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vj_thompson's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
What a ride. After the 250ish page hump, the book picks up. Infidelity is a large plot point for this book, which is why I assume most people rate this book low. I am also not a fan of that plot line either but boy oh boy did the story get good after that. The hunting wives are just a bunch of women who seem perfect but beneath everything, they are hiding secrets and their own guilty pleasures. The ending was crazy. If only you could see my face/reactions after reading some of the plot twists.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Cursing, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Alcoholism, Drug use, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Death and Gun violence
Minor: Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, and Pregnancy
symabee's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I should start by saying that thriller is not my preferred genre, but I do enjoy them every now and then. However this book had no redeeming qualities for me.
The main character Sophie is a mid thirties woman with a loving, handsome husband and a son. After she suggests they move their family from Chicago to rural Texas, her husband happily finds a new job there so she can live out her dream of being a crunchy stay at home mom blogger. Despite being given everything she wants, she grows bored with her life for some reason. Then she randomly becomes obsessed with local socialite Margot after seeing one tagged photo of her on Facebook. Sophie manages to find a way into Margot's inner circle of rich, late 30s "friends" whom have a secret shooting club. In addition to shooting skeet, they also drink excessively, and cheat on their husbands just because. Margot is also known to sleep with high school boys, including her best friend's son 𤎠I think the worst part about this gross storyline is that all the women just turn a blind eye and don't seem to have an issue with it. Even after Sophie learns about Margot sleeping with teenagers, she just brushes it aside and continues to follow her stupid infatuation. They make a point to say several times that the boys are 18 and the age of consent is 17 in Texas, as if that excuses it?? The whole thing gave me the ick. Sophie is such a vapid character who is so desperate for attention and validation from these terrible women that she's willing to risk destroying her perfect family for it, for literally no reason other than boredom. Don't get me wrong, I love a morally grey/unreliable main characters, but Sophie was just plain stupid (she was drugged by them multiple times but continued to hang out with them anywayđ¤) and never really wises up or redeems herself. The murder mystery of it all wasn't even exciting or shocking. The writing was also bland and repetitive (be prepared to read about Sophie drinking lattes, working in the garden, and cooking food A LOT). I'm genuinely mad I spent money on this book đ
The main character Sophie is a mid thirties woman with a loving, handsome husband and a son. After she suggests they move their family from Chicago to rural Texas, her husband happily finds a new job there so she can live out her dream of being a crunchy stay at home mom blogger. Despite being given everything she wants, she grows bored with her life for some reason. Then she randomly becomes obsessed with local socialite Margot after seeing one tagged photo of her on Facebook. Sophie manages to find a way into Margot's inner circle of rich, late 30s "friends" whom have a secret shooting club. In addition to shooting skeet, they also drink excessively, and cheat on their husbands just because. Margot is also known to sleep with high school boys, including her best friend's son 𤎠I think the worst part about this gross storyline is that all the women just turn a blind eye and don't seem to have an issue with it. Even after Sophie learns about Margot sleeping with teenagers, she just brushes it aside and continues to follow her stupid infatuation. They make a point to say several times that the boys are 18 and the age of consent is 17 in Texas, as if that excuses it?? The whole thing gave me the ick. Sophie is such a vapid character who is so desperate for attention and validation from these terrible women that she's willing to risk destroying her perfect family for it, for literally no reason other than boredom. Don't get me wrong, I love a morally grey/unreliable main characters, but Sophie was just plain stupid (she was drugged by them multiple times but continued to hang out with them anywayđ¤) and never really wises up or redeems herself. The murder mystery of it all wasn't even exciting or shocking. The writing was also bland and repetitive (be prepared to read about Sophie drinking lattes, working in the garden, and cooking food A LOT). I'm genuinely mad I spent money on this book đ
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Toxic friendship, Infidelity, and Alcohol
Moderate: Sexual content and Rape
Minor: Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Abortion
major_tom's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This book becomes what it promises to be only half way through. Before that, we get endless pages of way-too-detailed Facebook surfing and coffee making (oh, and drinking! SO.MUCH.DRINKING). I mean, different types of coffee and process surrounding making it could indicate thought process and emotional state of the character, if it wasnât explicitly described on the following page. While we do get a good character description of main character as well as others, it seems to me that we could have gotten so much more given how many pages were dedicated to description (rather than any action).
The first half made me think Iâm reading erotic smut but without the good stuff. Itâs such a weird way to write out a story, I donât really get.
I mean, adultery is wrong, but itâs presented as such a scandalous and unexpected turn of events that itâs even funny. You do describe the cast as people who would DEFINITELY have an affair, but then expect us to be in any way involved in this? I got bored waiting for it, honestly. And it wasnât even that interesting, just drunk ladies doing drunk things.
And a white woman who doesnât believe she may be bi? Has a blog writing about Asian herbs and knowing nothing about them but that they âkeep your blood pressure downâ? Is the most descriptive example of teenage hormones? Please stop. A character may be unlovable, but donât make feeling horny their whole personality, please. Itâs just lazy writing.
I believe the book could have been twice as short and wouldnât lose anything. While I did like the style, it was just so pretentiously lengthened: this space could have been used to make the community more interesting, with secrets and drama. Rather than that rich village with several bored to death housewives.
Overall, I will not recommend this book. It has some good parts, but overall itâs too long for itâs own good, as if youâre reading a film script. I wanted to like it, I was intrigued by the premise, but itâs disappointing.
The first half made me think Iâm reading erotic smut but without the good stuff. Itâs such a weird way to write out a story, I donât really get.
And a white woman who doesnât believe she may be bi? Has a blog writing about Asian herbs and knowing nothing about them but that they âkeep your blood pressure downâ? Is the most descriptive example of teenage hormones? Please stop. A character may be unlovable, but donât make feeling horny their whole personality, please. Itâs just lazy writing.
I believe the book could have been twice as short and wouldnât lose anything. While I did like the style, it was just so pretentiously lengthened: this space could have been used to make the community more interesting, with secrets and drama. Rather than that rich village with several bored to death housewives.
Overall, I will not recommend this book. It has some good parts, but overall itâs too long for itâs own good, as if youâre reading a film script. I wanted to like it, I was intrigued by the premise, but itâs disappointing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Alcohol, and Sexual content
Moderate: Murder, Rape, Gun violence, and Drug use
Minor: Pregnancy, Abortion, and Suicidal thoughts
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