From Barbara Delinsky, the New York Times bestselling author of Blueprints and Sweet Salt Air, a brand-new novel about a woman in hiding finding the courage to face the world again. Mackenzie Cooper took her eyes off the road for just a moment but the resulting collision was enough to rob her not only of her beloved daughter but ultimately of her marriage, family, and friends–and thanks to the … family, and friends–and thanks to the nonstop media coverage, even her privacy. Now she lives in Vermont under the name Maggie Reid, in a small house with her cats and dog. She’s thankful for the new friends she’s made–though she can’t risk telling them too much. And she takes satisfaction in working as a makeup artist at the luxurious local spa, helping clients hide the visible outward signs of their weariness, illnesses, and injuries. Covering up scars is a skill she has mastered.
Her only goal is to stay under the radar and make it through her remaining probation. But she isn’t the only one in this peaceful town with secrets. When a friend’s teenage son is thrust into the national spotlight, accused of hacking a powerful man’s Twitter account, Maggie is torn between pulling away and protecting herself–or stepping into the glare to be at their side. As the stunning truth behind their case is slowly revealed, Maggie’s own carefully constructed story begins to unravel as well. She knows all too well that what we need from each other in this difficult world is comfort. But to provide it, sometimes we need to travel far outside our comfort zones.
From a multimillion-selling master of women’s fiction, Before and Again is a story of the relationships we find ourselves in–mothers and daughters, spouses and siblings, true companions and fair-weather friends–and what kind of sacrifices we are or aren’t willing to make to sustain them through good times and bad.
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Excellent read – I highly recommend this!
I dont think you can go wrong reading anything by this author…This would make a really good movie…Could not put it down…read it in two days…
Glad I read it. Could identify!
Interesting characters. Most enjoyable
I love to read Barbara Delinsky’s books. She is a great author.
4*
one of my favorites of hers.
I have always enjoyed her writing. This one did not let me down.
Excellent story of how even great communication suffers when tragedy strikes.
What a heartfelt book!! I loved this book from the first page until the last. Barbara Delinsky is such a great author and this book did not disappoint me!! Losing a loved one is hard enough but when you blame yourself it is even harder. If you haven’t read this book put it in your TBR list. It is well worth the time!! Thank you Barbara Delinsky for continuing to write such wonderful books, thank you to St. Martin’s Press for publishing it, thank you to Emilie Hudson for sending it to me and Barbara Delinsky’s Street Team on Facebook for the giveaway!!!!!!
An interesting twist in this book about a woman starting over. Delinsky creates a character whose resilience shines through to a satisfying conclusion.
I enjoyed the characters, & the unique plot had some unexpected twists. Loved the Vermont setting, and the storyline was compelling with its tragedy and difficult road to healing with some mystery woven in. Book was slow to start, and had some redundant information. But Delinsky is such a good writer, I got through those parts and overall enjoyed the book and its satisfying ending.
This is a story of courage, sacrifice, devastating loss and moving forward. After suffering a tragic loss, Mackenzie Cooper moves to Vermont and lives under an alias. She is trying to avoid media attention and rebuild her life. Faced with a decision of remaining under the radar or stepping forward to help a friend she has to dig deep for the courage to put herself out there and help another. Barbara Delinsky always tackles challenging problems other authors seem to shy away from.
Before and Again was an emotional novel! It was a story about relationships, friendships, marriages, and family. It was also about tragedy and grief. The healing, forgiving, and starting over afterwards. Maggie relocated in Devon after the loss of her child from a car accident they were in. After the accident, she also lost her husband when they divorced. So now five years later, Maggie has good friends and a job she enjoys. She is part of the community of Devon. But Maggie has kept her past including the loss of her young daughter from everyone in the process of starting over. She has new friends, but they have their own pain and secrets from the past. Maggie’s life will soon be upended all over again as the people from her past end up in Devon. She is forced to deal with some tough buried emotions when she is confronted by the very same people she hasn’t seen in five years. Author Barbara Delinsky presents the characters and the story with emotion and an intricate look at people.
Before and Again by Barbara Delinsky
St Martin’s Press
Women’s fiction, digital ARC
June 2018
Thank you to St Martin’s Press/NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.
Sometimes life leads in directions that can’t be predicted. This was certainly true for Mackenzie Cooper, a dedicated mother, wife and sculptor. When she is held responsible for a fatal car accident which kills her young daughter, Mackenzie’s life is forever. The accident destroyed her self esteem, her career, her marriage and relationships with family and friends. changed. Unable to forgive herself and the the aftermath that follows, she moves to Vermont to reinvent herself.
In Vermont, Maggie Reid is able to live a simple life in Devon where the residents all seem to have their own reasons for moving to this quaint town. Trying to maintain a low profile until her probation is complete is a mandatory requirement. Michael Shanahan, her probation officer, makes frequent visits to ensure she maintains compliance. She manages to keep her past a secret working as a makeup artist at an upscale spa. The spa becomes a refuge for the broken hearted who work through their grieve working at the spa. Maggie forms many close relationships which don’t require reliving the past.
Maggie befriends Grace who has moved there as a massage therapist with her teenage son, Chris who is eventually accused of a major hacking incident. This brings a media spotlight that slowly unravels a town which values their privacy. It seems Maggie is not the only resident with a past she’d rather forget. Risking her own probation, Maggie continues to support her friend while trying to avoid the media attention.
This novel explores how it’s possible to find redemption and reconciliation with the past. Before one can truly move forward it is important to reconcile with the past, again. This necessary experience can allow healing and resolution of guilt which ultimately prevents living one’s best life.
Another brilliant novel by a beloved author with complex characters and rich storyline.
A grieving mother moves to small town Vermont after the death of her young daughter. She carries a huge burden of guilt, hides her physical scars with makeup, and tries to live a life of anonymity. She befriends a co-worker whose teenage son is accused of internet fraud. About the same time, she discovers her ex-husband has purchased the spa where she’s employed. The tone of the story had me expecting more of a physiological thriller, which wasn’t the case. While it lost some momentum toward the middle, the beginning was really good and the ending was quite satisfying.
What a wonderful story of the suppression of an unspeakable loss, the life after, and coming face-to-face with your demons and finally the rebirth of the former self. The sub-plots are deftly woven into Maggie’s story and emphasize the lines between love, loss, and friendship and how far one will go for someone they love.
Maggie has created a new life as a make-up artist, and I found hiding her scar with makeup vs. hiding behind the mask of a new identity and thus hiding from her past an intriguing analogy.
Delinsky is one of my favorite authors, and I feel this is one of her best. Although it’s not easy to read at times, I highly recommend Before and Again. Her characters are relatable, interesting, and flawed, just like the rest of us. You can’t help but immerse yourself in their world.
Taking her eyes off the road for a moment is all it took to change the life of Mackenzie Cooper forever. Her car crashed into another, killing her daughter. The loss of her marriage, family, and friends came soon afterwards. Now she’s living a new life in Vermont as Maggie Reid, working as makeup artist in a luxury spa. Her new friends know nothing about her past, and Maggie is enjoying life out of the spotlight… until her friend’s son is accused of a crime. Maggie is faced with a difficult choice: she can be there for her friend, and risk the truth about her past being outed, or protect her secrets at all costs… including the loss of yet another treasured friendship.
I’ve read several of Delinsky’s novels over the years, and have always found them to be enjoyable. I expected the same of Before and Again, and was not at all surprised to be immediately drawn into the story, which kicks off with a prologue that takes place mere minutes before the crash that killed Mackenzie’s daughter. The simple ordinariness of what takes place before the accident made this brief scene one of the most memorable in the book (for me), because it felt so devastatingly true-to-life.
The emotional impact of this scene made for a high standard for the remainder of the book—would it be able to pack such an emotional punch again, or would it pale in comparison? I’m happy to report that it did, producing some jaw-dropping plot twists along the way that were every bit as intense as the opening scene.
I found Mackenzie (or Maggie, as she later chose to be known) so easy to relate to, and I was full of empathy for her. The lingering pain she felt over the loss of her daughter, the depth of her grief over it, had me pondering how I would have felt in her place—knowing I would probably be feeling the same level of hurt and regret. The death of a child is every parent’s worst nightmare, and it would be such a struggle to move forward from that, especially if you also lost all the close relationships you had, as well. Mackenzie’s pain broke my heart, and I just wanted to jump into the book and give her a hug. Despite the other plot points involving Mackenzie, it was this core part of her character I keep remembering now, so long after I finished the last page.
The storyline involving her friend Grace’s son was very well done. It created some conflict for Mackenzie, as well as (eventually) dropping a shocking twist that explains a lot about some things that didn’t quite add up about Grace’s behavior. Another intriguing storyline involved Mackenzie’s issues with the spa’s new owner, which made her life that much more difficult.
Before and Again is a great read. Delinsky’s writing was is superb/ The characters and situations she created for them are vivid, beautifully flawed, and—above all else—completely believable in every way. Well done, Ms. Delinsky… very well done.
If you haven’t read this novel yet, what are you waiting for? You don’t want to miss out on this wonderful book!
I received an advance reading copy of this book courtesy of St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley.
I was provided an advance copy of this novel from the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, through Netgalley.
Before and Again is one of those get-lost-in-a-book reads. Perfect for vacation, commuting–any tune out the world moment. The characters are believably flawed and the story is current and fresh. And while I started this one convinced I knew how it would play out, the story still held surprises. It’s entertaining, but also a realistic reminder that our lives can change in the blink of an eye.
I always enjoy Barbara Delinsky’s books. Her writing is smooth and descriptive. I also love her depiction of strong women. The Delinsky “recipe” was here for this book but unfortunately it needed more time to bake. To me it felt like this was an author’s rough copy. There were two strong plots in the book. The second one, the one involving Grace, came on strong but then fizzled and felt rushed to come to a conclusion. It was overshadowed by the main plot involving the main character. Situations were dropped in the reader’s lap out of the blue and once over the initial “How did that happen?” there was a lot of rambling. I really think Barbara Delinsky should have broken this novel up into two separate stories. Both had good bones. All in al,l this won’t deter me from reading her next novel.