Overview

This is a white-knuckle ride of a novel that will leave you wanting to discuss with a reading buddy or book club. —Lauren Edmondson, author of LADIES OF THE HOUSE

Cheaters don't fall far from the tree.

ONE FAMILY. THREE WOMEN. BIG SECRETS.

Married college professors Christine and Joss thought they had it all: jobs they love, a beloved daughter, and most of all, each other—that is, until Joss’s research pulls her further and further away, and strange bouts of forgetfulness put a wedge between them. Lonely and seeking the emotional connection she once shared with her wife, Christine forms a friendship with a student that quickly walks the line of right and wrong.

Eighteen-year-old Abbie is an outcast desperate to fit in. When the most popular girl on campus suddenly befriends her, Abbie can’t believe her luck. But the friendship comes with strings attached—stealing exams from her mom’s computer for the in-crowd.

Soon, both mom and daughter are in deep with their deepest desires on the line. When their secret lives collide, their indiscretions culminate in a catastrophe no one saw coming.

With an eye for suspense perfectly blended with the tender mystery of human connection, BEST YEARS OF YOUR LIFE explores the consequences of bad decisions and the tension between desire and dignity.

Review

READERS' FAVORITE:
"Best Years of Your Life" by Jen Craven is a women's novel with realistic characters living relatable lives. Christine and Joss have everything they could wish for. They are in love, married to each other, have great jobs, and have a daughter whom they adore. Everything is perfect in their lives until it isn't. Things change when Joss has to leave for some research work, and Christine becomes lonely. A chance encounter with her student Micah on a rainy day marks the start of something very wrong, and Christine knows it. While Christine struggles, her daughter Abbie faces issues of her own. An outcast willing to do anything to be accepted by her peers, Abbie longs for friends. However, when her new friends ask her to steal exams from the computer of one of the mothers, Abbie is caught in a moral dilemma. What will Christine and Abbie do?

We all make bad decisions, and they have consequences. This novel is all about those decisions, their outcomes, and how our choices can damage our relationships. I was expecting family drama and heartbreak, but in Best Years of Your Life, Jen Craven provided suspense and a lot of emotions too. Telling the tale from three different points of view, each character had a story to tell, and each time I felt like I was right there beside them. I felt terrible for Christine, but even more so for Joss. While Christine was confused, Joss was unaware. Abbie, on the other hand, falls prey to peer pressure and makes friends with the wrong people, and paid the price for it. The narrative was fantastic, the descriptions were incredibly rich, and I was involved with what was happening to these characters. Nothing is predictable in this story, and I loved it! I would highly recommend this novel.

Best Years of Your Life by Jennifer Craven deftly explores the complexities of familial relationships in a vividly created academic setting. As secrets pile up like driftwood on a beach, this compelling page-turner forces a reckoning over the real-life consequences of secrets, whether they are kept out of guilt or in the name of love. —Tracy Dobmeier & Wendy Katzman, co-authors of GIRLS WITH BRIGHT FUTURES

Against the backdrop of a small liberal arts campus where stepping out of line could carry serious consequences, three women—a newbie college student and her two professor moms—navigate the tricky shoals of loyalty, lust, and illness as they struggle to come to terms with what it means to be a family. You'll want to lecture them about their poor decision-making at the same time you give them a great big hug. Fans of women's fiction writers like Barbara Davis and Diane Chamberlain will enjoy this multi-layered, fast-paced debut novel. —Maggie Smith, award-winning author of TRUTH AND OTHER LIES

BEST YEARS OF YOUR LIFE gripped me from the first page, and had me racing toward the end. This story of complicated women, each at a pivotal moment of their lives, making questionable decisions will leave you wanting to discuss with a reading buddy or book club. This is a white-knuckle ride of a novel. — Lauren Edmondson, author of LADIES OF THE HOUSE**

When I started reading BEST YEARS OF YOUR LIFE, I did not intend to read it one sitting. But, alas, that's just what I did. I fell in immediate love with the characters and was so compelled to follow the twists and turns of their unique stories. Jen Craven is a reader's writer. Her prose flows so easily that you find yourself fully immersed in the narrative. Book clubs will love this one! —K im Hooper, author of WAYS THE WORLD CAN END

Fans of suspense will want to pull an all-nighter with Jen Craven's newest release. Set against the backdrop of a small-town university, BEST YEARS OF YOUR LIFE includes a cast of engaging characters who must negotiate good decisions after bad and learn the value of family, love and loyalty in exchange. — Nicole Meier, author of THE SECOND CHANCE SUPPER CLUB

About the Author

Jen Craven is the author of upmarket women's fiction, where one decision changes everything. The author of two historical fiction novels, "Best Years of your Life" is her debut contemporary work. She writes from northwestern Pennsylvania, where she lives with her family.