The Plunge

This one is a wild ride. It starts out sleepy and then takes you from New York to the Hamptons to Lake Como. Liv is a writer in her early thirties and fresh off the shocking death of her fiancé. She spends her days, listless, unable to write . . . living in the maid’s room of an old mentor. One night at a party, she runs into Damon, her former (very magnetic) neighbor. He is a high-end jewelry designer, and by his side is Isabel, an equally magnetic older widow. Liv finds herself drawn into their glamorous world of parties and trips out east (and later, to Italy). There is an incredible spark between Liv and Damon, and they find themselves having an affair. Meanwhile, Damon is married and leading Isabel on. As Isabel confides in Liv, and Liv has her affair with Damon, the tension builds and builds. All the while, there is another man in Isabel’s orbit, Rex. Rex is a journalist, who threatens to reveal Liv’s most haunting secret. I couldn’t put this down. The writing is beautiful and transportive, and the pacing is perfection. I felt almost relieved when it was over though (a testament to the writing!) — the dynamic between the characters was toxic and stressful.