Covet by Tracey Garvis-Graves

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 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.

This is a story about a marriage on the brink of disaster. It's about the struggle of a husband dealing with downsizing, unable to find a job for a year and then finally being hired by a company that has him traveling all the time. It's about a wife trying to hold her family together while dealing with immense loneliness. It's about communication in a marriage... something that is sorely lacking in. Add in a handsome man and there is bound to be issues.

This is such a powerful and emotional story about the difficult situations couples have to face in the journey called marriage! It makes up remember that marriage is not all  sunshine and happily ever afters, Marriage is work. And, no matter how much we love someone, life sometimes has a way of challenging our commitment to one another.


Ms. Graves has written a story that will make you think, "What would I do in this situation?" It made me question what my feelings would be and how I would handle things, given the circumstances of everything that occurred. I love the fact that in the end Claire made the best decision for her family. This is a must read.