Synopsis

Following a shocking murder, a woman must face the husband she thought she knew in this twisty, sizzling novel from the bestselling authors of Happy Wife.

Welcome back to Winter Park, where looks can kill and secrets refuse to stay buried.

Este Walker didn’t move to Florida to make friends. Five years ago, she ghosted her life in California to reinvent herself among the lakefront estates of Florida’s elite. With a cocktail in hand, more money than she could ever spend, and a past she intends to keep hidden, she’s finally content—or, you know, close enough. Her husband, Beau, and her best friend, Nora, are the only company Este needs.

But when someone she’d much rather forget resurfaces, the past begins to close on her. And then a mysterious death turns Winter Park upside down—and Beau, who’s keeping secrets of his own, is implicated,. Thrust into a high-stakes murder investigation, Este must unravel a web of lies and deception to answer the question: What exactly happened in California, and has it come back to haunt her? More important: How is she going to get herself out of this mess?

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Review

So when I started reading this book, I didn’t realize it was the second of a series. That said, while there are some details you would glean from the first book about the relationship between Nora and Este, you can read this on its own. The authors provide enough details to fill in the reader on what happened in the first book.

Este reminded me of myself a little bit when I worked in the corporate world. I don’t think I was as intense as Este, but when you are a woman, you have to work twice as hard to get ahead. But all of that comes crashing down when her boss isn’t able to purchase a company. Partially due to the direction he wants to take the company, which goes against the owner’s wishes. And because that same owner, Beau, has eyes for Este. She is torpedoed when he fires her via a notecard. But it was probably the best thing for her, because she is able to move on with her life, a life she didn’t know she needed.

Beau is one of those guys that all women love. He is down-to-earth, pragmatic, and loveable. I loved watching his relationship with Este grow…until there are deaths in town, and he is a primary suspect. They both seem to have trust issues, and are keeping secrets from one another. Will they get past those secrets?

This is touted as women’s fiction and a suspense/thriller, and I can see both of those genres. I enjoyed the humor and cattiness from the female characters, but the suspense as to who killed who kept me engaged in the story. I did not suspect the killer!

I am on the fence regarding Este’s character. She seemed to do some unwise things, and instead of leaning into Beau and her friends, she seems to be running away and trying to get to the bottom of things on her own. She does redeem herself in the end.

Overall, I enjoyed the novel and will have to go back and read the first book and learn more about Nora’s character.

We give this book 4 paws up.

About the Authors

Meredith Lavender has spent more than two decades working as a television writer. She served as showrunner/executive producer on Max’s The Flight Attendant as well as an executive producer on Nashville (ABC), among other shows. Currently, she’s in development on multiple TV projects and adaptations.

Prior to becoming an author, Kendall Shores spent years leading corporate communications for tech companies and nonprofit organizations, including Mailchimp and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Now, she prefers writing the kinds of stories she used to daydream about between deadlines.