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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
Leah and McKenna are living what seem to be parallel lives, yet they do not know each other personally. But what happens when they inadvertently get involved with each other? This domestic suspense is a fabulous debut! I thought I was so over it with the slightly unreliable narrator bit, as well as the domestic violence angle, but this book was written so well and it kept my attention throughout. This is a raw and real journey of two women and the detective who is determined to not let go until he finds the truth. I really appreciated the resources provided at the end of the book as well. Nora Murphy is definitely an author to watch out for!
Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.
I read a lot of domestic suspense and really enjoyed Nora Murphy's debut novel. The writing gripped me right away and the story felt so real and raw. I would say the premise reminded me of a mix between Behind Closed Doors, Women in the Window and A Simple Favor.
Leah and McKenna are two strangers who have a lot in common. On the outside, they live the ideal life: high-paying careers, a fancy house, nice cars and a successful partner. Meanwhile, on the inside, they are each trapped, have little freedom and yearn to get away from their controlling husbands. One day, a chance encounter at a liquor store leads to a chain reaction of events that bind these two women together for the rest of their lives.
In the author's note at the end you learn the Nora Murphy is an attorney with a background in violent partners cases. Her strong background knowledge was evident when detailing the psychological and emotional issues these two women went through as a result of the abuse. I appreciate how she highlighted that domestic abuse can happen to anyone and why women who experience domestic violence can get "stuck." While the content was not faint on the heart, I couldn’t put the book down.
Read if interested in:
-Domestic suspense
-Investigative reads
-Real characters
-Small-town vibes
-New beginnings
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this ARC . Pub date 5/31/22
Leah and McKenna are two strangers who have a lot in common. On the outside, they live the ideal life: high-paying careers, a fancy house, nice cars and a successful partner. Meanwhile, on the inside, they are each trapped, have little freedom and yearn to get away from their controlling husbands. One day, a chance encounter at a liquor store leads to a chain reaction of events that bind these two women together for the rest of their lives.
In the author's note at the end you learn the Nora Murphy is an attorney with a background in violent partners cases. Her strong background knowledge was evident when detailing the psychological and emotional issues these two women went through as a result of the abuse. I appreciate how she highlighted that domestic abuse can happen to anyone and why women who experience domestic violence can get "stuck." While the content was not faint on the heart, I couldn’t put the book down.
Read if interested in:
-Domestic suspense
-Investigative reads
-Real characters
-Small-town vibes
-New beginnings
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this ARC . Pub date 5/31/22
I loved this well-written, fast-paced, engaging novel! To be honest, I am quite sick of reading about abusive controlling husbands, but this book offered a new take on it. I was definitely rooting for Leah and McKenna. Nora Murphy is a talented writer and I'm looking forward to reading more from her!
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Two women from different families and who has never met find themselves in similar abusive and controlling relationships. The events that play off simultaneously will keep you in your seat and turning page after page. I really liked this one, it was gripping until the end.
**major trigger warnings for domestic and psychological abuse.
**major trigger warnings for domestic and psychological abuse.
Leah and McKenna are living parallel lives without knowing it. Both are in unhealthy relationships with controlling husbands. Their lives become intertwined without them knowing it. The POV from Leah and McKenna is essential for this book because you need to hear from both women. I had a hard time putting this book down. It’s one of those books that makes you wish the bad guys get away.
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I really liked this. It had pretty good pacing, it was put together well, I liked how the author staggered the events and went back and forth both in the timeline and the perspectives. My only complaint is that if I hadn't had the headings telling me who's perspective we were in, I wouldn't rally have known. No one had their own unique voice and since we were in first person I really felt that.
Otherwise, though, look forward to checking out more from this author!
Otherwise, though, look forward to checking out more from this author!