A review by ronnieb
The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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? Yes

3.0

Trigger Warning: Abuse, Rape, Forced Pregnancy, Fertility Issues, Abortion Discussions, Consent Issues

This was perfectly fine. The story follows a woman named Amber as she wiggles her way into the life of the Parrish family. The novel unfolds in a way you probably would think from there but it is still a fun ride to see how everything turns out. I think the strongest aspect of this book was the characters. I hated Amber and found her to be an annoying character but not in a bothersome way. The authors did a good job crafting her in a way to make the reader never be on her side. I think by the end of the book she was more cartoonish but in this soapy and over-the-top thriller it works. 

The book is split into three sections and the weaving of parts 1 and 2 was done well and connected some interesting scenes that had stuck in my mind. There is also a POV shift in part 2 and I think this was my favorite part of the novel but also where a lot of the trigger warnings start so it becomes a more difficult read. 

I think there is very little mystery or thriller present here. What is happening and going to happen is obvious but not foreshadowed. You must have seen this story before so you know where it will lead. There are some tense scenes toward the back half but they are scenes of abuse or characters being taken advantage of so it was difficult to read. 

There is also some weird talk surrounding abortion in this novel. It was blurring the lines and at times I could not tell if the authors were trying to sway me one way or the other. (I personally support abortion, and it seemed at times the authors didn’t) Just something I noticed and it was used as a plot point twice in this novel. 

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