I'm going to say right off the bat that this book lands somewhere between 3 and 4 stars for me. It is probably my least favorite of the three J. Courtney Sullivan books I've read in the last 6 months, but I still enjoyed it. 

There were two reasons I wasn't as in to this novel: there was only character I liked in any real way, and the ending felt a bit complete. I could really relate to Maggie and was rooting for, so she was far and away my favorite character. None of the other main characters I found likable in the slightest, which is a theme I've noticed in Sullivan's work but in this novel they almost didn't have any redemptive qualities. I would read an entire novel about Maggie and this next adventure she's on, though. 

As for the ending, it was left open to interpretation, which is fine, but I felt it lacked the punch I was expecting/hoping for. All of the big reveals I was waiting for left me wanting just a bit more, and one of the major points of tension came off as extremely inconsequential in the end. Sullivan's characters are always well-rounded and I'm always drawn into their world, but this world didn't feel as complete as that of "Commencement" and "Saints for All Occasions". 

Minor notes - I would've loved to have seen more of/learned more about Daniel. He was the star of the show in my opinion, and definitely married down with Alice. I also loved Mary! I guess the side characters were my favorite parts of this book. 

Favorite line: "They seemed utterly comfortable with one another, like they knew each other all the way through. Maggie wondered if she would ever feel that way about another person." (447) 

3.5/5 stars - could've used another ~50 pages to really finish the story