1. Until Cecile’s tragic death, she, Jesse and Bryn had been best friends since college. Do you still have friends who have remained as important to you as they were during your school years? How do you think these three very different young women have managed to retain their deep feelings for each other after so many years?

2. To Jesse, both Cecile and Bryn possess qualities that she not only admires, but feels she sorely lacks. Is Jesse’s lack of self-esteem something you can relate to? Have you ever wondered why somebody you idolize for his or her brains or beauty could find you endearing?

3. Jesse hates her job and her boss who takes credit for Jesse’s ideas, but she never confronts her boss with her duplicity. Why do you think Jesse is so reluctant to confront her? What would you do in a similar situation?

4. Jesse and Zach are drawn to each other because of their mutual grief. Does it surprise you that they become romantically involved? Has this ever happened to people you know?

5. Bryn feels that Jesse has betrayed Cecile’s memory by becoming Zach’s new girlfriend. Why do you think she blames Jesse and not Zach? Would you react the way Bryn does in a similar situation?

6. In the past, Jesse had always accepted Bryn’s directives as if they had come from on high. But now, even though she’s hurt by Bryn’s coldness, she continues her relationship with Zach. Do you see this as the beginning of Jesse’s independence?

7. Jesse’s brother, Henry, is gay and has a loving relationship with his partner. What part do they play in Jesse’s life? Is their wedding ceremony a defining moment for her?

8. Even though Jesse begins to admit that she has mixed feelings for Zach, she still moves in with him. Have you ever continued a relationship with somebody, even though you have doubts about its staying power? Do you think that women are more apt to deny their negative feelings than men are?

9. Jesse’s mother is anything but a good role model. Do you think that that Jesse has idealized Cecile’s and Bryn’s parents because she has missed having normal, happily married parents of her own?

10. Cecile had wanted Jesse to design the interior of the home that she and Zach had bought. But when Jesse and Zach become involved and she begins rearranging the furniture, Zach becomes extremely upset. Why did he find Jesse’s suggestions unacceptable? Should Jesse have waited a little longer before deciding to redo the house in her image?

11. Jesse and Zach’s Thanksgiving visit to his parents’ home ends disastrously for Jesse, when Zach’s younger sister gets drunk and screams invectives at Jesse. Did Jesse handle the situation well? what might she have don differently to avoid that terrible scene?

12. What has happened in Jesse’s life that has enabled her to see that Zach, in spite of his oft- stated love for her, is still in a state of unbearable grief? Do you see an emerging strength in her ability to end the affair?

13. Jesse does a lot of growing up after Cecile’s death. What do you see as her greatest achievements?

14. Jesse’s new love, Wyatt, is the best thing that’s ever happened to Jesse, but the first time she meets him she can’t help but notice that he’s a bit flabby around the middle. In time she grows to love his soft belly, along with everything else about him. Do you know women who would be turned off by a soft belly or do you think that most women don’t even notice these so-called imperfections?