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jesslojo's review
3.0
Overall not a bad book but not really at all “thrilling” it was a little to slow of a burn for me. The ending was good though.
khaleesimod93's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
Overall, this was the type of book I was looking for. It had drama, the mystery, and revelations played out exactly how I thought they would. The only and biggest problem with the book was the pacing. It wasn't a page turner, not because I didn't want to know the full truth, but because everything felt slowed down. It dragged in so many places. However, the ending and revelations were exactly perfect for the build-up of the story. Normally, I'm not a fan of the past to present telling, but for this book, it works perfectly. There were so many things that went wrong in the past. Lives ruined because of secrets, pain, and omitting the truth. I really like Juniper, and I'm so glad her brother was innocent. It's so sad what actually happened. I thought that juniper, even at the end, was really naive, but it fit for how the story ended too.
mtzbookworm64's review
4.0
Juniper Baker returns to Jericho, Iowa to help a friend, repair her relationship with her daughter and to solve the Murphy murders. Who is not telling the truth…what will topple the secrets in Jericho?
mlau17's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
ccunliffe's review
4.0
An interesting mystery. The movement between time periods worked well. The plot twist was somewhat expected, although the root cause was not. Good for anyone looking for a fast-paced whodunnit.
lastpaige111's review
4.0
I totally loved this book and read it in 24 hours.
June, the MC, was so incredibly likable, and I admired her spunk and persistence. Almost all the characters were so well developed, and although I saw the main twist (I love to congratulate myself when I do) it was close to the reveal; the secondary twist, I totally missed.
At first I thought the premise of a young woman who only sees her daughter a couple of days a year was very strange, but as I read, I realized there was an underlying thread I didn't pick up on right away. The daughter, Willa, is growing up in a town where MC and Mom Juniper would rather not live, for multiple reasons; however, nothing would have prevented Juniper from raising her elsewhere once she was out of college ... unless ... there actually is a big, unsaid thing. Eventually the reader learns almost off-hand that Juniper's family (and friends) are church-goers, and although it's never specified WHAT church, I'm assuming it's the kind that ostracizes women for behaving the way Juniper confesses she did at age 19 (not that it should be anyone else's business, which is another unexplained detail). I guess the publishers didn't want to limit the audience to Christian readers -- that's all I can think. But it feels like a lame choice. Also, the irony of Christians treating one another the way these people do ... a missed opportunity.
The absence of a sex scene also screams conservative Christian, which, honestly? Doesn't bother me one bit. Sex between teens can happen off-stage, thank you very much. Sex between adults, too, for that matter, or any combination thereof. Call me prim, but I'm a fan of what's left up to the imagination ...
Only reasons I gave 4 instead of 5 stars --
There were so many subplots that none of them were well developed, and a couple required a deus ex machina to resolve. PLUS, the story's told in two timeframes, so there are even more challenges developing characters who are truly different people at one age than at another. In a few of the threads, inevitably the important characters are short-changed. There isn't room enough in a normal-length novel for that many characters to be fully developed. Nonetheless, I admired the complexity. I love multiple threads.
I'm far from a conservative Christian, but I'll definitely pick up this author again. The emotional complexity makes up for the missteps.
June, the MC, was so incredibly likable, and I admired her spunk and persistence. Almost all the characters were so well developed, and although I saw the main twist (I love to congratulate myself when I do) it was close to the reveal; the secondary twist, I totally missed.
At first I thought the premise of a young woman who only sees her daughter a couple of days a year was very strange, but as I read, I realized there was an underlying thread I didn't pick up on right away. The daughter, Willa, is growing up in a town where MC and Mom Juniper would rather not live, for multiple reasons; however, nothing would have prevented Juniper from raising her elsewhere once she was out of college ... unless ... there actually is a big, unsaid thing. Eventually the reader learns almost off-hand that Juniper's family (and friends) are church-goers, and although it's never specified WHAT church, I'm assuming it's the kind that ostracizes women for behaving the way Juniper confesses she did at age 19 (not that it should be anyone else's business, which is another unexplained detail). I guess the publishers didn't want to limit the audience to Christian readers -- that's all I can think. But it feels like a lame choice. Also, the irony of Christians treating one another the way these people do ... a missed opportunity.
The absence of a sex scene also screams conservative Christian, which, honestly? Doesn't bother me one bit. Sex between teens can happen off-stage, thank you very much. Sex between adults, too, for that matter, or any combination thereof. Call me prim, but I'm a fan of what's left up to the imagination ...
Only reasons I gave 4 instead of 5 stars --
There were so many subplots that none of them were well developed, and a couple required a deus ex machina to resolve. PLUS, the story's told in two timeframes, so there are even more challenges developing characters who are truly different people at one age than at another. In a few of the threads, inevitably the important characters are short-changed. There isn't room enough in a normal-length novel for that many characters to be fully developed. Nonetheless, I admired the complexity. I love multiple threads.
I'm far from a conservative Christian, but I'll definitely pick up this author again. The emotional complexity makes up for the missteps.
johnlway's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0