Awakening

Nicki Keating has been living a double life, torn between the guilt of lying to her husband and the allure of a passionate affair. But when she arrives at her lover’s secluded mountain home for a Valentine’s rendezvous, her darkest nightmare becomes a chilling reality. Terrified and devastated, Nicki must flee—but where can she turn?

Nueva Vida’s holistic retreat in Costa Rica promises to “unveil your inner-knowing and guide you toward your destiny,” but for Marlee, Juliette, Sophia, and Annie, the experience becomes far more life-changing than they ever anticipated. Maggie, a young architect from Pittsburgh who is still grieving her mother’s unexpected death, is welcomed into their group by Marlee and her friends, who each bring their own hidden pain and doubts.

Attending a holistic healing retreat can open the body, mind, and soul. But what happens once you return? How do you integrate this newly learned wisdom? And if you can do so, how does life as you know it change? These are the exact questions that five friends—Marlee, Maggie, Juliette, Sophia, and Annie—must come to terms with a year after visiting Nueva Vida, a spiritual center in Costa Rica. Fully immersed in their daily lives, how will they handle what lies ahead? Do they resort to old behaviors, or do they employ higher, more elevated strategies?