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A review by thegeekybibliophile
Forget You Know Me by Jessica Strawser
4.0
Lifelong friends Liza and Molly have grown distant since Liza moved to Chicago. One night, when Molly’s husband Daniel is away on business, they have a video chat in a bid to reconnect. After an awkward start, the conversation is flowing easily when Molly has to go check on one of her children. Liza is horrified when she sees a masked man enter her friend’s house, and panics when the screen goes dark. She calls the police, and then—unable to get Molly to answer her phone—Liza jumps in her car and drives all night to make sure she is okay, only to be turned away by an angry Molly. Confused, hurt, and angry, Liza returns home only to find more heartbreak waiting for her as she tries to figure out what happened that fateful night.
For some reason, I thought this book was a thriller when I read it, even though it’s clearly marked as women’s fiction on Netgalley. (Something I realized while preparing to write this review.) I originally rated this book at three stars, which would have been fair if it was being marketed as a thriller. Since the correct genre is women’s fiction—which puts things in a different light, story-wise—I’m bumping my rating up to four stars.
The main focus of the story is Liza and Molly’s fading friendship, as well as the strained relationship between Molly and her husband, Daniel. Molly’s life as a wife and mother created a distance with Liza, and it became greater after Liza moved away from their hometown. I felt a great deal of sympathy for both women. I understood Liza’s perspective because I’ve had dear friendships fade away, but my greatest empathy was for Molly. She came across as distinctly unlikable in the beginning, but as the story progresses it becomes evident that Molly is struggling with unidentified medical issues that have her in constant pain, which causes a rift in her marriage and makes mothering her children an often difficult for her.
The main characters—Liza, Molly, and Daniel—all face other obstacles in their lives that complicate the mending of their relationships. Issues faced by Molly and Daniel, in particular, often eclipsed the problems in their relationships… which, I suppose, illustrates how easily day-to-day life interferes in how people interact with those we care about the most.
This was an enjoyable book that I’ll have to add to my reread list, so that I can properly enjoy it without misconceptions about what genre of book I’m reading.
If you enjoy reading women’s fiction, do give this book a try!
I received an advance reading copy of this book courtesy of St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley.
For some reason, I thought this book was a thriller when I read it, even though it’s clearly marked as women’s fiction on Netgalley. (Something I realized while preparing to write this review.) I originally rated this book at three stars, which would have been fair if it was being marketed as a thriller. Since the correct genre is women’s fiction—which puts things in a different light, story-wise—I’m bumping my rating up to four stars.
The main focus of the story is Liza and Molly’s fading friendship, as well as the strained relationship between Molly and her husband, Daniel. Molly’s life as a wife and mother created a distance with Liza, and it became greater after Liza moved away from their hometown. I felt a great deal of sympathy for both women. I understood Liza’s perspective because I’ve had dear friendships fade away, but my greatest empathy was for Molly. She came across as distinctly unlikable in the beginning, but as the story progresses it becomes evident that Molly is struggling with unidentified medical issues that have her in constant pain, which causes a rift in her marriage and makes mothering her children an often difficult for her.
The main characters—Liza, Molly, and Daniel—all face other obstacles in their lives that complicate the mending of their relationships. Issues faced by Molly and Daniel, in particular, often eclipsed the problems in their relationships… which, I suppose, illustrates how easily day-to-day life interferes in how people interact with those we care about the most.
This was an enjoyable book that I’ll have to add to my reread list, so that I can properly enjoy it without misconceptions about what genre of book I’m reading.
If you enjoy reading women’s fiction, do give this book a try!
I received an advance reading copy of this book courtesy of St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley.