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A review by laurenkd89
Something She's Not Telling Us by Darcey Bell
3.0
The reviewer consensus is strong on this one: This is a super fun and wickedly fast-paced read, filled with detestable characters and the ominous buildup to a big reveal, but the ending regrettably falls very, very flat.
Bell is a master at pacing - this book truly flies by, and the writing is so light and tumbling that you won't put it down until you reach the end. The premise is quite good: Charlotte is a neurotic New York helicopter parents who runs her own boutique flower shop and has constant anxiety over her daughter, Daisy. Charlotte and her husband Eli have a charmed rich life and a loft in Brooklyn - Charlotte's brother Rocco, on the other hand, is a reformed alcoholic still recovering from the terrible memory of his mother almost burning down the house with him still inside. He dates a series of terrible women, including a kleptomaniac who stole Daisy's favorite toy, and the latest in his series is an odd woman named Ruth.
On the surface, Ruth seems fine, but Charlotte senses something off about her. The little games and manipulation ensuing between Ruth and Charlotte (neither of whom are very likable) is fun to read, and you get excited to see the secret(s) that both Ruth and Charlotte are hiding. However, the actual reveal of what their secrets are is totally bunk, and the ending was like a balloon you're blowing up to see how big it gets, and then someone comes by with a pin and pops it. I was super disappointed that the ending wasn't better executed - I think it had the potential to really be gripping and shocking. However, the rest of the book was a fun and fast read, so three stars is a totally fair rating here. Thank you to Harper for the ARC!
Bell is a master at pacing - this book truly flies by, and the writing is so light and tumbling that you won't put it down until you reach the end. The premise is quite good: Charlotte is a neurotic New York helicopter parents who runs her own boutique flower shop and has constant anxiety over her daughter, Daisy. Charlotte and her husband Eli have a charmed rich life and a loft in Brooklyn - Charlotte's brother Rocco, on the other hand, is a reformed alcoholic still recovering from the terrible memory of his mother almost burning down the house with him still inside. He dates a series of terrible women, including a kleptomaniac who stole Daisy's favorite toy, and the latest in his series is an odd woman named Ruth.
On the surface, Ruth seems fine, but Charlotte senses something off about her. The little games and manipulation ensuing between Ruth and Charlotte (neither of whom are very likable) is fun to read, and you get excited to see the secret(s) that both Ruth and Charlotte are hiding. However, the actual reveal of what their secrets are is totally bunk, and the ending was like a balloon you're blowing up to see how big it gets, and then someone comes by with a pin and pops it. I was super disappointed that the ending wasn't better executed - I think it had the potential to really be gripping and shocking. However, the rest of the book was a fun and fast read, so three stars is a totally fair rating here. Thank you to Harper for the ARC!