I didn't care about these characters. The narrator made every single woman sound doe-eyed and irritating all at once. This book helped me understand why people beg authors to "show" the reader and not just "tell." I think I'm coming to the realization that this author isn't really for me. ( )

Very disappointing read. I usually really like Elizabeth Berg and the sweet comfy characters she writes. This time, none of the characters came alive or were remotely interesting. The first few chapters were quite good, and then the plot line took a serious downward turn with the handling of the traumatic event. The traumatic sub plot wasn't beleivable and it's aftermath was not dealt with in a realistic, or even interesting way. Irene ends up focusing/complaining/interfering/obsessing over Sadie's go forward life decisions, - without a thought for any damage Sadie may be dealing with internally after the trauma, which is barely mentioned again. The only sub plot that I thought had some good writing were the conversations between John and Irene, as annoying as they were, as they really rang true for a divorced couple who have no idea how to communicate with each other. ( )

Not my favorite, of this author's novels. The mom drove me crazy, and for a Berg novel, the daughter went through too much for me.. I expect something like that out of Kathy Reichs, not her. But all in all, it ended as it should have. ( )

First Elizabeth Berg book I read and didn't like it. Characters were boring and one dimensional. Book was predictable and boring. Thought there would be more of a twist with Sadie's abduction.
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This book seemed a bit uneven to me. Sometimes I liked it and other times I didn't. I wasn't too fond of Irene and Sadie at first, but I felt sorry for Sadie when she was kidnapped. The ending was not what you'd expect, but it would be too cliché for it to be. I think the fact that it took place in San Francisco for the most part, was the only thing that attracted and held me to this book. ( )