By the Numbers

Starred review from May 15, 2016

Actuary Penny Sinclair can tell, statistically, when people are most likely to die, or when marriages are most likely to fail, but she can't figure out how her life got so off course. She's divorced from her husband, Chris, who seduced his assistant--in Penny's living room, no less. Her newly married daughter Kelsey is back at Penny's house and doesn't seem like she's adjusting to adulthood too well. Penny's other daughter Jessica, though she isn't talking about it, is deep in debt and has moved back into the nest as well. Add in Penny's aging parents, who also showed up at her doorstep, and a dog Kelsey brought home, and Penny's got a full house. Too bad that she has finally decided it's time to sell the place on Chicago's North Shore. Penny and Chris may have made mistakes in the past, both with each other and with their children, but just like with a math problem that doesn't quite come out right, mistakes can be erased with enough time and patience. VERDICT Lancaster's (The Best of Enemies) sprightly book is all about second chances and familial love. Readers will cheer for Penny.--Jennifer Mills, Shorewood-Troy Lib., IL

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2016
Penny Sinclair, an actuary who loves the structure that her numbers and research provide, is just about to find that same sense of steady reliability in her life. Her younger daughter, Kelsey, is getting married; the other, Jessica, is making a good living as a fashion blogger in New York. Penny has just about gotten over the strain from her recent divorce and is ready to list the family homea stunner on Chicago's tony suburban North Shore that will net her a nice sumand move to a sweet condo downtown, when both girls arrive back home. Kelsey wants to be married in the backyard, while Jessica's real life might not be as glamorous as her online one seems. Add Penny's aging parents to the mix, and suddenly the house she was staging for sale is taken over by clashing personalities. Lancaster's signature snarky humor is on full display here, and even though some of her characters might be a bit grating (Penny's daughters are extremely unpleasant), fans will snap this one up.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)