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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
Thank you to Gallery Books for giving me a free copy of this book for review!
Sadly, this book didn't quite deliver for me. It's a bummer too, because I was intrigued by the premise and hoped that it would be a solid summer read.
Matt and Elise head upstate to sell Matt's grandfather's old cabin on the lake. While they're away, Elise and Matt's lives are turned upside down when their daughter, Gracie, is taken. Their marriage was already strained due to Elise's frequent absences as she works as a professional horse rider and pursues her dreams of making the Olympic team. Gracie's disappearance will either bring them together or tear them further apart.
Here's my main issue with this book: I felt like Elise was being punished for being a working mother with goals and ambitions. All the blame was put on her for everything that went wrong with Gracie and with her marriage to Matt. I'm not saying she was a perfect person, but it didn't seem right that all the blame was laid at her feet. And honestly, Matt seemed like a bit of a creep, especially when he starts to fantasize about his old girlfriend, the girl next door, Cass.
Pacing was another problem that I had with this book. Based on the synopsis, I expected the book to focus on Gracie's disappearance and how that affected Elise and Matt's lives. However, at one point, I realized that I was more than halfway through the book and Gracie's kidnapping hadn't happened yet! The plot ramps up once the kidnapping takes place, but not much happens before that.
My overall feeling about this book was "meh." I couldn't connect with these characters and I wasn't invested in the story. However, I think if the lakeside setting sounds appealing to you, or if you don't mind a very slow-burning book, then you might get along with this one better than I did.
Sadly, this book didn't quite deliver for me. It's a bummer too, because I was intrigued by the premise and hoped that it would be a solid summer read.
Matt and Elise head upstate to sell Matt's grandfather's old cabin on the lake. While they're away, Elise and Matt's lives are turned upside down when their daughter, Gracie, is taken. Their marriage was already strained due to Elise's frequent absences as she works as a professional horse rider and pursues her dreams of making the Olympic team. Gracie's disappearance will either bring them together or tear them further apart.
Here's my main issue with this book: I felt like Elise was being punished for being a working mother with goals and ambitions. All the blame was put on her for everything that went wrong with Gracie and with her marriage to Matt. I'm not saying she was a perfect person, but it didn't seem right that all the blame was laid at her feet. And honestly, Matt seemed like a bit of a creep, especially when he starts to fantasize about his old girlfriend, the girl next door, Cass.
Pacing was another problem that I had with this book. Based on the synopsis, I expected the book to focus on Gracie's disappearance and how that affected Elise and Matt's lives. However, at one point, I realized that I was more than halfway through the book and Gracie's kidnapping hadn't happened yet! The plot ramps up once the kidnapping takes place, but not much happens before that.
My overall feeling about this book was "meh." I couldn't connect with these characters and I wasn't invested in the story. However, I think if the lakeside setting sounds appealing to you, or if you don't mind a very slow-burning book, then you might get along with this one better than I did.
This is a tale of family, love, tragedy, ambition, and how secrets from the past can affect the present. It delves into the healing power of dealing with the past.
I found the characters well developed and believable. They are loved, hated, innocent, annoying, etc. It was like growing up in a small town. Everyone knows everyone's business and you can't escape the past.
It seems to take a long time to get to the "event," but that is what kept me reading. I had to keep reading to find out when, how, why, etc. I also feel like some things were left open that shouldn't have been.
Thanks to goodreads and the publisher for the Advance Reader's Edition.
I found the characters well developed and believable. They are loved, hated, innocent, annoying, etc. It was like growing up in a small town. Everyone knows everyone's business and you can't escape the past.
It seems to take a long time to get to the "event," but that is what kept me reading. I had to keep reading to find out when, how, why, etc. I also feel like some things were left open that shouldn't have been.
Thanks to goodreads and the publisher for the Advance Reader's Edition.
I've been reading a lot of happy/romance/good feeling books lately as an escape but getting back to a book with more drama than just romance drama felt good. This book did have a slow build but once I got into the story I had to see what happened and finished it very quickly.
I definitely would suggest this book as a book to read. There were some various aspects of the characters that frustrated me SO much but didn't make them completely unlikeable. I don't know anything about dressage, but you don't need to in order to appreciate Elise's sport, drive and focus. I also love the aspect of the dad being the main parent and the dynamics that come in there.
I did have to laugh about a reference to the Olympics in Japan in 2020....oh little did Tish Cohen know when writing this book. I would definitely read other books by this author.
Thank you to Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books, Tish Cohen and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
I definitely would suggest this book as a book to read. There were some various aspects of the characters that frustrated me SO much but didn't make them completely unlikeable. I don't know anything about dressage, but you don't need to in order to appreciate Elise's sport, drive and focus. I also love the aspect of the dad being the main parent and the dynamics that come in there.
I did have to laugh about a reference to the Olympics in Japan in 2020....oh little did Tish Cohen know when writing this book. I would definitely read other books by this author.
Thank you to Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books, Tish Cohen and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Wow. That was a wild ride! This is my recommended beach read for 2020. I couldn’t put it down, and I caught myself yelling at that b#### that lives next door at least half a dozen times. I’m kinda still mad. B#####!!!!!
The drama unfolds during a family's stay at a lakeside cabin. Matt, a lawyer, his wife an Olympic rider and their mildly handicapped daughter Gracie are staying at the cabin over the summer while they get it ready to sell. There is tension between Matt and Elisha because of her frequent trips away from home, and they may be on the verge of splitting up when secrets are exposed and a kidnapping occurs. There was a little bit of everything and enough twists between the past and present that kept you wanting more. Well crafted novel of loss and redemption.
Elise is trying to fulfill her dream of being an equestrian rider in the Olympics, leaving her husband to take care of her song Gracie for long stretches of time. While vacationing in the Adirondacks, Gracie goes missing, putting their marriage to the test. This book was fine – I think what I enjoyed most was reading about the Adirondacks in the summertime. While Gracie is missing, the story mostly just focuses on the strain in the couple’s relationship.
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to Gallery Books for sending me an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
I LOVED this book so much. I might be biased as I grew up going to the Adirondacks specifically Lake Placid my whole childhood, and this book brought me right back to ADK. The setting was very atmospheric and would be a great book to read in the winter.
The story is wonderful as well. There was a lot happening but it was done very well where I wasn't overwhelmed but instead felt like it added depth to these characters. While this is technically a story about a missing child, I would categorize it more as a family story about loss and love.
Speaking of love...I really loved Elise and her perspective. I appreciated that it was written in the third point of view to get a little distance from multiple intense themes/plots. Especially her husband and the blame they placed on themselves.
I just don't know how much more I can gush! I will definitely be re-reading this one!
I LOVED this book so much. I might be biased as I grew up going to the Adirondacks specifically Lake Placid my whole childhood, and this book brought me right back to ADK. The setting was very atmospheric and would be a great book to read in the winter.
The story is wonderful as well. There was a lot happening but it was done very well where I wasn't overwhelmed but instead felt like it added depth to these characters. While this is technically a story about a missing child, I would categorize it more as a family story about loss and love.
Speaking of love...I really loved Elise and her perspective. I appreciated that it was written in the third point of view to get a little distance from multiple intense themes/plots. Especially her husband and the blame they placed on themselves.
I just don't know how much more I can gush! I will definitely be re-reading this one!
The book flows like a movie, with occasional flashbacks to the characters’ past and then coming back and connecting to the present. I think it could easily have a sequel or a prequel, its that good.
