READERS GUIDE

Discussion Questions

1. At the beginning of the book, Madeline Singer, Avery Lawford, Nicole Grant, Kyra Singer, and Bitsy Baynard are living at the Sunshine Hotel and Beach Club. How do they each feel about the fact that Kyra has been forced to rent out Bella Flora? Is it harder on some of the women than others?

2. Madeline is an amazing mother and tends to nurture everyone around her. Is there a Madeline figure in your life? Maybe your own mother or someone you met later in life who offers you sage advice in difficult situations? Madeline often struggles to put her own needs before the needs of others. Do you identify with her feelings of being torn between her loved ones and finding a career path of her own? Do you agree with the choices Madeline makes in the novel?

3. Avery wonders if she can trust Chase again after his emotional betrayals in the past. Do you understand her reluctance to enter into a relationship with him again? Do you believe people deserve a second chance? Is love between two people enough to overcome any relationship difficulty?

4. Do you agree with Kyra’s decision to let her son Dustin act in his father’s movie? What does Kyra learn about Daniel Deranian’s and Tonja’s parenting skills while she and Dustin live on the movie set? How does Kyra change as a mother throughout the novel? How do her feelings toward Daniel and Tonja change?

5. Nicole is struggling with motherhood. Why do you think she wants to prove she can look after the twins on her own? Does society put pressure on women to be perfect mothers? Do you think Nicole is a perfectionist? What does she learn about mothering in the book? How is it similar to or different from what Kyra discovers about being a parent?

6. Nicole’s body changes after giving birth. Do you understand why she struggles to come to terms with her new shape? Can you identify with her insecurities?

7. Bitsy has the opportunity to get revenge on her husband, who stole her fortune and ran away with another woman. Do you agree with how she punishes him? In the course of the book, Bitsy learns how hard divorce and abandonment can be on women and children. How has Bitsy changed since she lost her fortune?

8. Maddie, Avery, Kyra, Nikki, and Bitsy are a close group of friends who offer each other enormous support throughout the book. Do you have a similar circle of friends or one friend you can always count on? What makes your friendship so strong?

9. Which woman’s challenges—Avery’s, Kyra’s, Maddie’s, Nikki’s, or Bitsy’s—resonate most with you? Why?