Book Review Tuesday - Treading Water #BRT

In author Belle A. DeCosta’s debut novel, we meet thirtysomething advertising executive Caroline McMerritt, whose place among the ambitious, driven Manhattan ad execs is threatened by her own self-destructive behavior. Forced into a leave of absence by her employer, Caroline heads to Maine, to a family cabin on a lake, where she reluctantly adapts to her new surroundings. There she discovers an old journal left behind by her now-deceased mother, and that journal provides much of Caroline's self-healing. DeCosta deftly transitions between entries from the past and Caroline's present-day musings.

Add in some well-developed characters and a potential love interest and we've got ourselves a story! Truthfully, this is a very well written tale of redemption and second chances. DeCosta uses language in a beautiful way, painting with words, and this reader rooted for the protagonist.

There are some blips that I, as an editor, can't help but see (you 'pedal' a bike - to 'peddle' a bike is to sell one on a street corner, and the misuse of lie/lay and farther/further could be fixed by a good copy edit), but otherwise this is a most enjoyable read. I look forward to reading more of DeCosta's work.

Get a print or digital copy of Treading Water here: https://tinyurl.com/yckpp63t