The Affairs of Others

The Affairs of Others (2013) by Amy Grace Loyd. Celia, a young widow who lives alone in an apartment building she owns, strives to keep her life separate from those of her tenants. Then George, the tenant upstairs, asks her to allow him to sublet his apartment to Hope, a beautiful friend of his who has just separated from her husband. Celia finds herself gradually enmeshed in the lives of all her tenants, of which there are four. Hope brings Celia out of her shell, and they become physically involved with each other. Meanwhile, elderly Mr. Coughlan, who lives on the top (fourth) floor, goes missing, and the Braunsteins, a married couple, separate from each other. Using her landlady's prerogative, Celia enters everyone's apartment while they're gone, and gets drawn into their lives -- which, ultimately, proves to be a good thing. Grade: B+