“Pull up a chair and watch the drama unfold as these six friends manage the roller coaster of midlife.”—Library Journal (full review here)
“The witty latest from Palmer follows three couples in western Massachusetts over the course of a year in which their marriages are tested… Palmer divides her attention among the six protagonists as well as Nathan’s new young lover, and in doing so reveals the challenges of marriage as well as the rewards… Palmer has a sure hand with her characters. Overall, this offers a shrewd but affectionate portrayal of marriage in middle age.” —Publishers Weekly (full review here)
“A realistic portrayal of couples facing emotional crises.” —Kirkus Reviews (full review here)
"It’s not often you find a book that so perfectly captures the messy complexities of modern mid-life marriages and manages to also be a riveting page turner, yet with Reservations for Six, Palmer somehow pulls it off. I inhaled this book in two days, but these six characters so fully came alive for me that I’ll be thinking about them for much, much longer. Absolutely brilliant." —Colleen Oakley, USA Today bestselling author of The Invisible Husband of Frick Island
"Reservations for Six is a wonderfully wise, acutely observed story of love, lust, relationships and marriage. Palmer’s insight into the variegated wants and whims of the human heart is revelatory. This is a fun, fast, and insightful read." —Jessica Anya Blau, author of Mary Jane
“It's often said that it's impossible to know what's really going on in someone else's marriage, but you can get deliciously close in Reservations for Six, Lindsey Palmer's smart, compelling, and completely believable novel. Palmer portrays these marriages with great wisdom and empathy--and well-placed shots of anger and humor. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with this ensemble of intelligent, well-meaning, and often confused friends as they struggled to know when to compromise and when to dare change." —Karen Dukess, author of The Last Book Party
“Thought-provoking and full of heart, a portrait of friendship, three marriages, and the importance of discovering one's true path through the myriad complexities of life. Not to miss!” —Julie Valerie, author of Holly Banks Full of Angst
An entertaining and insightful page-turner about modern marriage and a tight-knit group of friends navigating their 30s and beyond.
It’s tradition that on everyone’s birthday, the three couples gather to celebrate. They’ve toasted each other’s big life milestones, and been there for each other through loss and disappointment, too. Nathan is the first to turn 40, and when the cake arrives, he makes a shocking announcement. The birthday ritual, and the group of friends, will never be the same again.
RESERVATIONS FOR SIX is now available in Slovenian!
Confessions follow, and secrets get revealed. One couple’s crumbling marriage forces the other two couples to reexamine their own marriages, and the fault lines that lurk beneath. Will their bonds be strong enough to survive issues like infidelity, infertility, and waning passion, plus a series of crises that push each relationship to the brink? The answers may prove surprising. A year after Nathan's big declaration, as the group gathers for the year's final birthday celebration, every person and every relationship will be fundamentally changed.
Perfect for fans of Emma Straub, J. Courtney Sullivan, and Rebecca Serle, RESERVATIONS FOR SIX is a deeply satisfying novel full of wisdom, humor, and heart. It shines a spotlight on the phase of marriage when the fabric has started to fray, and deftly observes how couples cope, grow, and eventually thrive—together or apart.