James Kittleberger, a corporate executive and notorious womanizer, is obsessed with having a son. His wife Nancy, a tall, dark-haired beauty and former successful real estate broker, is infertile and becomes the unfortunate victim of James' animosity. Believing that she has failed James, she turns to alcohol for comfort. He vows to make Nancy's life a living hell by having multiple affairs--including an intimate relationship that, in the end, may cause him to pay the ultimate price. But James has another secret he's been keeping from Nancy--a shocking fact that could change everything.
Meanwhile, Laura, the eldest of James' and Nancy's two adopted daughters, is trapped in her own loveless marriage. Her younger sister Jessica, abandoned by the family as a pregnant teenager, reenters their lives, along with her son Drew, to grant her mother the comfort and companionship she so desperately needs.
Will the Kittlebergers destroy their seemingly picture-perfect life in the suburbs? In Shattered Dreams, author Catherine Butler leads the reader through a compelling tale of family love and betrayal.