This book was not what I expected, and I'm not sure if it's in a good way or bad. I was looking for a suspense/women's fiction read, but the story turned out to be a full-on psychological thriller/murder/crime mystery. There is so much I want to say about this book, but I'll start with the good.
I'd say that the first 60-70% of this book was quite juicy, but then it started going downhill. Up till then, we see Holly (the MC), her husband Zach, mother-in-law Frances, and her best friend, Tamara. For most of it, I enjoyed the depiction of Zach as the narcissist villain, Frances as a conflicted mother/mother-in-law, and Tamara as a supportive friend still grieving for a lost one. I appreciate Baldwin's talent to keep the reader hooked till the very last page, with little twists that kept me reading.
I loved how they bought in subjects of custody, alibis, and having the upper hand, which is an underlying layer in most thrillers, but this book helped me understand what was behind. The revelations that came in left me breathless and unable to grasp the story, but that was more of a negative impact on my reading process than a good one.
What I hated the most was the obvious plot hole. The author, editor/s, beta reader/s, and publishers have not even attempted to ground the story in reality. I don't think this is worthy of being called a psychological thriller, as the final twist has zero logic and is full of fantastical nonsense.
Holly was a surprise package with many layers, but she behaved like someone with a split personality disorder. At one point, she is incredibly naive and unsuspecting, and the next, she is protective, daring, and planning the most outrageous things.
For the record, I love Bookouture, the publisher, and there weren't many reviews out there when I requested this book. If it weren't for this, I probably wouldn't have gotten it in the first place. {I got this book courtesy of NetGalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review.}
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