Synopses & Reviews
Family secrets may shape us all, but it’s the rich, complicated layers of friendship that can save us. Cate, Renee, and Abby have come to New York for very different reasons, and in a bustling city of millions, they are linked together through circumstance and chance.
Cate has just been named the features editor of Gloss, a high-end lifestyle magazine. It’s a professional coup, but her new job comes with more complications than Cate ever anticipated.
Her roommate Renee will do anything to nab the plum job of beauty editor at Gloss. But snide comments about Renee’s weight send her into an emotional tailspin. Soon she is taking black market diet pills—despite the racing heartbeat and trembling hands that signal she’s heading for real danger.
Then there’s Abby, whom they take in as a third roommate. Once a joyful graduate student working as a nanny part time, she abruptly fled a seemingly happy life in the D.C. suburbs. No one knows what shattered Abby—or why she left everything she once loved behind.
Pekkanen’s most compelling, true-to-life novel yet tells the story of three very different women as they navigate the complications of careers and love—and find the lifeline they need in each other.
Review
"Sarah Pekkanen's latest celebrates the healing power of female friendship for three very different young women sharing a New York City apartment.
Review
Praise for Skipping A Beat
“An insightful examination of a marriage. The moving story and bittersweet ending will draw in readers. -Booklist”
“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
“Original, engaging and soulful, Skipping a Beat explores the complexity of marriage and what it really means to share a life.” —Emily Giffin, New York Times bestselling author of Something Borrowed
“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 bestselling authors of The Nanny Diaries
“A provocative, poignant look at marriage, money and the things that matter most.” —Beth Kendrick, author of The Prenup
“Sarah Pekkanen explores the impossible choice between true love and the trappings of success. She is masterful at creating nuanced, complex characters deadlocked with emotional conflict, and the story culminates in an ending that will leave readers breathless” —Jen Lancaster, author of Bitter is the New Black
"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
"This portrait of a couple forced to take responsibility for the breakdown of their relationship is at once heartbreaking and familiar." ~People
“Intelligent and entertaining.” ~The Washington Post
Praise for The Opposite of Me
“Pekkanen's involving debut is an honest examination of the limits we place on ourselves, with well-drawn female characters” — Kirkus
"Sweet, smart, and funny" — Cosmopolitan.com
“Fresh, appealing…the story is at turns funny and poignant.” — Booklist
"Pekkanen's wry voice and engaging characters—the bumbling parents are especially lovable—keep things fresh" —People (3.5 out of 4 stars)
"This story hits the ground running and keeps going...an engaging read that delivers" --The Free Lance-Star
"With her smart, soulful novel, author Pekkanen explores the place where self and sisterhood intersect." - Redbook
"It's warm, it's whimsical, and it's a winner." --The Courier Mail (Australia)
"Sharp-tongued...a spot-on portrayal of the existential dilemmas of young adulthood" --Washington Post
"The writing is clever and the characters well-drawn. This debut novel will likely remind many readers of Jennifer Weiner’s In Her Shoes and is recommended for Weiner’s fans as well as those chick-lit devotees who enjoy Megan Crane” -- Library Journal
“Fresh and funny and satisfying. A terrific book about sisters that actually made me laugh out loud. I was completely drawn into Lindsey’s world and rooted for her from beginning to end.” -- Jennifer Weiner, New York Times bestselling author of Best Friends Forever and In Her Shoes
“Pekkanen's debut is heartfelt and richly drawn. With a delicate touch, she had me believing and sharing every laugh and every tear - it was a completely satisfying read. I look forward to more from this talented writer.” -- Beth Harbison, author of Hope in a Jar
"With warmth and charm, Sarah Pekkanen brings us an endearing portrait of a young woman struggling to define herself in the looming shadow of a dazzling twin. Move over, Anna Maxted and Sophie Kinsella: With this energetic debut, America now has its own bright, comic voice." -- Susan Coll, author of Acceptance
"Simultaneously both light and satisfying, Sarah Pekkanen's debut, The Opposite of Me, hits the delicious sweet spot in the portrait of a woman who needs to lose everything to find herself." --Allison Winn Scotch, New York Times bestselling author of Time of My Life
"If a book makes you think and be introspective, well that's magic, and The Opposite of Me has done just that. Pekkanen has hit the nail on the head with her unique premise and original observation on what makes us who we are…an absolute must read" ~New York Journal of Books
Review
"Pekkanen’s characters are sympathetic and familiar, and readers are likely to identify with aspects of each protagonist. Fans of Jennifer Weiner, Sarah Dessen, Liza Palmer, and Emily Giffin will strongly appreciate this smart novel by a rising star in women’s fiction." —Library Journal
Review
"A fun and engaging romp...Pekkanen's authorial voice is sweetly snappy, the plot is character-driven, and the book ends satisfactorily without tying up every loose end. Fans of Sophie Kinsella and Jennifer Close will enjoy this refreshingly introspective, sharply realistic, and tenderly humorous novel." —Booklist
Review
"Good fun....an entertaining take on modern love and life in the Big Apple." —Kirkus
Review
"Chick lit with grit." —Ladies Home Journal
Review
"The power of friends and family carries this fast-paced novel through to a satisfying, although somewhat surprising conclusion. If you like chick lit with substance, Pekkanen delivers another winner." —Philly Examiner
Review
“Sarah Pekkanen deftly weaves together the lives of roommates and friends…each battling demons, professional and otherwise, and within a few pages you’ll find yourself emotionally invested in all of them. The surprisingly good news is that this author knows that ‘happily ever after’ doesn’t necessarily involve a cute guy.” —
Entertainment Weekly
"A pleasure." —People
Review
“Pekkanen offers a conversational writing style and a knack for making readers care about her characters… a refreshing look at the importance of female friendship.” —
Washington Post
Review
"I loved Sarah Pekkanen’s
These Girls. Just when you think the single-girls-trying-to-make-it-in-media-in-NYC trope was totally played out, along comes a fresh, charming, moving take on what it’s like to be in your twenties, desperate for the guy to like you, for your secrets to stay secret, for this diet to be the one that works." —Jennifer Weiner,
EW.com
Review
"Sarah Pekkanen's latest celebrates the healing power of female friendship for three very different young women sharing a New York City apartment. At turns bittersweet, laugh-out-loud funny, and painfully real, you'll wish you could move in with these girls." —Jodi Picoult,
New York Times bestselling author of
Lone Wolf and
Sing You Home
“The honesty and complexity that Sarah Pekkanen brings to her three main characters in These Girls is impressive and rare. You can't help but root for each one of them as they struggle to strike that elusive balance between professional success and personal happiness. The bonds among Pekkamen's female heroines will have you reaching for the phone to hold your own best girlfriends a little closer.” –Nicolle Wallace, New York Times bestselling author of Eighteen Acres
"In These Girls, Sarah Pekkanen again proves her innate understanding of women's relationships. With a style that's both wry and heartfelt, readers will absolutely recognize themselves and their friendships on the pages. These Girls is lively and engaging and ultimately satisfying, so get comfortable because you won't be able to put it down!" –Jen Lancaster, author of Bitter Is the New Black
Synopsis
In her third novel, internationally bestselling author Sarah Pekkanen examines the lives of three women working and living together in New York City and shows that family secrets may shape us all, but it's the rich, complicated layers of friendship that can save us.
Family secrets may shape us all, but it's the rich, complicated layers of friendship that can save us.
Cate, Renee, and Abby have come to New York for very different reasons, and in a bustling city of millions, they are linked together through circumstance and chance.
Cate has just been named the features editor of Gloss, a high-end lifestyle magazine. It's a professional coup, but her new job comes with more complications than Cate ever anticipated.
Her roommate Renee will do anything to nab the plum job of beauty editor at Gloss. But snide comments about Renee's weight send her into an emotional tailspin. Soon she is taking black market diet pills--despite the racing heartbeat and trembling hands that signal she's heading for real danger.
Then there's Abby, whom they take in as a third roommate. Once a joyful graduate student working as a nanny part time, she abruptly fled a seemingly happy life in the D.C. suburbs. No one knows what shattered Abby--or why she left everything she once loved behind.
Pekkanen's most compelling, true-to-life novel yet tells the story of three very different women as they navigate the complications of careers and love--and find the lifeline they need in each other.
Synopsis
WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOUR HUSBAND SUDDENLY WANTED TO REWRITE THE RULES OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP?
Synopsis
Family secrets may shape us all, but it’s the rich, complicated layers of friendship that can save us. Cate, Renee, and Abby have come to New York for very different reasons, and in a bustling city of millions, they are linked together through circumstance and chance.
Cate has just been named the features editor of Gloss, a high-end lifestyle magazine. It’s a professional coup, but her new job comes with more complications than Cate ever anticipated.
Her roommate Renee will do anything to nab the plum job of beauty editor at Gloss. But snide comments about Renee’s weight send her into an emotional tailspin. Soon she is taking black market diet pills—despite the racing heartbeat and trembling hands that signal she’s heading for real danger.
Then there’s Abby, whom they take in as a third roommate. Once a joyful graduate student working as a nanny part time, she abruptly fled a seemingly happy life in the D.C. suburbs. No one knows what shattered Abby—or why she left everything she once loved behind.
Pekkanen’s most compelling, true-to-life novel yet tells the story of three very different women as they navigate the complications of careers and love—and find the lifeline they need in each other.
About the Author
Sarah Pekkanen is the author of The Opposite of Me and Skipping a Beat. Her work has been published in People, The Washington Post, USA Today, The New Republic, The Baltimore Sun, Reader’s Digest, and Washingtonian, among others. She writes a monthly Erma Bombeck type column for Bethesda Magazine, and has been an on-air contributor to NPR and E! Entertainment’s “Gossip Show.” She is the winner of a Dateline award and the Paul Miller Reporting Fellowship. Sarah lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland with her husband and three young sons.