Family drama at its best.
Many issues both personal and professional are within.

Allison deals with medical issues and an ethical issue of treatment by a family member as well as a marriage and infidelity issue.

The surgeon, Grant, deals with the struggle to treat his family member and a secret drug addiction. His addiction seems to be at the heart of the book.

Sadie, a teenager, deals with a friend who isn't a good friend because of risky things they do and that also causes issues at school.

Ms. Frimmer did a great job with character development and the story line even though I did not like Grant the surgeon.

Many medical issues and incidents are addressed and expertly described and woven into the story line. I could see all of these issues happening in real life.

All three characters need to decide how to deal with their issues and resolve them or stay on the same path.

If you are a fan of family drama and medical settings and issues, you will enjoy this book. 4/5

This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. ( )

I did find this book to be an interesting read. There are many side characters that I did not really feel like lent that much to the overall story. I would have liked the focus to really be on just Grant, Sadie and Allison. If it had been, I think my feelings would have went up a bit more towards this book.

Readers, this is the type of book that you have to give your focus on. It does jump around with time lines from present to past and back and forth. With these voices, it can get a bit confusing if you are distracted. Out of the three, though I was drawn to Grant first and then Allison and Sadie tied for me. While, Grant caused the ripple effect that set everything into motion, his voice just came out a bit louder for me.

This book would make a good discussion book. While, I may not have loved this book, I would read another from this author. ( )

I enjoyed Heather Frimmer's first book Bedside Manners and was anxious to read her sophomore novel. I wasn't disappointed and enjoyed it more than her first. Her two novels revolve around hospitals and health issues and are emotional stories that give her readers a lot to think about. It's told by three characters and various time periods and I didn't think the switches between characters and time periods were difficult to follow. In fact using three characters to tell the story gives the readers a chance to truly understand the issues.

Alison is a teacher who passed out at school and is rushed to the hospital where they find a growth in her brain. She needs surgery and begs her brother - in - law Grant to do the surgery. Even before this event, Alison and her husband are dealing with problems in their marriage as she is having an affair with a female teacher. We see Alison as a healthy woman who takes care of herself become a person unable to talk or walk.

Grant is a world-renowned neurosurgeon and an expert in treating Alison's condition. He is married to Alison's sister and they have one daughter, Sadie. He is hiding a secret from his family and collogues -- his addiction to prescription pills. It is apparent that his addiction negatively affected Alison's brain surgery but is that enough for him to change?.

Sadie is angry at her parents and starts making some poor decisions and hanging out with a girl at school that's pushing her risky situations to another level. She manages to get herself into some tricky situations that end up affecting her entire family.

This novel about love and family and forgiveness is a real page turner. All of the main characters have major decisions to make that will greatly affect their lives in the future. Will they all make the right decisions and become a family again or will past mistakes keep them estranged? This family drama grabbed my attention from the first page when Alison is working to regain her strength in physical rehab. She was fighting hard to bring her life back to normal and has to make a big decision about her sexuality. Grant has to decide if he can make changes to bring his life back to normal without pills and Sadie needs to decide if she wants to stay on the same path of risky behavior or go back to the person she was before. Will these characters be able to forgive each other and more importantly themselves?

Thanks to netgallery for a copy of this book to read and review. ( )