Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney

Good Company
By Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney
Ecco, 9780062876003, April 6, 2021, 320pp.

The Short of It:

Marriage for some, is like walking a tightrope without a net.

The Rest of It:

When Julian and Flora first met, they were both struggling artists in the process of finding themselves. Scraping to get by was never enjoyable but there was something to be said for blood, sweat and tears and being able to build something together meant something. Good Company, a small theatre group born out of Julian’s dreams to run his own theatre took center stage for many years but when they each started to have their own successes with acting and then had a beautiful daughter of their own, they moved to Los Angeles and there, the romantic lure of acting wasn’t as shiny as it was when they were newly married yet still an important part of who they were.

The benefit to being in Los Angeles is that Flora is once again close to her dear friends Margo and David. Margo, also an actress but much more recognizable than Flora had ever been, is the friend that always grounds Flora no matter what is going on. Years and years of friendship and Margot’s own challenges with her husband who suffered a stroke, do nothing but bond them tighter together. That’s why Flora finds herself completely lost when a secret comes out and she’s not sure if she can turn to Margot for support.

This is one of those dishy reads that you zip through. There is a lot of mature drama. Marriage difficulties, insecurities, trying to keep up appearances for your adult child, the threat of an empty nest, success and what happens to a relationship when it’s been strained. Flora and Julian’s story is intermingled with that of Margot’s and I found it to be a good balance. This isn’t an “escape” read because it’s too rooted in real life for that feeling to overcome you but I didn’t mind spending time with these characters and felt that the ending was appropriately realistic.

I think I felt the same way about Sweeney’s previous book, The Nest. A good read but probably not one that will stick with me. I would have liked the story to go a bit deeper into Flora’s character. She had a lot going on and was presented with some very difficult choices. I would have appreciated more of her.

I don’t usually give starred ratings here on the blog, but I do on GoodReads and I’d give this one a solid three stars if that helps.

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

The Nest
By Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney
Ecco Press, Hardcover, 9780062414212, March 2016, 368pp.

The Short of It:

One sibling’s poor decision ends up jeopardizing the nest egg that his other siblings have come to rely on.

The Rest of It:

Family secrets and money. The two seem to go hand in hand and that is most definitely the case here. The Plumb family is dysfunctional but also somewhat typical in that they all have their own unique issues to deal with.

When Leo’s drunk driving results in the injury of a young woman, a woman who is not his wife, the nest egg that all of this siblings expected to receive when the youngest turned forty, is instead used to keep things quiet. This upsets them and they react to the news in different ways.Threatened by their predicament, they turn towards each other for support.

This was a pretty good read. At first, it felt a little superficial but it quickly turned into something much more complex. Whenever people are thrown into a difficult situation, how they recover and what they do next says a lot about them. These siblings are forced to “make it work” and although there is worry and stress and plenty of resentment, there is also a family bond that can’t be ignored.

Overall, a very good read.

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

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