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 🙂

I am currently reading Dead to Her by Sarah Pinborough.

I’m about halfway into this novel and it is not what I expected. I’m a little, dare I say, shocked at the direction this story took but I’m hooked and I can’t put it down. I have no idea what is going to happen next and for me, that is the definition of a good book. More to come after I finish…..

Update

I just finished Dead to Her and I loved this twisty storyline. This book took every direction possible and every character was a little nuts and/or really unlikable. I don’t think I’ve ever read something where I wasn’t rooting for a character. I realize that seems like a dig but it isn’t meant to be. I think Sarah Pinborough is brilliant for developing these characters so well but not allowing one to stand out as the victim. I felt completely satisfied with the ending. I highly recommend this book but be aware, there are some areas that made me blush and feel a little like a prude. So, maybe don’t recommend this one to grandma.

What am I Listening to Today?

I love to hold an actual book but I also have come to love listening to books. I started this after my playlist bored me on runs. I needed a better distraction so I tried a book. At first, it was a little weird to stay engaged and if I don’t like the narrator’s voice, I have a hard time liking the story but over the years, I have found voices I

recognize and I look for books with these actors. It’s really an amazing talent to be able to change the tone of your voice for various characters without the listener (me) even noticing.

Some of my favorites are Richard Armitage who narrates The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris; Finty Williams who narrates Three Sisters also by Heather Morris; Julia Whelan who narrates The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah; Blair Brown who narrates City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert; Patti Murin who narrates The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult; and Nancy Peterson who narrates The Black Swan of Paris by Karen Robards. And one of my all time favorites is Saskia Maarleveld who narrates The Alice Network by Kate Quinn. These are just to name a few and are just a handful of examples of their work.

So to answer the question….

I am currently listening to The Bookseller’s Secret by Michelle Gable and narrated by Eleanor Caudill. It’s two stories in two different time periods. One in the 1940’s and one in the present. I’m more interested in the present story than the past story but I’m only a few hours in and I’ve been distracted with freezing cold temperatures during my jogs/walks and constant commotion in my house because of a kitchen remodel. I will keep you posted on this one.

I recently finished The Wicked Sister by Karen Dionne, narrated by Kristen Sieh and Andi Arndt, and it was a really good, really dark, thriller. I also like Dionne’s The Marsh King’s Daughter, narrated by Emily Rankin. Both take place in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and both will keep you guessing while gripping the edge of your seat.

Let me know if you’ve read/listened to these books or any others you can’t put down.

I’m always looking for recommendations!

Update

I had exactly 23 minutes left and my time ran out. This is what happens when you get audio books through your local library. I love my Libby app and I love and support my local library. I do not love when I don’t pay attention to how much time I have left to finish my book. Because someone else was waiting for this title, I have to go back into the hold line and wait again for my turn. OR, I go in search of a hard copy which is what I will do. If I didn’t love this book, I would bother but I do love this one. It took a minute for me to connect but once I did, I was fully invested. Wannabe writers like me will love this story about writers—especially writers with dried up creative juices.