More Then Friends

The Pope and Maxwell families are much closer than just neighbors. Annie Pope and Teke Maxwell were college roommates. J.D. Maxwell and Sam Pope are best friends as well as partners in J.D.’s father’s law firm. Their kids have grown up together, they have holidays together and they are all best of friends. Everything changes when Sam and Teke are caught having sex by Teke’s son, Michael. To make matters worse, Michael runs out in the street and his hit by a car driven by Teke’s old lover, Grady. Everyone’s lives are changed by what happened and whether their marriages as well as friendships survive is dealt with in the story.

This is a book that features an ensemble cast. All their lives are intertwined and their respective actions affect them all. Annie and Sam have the “ideal” marriage. Their relationship is rock solid until the foundation is shaken by Sam’s action. This reader was impressed with Annie’s strength. I can’t imagine many women would be able to do what she does when her best friend sleeps with her husband. Sam is harder to understand but he tries his best to win his wife back. Although this reader didn’t believe he groveled enough. Teke and J.D. marriage just exists. The passion is lacking and they are together because of their kids. What Teke does causes them both to reassess their marriage and lives. It is not surprising that both couples suffer extreme angst and their children also suffer. Ms. Delinsky does a great job of showing the pain experienced by everyone. The characters and their relationships are riveting. Ms. Delinksy fully develops her characters. The reader gets to know Annie, Teke, J.D., Sam as well as their children. The only problem this reader had with the story was the believability factor of Sam’s excuse. The explanation that Sam gives for his moment of indiscretion, this reader didn’t really accept as we found it to be to totally lame. He tells his wife that he thought it was her he was having sex with – frankly it would have been better if he said he had a moment of insanity. Otherwise, the rest of the story moved at a nice pace and we came to like most of the characters.

MORE THAN FRIENDS takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster as we follow the lives of the Pope and Maxwell families. It is an emotionally packed story that will bring tears to your eyes.

August 2007