The Odds of You and Me - by Cecilia Galante (Paperback)

About the Book

"Twenty-five-year-old Bird is just 13 days shy of completing her probation, having paid back the $600 in bad checks she wrote, plus the restitution fees, and is determined to start a whole new life with her four-year-old son, Angus. But then something unexpected happens: she encounters James, an escaped accused criminal who she dated six years earlier and with whom she had been emotionally involved. His leg broken, he desperately needs help, but if Bird offers it, she may violate her probation and destroy her dreams of the future. What to do?"--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

In the vein of Meg Donohue and Sarah Jio, Cecilia Galante's second novel delivers the powerful story of one young woman who's faced with an impossible choice--one that could have her making the biggest mistake of her life.

Thirteen days. That's all Bernadette, "Bird," Sincavage has left to go until she's done with her probation and can be free again. Free from making payments to the supermarket she wrote bad checks to. Free from living at home with her overzealous mother who's constantly nagging her about attending church again. Free to give her four-year-old son, Angus, the normal life he deserves. Her impending freedom and move to Moon Lake, where she's plunked down a deposit on a brand new apartment, is so close she can almost taste it. What trouble could she possibly get into in just thirteen days?

But trouble does follow in the form of James Rittenhouse--someone she worked with a few years ago. At first, Bird is stunned to see James make the evening news when he's arrested for assaulting someone in a local bar. But that's nothing compared to the shock she gets when she discovers James hiding out in an abandoned church choir loft. Somehow he escaped police custody, broke his leg, and got his hand on a gun, which he's now pointing at her.

Although Bird doesn't tell anyone she saw James, there's no way she's helping him. She can't screw up her probation or her second chance for a new future. And she has her son's welfare to think about. Still. If only she could stop thinking about the terrified look in James' eyes and the fact that he's hurt. If only she could forget that once, long ago, James helped her out, and she owes him a debt like no other.

Will Bird jeopardize her future for someone who helped her out in the past? A past that holds secrets she's not quite sure she's ready to face? Or will she turn a blind eye and learn to live with the consequences?

From the Back Cover

Thirteen days . . .

. . . that's all Bernadette "Bird" Connolly has left to go until she's done with her probation and can be free again. Free from making payments to the supermarket she wrote bad checks to. Free to give her four-year-old son, Angus, the normal life he deserves. What trouble could she possibly get into in just thirteen days?

But trouble does come in the form of James Rittenhouse--someone she worked with a few years ago. At first, Bird is stunned to see James make the evening news when he's arrested for assaulting someone in a local bar. But that's nothing compared to the shock she gets when she discovers James hiding out in an unused church choir loft. Somehow he escaped police custody, broke his leg, and got his hands on a gun, which he's now pointing at her.

There's no way she's helping James. She can't screw up her probation or endanger her son. If only she could stop thinking about the terrified look in James's eyes and the fact that he's hurt. If only she could forget that once James helped her out, and she owes him a debt like no other.

Will Bird jeopardize her future for someone who helped her in the past? A past that holds secrets she's not sure she's ready to face? Or will she turn a blind eye and learn to live with the consequences?

Review Quotes

"Galante's gift for storytelling lies in her ability to find the extraordinary within the ordinary. Readers will fall in love with her unforgettably complex protagonist, Bird, along with the overall authenticity of her prose." -- Emily Liebert, bestselling author of Some Women

Praise for THE INVISISBLES: "In The Invisibles, Cecilia Galante artfully reminds us that even the most carefully constructed facade doesn't stand a chance against the healing power of true friendship." -- Zoe Fishman, author of Balancing Acts

"With heart, wisdom, and a quartet of unforgettable protagonists, Cecilia Galante deftly examines the ways in which the sense of community created by profound friendships can act as a salve on even the deepest of wounds....Gripping and heartrending." -- Meg Donohue, USA Today bestselling author of ALL THE SUMMER GIRLS and DOG CRAZY

Praise for THE INVISISBLES: "In The Invisibles, Cecilia Galante artfully reminds us that even the most carefully constructed facade doesn't stand a chance against the healing power of true friendship." -- Booklist on THE INVISIBLES