This book captured my attention from the start. Mel is a mother and wife who is struggling to care for her family while also trying to remember dreams of her own. This is extremely relatable. I felt Mel drowning in the responsibility of caring for a special needs child, a snarky teenager, an almost too kind husband, and her live-in, non-verbal mother-in-law who is slowly dying from Alzheimers. You can’t blame the gal for needing a little excitement in her life.
As the story unfolds, Mel tangles herself into a web of lies and deceit. I found myself tangled up with her, holding my breath, gritting my teeth, and feeling the weight of her guilt. I was so absorbed in her emotions that I felt guilty when I saw my own husband. I had to shake off her stress and remind myself that it’s just a book. (I love it when that happens even if I do end up with stress acne). It got really intense as Mel dug herself deeper and deeper. I was listening while out for a walk and found myself slapping my forehead while saying out loud, “this is a terrible idea!”
My relationship with Mel was solid but not so much with the others. I kept waiting for Mel’s mother-in-law to play a role. I really expected her to not be so lost in her disease. It would have been fun if Claire (the MIL) had been an observer of Mel’s behavior and then shocked everyone with her discoveries. I also thought that the shallow neighbors would have caused more havoc and lastly, I thought for sure that at least one of the members from the writing group would have been on to Mel. But no. Mel snuck around, completely undetected and the one person who could have blown it all up, just faded away.
So much chaos and build-up to an ending that was just, meh. It was uncomfortable because it was so out of character for Mel and though I felt her need to protect the ones she loved, it wasn’t believable. I think that an epilogue would have helped. Something ten years in the future maybe. An unraveling of sorts instead of the neat “swept under the rug” ending. Maybe there will be a sequel?
I love audio books. I listen while I exercise, while I fold laundry, while I prepare dinner, and any other moment I can. I love them even more when the narrator fits perfectly with the characters. Xe Sands is extremely talented but her voice for this book sounded so haggard. Yes, Mel was tired and overwhelmed but she was also a young woman who was still beautiful, sexy, and desirable. The gravely exhaustion made the seduction and affair feel not quite right. I absolutely expected Luke to be some playboy she would never see again. Like he just picked up desperate women and didn’t actually see anything in Mel. After a while I felt a bit annoyed and just wanted her to take a nap and wake up refreshed and energetic. Maybe a V8? It didn’t keep me from finishing the book but I think a bit of sexy mischief in the narration could have gone a long way. And one final pet peeve, I think describing something (other than food) as delicious, should be used sparingly. Like once is totally sufficient.
Let me know if you’ve read this and if you agree or disagree. Thanks 🙂