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Micky Barnard (542 KP) rated The Marriage Pact in Books

Dec 12, 2018 (Updated Dec 13, 2018)  
The Marriage Pact
The Marriage Pact
Michelle Richmond | 2017 | Thriller
8
7.6 (11 Ratings)
Book Rating
Eerie and thought provoking
Wow. I’m a ball of knotted up feelings mixed with adrenaline right now. THE MARRIAGE PACT started as an innocuous, gentle introduction to a newly married couple and turned into a twisted, dark ride. If I could sum it up, I’d describe it as ‘big brother’s stepford wife body snatching cult’ and I mean 1984-esque big brother, not the reality show. I don’t read a lot of suspense these days and this one just compelled me from start to finish, through the good, the bad, the believable and slightly stretched.

Jake and Alice are an opposites attract kind of couple but a match that seems to work. As very newly-weds they’re invited to join The Pact. Alarm bells should have been ringing at 100 decibels but no, Jake and Alice signed up. There was an innocence about their walk into married life, believing the easy road but it was oh, so different. What ensued took my breath away as I got deeper and deeper. I read going to sleep but found myself pumped full of adrenaline and unsettled. The twisty dark nature was unexpected and not in my normal taste, but I couldn’t look away.

It isn’t a perfect read, there are occasional moments of ‘as if’ and the end could have been stronger but I know I am not going to forget this book in a hurry. I enjoyed it, my skin crawled with discomfort and unease, but I enjoyed it. The characters connected with one another and to me, the writing was like a magnet. The storyline was out of the box and I am definitely wanting to try this author again.

So, if you fancy the unusual, you like the bizarre, suspense and married couples, I give you THE MARRIAGE PACT.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through netgalley in return for a honest review.
  
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ClareR (6037 KP) rated Mother May I in Books

Aug 2, 2021  
Mother May I
Mother May I
Joshilyn Jackson | 2021 | Contemporary, Thriller
10
9.3 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
Mother May I was an unputdownable book for me - a high octane thriller, where a mother must follow, to the letter, the instructions of the woman who has kidnapped her infant son.

Bree Cabbat has a storybook life. She wants for nothing, has beautiful children, and a caring, handsome husband. She has come from a life of poverty, and she knows just how lucky she is. Bree doesn’t want anyone to take this life away from her.

When a witch-like character kidnaps her son and tells her that she has to do a job for her - and that she has to follow the instructions to the letter, Bree agrees. She has no other choice. The thought of a child being kidnapped, no matter their age, is horrifying.

As the story progressed, I found myself a little unnerved to find myself empathising with the baby’s kidnapper: she has a pretty compelling reason for her actions. And Bree feels the same way. She has a similar background to the woman, and knows how hard it is to claw your way out of poverty - and how easy it is to fall even lower. The fact that the kidnapper has her baby is ever present in Bree’s mind. She doesn’t forgive her because of her life experiences. Bree just wants to do what the witch has told her to do, and to get her son back.

Bree learns that her husband has kept a pretty big secret, and it has been the cause of not just their own plight. Will their marriage survive this?

To be fair, I wasn’t much concerned with the state of Bree’s marriage for much of this book. I was more interested in the relationship between Bree and her son’s kidnapper.

This book is gripping. I’m warning you now: don’t pick this book up if you know you’re going to have to put it down soon after. You won’t want to!

Another great thriller from Joshilyn Jackson - highly recommended!