Not a Perfect Science : A Novel

When the secretly miserable wife of a renowned marriage expert accidentally befriends the undercover journalist investigating him for fraud, all three must confront the consequences of their deceptions. Dr. Darren Mitchell’s groundbreaking research can measure love on a brain scan, and he’s built an empire teaching couples how to make marriage last. Meanwhile, Nora Mitchell has played the devoted wife and mother, sacrificing her dream of becoming a journalist to support Darren’s skyrocketing career. She keeps her resentment buried deep—until a glamorous new neighbor moves next door. A successful journalist and recent divorcée, Erika is everything Nora longs to be: bold, unapologetic, and fiercely independent. Their instant friendship awakens a dangerous desire in Nora to imagine herself outside her husband’s shadow. But unbeknownst to Nora, Erika didn’t arrive by accident. She’s investigating an anonymous tip alleging every scrap of Darren’s award-winning research is fake. As Nora’s unwitting revelations lead Erika closer to the truth, and as Erika’s influence drives a deepening wedge in Nora’s marriage, both women must ask themselves: What are we willing to destroy to have the lives we were meant to live?