First published 2013
Denise Shaw reaches for another pill to get through her demanding workday. What started as occasional prescription drug use has become a daily necessity. Her husband Derrek began using cocaine socially with colleagues, but his workplace habit has spiraled beyond his control. For fifteen years, the Shaws have maintained their image as the ideal couple in their upscale Chicago suburb. They have successful careers, a beautiful home, and their daughter Mackenzie. Now their addictions are destroying the foundation of their relationship. Derrek wants to get clean, but a sudden family tragedy pulls him back into drug use. Denise cannot function without her pills. As her parents lose control, Mackenzie decides to take action herself. She makes a surprising choice that could either rescue her family or come too late to matter. The Shaws must confront whether their marriage can survive the secrets they have been hiding.
Genres: domestic-fiction, addiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-drama, secrets
Setting: Chicago
Period: contemporary
179 pages · Hardcover · Grand Central Publishing
Content warnings: addiction, drug-use, substance-abuse