seem to have it all. Both products of difficult childhoods in rural West Virginia - where they were simply Julie and Mike - they become high school sweethearts and fall in love. Shortly after graduation, they flee their small town to start afresh. Now thirty-somethings, they are living a rarified life in their multi-million-dollar, Washington D.C. home. Julia is a highly sought-after party planner, while Michael has just sold his wildly successful flavored water company for $70 million.
But one day, Michael collapses in his office. Four minutes and eight seconds after his cardiac arrest, a portable defibrillator jump-starts his heart. But in those lost minutes he becomes a different man. Money is meaningless to him - and he wants to give it all away. Julia, who sees bits of her life reflected in scenes from the world's great operas, is now facing with a choice she never anticipated. Should she should walk away from the man she once adored - but who truthfully became a stranger to her long before this pronouncement - or give in to her husband's pleas for a second chance and a promise of a poorer but happier life?
As wry and engaging as her debut, but with quiet depth and newfound maturity, Skipping a Beat is an unforgettable portrait of a marriage whose glamorous surface belies the complications and betrayals beneath.
Synopsis
WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOUR HUSBAND SUDDENLY WANTED TO REWRITE THE RULES OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP?
Synopsis
Beth Kendrick sweeps you off your feet with a captivating tale of how even the best-laid plans can falter at the altar. After enduring a chaotic childhood, Emily McKellips yearns for a drama-free life, complete with a white picket fence. Her dreams are about to come true: She has a stellar career, a gorgeous house, and a fiancé any woman would die for. But as friends and family arrive in picturesque Valentine, Vermont, for her wedding, an uninvited guest shows up.
Ryan is Emily’s first husband from a disastrous starter marriage. They wed on a whim, only to discover that combustible chemistry couldn’t ensure a happily ever after. But Ryan is no longer the headstrong boy she left behind. He’s now a successful film producer who just happens to be scouting a resort in Valentine with his adorable retriever in tow.
As the bridesmaids revolt and the mothers of the bride and groom do battle, Emily is surprised to discover new sides of both her ex and her fiancé. She thought she had life and love all figured out, but the next seven days might change her mind—and her heart.
Synopsis
Beth Kendrick sweeps you off your feet with a captivating tale of how even the best-laid plans can falter at the altar. After enduring a chaotic childhood, Emily McKellips yearns for a drama-free life, complete with a white picket fence. Her dreams are about to come true: She has a stellar career, a gorgeous house, and a fiancé any woman would die for. But as friends and family arrive in picturesque Valentine, Vermont, for her wedding, an uninvited guest shows up.
Ryan is Emily’s first husband from a disastrous starter marriage. They wed on a whim, only to discover that combustible chemistry couldn’t ensure a happily ever after. But Ryan is no longer the headstrong boy she left behind. He’s now a successful film producer who just happens to be scouting a resort in Valentine with his adorable retriever in tow.
As the bridesmaids revolt and the mothers of the bride and groom do battle, Emily is surprised to discover new sides of both her ex and her fiancé. She thought she had life and love all figured out, but the next seven days might change her mind—and her heart.
Synopsis
Ten years after losing her husband, Christina Connelly has worked through the pain, focusing on raising her teenage daughter and managing her small decorating business. But her romantic life has never recovered. Still, its irksome to be set up with arrogant, if handsome, doctor Andy Stern at her friends wedding. If he wasnt also a potential client, needing his Upper East Side apartment redesigned, she would write him off.
This is never going to work, Andy thinks. Still grieving his wife and struggling with a troubled son, hes not looking for a woman, and certainly not someone as frosty and reserved as Christina. Their relationship will be strictly business. Yet to everyones surpriseincluding their ownthese two find themselves falling in love.
But if reconciling with their pasts is difficult, blending their lives and children to create a new family is nearly impossible. Theyve been given a second chance
but can they overcome all the obstacles in the way of happily ever after?
About the Author
Yona Zeldis McDonough is the author of
Two of a Kind, her soon-to-be released fifth novel, a second-chance-at-love story between a seemingly mismatched widow and widower. To read the first chapter, arrange a book club visit, or just to say hi, please contact Yona via her website or her Facebook fan pages, which she hopes you'll "like."
Yonas fourth novel, A Wedding in Great Neck, was described as, A confection that is not only a page-turner but a poignant view of family life...” by Adriana Trigiani and Booklist added, McDonough has assembled a touching, airy novel that manages to meld the concerns of family members spanning four generations into a delightfully well-written story
With an authorial voice that switches deftly between impulsive teen-speak and a stately matriarchs flashbacks, McDonoughs skill is to be commended. A tender, clever story with emotional heft.” A Wedding in Great Neck will soon appear in Norway.
Yona is also an award-winning childrens book author with twenty-two books to her credit and has been the Fiction Editor at Lilith Magazine for over a dozen years. She lives with her husband, two children and small yappy dogs in Brooklyn, New York.