Hello again! So, this review is a bit harder to conjure up because, quite frankly, the last month in terms of books has been a bit of a bummer. Now, I don’t want to dissuade you from reading ANY of the books I’m going to mention just because I was a bit disillusioned. That happens after I’ve read a slew of fabulous books, which is what happened. I mean, after reading Wreckage, any book is going to feel a bit subpar (am I right, Cara Hughes?!)
That Night by Chevy Stevens & Never Let You Go by Chevy Stevens
I was finally able to get my hands on not one, but two, of the Chevy Stevens books I’ve been dying to read: That Night and Never Let You Go. That Night is the tragic story of a young girl’s murder and her sister’s quest to clear her name after serving years in prison for that murder. That alone sounds like an amazing premise, which it is. But I guess what got me is the theme of horrendous bullying throughout the book. Maybe it made me uncomfortable as I cannot imagine my daughter enduring anything so horrible, or maybe I just found it a bit unbelievable that something could escalate to such heights without anyone stepping in. I guess, though, that this day in age, bullying is truly a reality and I cannot fathom that people can be just so absolutely horrible to one another. I promise I’m not giving anything away, as you know this is a theme right from the start.
Never Let You Go I found to be a bit better. A young wife and mother escapes from her abusive husband, only to fear him years later after he is released from prison. I enjoy books where you both love and hate someone in the same book, and this is one of them. It happened with quite a few of the characters; it truly was a rollercoaster of emotions! The book kept me guessing until the very end, and I like that it was written both in present and past tense. That Night is also written this way, but I found myself tensing up every time we had to go back to the past. I do recommend both books, I just can’t rave about either of them, unfortunately. If I had to choose one of them, Never Let you Go stood out more to me.
Come Back to Me by Sara Foster
This is a love story/drama involving four people. I expected, from the description, that it would mostly be about two people, and their relationship in the past and what brought them to the present. Which it is. And what they endured when together is horrible. However, it also delves into all four main character’s lives (Julia, Alex, Chloe and Mark) and you learn to love each character for both their flaws and their endurance. Each has a story to tell and the author does a wonderful job of making you care about each of them. I wanted Alex and Julia to be together, then Alex and Chloe, then Mark and Chloe—aye, it was a constant love “triangled” mess! But I enjoyed it all the way through to the end.
The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison
I re-read this book after discovering I had it when looking for The Silent Wife by Kerry Fisher, which I mentioned in my last blog. What to say? It is ominous and foreboding, which I usually love. But it moves kind of slow, and I was constantly wondering where it was going! I read it through to the end because I didn’t remember it at all (which should have been my first clue!), but I chalked it up to pregnancy brain as I read it 4 years ago while carrying Kin. But no, I think it was just b/c it’s kind of ‘meh.’ A wife is living the perfect life with her cheating husband, until all of a sudden his cheating causes repercussions for her that she cannot handle, and she retaliates. Or does she?… It’s written from each of their points of view (the husband and wife’s), which I also usually love, but this book left me wanting something more. We’ve all read this story in some form or another; I wanted it to be different and more exciting. I guess the book is/was going to be made into a movie with Nicole Kidman; but that was announced almost 4 years ago so I’m not sure that it’s actually happening. AND I also just discovered the author passed away right before the book was released, so now I feel like a jerk not giving it a very good review. So, I guess, READ THIS even if it’s just to get ahead of the movie or to pay homage to an author that couldn’t enjoy the success of what others deem a good enough book to be made into a movie.
Next in my queue:
- The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis
- The House by the River by Lena Manta
- Secret Sister by Brenda Novak
Until next time, Sarah
Staying Martha 