Sleeping in Eden by Nicole Baart

She knew what he wrote . . .

One little word that made her feel both cheated and beloved.

One word that changed everything.

MINE.

On a chilly morning in the Northwest Iowa town of Blackhawk, Dr. Lucas Hudson is filling in for the vacationing coroner on a seemingly open-and-shut suicide case. His own life is crumbling around him, but when he unearths the body of a woman buried in the barn floor beneath the hanging corpse, he realizes this terrible discovery could change everything. . . .

Years before Lucas ever set foot in Blackhawk, Meg Painter met Dylan Reid. It was the summer before high school and the two quickly became inseparable. Although Meg’s older neighbor, Jess, was the safe choice, she couldn’t let go of Dylan no matter how hard she tried.

Caught in a web of jealousy and deceit that spiraled out of control, Meg’s choices in the past ultimately collide with Lucas’s discovery in the present, weaving together a taut story of unspoken secrets and the raw, complex passions of innocence lost.

My Review:

Alternating chapters tell two seemingly different stories about Dr. Lucas Hudson and his wife, Jenna whose marriage is falling apart; and Meg Painter, a young girl experiencing difficulty choosing between two fellows. Toward the end of the book, the stories converge and mysteries are solved. The chapters are short, and pages seem to quickly turn. There were times when I wanted to skip the next chapter so as to continue reading one story or the other, but I resisted and read as the author intended.

My favorite scene is between Lucas and Jenna, when they finally talk.

This novel contains some profanity and indicates sex scenes between an unmarried couple.

Reading Group Guide included.

Thank you to Anne Staszalek at Authors On The Web and Howard Books for my copy.