Reviews

3/5

Laura and Liam are deeply in love after only a few months, married after six, and now on their honeymoon after eight. After the death of Laura’s mother delays their trip to Greece, two months later, they plan a secluded trip to a solitary cottage on a remote Scottish island. What initially seems like the ideal place for a private getaway, soon reveals it isn’t as private as first advertised.

A rollercoaster. This book was a mixed bag, at points I was loving it, at others not so much. For me, it has two main storylines, both as individual plots, which would have been great, but combined into one, just a little too much. Reality stretched beyond belief at points, the author tried her hardest to make it work, and at times succeeded, however, there’s just too much to overlook.

My main issue with the book was just how over the top it was. I mean possible? Yes, but adding so much that makes it hard to believe or care about at times takes away from what a great book this could have been. Written well and easy to digest, it wasn’t a big commitment so all the silliness wasn’t drastically bad.

So this review may sound slightly harsh, so to be nicer about the book I will say, it was a great read, but a good book, not really. It was fast-paced, with good twists and a good underlying storyline that brought up real emotion. it could have been done in a more immersive way, without trying too hard with the tropes and cliches and letting this feel more natural. Throughout the entire book, I was always aware that I was reading, it didn’t encapsulate me into its world, making it hard to fully connect with the author's intent.

Overall this book was… a mishmash, both as a book and as a story. Parts I loved, parts I hated, I don’t think I’ve read a book that’s created such a divide in my mind as this one. Despite everything, you have to read this book, it’s bizarre and brilliant in equal measures.