3⭐ Publication date ~ May 11, 2023 Page count ~ 365 Audio length ~ 10 hours POV ~ dual 3rd person Featuring ~ boarding school, se*ual assault (child & adu3⭐ Publication date ~ May 11, 2023 Page count ~ 365 Audio length ~ 10 hours POV ~ dual 3rd person Featuring ~ boarding school, se*ual assault (child & adult), self harm, drug use, excessive alcohol use, off page suicide reference, infidelity, dual timeline ~ now and 25 years ago
The story follows Jenna & Drew who went to boarding school together 25 years ago, along with Ava, Olivia & Seb. Now he is her son's swimming coach and the beloved head at an exclusive public school. She has been having nightmares and is finally coming forward about the abuse she faced while at school.
As the story moves along between the dual timelines the abuse and 'what they did' is slowly revealed. I can't say I was surprised about what they did, but I was surprised~ish about what we learned in the last bit. I was not a fan of a 14 year old using drugs as a coping mechanism or a 39 year old using alcohol as a coping mechanism. None of the characters were particularly likable either. Jenna was not the most attentive mother, which made me feel bad for 13 year old, Lando. And due to the lack of attention he came across as a brat. Husband, Zach, was actually okay. He seemed loving and supportive.
Overall, while this one did not fully grip me I liked it well enough. I was invested enough to want to see how it would all play out.
*Thanks to the author and Headline for the ARC and asking me to be on the blog tour. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
This is a decent debut book. Right from the beginning I was drawn into the story wondering who to believe.
Megan wakes up in the hospital not knowing how she got there. She’s adamant that she has had a baby, Luka. Her husband, Stefan (Stef), sister, Sophia, and Dr Mac and nurse, Gemma, assure her she has never had a baby and, in fact, has had a hysterectomy. They, also, tell her that she’s in the psychiatric unit because she attempted to harm herself and Stef, of which she has no recollection of. I found the mental illness of psychosis was written well.
The story is mostly told in the present by Megan. We do get some ‘before’ insights from Stef’s perspective, which include tidbits about Megan, Sophia and his twin, Isaac. This kept the story flowing at a nice pace, but in turn the secrets came out at a slow pace.
I was fortunate enough to receive a kindle copy, paperback and the audiobook to review, so I was able to switch back and forth between the three. Ultimately my favorite was the paperback. The narrator did a nice job giving emotion to Megan as she tried to figure out what was going on and who she could trust. I do wish there was also a male narrator though.
Overall, this was a fast paced psychological/domestic drama debut that will make you wait until the end for all the secrets to be revealed. I am excited to see what Natalie writes next.
*Thanks to Headline Publishing Group, Natalie Chandler and NetGalley for the copies. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Heather Adores Books
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