The Best of Us

Pekkanen (The Opposite of Me) sparkles with her latest, a touching tale of college friends whose happily ever afters aren’t as perfect as they might have once expected. Dwight, the lovable nerd of the group, is now filthy rich, so to celebrate his 35th birthday, his concerned-about-appearances wife, Pauline, plans a lavish, all-expenses-paid trip to Jamaica for his longtime friends. Each couple, however, is harboring secrets. Sexy real estate agent Savannah is hiding a huge lie: her doctor husband Gary isn’t busy “working,” he’s shacking up with his nurse. Stay-at-home mom Tina and construction worker Gio, raising four children, are having more trouble paying their bills than they let on. And social worker Allie is hit with a body blow immediately before the trip: her birth mother may be carrying the ALS gene, although Allie hasn’t shared the news with her husband. All are granted a brief respite while enjoying perfect beaches, lazy days, and late-night cocktails, but an approaching hurricane will soon test everyone’s mettle—and loyalty. Lovably flawed, realistic characters and a fast-paced story make this a deeply enjoyable page-turner. Agent: Victoria Sanders, Victoria Sanders & Associates. (Apr. 9)