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I have to give Paulette Kennedy props for her almost addictive writing style. With every chapter, I had to know what was going to happen until I reached the end. I was so enraptured with Loretta and her journey of motherhood and womanhood in the 1950s that I found myself forgetting about the mystery that was happening until I got hit in the face with new information. The combination of historical fiction and horror, along with the addition of a mystery element, has worked very well for the book.
The main reason I had to dock points from this book is that some things, especially in the last hundred pages or so, felt too easy.
Despite this one gripe, I did find myself entertained by Paulette Kennedy's novel, and I loved the reason she wrote it. Beyond the reasons why I love a book, I love it when authors love their books, and you can tell Kennedy loved this book.
"It was time to find out who she really was. To take the cold, bracing plunge into reality, and come out the other side a changed woman. The woman she was meant to be."
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Alcohol
Minor: Abortion
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Death, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Rape, Self harm, Grief, Car accident, Abortion, Pregnancy
Loretta Davenport is a mom, homemaker, and housewife—at first glance her life seems picturesque with a home and children and a successful husband who is a professor at the nearby university. She found comfort in the teachings of church and her husband, Pete, is also deeply religious.
After being very sick, Loretta is disconcerted by some strange visions she has about a recently missing girl in her community. When her visions turn out to be true and end up helping find the missing girl’s dead body, Loretta’s life starts to go up in flames. Her husband thinks her behavior and independence of thought is “of the devil” and is determined to bring her to heel. As the cracks in her life start to crumble the very foundation of her marriage and home, Loretta tenaciously and cleverly rebuilds one where she can fully embrace her abilities and redefines how she wants to be as a mother, wife, and career woman.
Empowered through therapy, facing her past and present trauma, and refusing to be abused anymore by her controlling, alcoholic spouse, Loretta will not continue to live a life she is barely surviving in. She must figure out how to break free from her hellish, violently escalating marriage while also trying to use her psychic powers to track down the devil who is killing young girls in the area before it is too late…both for herself and other victims.
This book pleasantly surprised me. Loretta grew a backbone and realized her worth fairly quickly, which can be credited to therapy as well as positive friendships in her life. I adored how Loretta did not give up on a better life for herself and her kids, no matter how hard her husband tried to break her and made it impossible for her to leave. The more she learned about herself, the more competent and formidable she became, and was eventually ready to face the devil himself by the end of the book. This book does have quite a few trigger warnings though, so please make sure to look those up before reading. Loved this book, through and through. I will be reading more of Paulette Kennedy’s books.
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol
Moderate: Cancer, Abortion
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Alcohol
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Gaslighting