4.1
-
1,033 ratings
From the author of the acclaimed The Opposite of Me, a poignant, witty novel about marriage, forgiveness, and the choices that give shape—and limits—to our lives.
What would you do if your husband suddenly wanted to rewrite all of the rules of your relationship? This is the question at the heart of Skipping a Beat, Pekkanen’s thought-provoking second book.
From the outside, Julia and Michael seem to have it all. Both products of difficult childhoods in rural West Virginia – where they were simply Julie and Mike – they become high school sweethearts and fall in love. Shortly after graduation, they flee their small town to start afresh. Now thirty-somethings, they are living a rarified life in their multi-million-dollar, Washington D.C. home. Julia is a highly sought-after party planner, while Michael has just sold his wildly successful flavored water company for $70 million.
But one day, Michael collapses in his office. Four minutes and eight seconds after his cardiac arrest, a portable defibrillator jump-starts his heart. But in those lost minutes he becomes a different man. Money is meaningless to him - and he wants to give it all away. Julia, who sees bits of her life reflected in scenes from the world’s great operas, is now facing with a choice she never anticipated. Should she should walk away from the man she once adored – but who truthfully became a stranger to her long before this pronouncement - or give in to her husband's pleas for a second chance and a promise of a poorer but happier life?
As wry and engaging as her debut, but with quiet depth and newfound maturity, Skipping a Beat is an unforgettable portrait of a marriage whose glamorous surface belies the complications and betrayals beneath.
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ISBN-10
1451609825
ISBN-13
978-1451609820
Print length
352 pages
Language
English
Publisher
Atria Books
Publication date
February 21, 2011
Dimensions
5.31 x 1 x 8.25 inches
Item weight
9.8 ounces
ASIN :
B0043RSK94
File size :
6534 KB
Text-to-speech :
Enabled
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Supported
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“The impossible choice between true love and the trappings of success is explored in Skipping a Beat. Sarah Pekkanen proves masterful at creating nuanced, complex characters deadlocked with emotional conflict, and the story culminates in an ending that will leave readers breathless. Evocative and compelling, it couldn’t be more satisfying.” —Jen Lancaster, author of Bitter is the New Black
"A provocative, poignant look at marriage, money and the things that matter most." —Beth Kendrick, author of The Pre-Nup
"Original, engaging, and soulful, Skipping a Beat explores the complexity of marriage and what it really means to share a life. I fell in love with Julia, a funny, flawed and utterly real heroine—and felt the weight of her dilemma with every page, all the way through to the surprising, satisfying finish." —Emily Giffin, New York Times bestselling author of Something Borrowed and Heart of the Matter
"Original, engaging, and soulful" —Emily Giffin, New York Times bestselling author of Something Borrowed
“Skipping a Beat explores the complexity of marriage and what it really means to share a life. I fell in love with Julia, and felt the weight of her dilemma with every page, all the way through to the surprising, satisfying finish.” —Emily Giffin, New York Times bestselling author of Something Borrowed and Heart of the Matter
"Sarah Pekkanen explores the impossible choice between true love and the trappings of success. She is masterful at creating nuanced, complex characters deadlocked with emotional conflict, and the story culminates in an ending that will leave readers breathless." —Jen Lancaster, author of Bitter Is the New Black
"Tender and funny in turn, Sarah Pekkanen has made modern marriage exciting in this imaginative and heartfelt tale of love and healing." —Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus, #1 New York Times bestselling authors of The Nanny Diaries
"In her second novel, Pekkanen (The Opposite of Me) offers a wonderfully compelling, compassionate, and complicated portrait of the marriage of Julie and Michael Dunhill. Meeting in high school, the two were both determined to leave their hometown behind and make something of their lives, contrary to how they were raised. With Michael’s colossal and unpredicted financial success, these once loving sweethearts drift apart and find different foci for their passionate energies—Michael is completely absorbed in his DrinkUp company and Julie in her party-planning business. When Michael collapses on his office floor and dies for four minutes and eight seconds, their whole world changes, and both are left to reevaluate what they thought was important in life. For Julie though, this is a struggle to overcome the disappointment, sense of abandonment, and misunderstandings she’s harbored against her husband for years. VERDICT: In this compelling and satisfying read, Pekkanen offers relatable characters that move you and an ending that surprises and pleases. Highly recommended." —Library Journal, starred review
“A two-hanky weepy… A tragic turn of events redirects what could have been a predictable romance into a drama on the fragility of love and marriage.” —Kirkus
“An insightful examination of a marriage. The moving story and bittersweet ending will draw in readers” —Booklist
"This portrait of a couple forced to take responsibility for the breakdown of their relationship is at once heartbreaking and familiar." —People
“Intelligent and entertaining.” —The Washington Post
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One
WHEN MY HUSBAND, MICHAEL, died for the first time, I was walking across a freshly waxed marble floor in three-inch Stuart Weitzman heels, balancing a tray of cupcakes in my shaking hands.
Shaking because I’d overdosed on sugar—someone had to heroically step up and taste-test the cupcakes, after all—and not because I was worried about slipping and dropping the tray, even though these weren’t your run-of-the-mill Betty Crockers. These were molten chocolate and cayenne-pepper masterpieces, and each one was topped with a name scripted in edible gold leaf.
Decadent cupcakes as place cards for the round tables encircling the ballroom—it was the kind of touch that kept me in brisk business as a party planner. Tonight, we’d raise half a million for the Washington, D.C., Opera Company. Maybe more, if the waiters kept topping off those wine and champagne glasses like I’d instructed them.
“Julia!”
I carefully set down the tray, then spun around to see the fretful face of the assistant florist who’d called my name.
“The caterer wants to lower our centerpieces,” he wailed, agony practically oozing from his pores. I didn’t blame him. His boss, the head florist—a gruff little woman with more than a hint of a mustache—secretly scared me, too.
“No one touches the flowers,” I said, trying to sound as tough as Clint Eastwood would, should he ever become ensconced in a brawl over the proper length of calla lilies.
My cell phone rang and I reached for it, absently glancing at the caller ID. It was my husband, Michael. He’d texted me earlier to announce he was going on a business trip and would miss the birthday dinner my best friend was throwing for me later in the month. If Michael had a long-term mistress, it might be easier to compete, but his company gyrated and beckoned in his mind more enticingly than any strategically oiled Victoria’s Secret model. I’d long ago resigned myself to the fact that work had replaced me as Michael’s true love. I ignored the call and dropped the phone back into my pocket.
Later, of course, I’d realize it wasn’t Michael phoning but his personal assistant, Kate. By then, my husband had stood up from the head of the table in his company’s boardroom, opened his mouth to speak, and crashed to the carpeted floor. All in the same amount of time it took me to walk across a ballroom floor just a few miles away.
The assistant florist raced off and was instantly replaced by a white-haired, grandfatherly looking security guard from the Little Jewelry Box.
“Miss?” he said politely.
I silently thanked my oxygen facials and caramel highlights for his decision not to call me ma’am. I was about to turn thirty-five, which meant I wouldn’t be able to hide from the liver-spotted hands of ma’am-dom forever, but I’d valiantly dodge their bony grasp for as long as possible.
“Where would you like these?” the guard asked, indicating the dozen or so rectangular boxes he was carrying on a tray draped in black velvet. The boxes were wrapped in a shade of silver that exactly matched the gun nestled against his ample hip.
“On the display table just inside the front door, please,” I instructed him. “People need to see them as soon as they walk in.” People would bid tens of thousands of dollars to win a surprise bauble, if only to show everyone else that they could. The guard was probably a retired policeman, trying to earn money to supplement his pension, and I knew he’d been ordered to keep those boxes in his sight all night long.
“Can I get you anything? Maybe some coffee?” I offered.
“Better not,” he said with a wry smile. The poor guy probably wasn’t drinking anything because the jewelry store wouldn’t even let him take a bathroom break. I made a mental note to pack up a few dinners for him to bring home.
My BlackBerry vibrated just as I began placing the cupcakes around the head table and mentally debating the sticky problem of the video game guru who looked and acted like a thirteen-year-old overdue for his next dose of Ritalin. I’d sandwich him between a female U.S. senator and a co-owner of the Washington Blazes professional basketball team, I decided. They were both tall; they could talk over the techie’s head.
At that moment, a dozen executives were leaping up from their leather chairs to cluster around Michael’s limp body. They were all shouting at each other to call 911—this crowd was used to giving orders, not taking them—and demanding that someone perform CPR.
As I stood in the middle of the ballroom, smoothing out a crease on a white linen napkin and inhaling the sweet scent of lilies, the worst news I could possibly imagine was being delivered by a baby-faced representative from the D.C. Opera Company.
“Melanie has a sore throat,” he announced somberly.
I sank into a chair with a sigh and wiggled my tired feet out of my shoes. Perfect. Melanie was the star soprano who was scheduled to sing a selection from Orfeo ed Euridice tonight. If those overflowing wineglasses didn’t get checkbooks whipped out of pockets, Melanie’s soaring, lyrical voice definitely would. I desperately needed Melanie tonight.
“Where is she?” I demanded.
“In a room at the Mayflower Hotel,” the opera rep said.
“Oh, crap! Who booked her a room?”
“Um … me,” he said. “Is that a prob—”
“Get her a suite,” I interrupted. “The biggest one they have.”
“Why?” he asked, his snub nose wrinkling in confusion. “How will that help her get better?”
“What was your name again?” I asked. “Patrick Riley.”
Figures; put a four-leaf clover in his lapel and he could’ve been the poster boy for Welcome to Ireland!
“And Patrick, how long have you been working for the opera company?” I asked gently.
“Three weeks,” he admitted.
“Just trust me on this.” Melanie required drama the way the rest of us needed water. If I hydrated her with a big scene now, Melanie might miraculously rally and forgo a big scene tonight.
“Send over a warm-mist humidifier,” I continued as Patrick whipped out a notebook and scribbled away, diligent as a cub reporter chasing his big break. “No, two! Get her lozenges, chamomile tea with honey, whatever you can think of. Buy out CVS. If Melanie wants a lymphatic massage, have the hotel concierge arrange it immediately. Here—” I pulled out my BlackBerry and scrolled down to the name of my private doctor.
“Call Dr. Rushman. If he can’t make it over there, have him send someone who can.”
Dr. Rushman would make it, I was sure. He’d drop whatever he was doing if he knew I needed him. He was the personal physician for the Washington Blazes basketball team.
My husband, Michael, was another one of the team’s co-owners.
“Got it,” Patrick said. He glanced down at my feet, turned bright red, and scampered away. Must’ve been my toe cleavage; it tends to have that effect on men.
I finished placing the final cupcake before checking my messages. By the time I read the frantic e-mails from Kate, who was trying to find out if Michael had any recently diagnosed illnesses like epilepsy or diabetes that we’d been keeping secret, it was already over.
While Armani-clad executives clustered around my husband, Bob the mail-room guy took one look at the scene and sped down the hallway, white envelopes scattering like confetti behind him. He sprinted to the receptionist’s desk and found the portable defibrillator my husband’s company had purchased just six months earlier. Then he raced back, ripped open Michael’s shirt, put his ear to Michael’s chest to confirm that my husband’s heart had stopped beating, and applied the sticky patches to Michael’s chest. “Analyzing …,” said the machine’s electronic voice. “Shock advisable.”
The Italian opera Orfeo ed Euridice is a love story. In it, Euridice dies and her grieving husband travels to the Underworld to try to bring her back to life. Melanie the soprano was scheduled to sing the heartbreaking aria that comes as Euridice is suspended between the twin worlds of Death and Life.
Maybe it shouldn’t have surprised me that Euridice’s aria was playing in my head as Bob the mail-room guy bent over my husband’s body, shocking Michael’s heart until it finally began beating again. Because sometimes, it seems to me as if all of the big moments in my life can be traced back to the gorgeous, timeworn stories of opera.
Four minutes and eight seconds. That’s how long my husband, Michael Dunhill, was dead.
Four minutes and eight seconds. That’s how long it took for my husband to become a complete stranger to me.
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Sarah Pekkanen
Sarah Pekkanen is the #1 New York Times bestselling co-author of four novels of suspense including THE GOLDEN COUPLE and THE WIFE BETWEEN US, and the solo author of the thriller GONE TONIGHT, will be published Aug. 1, 2023. Colleen Hoover says it is "Riveting, original and powerful. I'm a huge fan of Sarah Pekkanen's books, and GONE TONIGHT is her best yet!"
Sarah is also the author of eight USA Today and internationally-bestselling solo novels: THE OPPOSITE OF ME, SKIPPING A BEAT, THESE GIRLS, THE BEST OF US, CATCHING AIR, THINGS YOU DON'T SAY, THE PERFECT NEIGHBORS and THE EVER AFTER. Her books have been translated into dozens of languages.
In her free time, Sarah is a dedicated volunteer for rescue animals and serves as Ambassador for RRSA India, working hands-on to vaccinate and heal street dogs in Anand, India. She also volunteers weekly for a horse rescue group in Maryland, mucking stalls and helping mistreated horses heal.
Sarah lives just outside of Washington, D.C. with her family. Please follow Sarah on Facebook and Instagram @sarahpekkanen and visit www.sarahpekkanen.com
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Customer reviews
4.1 out of 5
1,033 global ratings
Bellingham Bookworm
5
Not Your Average Chick Lit...Thank Goodness
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2011
Verified Purchase
This is a very difficult book to review because I can't reveal too much with giving away spoilers. So with that in mind I'll speak a little generally here.
I will first admit that I LOVE chick lit. Love it! However, after a while the books written in that genre do tend to follow a formula. Nice, yet quirky girl discovers: a) her husband is a cheater and plans to leave her for a younger bimbo, b) she loses her job through no fault of her own, or c) she realizes that she is nearing some big milestone (30th birthday or similar) and discovers that she forgot to grow up. Then various mishaps unfold until the girl finds a happy ending.
You need to know that this book is not like that at all. Instead of a cartoonish main female character, a kooky best friend, and a one dimensional love interest you get real characters that you care about. I love the nuances of these characters, flaws and all. The author has created a story of marriage, drifting apart, staying together out of convenience and regret that is spun so beautifully that by the end of the book you will be bleeding for these characters.
If I had one little piece of criticism it would be that the end wrapped up everything up in a tight red bow. Though I suppose if it hadn't I would have been bitterly disappointed. I had a very satisfying and ugly cry that only a truly excellent book can give you.
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30 people found this helpful
Miss.Mini
5
Heartfelt and great story
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2011
Verified Purchase
I finished this book a few weeks ago and it still is having a positive effect on my life. Maybe not big changes but it really makes you think about your own selfish ways, being materialistic and taking things for granted. This is the first book I have read by this author but it made me immediately order her other novel, "Opposite of me" because her writing really draws you in. At first the book was a bit slow. The main character could get a little annoying and very materialistic. But the way the author details and goes in depth about why the main character is the way she is today, and the background stories on each character were wonderful. This story was a different take on romantic love story and falling back in love after a marriage falls apart, then going back to the beginning of why you fell in love to start putting back the pieces to realize that love is more important than money. I look forward to reading the authors other novels and recommend this book to everyone. A great read, and wonderful touching story. I think it would make a great movie too, or at least one that I would go see :)
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Reading Renee
5
Loved it
Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2024
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I love this author! I went back to her catalog to buy all of her books after reading You Are Not Alone. I was not disappointed. The main characters Julia and Michael were high school sweethearts who stayed married but, lead separate lives.
The author divides time between Julia's internal dialogue, her best friend, and Michael along with Julia. This couple went through the beginning stages of becoming a power couple. Both came from nothing and made their way to becoming very wealthy. Along the way they both seemed to want a closet of clothes, a safe with cash and jewelry and a 9+ figure bank account. They value money and assets because of their childhood. If you have a gambling father who literally lost the house I think the value of assets will be a high priority. Michael's father put him in a position that made him succeed. He used that to drive himself into success.
This is a great story about young love, goals and loss. I say it is a must read. Wait for the epilogue!
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Patricia J. Mills
5
not fluff stuff!
Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2013
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Since I have not known this author to write "fluff stuff" I was not expecting this to be a light read. However, I did not expect this book to elicit the powerful emotions that were forthcoming. "Skipping a Beat" is a beautifully written, compelling, journey into a situation that is truly remarkable in it's ability to touch areas of the heart not often reached by most novels. It exposes things about the people involved and, perhaps, the reader, that we would rather not admit, even to ourselves. Good people are maybe not so great when all of the layers are peeled away and we are faced with life changing decisions. The issue of forgiveness is also an important one. How long should we hold onto wrongs done to us when, in reality, a truly good person lets go and goes on. It would be difficult to read this book without a handy handkerchief and even more difficult to forget its message. Read it and weep!!!
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3 people found this helpful
Stephanie Kern
5
Can't Recommend it Enough!
Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2011
Verified Purchase
Saying I loved this story just isn't enough! I woke my husband up in the wee hours of the morning sobbing after I finished it, just to tell him how much I loved him. Days after reading this novel, I found it sticking with me, and it is definitely one I could pick up and read again after a while.
Sarah has a knack for how to tell a beautifully woven story, with rich characters, and poignant plot elements. Her characters grab you initially, and I found Julia instantly likeable and I loved watching her grow throughout the novel.
I love the intense look at a marriage and what it takes to make it work after years. I found the flashbacks of how Michael and Julia first fell in love and the first years of their relationship, coupled with their current state of their marriage to be refreshing. I found myself campaigning for Michael to hopefully be able to win Julia's heart back as more and more complexities of their life together came into the forefront.
I've recommended this book and Sarah's previous one, "The Opposite of Me" to everyone I know. Sarah knows how to grab a reader's attention and keep them there. :)
Can't wait to read more of Sarah's novels!!!
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