Understudy
In UNDERSTUDY by Lisa Blackwell, ONE TRUE LOVES by Taylor Jenkins Reid meets Rebecca Serle’s IN FIVE YEARS in the story of one woman’s sacrifice for her beloved sister and the cascading consequences, told in a uniquely intimate voice.
Socially isolated because of a debilitating speech impediment, Em Baggett leads a quiet, lonely life. Despite a successful career in forensics, her only friend is her flighty, irresponsible sister, Sara. Fiercely protective of Em, Sara created a secret sign language that the sisters have shared since childhood. However, even Sara doesn’t know about Em’s painful, unrequited love for her co-worker, Jude Harper.
Just as Em thinks Jude wants more than friendship, he meets Sara, and they fall for each other at first sight. Loving them both, Em chooses to do what she believes is best for them and remains silent, never revealing her feelings.
But when Sara and Jude’s fairy tale goes wildly off script, Em is more alone than ever as she is faced with the wrenching choice of sacrificing her own dreams to help Sara’s come true. Just as things are at their very darkest, Em discovers she has one last chance at love. All she has to do is speak up…the one thing she’s never been able to do.