Acts of Contrition — Jennifer Handford

Mary Morrissey is living the life of her dreams. She has a loving husband of ten years, Tom, two daughters, and twin boys. Her parents are just down the road. Her three sisters are nearby. Perfect -- some might even say she is living the American Dream.

But beneath the shiny veneer, Mary hasn't taken a calm breath in years. She lives in a constant state of panic, afraid that the secret she's kept hidden for so long will be revealed, that it will shatter the life she's worked so hard to build.

When Mary's handsome and addictively charismatic ex-boyfriend Landon James reappears during his high profile Senate campaign, she feels the truth bubbling to the surface and knows she's powerless to stop it. Mary has spent years trying to forget him, and now he's on every TV she sees.

A conditional Catholic, Mary bargains with God, negotiating deals that will keep her happy life undisturbed for another day. She prays for strength and confesses her sins -- anything that might let her sleep at night under the weight of the guilt she carries from lying to her husband and family for the entirety of her marriage.

When Tom learns what Mary's been hiding, what once seemed unfathomable -- a deep, heartbreaking divide between them -- is now their new normal. Can they find a way to rebuild their life together? Is forgiveness possible?

Acts of Contrition is a richly drawn story of faith, family loyalty, and forgiveness, even in the face of moral ambiguity, guilt, and shattered trust.