#SRC2016 Book Spotlight: The Sweetheart Deal by Polly Dugan

Title:The Sweetheart Deal

Author:Polly Dugan

Published:May 2015, Little, Brown & Company

Format:Hardcover, 320 pages

The poignant story of what happens when a woman who thinks she’s lost everything has the chance to love again.

Leo
has long joked that, in the event of his death, he wants his best
friend Garrett, a lifelong bachelor, to marry his wife, Audrey. One
drunken night, he goes so far as to make Garrett promise to do so. Then,
twelve years later, Leo, a veteran firefighter, dies in a skiing
accident.

As Audrey navigates her new role as widow and single
parent, Garrett quits his job in Boston and buys a one-way ticket out
west. Before long, Audrey’s feelings for Garrett become more than
platonic, and Garrett finds himself falling for Audrey, her boys, and
their life together in Portland. When Audrey finds out about the drunken
pact from years ago, though, the harmless promise that brought Garrett
into her world becomes the obstacle to his remaining in it.

What readers are saying:

“The Sweetheart Deal hits all of my favorite topics: loss, pain,
friendship, betrayal-but ultimately love. It’s the most romantic story
I’ve read in years.”―Elin Hilderbrand, author of Beautiful Day and The Matchmaker

“Heartfelt and wise, Polly Dugan’s The Sweetheart Deal reminds us that every difficult ending can lead to a beautiful new beginning.”―Sarah Jio, author of The Violets of March and Goodnight June

“The Sweetheart Deal, a beautifully-written debut, proves that the best love stories are the unconventional ones. Fans of Good Grief and PS, I Love You will adore this novel, which is brimming with heart and hope and perfectly balanced by the bittersweet.”―Sarah Pekkanen, author of The Opposite of Me

“A
poignant exploration of a family not just recovering from loss, but
growing stronger in its wake. Polly Dugan’s debut novel moved me to
tears and challenged my assumptions as it explored what any of us would
do when offered a second chance at love.”―Miranda Beverly-Whittemore, author of Bittersweet

“All the ingredients for a great story: love, loss, secrets, betrayal, and the chance to love again.”―Redbook

“A sensitive portrayal of friendship, family, and loss.”―Mary Ellen Quinn, Booklist

“Intimately explores how grief can affect a family.”―Library Journal

“There is tender romance here, but it’s more richly a story of an old family falling away and a new one beginning.”―Kirkus Reviews

“A
charming, poignant novel of dealing with grief and finding love again,
this is the perfect light-hearted page-turner for the shore.”―Coastal Living

“A perfect summer read.”―Karen Winters Schwartz, New York Journal of Books

“The local beach read of the summer.”―Willamette Weekly

The Sweetheart Deal by Polly Dugan is one of BookSparks “Summer Reads” reading selection picks.

Follow the #SRC2016, #BestSRCEver and
#BestSummerEver hashtags on twitter to read reviews on this book as well
as reviews on the other summer books!