Covet (ARC) by Tracey Garvis Graves

Author: Tracey Garvis Graves
Publication: September 17, 2013
By: Dutton Adult
4 Stars!
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From the author of the New York Times bestseller On the Island.

What if the life you wanted, and the woman you fell in love with, belonged to someone else?

Chris and Claire Canton’s marriage is on life support. Downsized during the recession and out of work for a year, Chris copes by retreating to a dark place where no one can reach him, not even Claire. When he’s offered a position that will keep him away from home four nights a week, he dismisses Claire’s concern that time apart could be the one thing their fragile union can’t weather. Their suburban life may look idyllic on the outside, but Claire has never felt so disconnected from Chris, or so lonely.

Local police officer Daniel Rush used to have it all, but now he goes home to an empty house every night. He pulls Claire over during a routine traffic stop, and they run into each other again at the 4th of July parade. When Claire is hired to do some graphic design work for the police department, her friendship with Daniel grows, and soon they’re spending hours together.

Claire loves the way Daniel makes her feel, and the way his face lights up when she walks into the room. Daniel knows that Claire’s marital status means their relationship will never be anything other than platonic. But it doesn’t take long before Claire and Daniel are in way over their heads, and skating close to the line that Claire has sworn she’ll never cross.

The picture above does not do the actual cover justice, I picked this up at BEA113 solely because of the cover love I felt when I saw it.  This book should also come with a box of tissues.

Covet is told from three alternating points of view which flowed seamlessly together despite being varied in length. I went into this book hesitantly because I was expecting it to be about infidelity based on the synopsis and while that topic does play a key role, it is not what defines this book.

Tracey Garvis Graves gives a realistic look at what can happen to a marriage when things get hard, feelings are hurt and husbands and wives go from communicating to merely existing. It's painful, damaging and lonely and the loneliness is where the danger lies. (Especially when a ridiculously good-looking single person treats you like you matter when your spouse doesn't.)

Claire has been tasked with all the responsibility while her husband Chris focuses on creating job stability by traveling four days a week. Their relationship has been through the ringer for the past year and as hard as she tries to stay positive, Chris doesn't make it very easy. While his eye is on getting further ahead with his boss, Claire's eye is on her crumbling marriage and Daniel's eye is on Claire. 
 
Claire and Daniel meet, strike up a friendly relationship, fully aware of what they're doing the boundaries they're testing and the devastating impact it could have if certain lines are crossed. They're also both in denial that their relationship is strictly platonic. The alternating POV's give the reader insight into the character's thoughts, struggles and feelings, all of which are gut wrenching, relateable and oh-so-human.
 
I wasn't sure how this could possibly end well for anyone but I was pleasantly surprised.
 
"Maybe that's how it starts. You stumble upon something that helps you cope, fills a void....And before you know it you're in so deep that you can't find your way back out."

 "Maybe love is like a pendulum. It swings back and forth, slowly, steadily, and sometimes you don't know where it will come to rest."