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bethreneereadsbooks's review against another edition
2.0
Cape Morgan, Maine, is the utopian ideal for a charmed life, and Beatrice Wicker knows it. The multi-million-dollar house on the sea coast. The joint bank accounts. The safety and security that go along with being married to an esteemed architect and community leader. The scenic coastline, perfect for her ambitious plan to turn an abandoned asylum into an artists’ retreat. So what if her husband sneaks off to see his second family now and again? Beatrice is willing to look the other way. It’s simply the price she must pay to keep their life together.
Josh doesn’t realize that Beatrice knows about his other life. That’s just one of Beatrice’s secrets. And now, that truth—along with a deadly host of other secrets from the past—is about to upend their false paradise.
When there’s an explosion at the local elementary school playground, and a two-year-old boy is abducted, it doesn’t take Beatrice long to make the connection between the missing boy and her husband. It was the son from Josh’s other life who was kidnapped, and Josh can’t do anything about it without revealing the truth.
Helping Josh find his son would destroy the façade of her perfect marriage and could put more children’s’ lives in danger. But that’s not all. It would reveal her deeper secret: Beatrice Wicker is not who she claims to be.
Everything in the above summary? You think it reveals a lot of the plot? Think again. If the goal was to avoid spoilers, well, mission accomplished, because I don’t know what the actual ___ I just read, but it wasn’t that. Everything else managed to be thrown at the wall though, maybe even the proverbial kitchen sink. This was so convoluted, and the main character’s motivations so unfathomably bizarre, that by the end I just wanted it to be over. But I made it!
Mia Barron did a good job narrating the audiobook.
Thank you Liv Andersson, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for providing this ALC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.
Josh doesn’t realize that Beatrice knows about his other life. That’s just one of Beatrice’s secrets. And now, that truth—along with a deadly host of other secrets from the past—is about to upend their false paradise.
When there’s an explosion at the local elementary school playground, and a two-year-old boy is abducted, it doesn’t take Beatrice long to make the connection between the missing boy and her husband. It was the son from Josh’s other life who was kidnapped, and Josh can’t do anything about it without revealing the truth.
Helping Josh find his son would destroy the façade of her perfect marriage and could put more children’s’ lives in danger. But that’s not all. It would reveal her deeper secret: Beatrice Wicker is not who she claims to be.
Everything in the above summary? You think it reveals a lot of the plot? Think again. If the goal was to avoid spoilers, well, mission accomplished, because I don’t know what the actual ___ I just read, but it wasn’t that. Everything else managed to be thrown at the wall though, maybe even the proverbial kitchen sink. This was so convoluted, and the main character’s motivations so unfathomably bizarre, that by the end I just wanted it to be over. But I made it!
Mia Barron did a good job narrating the audiobook.
Thank you Liv Andersson, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for providing this ALC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.
agameofbooksblog's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
"Leave the Lights On" by Liv Andersson unfolds a complex tale set in the idyllic Cape Morgan, Maine, unveiling secrets that threaten to shatter Beatrice Wicker's seemingly perfect life. While the premise held promise, the execution lacked the gripping suspense I anticipated, leaving me wanting more compared to Andersson's previous works. The intricate web of hidden truths and the stakes involved were compelling, yet the story fell short in delivering the anticipated chills and thrills, leaving room for a deeper emotional connection to the characters.
kerasalwaysreading's review against another edition
5.0
I enjoyed this one so much! I found it unique and authentic.
Upon starting this book, I found myself infuriated by the protagonist Beatrice and her knowledge of her husband’s affair. An affair that resulted in a child. I was baffled at how this strong, vibrant and capable woman would allow this kind of thing to go unaddressed.
When a little boy is kidnapped during an explosion, the little boy turning out to be the son of the woman who her husband Josh is having the affair with, likely his child, Beatrice becomes certain that it is all connected to her and her dark past.
I hated Josh. I want to make that clear. I hate cheating and I hate cheaters. There is no excuse and I couldn’t get past that, but I still found myself so intrigued, and still, while I couldn’t understand her logic, I didn’t dislike Beatrice for her feigned ignorance.
As I got deeper into the book and secrets reveal themselves, I found myself more involved in the story. And the pacing in which the mystery unravels was perfect, leaving me on the edge until the very end.
Beatrice was a fantastic character. The backdrop of this book is my home state of Maine and I loved all of the references. The mystery surrounding the story was well executed, and the constant feeling of “what could happen next” was superbly done.
This was a wonderful debut, by an author I cannot wait to read more of!
Upon starting this book, I found myself infuriated by the protagonist Beatrice and her knowledge of her husband’s affair. An affair that resulted in a child. I was baffled at how this strong, vibrant and capable woman would allow this kind of thing to go unaddressed.
When a little boy is kidnapped during an explosion, the little boy turning out to be the son of the woman who her husband Josh is having the affair with, likely his child, Beatrice becomes certain that it is all connected to her and her dark past.
I hated Josh. I want to make that clear. I hate cheating and I hate cheaters. There is no excuse and I couldn’t get past that, but I still found myself so intrigued, and still, while I couldn’t understand her logic, I didn’t dislike Beatrice for her feigned ignorance.
As I got deeper into the book and secrets reveal themselves, I found myself more involved in the story. And the pacing in which the mystery unravels was perfect, leaving me on the edge until the very end.
Beatrice was a fantastic character. The backdrop of this book is my home state of Maine and I loved all of the references. The mystery surrounding the story was well executed, and the constant feeling of “what could happen next” was superbly done.
This was a wonderful debut, by an author I cannot wait to read more of!
ford0218's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
booksnacks's review
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? Yes
1.0
campreadkarin's review against another edition
dark
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? It's complicated
3.0
noladawnreads's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Kidnapping
marcirenee1974's review
2.0
I was super bored by this but don't know if that was a me problem or a book problem. I am willing to give Liv Andersson another shot to find out though!
chillawesome's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
adventuresinfictionland's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25