Library Journal

11/15/2017
Philippa Lye left her unsavory single life behind when she married wealthy New York City banker Jed Skinker. She is the envy of every woman of the New York elite. In their view she seems to have achieved perfection—beauty, wealth, a good marriage, and social standing. Yet Philippa doesn't appear to care about any of that. She is somehow damaged by the events of her past and unconnected to the reality of her present. As happens in very small social circles, Philippa's past catches up with her. In a very public effort to resolve her conflict, the world shifts around her with surprising results. Macy (The Fundamentals of Play; Spoiled) creates a delightful mix of characters whose circumstances bring them together while their motivations keep them apart. She intersperses the catty asides of the society ladies with the musings of the banker and the ambitions of the district attorney. Social critique and star-crossed fates mingle here. VERDICT Recommended for readers of general fiction.—Joanna Burkhardt, Univ. of Rhode Island Libs., Providence