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MelanieTheresa (997 KP) rated I Know You in Books
Mar 11, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
*I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
If you're one of those people who's paranoid about every little thing they post on social media.....maybe don't read this one.
I was hooked from the very beginning. We jump back and forth between the main story, told by pregnant Taylor who has just moved to London from California with her formerly cheating husband, and the thoughts of a social media stalker. It's not immediately clear whether the stalker is male or female, which adds to the mystery. What is clear is that this stalker is very angry, and very skilled in the art of stalking via social media.
I found it interesting that the author throws us such an obvious red herring in Simon. Ok yeah, he was a little creepy, but I think he was just lonely and weird. Similarly, Caroline was far too obvious a choice for the stalker, as she knew "Jake the Rake" back in primary school and seemed standoffish and full of herself to begin with. These things are explained in the story, at which point I thought "oh, so THAT'S why he/she is like that."
About 80% through, I had convinced myself that it was most likely the woman who Jake previously cheated with, who is now obsessed with him and wants him all to herself. I was wrong, but honestly, NOT THAT WRONG. His ex-wife? What?? At no point in the story do we ever hear about Jake having been married, and it's clear after the reveal that Taylor also had no idea.
While I thoroughly enjoyed this story, I felt the ending was a bit abrupt and could've given us a bit more.
If you're one of those people who's paranoid about every little thing they post on social media.....maybe don't read this one.
I was hooked from the very beginning. We jump back and forth between the main story, told by pregnant Taylor who has just moved to London from California with her formerly cheating husband, and the thoughts of a social media stalker. It's not immediately clear whether the stalker is male or female, which adds to the mystery. What is clear is that this stalker is very angry, and very skilled in the art of stalking via social media.
I found it interesting that the author throws us such an obvious red herring in Simon. Ok yeah, he was a little creepy, but I think he was just lonely and weird. Similarly, Caroline was far too obvious a choice for the stalker, as she knew "Jake the Rake" back in primary school and seemed standoffish and full of herself to begin with. These things are explained in the story, at which point I thought "oh, so THAT'S why he/she is like that."
About 80% through, I had convinced myself that it was most likely the woman who Jake previously cheated with, who is now obsessed with him and wants him all to herself. I was wrong, but honestly, NOT THAT WRONG. His ex-wife? What?? At no point in the story do we ever hear about Jake having been married, and it's clear after the reveal that Taylor also had no idea.
While I thoroughly enjoyed this story, I felt the ending was a bit abrupt and could've given us a bit more.
Midge (525 KP) rated Glow : Book I, Potency in Books
Mar 23, 2019
Innovative & Fresh
The beautiful front cover and compelling premise lured me into choosing to read “Glow : Book I, Potency” by Aubrey Hadley, a book about apocalypse and alienation.
The Maasai Mara Sleeping Syndrome has appeared in New York, and it has wiped out an entire homeless shelter.
The same night of the outbreak, Harper, a seventeen-year-old girl, stumbles across a glowing figure in the desert outskirts of her neighbourhood. As her suburb goes on lock-down, Harper finds herself isolated from her friends and family, and soon begins to suspect that the events - though thousands of miles apart - may have something in common.
Harper must find her bravery and embark on a plot-twisting adventure that will have her looking for answers in unexpected places and different worlds.
Although this book is not from one of my normally preferred genres and it is a longer read than I normally choose, it was still a really enjoyable novel. I can't say that I've ever read anything exactly like it, or even similar. If you are into vampires or spectres then this isn’t for you. It’s just something totally innovative and fresh and that is why I liked it.
The main characters, whilst not necessarily particularly likeable, were a good fit for the story. As for the ending, I usually prefer one that is a little more definitive, unless it is meant to be a cliffhanger.
Overall, whilst it wasn’t one of my best-ever reads, I would recommend this book by Aubrey Hadley. I am guessing that there will be a sequel to “Glow : Book I, Potency,” so I will look out for it.
[Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher, Ruby and Topaz, for a free ARC of #Glow in exchange for an honest review.]
The Maasai Mara Sleeping Syndrome has appeared in New York, and it has wiped out an entire homeless shelter.
The same night of the outbreak, Harper, a seventeen-year-old girl, stumbles across a glowing figure in the desert outskirts of her neighbourhood. As her suburb goes on lock-down, Harper finds herself isolated from her friends and family, and soon begins to suspect that the events - though thousands of miles apart - may have something in common.
Harper must find her bravery and embark on a plot-twisting adventure that will have her looking for answers in unexpected places and different worlds.
Although this book is not from one of my normally preferred genres and it is a longer read than I normally choose, it was still a really enjoyable novel. I can't say that I've ever read anything exactly like it, or even similar. If you are into vampires or spectres then this isn’t for you. It’s just something totally innovative and fresh and that is why I liked it.
The main characters, whilst not necessarily particularly likeable, were a good fit for the story. As for the ending, I usually prefer one that is a little more definitive, unless it is meant to be a cliffhanger.
Overall, whilst it wasn’t one of my best-ever reads, I would recommend this book by Aubrey Hadley. I am guessing that there will be a sequel to “Glow : Book I, Potency,” so I will look out for it.
[Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher, Ruby and Topaz, for a free ARC of #Glow in exchange for an honest review.]
Merissa (11953 KP) rated Immortal Girl5 in Books
Apr 4, 2019
Immortal Girl5 by Griffin Stark
Immortal Girl5 is a fast paced short story about five girls who are made immortal to 'save the world'. The introduction to each girl is perfect, and suited to the individual. It felt like we found out more about Skylar than most of the others, but it still seemed to fit.
I did feel like this book raised questions that weren't answered though. For example, who were Alistair and Isabelle? You are under the impression they are 'good', but nothing really backs that up. What actually was the job of the Immortal Girl5, because it seemed like they exacted vengeance and then spent the followings years doing... what? With Joan of Arc, Anne Frank, and Jack the Ripper all making an appearance, I would have liked it to be a bit more in-depth, giving more detail and story to these scenes.
There is also a MASSIVE case on insta-love going on, that managed to make the whole ending confusing. There were plenty of things alluded to, but nothing was made clear. I'm not sure if this is book one in a series, or if it's a standalone. The ending suggests it could go further.
I did enjoy this book, but in my opinion, it could do with a bit... more. A bit more story, a bit more editing and formatting so the differences in times and characters become clearer. I would definitely like to read 'more' from this author, and about these characters.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
I did feel like this book raised questions that weren't answered though. For example, who were Alistair and Isabelle? You are under the impression they are 'good', but nothing really backs that up. What actually was the job of the Immortal Girl5, because it seemed like they exacted vengeance and then spent the followings years doing... what? With Joan of Arc, Anne Frank, and Jack the Ripper all making an appearance, I would have liked it to be a bit more in-depth, giving more detail and story to these scenes.
There is also a MASSIVE case on insta-love going on, that managed to make the whole ending confusing. There were plenty of things alluded to, but nothing was made clear. I'm not sure if this is book one in a series, or if it's a standalone. The ending suggests it could go further.
I did enjoy this book, but in my opinion, it could do with a bit... more. A bit more story, a bit more editing and formatting so the differences in times and characters become clearer. I would definitely like to read 'more' from this author, and about these characters.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Midge (525 KP) rated Keep Walking Rhona Beech in Books
Apr 8, 2019
Gratifying, Moving & Comical
I am always slightly uneasy when I look at a book and I ask myself “What ‘type’ of a novel is this?” The answer here is “A gratifying, moving and very comical one,” in more or less equal measures.
Although I would say that “Keep Walking Rhona Beech” is extremely amusing and, at times, positively hilarious, this is qualified by a feeling of great sadness, too. It’s a journey of loss, companionship, love and needing to be happy with your life, with or without a Significant Other. I am sure that most of us could identify with the protagonist, Rhona on some level, at least. I certainly know that I could, so much so that I found myself wanting to help her to break out of her life of monotony and dreariness. “Keep Walking, Rhona Beech” gives out the message that there is a need to be happy with yourself otherwise there may never be a happy ending.
In the novel, the reader is taken on a journey to experience, along with Rhona, her everyday struggles with her current life, as in her purpose, friendships, love and even her very identity. Rhona and her pals are just like the rest of us - likeable, flawed and sometimes perplexing. The journey ranged from the mundane to the downright outrageous that had the effect, at times, that I was Rhona. There were instances where this was a very difficult read for me, however, it was always convincing, credible and extremely worthwhile.
I enjoyed “Keep Walking, Rhona Beech” so much and I'm hoping to read more by Kate Tough soon…
[Thanks to #NetGalley, Little, Brown Book Group UK and the author, Kate Tough, for my free ARC of #KeepWalkingRhonaBeech in exchange for an honest review.]
Although I would say that “Keep Walking Rhona Beech” is extremely amusing and, at times, positively hilarious, this is qualified by a feeling of great sadness, too. It’s a journey of loss, companionship, love and needing to be happy with your life, with or without a Significant Other. I am sure that most of us could identify with the protagonist, Rhona on some level, at least. I certainly know that I could, so much so that I found myself wanting to help her to break out of her life of monotony and dreariness. “Keep Walking, Rhona Beech” gives out the message that there is a need to be happy with yourself otherwise there may never be a happy ending.
In the novel, the reader is taken on a journey to experience, along with Rhona, her everyday struggles with her current life, as in her purpose, friendships, love and even her very identity. Rhona and her pals are just like the rest of us - likeable, flawed and sometimes perplexing. The journey ranged from the mundane to the downright outrageous that had the effect, at times, that I was Rhona. There were instances where this was a very difficult read for me, however, it was always convincing, credible and extremely worthwhile.
I enjoyed “Keep Walking, Rhona Beech” so much and I'm hoping to read more by Kate Tough soon…
[Thanks to #NetGalley, Little, Brown Book Group UK and the author, Kate Tough, for my free ARC of #KeepWalkingRhonaBeech in exchange for an honest review.]
Janeeny (200 KP) rated May Day Murder (A Wiccan Wheel Mystery #5) in Books
May 9, 2019
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in return for an honest review.
Keli is an attorney building her own practice, shes also a semi closeted Wiccan. When an ill-fated favour for a friend lands her not only in the middle of a murder investigation, but also a person of interest in the investigation, Keli attempts to clear her name, find the real killer, and save her reputation. Whilst also struggling with her now public identity as a practising Wiccan.
I loved this book!! It was a nice quick read, no complicated texts, although some things, I felt, were a little bit over explained. Saying that it was a good engaging story, the characters were well developed, and I love it when I feel Ive learnt something from a book too. As there was also a nice touch where Hesse gives a few little insights into the life of a practicing Wiccans. As a pagan myself, it was actually quite a joy to read these aspects openly described in the book. I hope that this could also help any non-esoteric types gain a better insight into what Wicca is really all about.
This is the fifth book in a series. I havent actually read any of the other books in the series, so was a little worried that there would be a lot of references that wouldnt make sense, or characters with pre-existing back story. Surprisingly had a good standalone storyline, I thoroughly enjoyed it without needing any prior knowledge of the series. All the characters were well introduced and any references to past events were relevant to the story and had a brief explanation with it.
In fact, I enjoyed this so much, Ive now purchased Midsummer nights mischief (book one in the Wiccan wheel mystery series)
Keli is an attorney building her own practice, shes also a semi closeted Wiccan. When an ill-fated favour for a friend lands her not only in the middle of a murder investigation, but also a person of interest in the investigation, Keli attempts to clear her name, find the real killer, and save her reputation. Whilst also struggling with her now public identity as a practising Wiccan.
I loved this book!! It was a nice quick read, no complicated texts, although some things, I felt, were a little bit over explained. Saying that it was a good engaging story, the characters were well developed, and I love it when I feel Ive learnt something from a book too. As there was also a nice touch where Hesse gives a few little insights into the life of a practicing Wiccans. As a pagan myself, it was actually quite a joy to read these aspects openly described in the book. I hope that this could also help any non-esoteric types gain a better insight into what Wicca is really all about.
This is the fifth book in a series. I havent actually read any of the other books in the series, so was a little worried that there would be a lot of references that wouldnt make sense, or characters with pre-existing back story. Surprisingly had a good standalone storyline, I thoroughly enjoyed it without needing any prior knowledge of the series. All the characters were well introduced and any references to past events were relevant to the story and had a brief explanation with it.
In fact, I enjoyed this so much, Ive now purchased Midsummer nights mischief (book one in the Wiccan wheel mystery series)
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated The Hairy Hand in Books
May 22, 2019
A gothic adventure for 8 -12 year olds, full of jokes, magical familiars and a gruesome cast of characters. When Septimus inherits a magical, treasure-finding Hairy Hand from his uncle, life suddenly becomes a lot more exciting - and dangerous!
Septimus feels out-of-place in his village where everyone else his age is called Darg or Smerg or Blaarg. Good, honest names that sound like you are have just swallowed something pointy or are sneezing into custard. Even his parents make him feel like a complete stranger. Especially his parents. Then he inherits something strange and frightening from his uncle. A Hairy Hand. It has the magical ability to find buried treasure which suits his parents (thieves by trade) down to the ground. However, instead of making his life better, it suddenly gets a lot more dangerous.
So, it is up to Sept to find out what else the Hand knows and put things right.
I enjoyed this humorous and moderately gruesome read which, I think, will appeal to its target audience.
Theres an amazing cast of ghastly characters, including Septs parents, Plog the Sneaker and Gertrude!
A fun and adventurous fantasy story of good versus bad, determination and resisting temptation.
The Characters and story line are varied and kept me guessing, laughing my way through the book at the antics and mishaps throughout, with a few cleverly woven in messages for those reading it.
If you are looking to introduce your children to Fantasy Adventure or yourselves or just as gift for someone then this truly would make someone very happy!
I highly recommend this fun book!!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Monster Books and Robin Bennett for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Septimus feels out-of-place in his village where everyone else his age is called Darg or Smerg or Blaarg. Good, honest names that sound like you are have just swallowed something pointy or are sneezing into custard. Even his parents make him feel like a complete stranger. Especially his parents. Then he inherits something strange and frightening from his uncle. A Hairy Hand. It has the magical ability to find buried treasure which suits his parents (thieves by trade) down to the ground. However, instead of making his life better, it suddenly gets a lot more dangerous.
So, it is up to Sept to find out what else the Hand knows and put things right.
I enjoyed this humorous and moderately gruesome read which, I think, will appeal to its target audience.
Theres an amazing cast of ghastly characters, including Septs parents, Plog the Sneaker and Gertrude!
A fun and adventurous fantasy story of good versus bad, determination and resisting temptation.
The Characters and story line are varied and kept me guessing, laughing my way through the book at the antics and mishaps throughout, with a few cleverly woven in messages for those reading it.
If you are looking to introduce your children to Fantasy Adventure or yourselves or just as gift for someone then this truly would make someone very happy!
I highly recommend this fun book!!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Monster Books and Robin Bennett for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated Deception Wears Many Faces in Books
Jun 5, 2019
A nerve-jangling read!
Deception Wears Many Faces by Maggie James is a fast-paced thriller that kept me reading through the night eager to reach the final conclusion.
When Lyddie Hunter’s sister Ellie, attempts suicide again, she flies back home to be with her only to find that some guy on a dating site conned Ellie out of all her money. With only a few clues to go on, Lyddie takes it upon herself to hunt down Ellie’s ex-boyfriend and con man through the dating site of which he uses to target unsuspecting women.
Pretending to be a customer looking for love herself, Lyddie dates a few men trying to work out which guy is the one which conned her sister. But the con man regularly changes his identity as to not get caught. Will Lyddie find out which man he and expose him for who and what he really is, or has she just put herself and her sister in jeopardy and made them both a target? Who can be trusted when dating sites are rife with people reinventing themselves? What better way to target vulnerable women by hiding in plain site.
What a stonker of a book! The cat and mouse chase to find out who the ex-boyfriend is without exposing herself or her sister, had me breathlessly reading this twisty suspense, but who exactly does Lyddie really need to watch out for?
Maggie James has created a terrific tale, full of lies, secrets and hidden agendas, but just who is actually deceiving who? I loved the final reveal at the end and how it all fell into place. A nerve-jangling read!
Thanks to #NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for my arc of #DeceptionWearsManyFaces. My opinions are honest, unbiased and all my own.
Deception Wears Many Faces by Maggie James is a fast-paced thriller that kept me reading through the night eager to reach the final conclusion.
When Lyddie Hunter’s sister Ellie, attempts suicide again, she flies back home to be with her only to find that some guy on a dating site conned Ellie out of all her money. With only a few clues to go on, Lyddie takes it upon herself to hunt down Ellie’s ex-boyfriend and con man through the dating site of which he uses to target unsuspecting women.
Pretending to be a customer looking for love herself, Lyddie dates a few men trying to work out which guy is the one which conned her sister. But the con man regularly changes his identity as to not get caught. Will Lyddie find out which man he and expose him for who and what he really is, or has she just put herself and her sister in jeopardy and made them both a target? Who can be trusted when dating sites are rife with people reinventing themselves? What better way to target vulnerable women by hiding in plain site.
What a stonker of a book! The cat and mouse chase to find out who the ex-boyfriend is without exposing herself or her sister, had me breathlessly reading this twisty suspense, but who exactly does Lyddie really need to watch out for?
Maggie James has created a terrific tale, full of lies, secrets and hidden agendas, but just who is actually deceiving who? I loved the final reveal at the end and how it all fell into place. A nerve-jangling read!
Thanks to #NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for my arc of #DeceptionWearsManyFaces. My opinions are honest, unbiased and all my own.
Beckie Shelton (40 KP) rated The Good Daughter in Books
Feb 8, 2018
<b> Arc Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm </b>
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
<img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/photos/1496486027p8/3589531.jpg " width="300" height="100" alt="description"/>
Now, this was the first book I have read by Karin Slaughter and it was also a very enjoyable experience.
first I will say that The Good Daughter was totally different to what I was expecting but this was so not a bad thing for me.
I'm a sucker for a good psychological thriller, but I also love the drama that comes with a good ole family saga, This story brilliantly combined these two elements giving us an insight into the fallout that comes when horrific tragedy strikes an ordinary family and how these dynamics can spiral, taking on a life of their own through miscommunication and prideful behaviour.
The outcome of this incident echoing down the unfolding decades.
This story describes the events that occur to the Quinn family, resulting in a death and two young teenagers with scars both physically and figuratively for life.
Samantha and Charlotte's lives are about to come full circle when events in their home town bring them along with their father together again.
This was a very easy read, that kept you guessing until the end, the graphic descriptions both pulled you in while equally repelling you with the realness behind the visuals provided.
I'm not easily grossed out but MAN!!! it was way EWW!!! in places.
So, in conclusion, I would definitely give The Good Daughter a big thumbs up, a very intriguing read.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy it was thoroughly devoured by me, this is my own personal opinion of this book.
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
<img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/photos/1496486027p8/3589531.jpg " width="300" height="100" alt="description"/>
Now, this was the first book I have read by Karin Slaughter and it was also a very enjoyable experience.
first I will say that The Good Daughter was totally different to what I was expecting but this was so not a bad thing for me.
I'm a sucker for a good psychological thriller, but I also love the drama that comes with a good ole family saga, This story brilliantly combined these two elements giving us an insight into the fallout that comes when horrific tragedy strikes an ordinary family and how these dynamics can spiral, taking on a life of their own through miscommunication and prideful behaviour.
The outcome of this incident echoing down the unfolding decades.
This story describes the events that occur to the Quinn family, resulting in a death and two young teenagers with scars both physically and figuratively for life.
Samantha and Charlotte's lives are about to come full circle when events in their home town bring them along with their father together again.
This was a very easy read, that kept you guessing until the end, the graphic descriptions both pulled you in while equally repelling you with the realness behind the visuals provided.
I'm not easily grossed out but MAN!!! it was way EWW!!! in places.
So, in conclusion, I would definitely give The Good Daughter a big thumbs up, a very intriguing read.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy it was thoroughly devoured by me, this is my own personal opinion of this book.
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated No One Knows in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Josh and Aubrey Hamilton had a great marriage and a seemingly wonderful life, until her husband disappeared five years ago. Josh vanishes into thin air - as the couple head into a bachelor/bachelorette party - and is never seen or heard from ago. When Josh's mom finally has him declared dead, Aubrey is devastated. How will she move on without Josh? Then there's the matter of the $5M life insurance policy he put into place shortly before his death. His mom plans to fight her for it, but Aubrey doesn't care. She just wants Josh back. So much she imagines she sees him around the places they loved so much. Or is she just imagining this?
This was an interesting and well-written thriller. I was hooked from the beginning. You rarely read a book where the husband disappears, but you hear the story from the wife's perspective, so that was a nice change of pace. The story flips back and forth in time, so we can unravel bits and pieces of it ourselves, but we mainly hear from Aubrey's perspective, which is sort of nice.
The novel is suspenseful and keeps you guessing. Aubrey is a complicated character (as is Josh, really) and Ellison does a good job explaining their childhoods and how they became the people they are. There's a supporting cast of characters who are also pretty well-developed. To me, the ending was a little sudden, but still well-done. Even better, it pretty much surprised me, which isn't always easy to do.
I vacillated on this a bit, but overall 4 stars - it's a thrilling and enjoyable novel. (Even if I did constantly think of the baseball player every time I read the name Josh Hamilton!)
(Note: I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.)
This was an interesting and well-written thriller. I was hooked from the beginning. You rarely read a book where the husband disappears, but you hear the story from the wife's perspective, so that was a nice change of pace. The story flips back and forth in time, so we can unravel bits and pieces of it ourselves, but we mainly hear from Aubrey's perspective, which is sort of nice.
The novel is suspenseful and keeps you guessing. Aubrey is a complicated character (as is Josh, really) and Ellison does a good job explaining their childhoods and how they became the people they are. There's a supporting cast of characters who are also pretty well-developed. To me, the ending was a little sudden, but still well-done. Even better, it pretty much surprised me, which isn't always easy to do.
I vacillated on this a bit, but overall 4 stars - it's a thrilling and enjoyable novel. (Even if I did constantly think of the baseball player every time I read the name Josh Hamilton!)
(Note: I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.)
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Someone Is Watching in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Bailey Carpenter is a successful private investigator for a large law firm in Miami. While still reeling from the deaths of both of her parents, her life is fairly benign, until she is attacked one night while investigating a client.
Suddenly, Bailey's life is turned upside down. She's unable to sleep, eat, or work. She spends her days (and nights) trapped inside her condo, suffering from crippling anxiety and nightmares, and wracked with guilt from the attack. She starts watching her neighbor in the building across the street using binoculars, but things get even more out of control when she realizes he may be watching her, too.
First of all, a definite trigger warning that this book depicts a pretty brutal rape. It's tough to read about, and I would hate for anyone to pick up this novel without realizing its subject. I do applaud Fielding for trying to cover such a hard subject, though I'm not sure it's always accurately portrayed.
The book gets off to a slow start - I almost put it down. It's a hard subject to read about, and Bailey is a little hard to like and understand at first. The storyline gets a bit incredulous, but it certainly picked up, and I tore through the second half of the book. It ties up a little easily - and I'm not sure I buy Bailey going from completely devastated to seemingly okay, but I appreciate Fielding trying to show how much rape can hurt and leave its victims feeling powerless.
Overall, it's an interesting read and Bailey's niece, Jade, is a fun character. It would be great to see the two of them appear together again.
<i>Note: I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.</i>
Suddenly, Bailey's life is turned upside down. She's unable to sleep, eat, or work. She spends her days (and nights) trapped inside her condo, suffering from crippling anxiety and nightmares, and wracked with guilt from the attack. She starts watching her neighbor in the building across the street using binoculars, but things get even more out of control when she realizes he may be watching her, too.
First of all, a definite trigger warning that this book depicts a pretty brutal rape. It's tough to read about, and I would hate for anyone to pick up this novel without realizing its subject. I do applaud Fielding for trying to cover such a hard subject, though I'm not sure it's always accurately portrayed.
The book gets off to a slow start - I almost put it down. It's a hard subject to read about, and Bailey is a little hard to like and understand at first. The storyline gets a bit incredulous, but it certainly picked up, and I tore through the second half of the book. It ties up a little easily - and I'm not sure I buy Bailey going from completely devastated to seemingly okay, but I appreciate Fielding trying to show how much rape can hurt and leave its victims feeling powerless.
Overall, it's an interesting read and Bailey's niece, Jade, is a fun character. It would be great to see the two of them appear together again.
<i>Note: I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.</i>