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nm_young's review against another edition
4.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4 Stars= It was a very good read. Might read it again.
4 Stars= It was a very good read. Might read it again.
necessvryevil's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
peggy_racham's review against another edition
5.0
"If love drove people mad, what would lack of love do?"
Story about desperate lonely people and what they would do to not be so lonely. Trauma is central to this story but handled well
Story about desperate lonely people and what they would do to not be so lonely. Trauma is central to this story but handled well
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Violence, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Abandonment, Pregnancy, Rape, Addiction, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Toxic relationship, and Grief
mirrorchaser's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Buddy read with my sister, Alaina. This book was the worst haha Ralph, the husband, needs to go to horny jail. The book is written in third person omniscient POV and the Ralph chapters were quite literally ONLY about sex. And not even in an “oh this is hot erotica” way but in the creepiest, skeeviest way possible. The heroine was fine, she intrigued me and I did end up not liking her but I think that was part of the author’s intent.
The ending was BS.
The ending was BS.
emerygirl's review against another edition
2.0
It started out with so much potential...then kind of fizzled. Although I finished it, I was extremely disappointed.
smithemorgan's review against another edition
1.0
I'm not sure how to rate this or even where to begin reviewing it. I hated the people and their stories but I could not stop reading it.
This story started with everything a good suspense novel has: mysterious people with mysterious pasts and a very thrilling opening scene with the horse carriage. It slowly morphed into a very, very sad piece about the horrible people bred from horrible circumstances trapped in a vicious cycle during one of the toughest times to be alive. Every character introduced made you sick and sad to learn their lives. Truitt was the only character I liked from the beginning and he was treated so poorly. I am guessing the ending was supposed to be justice for Catherine and represent the death of the past and the (almost) birth of her new life but it didn't make me any less sad for her. A very haunting book, I'm not sure I would recommend it.
This story started with everything a good suspense novel has: mysterious people with mysterious pasts and a very thrilling opening scene with the horse carriage. It slowly morphed into a very, very sad piece about the horrible people bred from horrible circumstances trapped in a vicious cycle during one of the toughest times to be alive. Every character introduced made you sick and sad to learn their lives. Truitt was the only character I liked from the beginning and he was treated so poorly. I am guessing the ending was supposed to be justice for Catherine and represent the death of the past and the (almost) birth of her new life but it didn't make me any less sad for her. A very haunting book, I'm not sure I would recommend it.
jmj697mn's review against another edition
3.0
Not my usual fare but it held my attention and I devoured it in less than a day.
asodif0982's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
hmgelo02's review against another edition
3.0
This book was a huge surprise to me. If I could use only one word to sum it up, it would be: SEX.
Sex is everywhere in this book, from the first pages to the very end. I don't know what I was expecting from a book that described itself as being the story of a middle-aged man in turn-of-the-century (1900s) Wisconsin who places an ad in the papers for "A Reliable Wife", and agrees to marry one in particular who responds. But this wasn't it.
The sexual tension is palpable on every page, in every interaction between every character, seemingly at every moment. Perhaps the author, [a:Robert Goolrick|266461|Robert Goolrick|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1238702314p2/266461.jpg], was frustrated when writing this novel. Perhaps he captured the essence of the frustration of many men and women in this mostly prudish era. Perhaps he just really liked the subject.
That being said, I did enjoy reading this novel. It was well-written and well thought out; its characters dynamic and interesting, with many sides to each of them. I actually really liked his main characters more than I thought I would initially.
This was a fast read for me, taking just a bit over a a day, on and off. I would give this author's works another try some day.
Sex is everywhere in this book, from the first pages to the very end. I don't know what I was expecting from a book that described itself as being the story of a middle-aged man in turn-of-the-century (1900s) Wisconsin who places an ad in the papers for "A Reliable Wife", and agrees to marry one in particular who responds. But this wasn't it.
The sexual tension is palpable on every page, in every interaction between every character, seemingly at every moment. Perhaps the author, [a:Robert Goolrick|266461|Robert Goolrick|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1238702314p2/266461.jpg], was frustrated when writing this novel. Perhaps he captured the essence of the frustration of many men and women in this mostly prudish era. Perhaps he just really liked the subject.
That being said, I did enjoy reading this novel. It was well-written and well thought out; its characters dynamic and interesting, with many sides to each of them. I actually really liked his main characters more than I thought I would initially.
This was a fast read for me, taking just a bit over a a day, on and off. I would give this author's works another try some day.