Sweet Life
Marissa and Paul Price are living the fast-paced life in Manhattan. They have prestigious jobs, and their eight-year-old daughter, Pansy, has a nanny and is enrolled in the right school. When Paul is offered a management position at a resort on Hawaii’s Big Island, they decide to move to paradise, but it is not what they expect. For the first time, Marissa becomes a stay-at-home mom in a house that unexpectedly turns out to be a fixer-upper. Paul absolutely loves his new life, while Marissa is miserable. The cracks in their marriage widen, and when Paul tells her that he needs time away from her negativity, Marissa suspects another woman. Supporting two homes creates financial hardship, so Marissa takes in female tenants and starts repairing the house, intending to sell it and return to New York. But then she starts bonding with her roommates and the island. A truly delightful read by the author of Good Things (2007) that highlights the nontourist Hawaii and incorporates King’s trademark recipes. --Patty Engelmann