Now Skipping a Beat was very different from the last two Sarah Pekkanen books I read since it was about one person and solely a love story. An heartfelt bittersweet love story. It’s like The Vow and I think it should become a movie too. 

The main character is Julia, who has been faithfully married to her high school sweetheart Micheal for years. But the thing is with both of them busy with their companies the spark has waned. Especially as Micheal keeps bailing on their plans together. Yet one day as the story began while Julia is setting up for an opera benefit, Michael has a heart attack and dies for four minutes and 30 secs. His life flashed before his eyes, he realizes how much he has neglected her and wants to make a fresh new start.

However Julia who had been considering divorce, doesn’t know what to do with this change of heart. Could they really revive their marriage? What if with his newfound enthusiasm and willingness to neglect his company for her, he will end up regretting his decision? What if this is just a phase and things end up as they were before? Moreover she already feels that Michael has changed so much, it’s not like he can go back in time and be how he was, and how they were. 

As you can see I haven’t said much because to do so would give away the best parts. However I do feel free to say that the emotional core is the main draw of this book as Julia navigates there feelings for the old Michael, this new Michael, the past of her suspicions of cheating and feelings of abandonment, how corporate greed and ruthlessness had changed Michael, trying to redo life, and moving forward. 

The ending of which I shall saying is a real heartbreaker but not for the reasons you would think. 

This is a great book for any romantic and features so much heart pun intended.