The promise of us

Characters continue their struggles against personal trauma, illness, and past betrayals in Beck's leisurely second Sanctuary Sound contemporary. Claire McKenna, a victim of a shooting, has sequestered herself in her sleepy childhood town. When her longtime crush, Logan Prescott, shows up in town with his sister (and Claire's former friend), Peyton, complex past emotions resurface, and Claire wonders whether she will ever be able to move past her fears and resentment. Repetitive backstory slows the pace early on, and though Claire is a capable entrepreneur and has survived a violent attack, the repeated, overdramatic descriptions of her woes (including her continued concern about her weight) sometimes makes it difficult to sympathize with her pain or be impressed by her skills, and trivializes both her and her parents' trauma. Peyton, far more actualized, is a cancer survivor who has grown since her betrayal of Claire 18 months earlier. Claire's relationship with Logan carries the book; it's fluid and enticing as they facilitate each other's growth. Though the observations on life are somewhat clichAcd and sugary, fans of sentimental stories will find this one satisfying. Agent: Jill Marsal, Marsal Lyon Literary. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

A cautious interior designer is brought face to face with the best friend who betrayed herand her friend's gorgeous older brother.When she was 15, a random act of violence ended Claire McKenna's promising tennis career. She retreated to her coastal Connecticut hometown, surrounded by loving family and friends. Claire learned to live with the lingering physical effects of her bullet wound, but the trauma's toll on her mind has been harder to overcome. After her boyfriend dumped her for her close friend Peyton, Claire became more frightened of loss than ever. She clings to her safe routines: weekly dinners with her parents, her book club, and her small interior design business. When Peyton returns home to Sanctuary Sound to recover from cancer treatments, her handsome older brother, Logan, joins her. Logan is Claire's opposite: a Manhattan-based photojournalist and fashion photographer with wanderlust and an eye for stunning women. At first, Logan reaches out to Claire to help repair her broken friendship with Peyton. Soon, Logan's seductive entreaties tempt Claire to take some personal and professional risks. Beck (The Memory of You, 2018, etc.) is in fine form in this small-town romance that's light on sensuality but thick with emotional entanglements. Logan accuses Claire of "settling for less than [she] want[s] because it's safe," but Claire worries she will be "a blip in his rearview mirror." While their romance develops a tad too unhurriedly, Beck's depiction of trauma, loss, friendship, and family resonates deeply.A low-key small-town romance unflinching in its portrayal of the complexities of friendship and family and the joys and sorrows they bring. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.