The Promise of Us

Characters continue their struggles against personal trauma, illness, and past betrayals in Beck’s leisurely second Sanctuary Sound contemporary. Claire McKenna, a victim of a shooting, has sequestered herself in her sleepy childhood town. When her longtime crush, Logan Prescott, shows up in town with his sister (and Claire’s former friend), Peyton, complex past emotions resurface, and Claire wonders whether she will ever be able to move past her fears and resentment. Repetitive backstory slows the pace early on, and though Claire is a capable entrepreneur and has survived a violent attack, the repeated, overdramatic descriptions of her woes (including her continued concern about her weight) sometimes makes it difficult to sympathize with her pain or be impressed by her skills, and trivializes both her and her parents’ trauma. Peyton, far more actualized, is a cancer survivor who has grown since her betrayal of Claire 18 months earlier. Claire’s relationship with Logan carries the book; it’s fluid and enticing as they facilitate each other’s growth. Though the observations on life are somewhat clichéd and sugary, fans of sentimental stories will find this one satisfying. Agent: Jill Marsal, Marsal Lyon Literary. (Apr.)