After her husband leaves her for a younger woman, forty-five-year-old Adrienne Willis reconsiders her entire life, until a trip to Rodanthe in North Carolina's outer banks leads to an encounter with successful surgeon Paul Flanner.

Top chef Penny Jackson, who has finally made a name for herself in the Seattle culinary scene, is stunned when her ex-husband Cal Buchanan makes her an offer she cannot refuse, and now, as they work closely together, she finds herself in hot water as passion flares between them.

A tale set against a backdrop of the glossy magazine and advertising worlds of 1960s London follows a harrowing courtroom custody battle between Eliza, who gave up her writing job to marry, and her ex-husband, Matt, an edgy working-class man.

The role divorce plays on emotional stability can be devastating for many men and women - anger, resentment, and a sense of loss often linger well beyond the life and death of the marriage. Since much of the stigma of the past has been lifted, many are discovering that it is easier to work through these negative emotions, turning this life-altering event into a positive one by creating a better, more fulfilling life after divorce.

"Strout's iconic heroine Lucy Barton recounts her complex, tender relationship with William, her first husband -- and longtime, on-again-off-again friend and confidante."--

"... China comes to the aid of a nurse who ends up in the hospital ... It's mid-April in Pecan Springs, and China is renting her guest cottage to Kelly Kaufman, who needs a temporary place to live as she contends with a very acrimonious divorce from her husband, Rich. One nasty point of dispute is her part ownership of the Comanche Creek Brewing Company, which she is refusing to sell. At the same time, as a nurse employed by a local hospice, Kelly...

Determined to avoid relationships that will only end in painful breakups, Whitney Talbot makes a checklist of everything she wants in a life partner. Construction worker Lane Martin possesses a few of these traits--especially the tall, dark and devastatingly attractive part. But Lane has unavoidable baggage: he's divorced, with a teenage son. So why is Whitney still fantasizing about taking their mutual infatuation to the next level? It takes an...

"Ryan McKinley has tried to move on from his ex-wife Abby. He's sulked, he's gotten angry, and ultimately he bought her dream house. Big mistake. Living alone in the massive 2-story has only made him miss her more. When her parents call him out of the blue about their anniversary party in Summer Harbor, Maine, Ryan believes God has dropped a golden opportunity straight in his lap"--

"One man's disappearance throws four women's lives into chaos--and not all will survive. Vicki works as an aromatherapist, healing her clients out of her home studio with her special blends of essential oils. She's just finishing a session when the police arrive on her doorstep--her ex-husband David has gone missing. Vicki insists she last saw him years ago when they divorced, but the police clearly don't believe her. And her memory's hardly reliable--what...