You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Scan barcode
julia091's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Alcoholism and Miscarriage
cassiebartelme's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Graphic: Gun violence, Infidelity, and Miscarriage
lcg527's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexual content, and Murder
onmalsshelf's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Overall, I'm so confused. I waited to write my review until after I listened to the interview because I was hoping for some clarity on how this was marketed. However, it didn't help. The author said she and the publishers team talked about how this is not a mystery or a thriller, but more of a literary suspense (as noted on the cover). However, it's marked as a mystery and thriller on both Goodreads and StoryGraph, which of course makes zero sense. It's also not suspenseful at all.
This is literary drama plain and simple. I'd even say at times this reminded me of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo just because it's a reporter interviewing a woman with some sort of significance and digging into details of the women's past while the reporter has questionable intentions.
Moving on, this dragged. A lot. I think this was a victim of the 2022 release curse that I've talked about in a lot of reviews - not enough editing. If this had been cleaned up just a little bit more, I think this would've been more successful for me. (Note a successful rating is 3.5 stars for me.)
I think the overall idea of the plot was genius. What leads a woman with twin sons, a successful career, and a loving husband to fall in love with and marry another man?
We all know there are many men that chose to lead secret lives with secret wives and there's maybe only one woman we know of at least in the United States that has done the same. After reading some 1-2 star reviews, it seems that many women are judging Lore has a horrible mother and wife, and I can't help but wonder if those women have judged men for doing the same thing just as harsh?
For me, Lore's story should've had more space to grow in here. What happened to her right after the murder? The time between the murder and Cassie coming to interview her? Cassie's story really didn't add that much besides showing that women can have secrets and pasts of many kinds. Plus Cassie's story did get Lore to divulge more information, but at what cost to Cassie?
I also enjoyed that this addressed the problems behind true crime writing - that it can glamorize the murderer and hurt the victim's family all over again.
The ending was probably the most suspenseful part of this one and it really shows how far family will go to keep one another safe. I loved the ending.
Overall, I'm giving this a 3.25 stars. The entire time I read this one, I was on the verge of DNFing it and that does make me feel conflicted on my rating.
Additionally, apparently the author does read reviews even if she's not tagged in them so reviewer beware.
Reviews are for readers.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Death of parent, and Abandonment
madibacon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.25
Graphic: Miscarriage
Minor: Murder
100_pages_hr's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Sexual content
reneelb's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Miscarriage, and Abortion
inkdrinkermal's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Miscarriage
cwittekind's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol
ta2dlibrarian's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Gutierrez takes great pains with writing about Laredo as authentically as she can, and her work has paid off. If you've been to Laredo you will recognize all the places Cassie and Lore go to.
Typical of modern true crime entertainment Gutierrez leaves the real victims out of the story: the children of the murdered husband. They don't get any catharsis, or money, from Cassie's book profits. Carlos even admitted to being suicidal to Cassie during one interview.
I'm glad Gutierrez explores, and validates, the idea of a woman being more than a mother and care giver, but we have to do better by the true victims of crime by getting their permission to explore these stories and then by centering them in these narratives, instead of trying to profit from their pain by creating the next hot Netflix series.
Moderate: Alcoholism, Infidelity, and Pregnancy
Minor: Death and Miscarriage