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3.15 AVERAGE
3.15 AVERAGE
Thank you to HarperCollins Australia for sending me a copy of this book to review.
Marcie is the second wife to wealthy businessman Jason. Keisha is the very new second wife to the fabulously wealthy William, whose first wife quite recently died. Keisha is very young and very stunning and has Jason paying her a lot of attention. Marcie is immediately suspicious and jealous, but Jason brushes it off as trying to befriend Keisha to secure his buyout of William’s business and suggests Marcie also try to befriend her.
As the two second wives get closer, layers of lies and deceit unravel and when someone tries to poison William at a party, there are plenty of suspects!
I really enjoyed the first half of this book, but for me, it really went off the rails in the second half. The introduction of voodoo and black magic didn’t work for me. I would have actually been interested in this had it been done well, but it just came across as bizarre and confusing to me.
I didn’t like any of the characters in this book either. I don’t have to like the characters to like the book, but these were just awful characters who held my interest enough in the first half, but I just lost interest in them as the book progressed as there was nothing remotely relatable about any of them.
This book was more of a 2.75 rating for me, but I’m rounding it up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 as the book did have a strong beginning....it’s just a pity it didn’t continue that way.
Marcie is the second wife to wealthy businessman Jason. Keisha is the very new second wife to the fabulously wealthy William, whose first wife quite recently died. Keisha is very young and very stunning and has Jason paying her a lot of attention. Marcie is immediately suspicious and jealous, but Jason brushes it off as trying to befriend Keisha to secure his buyout of William’s business and suggests Marcie also try to befriend her.
As the two second wives get closer, layers of lies and deceit unravel and when someone tries to poison William at a party, there are plenty of suspects!
I really enjoyed the first half of this book, but for me, it really went off the rails in the second half. The introduction of voodoo and black magic didn’t work for me. I would have actually been interested in this had it been done well, but it just came across as bizarre and confusing to me.
I didn’t like any of the characters in this book either. I don’t have to like the characters to like the book, but these were just awful characters who held my interest enough in the first half, but I just lost interest in them as the book progressed as there was nothing remotely relatable about any of them.
This book was more of a 2.75 rating for me, but I’m rounding it up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 as the book did have a strong beginning....it’s just a pity it didn’t continue that way.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
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
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m in a slump, and ran out of time on my library loan :(
Lol got it again and got halfway through but OMG I cannot make myself care about these characters. Love Sarah Pinborough, but something about this one just isn’t for me.
Lol got it again and got halfway through but OMG I cannot make myself care about these characters. Love Sarah Pinborough, but something about this one just isn’t for me.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I enjoyed two other of Sarah Pinborough's books but this was choppy, lacked true character development and just did not tie together in the end. The attempt at a cliff hanger in the epilogue did not leave me craving to know.
It is interesting to me that while I was reading this and just after I finished I think I would have rated this with Two Stars. While I was reading I remember thinking, "enough already with the secret box and Keisha's secret backstory - just tell us already and get on with the story." I wasn't intrigued, I was annoyed. I wish I hadn't let it annoy me so much because it lessened my appreciation of the book as a whole and therefore I wasn't as taken by the ending as I could have been.
Also, this book has a lot of weird goings-on, such as voodoo and orgies, and I did not expect to have either of those be part of this book. I'm still not sure what to make of all of it.
But, I digress. It has been a week since I read the book and I still remember it. Reading the reviews (both good and bad) made me want to give this book Four Stars. So I have settled between the two conflicting ratings and gone with Three Stars here.
Also, this book has a lot of weird goings-on, such as voodoo and orgies, and I did not expect to have either of those be part of this book. I'm still not sure what to make of all of it.
But, I digress. It has been a week since I read the book and I still remember it. Reading the reviews (both good and bad) made me want to give this book Four Stars. So I have settled between the two conflicting ratings and gone with Three Stars here.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm really not sure about this. I knew who had don't it right away, it felt obvious. I'm just not sure this was what I was expecting or the right choice of book for me
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated