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confessions_of_a_bookaholic's review against another edition
5.0
Marian Keyes definitely knows how to write a family drama, so I went in to this pretty confident that I was going to enjoy it, and I wasn't wrong. It was the perfect book to be reading whilst off work sick for a few days, like a warm comfy blanket and cup of tea.
It's a few years since I first read about Rachel and her struggles, so not all of the details were fresh in my mind. This book gives you enough of a back story that it refreshes your memory, but doesn't spend too long going over old ground. I think you'd be fine diving in without having read any of the previous Walsh family books if you wanted to, but they do add extra depth to the family and characters.
I was fascinated by this book. When we join Rachel at the start she seems so steady, with her life really going well. When Luke reappears it's obvious that it will have an impact, but I was on tenterhooks trying to figure out just how much or how badly it was going to affect her (and hoping against hope that she wasn't going to blow up her life!) You don't know until the very end of the book how things are going to work out, and honestly I was fully invested the whole way through, even when I didn't like the way events were turning.
There are some very sensitive topics broached over the course of this book, so I strongly suggest looking at trigger warnings before reading if there are things that you find difficult to read about. As is usually the case with Keyes, these topics were handled with care. I thought she did a fantastic job of helping to show the trauma and long lasting effects that some of these tragedies can have on people.
I loved this, and certainly won't be waiting so long to read the next installment of the Walsh family.
Trigger Warnings: Miscarriage, death of a child, addiction, alcoholism, drug abuse
Graphic: Miscarriage and Child death
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Drug abuse
zzaakkiiyyaa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Drug abuse and Addiction
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Miscarriage
blenchbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Drug use, and Addiction
Moderate: Child death
jenny_readss's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Miscarriage, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Pregnancy, Grief, and Addiction
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death of parent, Car accident, and Cancer
newtonkatie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Child death, Pregnancy, Drug abuse, Miscarriage, and Addiction
Minor: Infertility and Infidelity
ceejcook's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Drug abuse, and Alcoholism
megwheeler's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Infidelity, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Drug use, Alcohol, Death, Drug abuse, Infertility, Child death, Grief, Miscarriage, and Mental illness
laurenmitchell's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Miscarriage, Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexual assault and Incest
aridd1's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Drug use, Miscarriage, Addiction, Pregnancy, Alcoholism, Child death, Drug abuse, and Infertility
sharon_s's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Miscarriage, Alcohol, and Addiction
Moderate: Drug abuse and Drug use