Suddenly

Barbara Delinsky

Dr. Paige Pfeiffer receives a phone call. Her best friend, Mara, a partner in her pediatric medical practice, has been found dead. Was it suicide or an accident? Mara was the socially aware partner, a strong woman and an excellent doctor. She was expecting a baby from India anytime that she would adopt. She had a thriving practice. And she was dead.

Paige and the two remaining partners, Angie and Peter, deal with the reprecussions. Paige makes the funeral arrangements and closes up the house. All of them pitch in to cover the patient load. And when Sami, the small girl from India, shows up, Paige takes on her foster care until a new home can be found.

Mara's death brought out many unsuspected issues. Paige found letters that Mara had written about her life. Mara's hopes and dreams made Paige re-evaluate her own life. Angie and Peter also are affected, and this affects their personal lives as well. Their small town complacency has been shaken up.

To complicate matters, Paige finds herself attracted to the local private school head master. He is only at the school for one year. Paige does not want any more changes in her life, and Noah would definitely bring more change. Noah has issues as well as he takes a poorly run private school and tries to turn it around.

This is a complex, well done story. It is labeled a romance, but instead is the saga of change in people's lives. The romance is actually only the side light. These feel like real people dealing with real issues. When complacency is shaken up, people react differently. Yet when trouble occurs, they can once again pull together.

Notice: Strong sexual content