Best Intentions: A Novel

by Emily Listfield

From the acclaimed author of Waiting to Surface comes a page-turning novel about four college friends whose reunion reawakens old desires and grudges—with fatal results.

What happens when you think you know the person you love—and you’re dead wrong?

Thirty-nine-year-old Lisa Barkley looks over at her sleeping husband, Sam, and can’t help but feel that their fifteen-year marriage is in a funk that she isn’t able to place. She tells herself that the strain must be due to their mounting financial pressures. With two daughters about to start another year at an elite Upper East Side private school and her own career hitting a wall, the effort of trying to stay afloat in their privileged world is increasingly difficult. But when she listens to Sam’s voicemail and hears a whispered phone call from a woman he is to meet that night, she begins to suspect he is having an affair.

Lisa’s best friend, Deirdre, claims it can’t be true. But how can Lisa fully trust her opinion when Deirdre is mired in her own obsessive affair? When Deirdre’s former college flame, Jack, comes to town and the two couples meet to celebrate his fortieth birthday, the stage is set for an explosive series of discoveries with devastating results.

Filled with suspense and provocative questions about the relationships we value most, Best Intentions is a tightly woven drama of love, friendship and betrayal.

• ISBN10: 1416576835
• ISBN13: 9781416576839
• Publish Date: 5 May 2009
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Atria Books
• Format: eBook (EPUB)
• Pages: 352
• Language: English

Reviews

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This is the story of a working mom of two who is suddenly feeling very insecure in her life. Her husband appears distant and is lying to her, her employer has been purchased by another, larger firm, and she doesn’t even fit in with the other moms at her daughters’ school. Her paranoia is taking over her life, fed by an old friend coming back to town and a new client who begins flirting with her. Unfortunately, some of her actions seem to have devastating consequences.

I thought this was a pretty good story, but a little disjointed. It’s definitely divided into two different parts, with different pacing. I felt like things were wrapped up a little too quickly at the end — I would have liked to have seen more exploration of David Forrester and his motives, since he plays such a vital role in the turning point. So I’d say this was a decent read, but it could have been a little bit better.