This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration.

In Twenty Years

Summary: Twenty years ago, six Penn students shared a house, naively certain that their friendships would endure—until the death of their ringleader and dear friend Bea splintered the group for good. Now, mostly estranged from one another, the remaining five reluctantly gather at that same house on the eve of what would have been Bea’s fortieth birthday.

But along with the return of the friends come old grudges, unrequited feelings, and buried secrets. Catherine, the CEO of a domestic empire, and Owen, a stay-at-home dad, were picture-perfect college sweethearts—but now teeter on the brink of disaster. Lindy, a well-known musician, is pushing middle age in an industry that’s all about youth and slowly self-destructing as she grapples with her own identity. Behind his smile, handsome plastic surgeon Colin harbors the heartbreaking truth about his own history with Bea. And Annie carefully curates her life on Instagram and Facebook, keeping up appearances so she doesn’t have to face the truth about her own empty reality.

Reunited in the place where so many dreams began, and bolstered by the hope of healing, each of them is forced to confront the past.

 

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

This is my first Allison Winn Scotch book- I was captivated by the cover and the summary (reunion stories!)

I’m not the same age as the people in the book. I’m close-ish, but still a few years away. But, I can remember college and the feelings that you have with your close buddies- you will be besties FOREVER! And life is going to happen just the way you want because you are in your twenties and if you can dream it then you can do it!

But then things happen. Marriage. Friends drifting apart. Real life. And soon- all those vows, all those promises just get put aside. And you may be doing basically what your young 20-ish self thought you would be doing in life- but if you asked her, well it wouldn’t even resemble that young person’s plan. Not really. Because you had youth, a fresh-faced naive way of looking at life. (Please don’t think I’m knocking 20’s- I’m not!)

When the 5 of the friends return to the house they shared back in college, it’s the weekend of what would be Bea’s 40th birthday- and the Penn 5 are forced to confront the past, make room for the future and figure out what gift Bea is trying to give them.

I really thought I was going to LOVE this book, but this was just ok for me. It wasn’t the writing, it wasn’t the setting. It was the characters. None were really that likeable to me. Like I felt ugh for them when I saw them making mistakes or revealing that life kind of sucked, etc… But I didn’t want to hug them or anything. I even sometimes wanted to say “You know.. life didn’t turn out the way you want. Suck it up.”

But I kept on reading because even though they were not my fave characters, the Penn 5 were readable. And Allison Winn Scotch could have provided them with some quick and easy happy endings- and she didn’t. They were back at the house to face the music (so to speak!)

Bottom line: I would read more of Allison’s books in the future. This was well-written and well-planned. The Penn 5 just were not my fave characters!

 

*This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.*

**In Twenty Years by Allison Winn Scotch is a July #FuturisticFriday selection from Traveling With T.**

 

Happy Reading and Bookishly Yours,

T @ Traveling With T