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onmalsshelf's review
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- 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
I got this one for my shelves right after it came out because it seemed right up my alley and finding out the my favorite bookish podcast, Sarah's Bookshelves Live, was going to have the author on as a guest pushed me to pick it up.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Miscarriage
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