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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
THE FAVOR is a domestic suspense debut that follows two women who are victims of intimate partner violence. Behind the veneer of a polished life with successful husbands, Leah and McKenna find themselves trapped in abusive marriages. Although the women have never officially met, they recognize a kindred spirit in the other when their paths cross.
I appreciated the thoughtful author’s note that discussed the prevalence of intimate partner violence as well as the dynamics of domestic abuse when the abuser is a prominent member of the community. While the trope of an alcoholic female protagonist often feels overdone to me, it didn’t play out the way I anticipated and it fit well within the storyline.
The audiobook performance was great as there was a different narrator for each woman which helped set each character apart. It was a quick listen and easy to follow in audio format.
I found myself holding out for a jaw-dropping twist, but THE FAVOR just isn’t that type of book. If you’re interested in thought-provoking domestic suspense, do yourself a favor and pick up THE FAVOR. This was a solid debut by Nora Murphy and I look forward to seeing where her talents lead her!
RATING: 4/5
PUB DATE: May 31, 2022
A big thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Minotaur Books for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I appreciated the thoughtful author’s note that discussed the prevalence of intimate partner violence as well as the dynamics of domestic abuse when the abuser is a prominent member of the community. While the trope of an alcoholic female protagonist often feels overdone to me, it didn’t play out the way I anticipated and it fit well within the storyline.
The audiobook performance was great as there was a different narrator for each woman which helped set each character apart. It was a quick listen and easy to follow in audio format.
I found myself holding out for a jaw-dropping twist, but THE FAVOR just isn’t that type of book. If you’re interested in thought-provoking domestic suspense, do yourself a favor and pick up THE FAVOR. This was a solid debut by Nora Murphy and I look forward to seeing where her talents lead her!
RATING: 4/5
PUB DATE: May 31, 2022
A big thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Minotaur Books for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
I will possibly give this author another shot as the writing was decent but I didn’t feel like it was going anywhere.
Hopefully the description of the book is a trigger warning. Otherwise, read this book if you want to cheer for justice! I couldn't put it down. I'm sure in real life it would have played out differently, but it was an amazing work of fiction and I loved it!
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Got this as part of the relax and radiate crate. It took me a few months to read because I kept getting distracted by other books and coming back but the story was so good I had no issue remembering and picking up where I left off. I really felt for Leah and McKenna and was totally on their side. It’s sad how often this actually happens in real life and how easily women are controlled by men. Loved that they took things in their own thing and helped each other #girlpower
Great debut novel for Nora and definitely will be reading more from her
Great debut novel for Nora and definitely will be reading more from her
So grateful for the goodreads giveaway ARC! It was so exciting to receive!!
Unfortunately, this book felt rather slow for me. This is a book for someone interested in reading about domestic violence. I just felt the movement and flow of this book was slow and felt like I was reading it forever. It just fell flat for me. Lots of words and little action.
Appreciate the author’s desire to draw attention to the prevalence of DV and the need to help victims.
Unfortunately, this book felt rather slow for me. This is a book for someone interested in reading about domestic violence. I just felt the movement and flow of this book was slow and felt like I was reading it forever. It just fell flat for me. Lots of words and little action.
Appreciate the author’s desire to draw attention to the prevalence of DV and the need to help victims.
The Favor by Nora Murphy
Leah and McKenna are two total strangers who seem to be living parallel lives, lives that are full of domestic abuse and assault. A chance meeting at a liquor store ends up changing both of their lives completely, when they each perform the ultimate favor in an effort to save each other.
This was a truly exciting read, one full with a lot of suspense. It was interesting to get to know both of the main characters in the story through opposing points of view throughout the book as well as the Detective who has been tapped to solve the case that Leah and McKenna found themselves involved in. I found the depiction of domestic violence and abuse interesting, and loved that the author included information about the tragedy that many women face in today's society and provided resources for people who find themselves to be in those situations. It could potentially be triggering for some people, however, so this is an important trigger warning.
All and all, this was an easy read that involved two very strong woman. It was also a fantastic debut novel for Nora Murphy. I will look forward to reading more of her books! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
Leah and McKenna are two total strangers who seem to be living parallel lives, lives that are full of domestic abuse and assault. A chance meeting at a liquor store ends up changing both of their lives completely, when they each perform the ultimate favor in an effort to save each other.
This was a truly exciting read, one full with a lot of suspense. It was interesting to get to know both of the main characters in the story through opposing points of view throughout the book as well as the Detective who has been tapped to solve the case that Leah and McKenna found themselves involved in. I found the depiction of domestic violence and abuse interesting, and loved that the author included information about the tragedy that many women face in today's society and provided resources for people who find themselves to be in those situations. It could potentially be triggering for some people, however, so this is an important trigger warning.
All and all, this was an easy read that involved two very strong woman. It was also a fantastic debut novel for Nora Murphy. I will look forward to reading more of her books! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Leah Dawson, a lawyer married to hotshot family law & divorce attorney, Liam, and McKenna Hawkins, a pediatrician married to respected psychiatrist, Zachary, both seem to have idyllic lives with their relatively new husbands. They have successful careers, beautiful homes and financial stability. They don’t know each other, but their lives are remarkably similar - right down to the emotional and physical abuse, coercion, social isolation, lack of financial control, and stripping of identity that both husbands start inflicting on them shortly after marriage. When Leah sees McKenna in a liquor store one day, she recognizes the signs of her own situation and becomes obsessed with helping her, unbeknownst to McKenna.
The question is: How far will Leah go to help this stranger?
I’m leaving it there, as far as the plot goes, as that’s just the beginning. Suffice it to say, as the story unfolds, it’s clever, intriguing, and frankly infuriating to see what these two women experience, but it’s also, dare I say, fun to watch how author Nora Murphy weaves their stories together to a satisfying conclusion. Not condoning how some things went down, but I was pulling for these two at every moment! Yes, you have to suspend a pretty healthy amount of disbelief, and I was mildly annoyed at the chapters with Detective Jordan Harrison, who came off too cocky for my taste, but it was a small price to pay for a compelling debut that tackles an issue that should be given more attention.
Do yourself a favor and read this! Also make sure to read the Author’s Note, as Murphy includes resources and information pertaining to domestic violence for those who may personally need it or know someone who does.
★★★★
Thanks to St. Martins Press, NetGalley and author Nora Murphy for this ARC. I’ve given my opinions freely and honestly. It’s due to be published on May 31, 2022.
**********************************************************************************************
Some facts on domestic violence:
According to NCADV, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, one in three women and one in four men in the U.S. have experienced physical violence from their intimate partner, such as pushing, shoving and slapping, and one in four women and one in nine men have endured a severe form like beating, burning or strangling. That doesn’t even account for emotional abuse, sexual violence or stalking, nor does it reflect statistics globally where domestic violence is endemic and often unseen.
For more domestic violence statistics visit: Statistics
For domestic violence resources visit: Resources
The question is: How far will Leah go to help this stranger?
I’m leaving it there, as far as the plot goes, as that’s just the beginning. Suffice it to say, as the story unfolds, it’s clever, intriguing, and frankly infuriating to see what these two women experience, but it’s also, dare I say, fun to watch how author Nora Murphy weaves their stories together to a satisfying conclusion. Not condoning how some things went down, but I was pulling for these two at every moment! Yes, you have to suspend a pretty healthy amount of disbelief, and I was mildly annoyed at the chapters with Detective Jordan Harrison, who came off too cocky for my taste, but it was a small price to pay for a compelling debut that tackles an issue that should be given more attention.
Do yourself a favor and read this! Also make sure to read the Author’s Note, as Murphy includes resources and information pertaining to domestic violence for those who may personally need it or know someone who does.
★★★★
Thanks to St. Martins Press, NetGalley and author Nora Murphy for this ARC. I’ve given my opinions freely and honestly. It’s due to be published on May 31, 2022.
**********************************************************************************************
Some facts on domestic violence:
According to NCADV, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, one in three women and one in four men in the U.S. have experienced physical violence from their intimate partner, such as pushing, shoving and slapping, and one in four women and one in nine men have endured a severe form like beating, burning or strangling. That doesn’t even account for emotional abuse, sexual violence or stalking, nor does it reflect statistics globally where domestic violence is endemic and often unseen.
For more domestic violence statistics visit: Statistics
For domestic violence resources visit: Resources