Looking Back / by Belva Plain

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There's a reason why friends come and go. A fact of life learned the hard way for three college roommates when graduation begets adulthood. Cecile, Norma and Amanda are practically family after four years together; literally so for the beautiful Amanda who's engaged to Norma's brother Larry. A marriage of sacrifice more than compatibility (definitely not love with Larry a total loser), it's a step toward the financial independence Amanda's always longed for. The price is high though as, predictably, things sour quickly between the couple, ultimately propelling Amanda into a dangerous affair with the worst possible person--her own father-in-law/Norma and Larry's dad.

Things aren't quite as desperate for the other two...at the moment. Cecile's marriage to lawyer Peter couldn't be better. Really and truly their only disputes revolve around plans for their dream house and what to name their anticipated firstborn. And despite looks to match her name, Norma's liking life as well. Always the brainy one, her teaching job at a prestigious prep school has opened windows of opportunity she never could have imagined, even the soul mate she dared not dream of. But with Amanda's perilous circumstances escalating, how will all three friends handle the drama if (when) the affair is exposed?

Belva Plain's name has been thrown around with much the same weight as Debbi Macomber and Anna Quindlen in recent years. And for good reason. This is a "fun" book with characters fleshed out just enough to draw sympathy before some bitter misdeeds expose each's truest, darkest convictions. It's not quite dark enough to be sad though. Melodrama withstanding, the mood stays relatively "light", positioning characters and circumstances more to dissuade un-sympathy than promote partiality among the three friends. Easy and entertaining, it's a good book for lazy readers.