Reinhardt (Tell Us Something True) brings two families together on a vacation at a luxurious villa in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in this marital farce.
Jenna plans the trip for her husband Peter’s 50th birthday and invites his best friend/business partner, Solly, along with his family – his second, much younger wife, their young son and Solly’s disreputable teenage son from his first marriage. Jenna’s sullen teenage daughter is attracted to the troubled teen which makes Jenna uncomfortable, but her real problem is Peter’s beautiful, young assistant that he’s left in charge of the business, and their secretive phone conversations.
Meanwhile, Solly is the life of the party while Peter is acting the sycophant, and both of them are getting on Jenna’s last nerve. Things come to a head when political unrest in the town forces everyone to stay inside, causing feelings that have been brewing beneath the surface to explode.
Verdict: The interaction of all these characters makes for compelling reading and is often amusing, while book groups should find lots to discuss. Should appeal to fans of Jane Green and Emma Straub.
©Library Journal, 2019
3/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™
TOMORROW THERE WILL BE SUN by Dana Reinhardt. Pamela Dorman Books (March 12, 2019). ISBN: 978-0525557968. 288p.
From Paul Lane:
Jenna and her husband Peter have been married for 20 years, have a 16 year old daughter. They are comfortable; not rich, with Peter in business with his lifelong best friend Solly. Jenna is a planner and makes the decision to plan an extraordinary vacation to best celebrate Peter becoming 50 years of age, with Solly to reach that age a few months later. After much research and deliberation Jenna sets up a dream seven day trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. She rents a private villa with all the trimmings right next to the ocean.
Both couples, Jenna’s daughter and Solly’s two boys are with them, all primed to have the vacation of a lifetime. Upon arrival at the villa they are greeted by their maid and butler who will do all the cooking, serve drinks, clean up the quarters and leave the vacationers nothing to do but enjoy themselves. it does start out that way, but begins to go downhill slowly but surely. Using Jenna as the first person narrator, Reinhardt keeps the reader following the changes in situation and in the thinking and feeling of the group. She shows herself to be a master in painting the personalities and characters of the adults, teenage children and a young, quite spoiled little boy.
This is indicated as being Reinhardt’s first adult novel after writing many children’s books. After spending all night panting to finish the book I certainly am hoping she follows up with more adult fiction which I’m sure will give me additional sleepless, but pleasant evenings. A very well done book with a very surprising ending becoming the capstone of an excellent read.
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