Audrey McGeary has a wonderful life with her firefighter husband, Leo, and her sons. But one tragic ski accident changes everything and suddenly Audrey is navigating life as a widow and single mum. Unbeknown to Audrey, 12 years before his death, Leo in a drunken state made his best friend, Garrett, sign a pact to marry Audrey if anything should happen to him. Upon learning of Leo’s death, Garrett buys a one-way ticket to Oregon to be near Audrey and her children. Leo was in the midst of a home renovation at the time of his death and Garrett makes a promise to himself that he will finish the house. He flies across country with the written pact from years earlier tucked in his rolled-up socks. Audrey and Garrett tackle the upcoming months of grief together. Their feelings for each other change through the months, but the drunken pact from years ago threatens to ruin everything.
This book is a beautifully written story about the loss of a spouse. The novel shifts between the perspectives of Leo, Garrett, Audrey, and Audrey’s son and explores Audrey’s understandable mixture of love and resentment towards her late husband. (AO)
