The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

 

CARSON MCCULLERS

How acquired: From another BookCrossing member.

First line: In the town there were two mutes, and they were always together.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: They say "write what you know", and from what I've read about Carson McCullers, she based this book on her own life and experiences. You may wonder how much life she had experienced at the tender age of twenty-three, but then that may be the best time to write a work filled with hardship and suffering, mixed in with hope, amid some gothic overtones. Isn't that the time in our lives when we are filled with angst? I reread some of the poetry and stories I wrote at that time in my life and laugh at how melodramatic they are. But McCullers had real writing skill and I never laughed at her writing. I absorbed it and at times marveled at it. I love a good character study and this was several rolled into one novel. Is it depressing? Yes. Does it end happily? That may be subjective, depending on your own point of view and how the characters, or which character or characters, connect with you. Or for my short answer, not necessarily. But it is beautifully written, and a great introduction to this author.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Carson McCullers’ prodigious first novel was published to instant acclaim when she was just twenty-three. Set in a small town in the middle of the deep South, it is the story of John Singer, a lonely deaf-mute, and a disparate group of people who are drawn towards his kind, sympathetic nature. The owner of the café where Singer eats every day, a young girl desperate to grow up, an angry drunkard, a frustrated black doctor: each pours their heart out to Singer, their silent confidant, and he in turn changes their disenchanted lives in ways they could never imagine.

The Road Before Us

 

JANINE ROSCHE

Stats: Trade paperback, Revell, 2024.

How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program

First line: Miles from any high-rise, the generations-old asphalt crumbles beneath the soles of my borrowed boots, and I wish my story would fall through the hot cracks along with it.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: I’ve never felt any desire to travel the old Route 66. I have traveled a very small portion of it, though not in many many years. But traveling along with Jade, Bridger, and Bernie made it sound like a worthwhile journey to take.

The trio are traversing Route 66 while shooting a documentary about Benny, who traveled the same route in 1956, headed to Hollywood to become a star. Along the way, they visit landmarks, both well known, and personal to Benny, such as motels where she and Paul, the love of her life, stayed on their journey, or other places they stopped to visit. But the journey is also personal for Jade, who has bittersweet memories of traveling with her father in the summer of 2003. The narrative bounces between those two times and the present day, with each section told in first person POV. I enjoyed Benny’s sections the most, as she and Paul fall in love on the way. I probably would have been happy with a book just about the two of them.

In 2003, Jade is eight years old, and I struggled a little with her narration. If I hadn’t known she was eight I might have thought she was only five or six. But I’m not sure if her narration really came off that way, or if I just don’t remember what an eight year old is like, not having been around one since my now adult daughters were that age.

Adult Jade, however, along with Benny, both her younger self and her current day elderly self, and Bridger, her foster son, were all beautifully written. Bridger is a very quirky character who often made me laugh. In her Author’s Note, Ms. Rosche tells us that she traveled all 2,448 miles of Historic Route 66, and it shows in her writing. She packs in so much interesting and descriptive detail about the road and the towns along the way that THE ROAD BEFORE US could serve as a travel guide.

I very much enjoyed traveling along with this trio, and was sorry to part company with them. Bridger and Jade were about to embark on a new journey when I turned the last page, and I desperately wanted to accompany them.

*Received via the Revell Reads Blogger Program and voluntarily reviewed*

Synopsis from Goodreads:

How far would you go to fix the mistakes you've made and regain the trust you lost? For Jade Jessup, the answer is 2,448 miles. Once one of Chicago's significant financial advisors, Jade lost her credibility when her fiancé (and coworker) stole millions of dollars from their clients in a Ponzi scheme. Now she's agreed to help one of them--an aging 1960s Hollywood starlet named Berenice "Benny" Alderidge--seek financial restoration. 

Jade sets off along Route 66 with Benny and her handsome adult foster son, Bridger, who is filming a documentary retracing the 1956 trip that started the love story between Benny and her recently deceased husband, Paul. Listening to Benny recount her story draws Jade into memories of her own darker association with Route 66, when she was kidnapped as a child by a man the media labeled a monster--but she remembers only as daddy. 

Together, all three of these pilgrims will learn about family, forgiveness, and what it means to live free of the past. But not before Jade faces a second staggering betrayal that changes everything.

He Should Have Told the Bees

 

AMANDA COX

Edition read: Trade paperback, Revell, 8/29/23.

How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program.

First line: Callie’s ears filled with the sound of windshield wipers slapping and Momma’s incessant muttering.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: Oh this book is good. So very good.

Beck is mourning the loss of her father, her rock, her constant in a storm. She now lives alone on their farm, taking care of her horse, her mini donkey, her chickens, her goats, and most importantly, her bees. In the apiary, a huge field with fifty beehives, is where she feels the most at home.

Callie is happily looking forward to opening her own store, where she’ll sell her hand made candles, and hold candle making classes. Then her absentee alcoholic mother shows up on her doorstep, admitting for the first time that she needs help and is willing to try rehab. Suddenly Callie is faced with the choice of either selling the building she just bought to pay for her mother’s rehab, or turn her mother away.

Beck and Callie are thrown together when they learn that Beck’s father has put his property into an irrevocable trust, and they are both the beneficiaries. They either keep the farm together, or they sell it and split the proceeds.

I repeat, this book is so very good. Descriptive and beautifully written. So much angst. Justified angst. Both Callie and Beck are beautifully written. Beck’s feelings of grief mixed with anger and betrayal were very understandable as she grapples with worry over whether Callie, a stranger, will want to sell the farm, taking away the only home Beck has ever known. On top of that she suffers from severe anxiety anytime she leaves the farm. I very occasionally have panic attacks, and the description of what Beck goes through when one hits her were very realistic. Beck starts out pretty much feeling all alone in the world now that her dad is gone, and I loved how her circle slowly widened. First there was young “Katya”, who was staying at a neighboring farm for the summer and kept turning up in the aviary when Beck was working with her bees. She was quite adorable, and precocious - the author did a good job of keeping her just this side of over the top. And then Annette, a friend of Beck’s father, who kept stopping by to drop off casseroles or desserts, and who Beck found annoying but began to realize might have been closer to her father than she knew.

Callie’s story, and her feelings, were a little more removed from my own experiences. I couldn’t imagine being in her shoes, knowing that the sale of the farm could solve all her problems, but also knowing what it would do to Beck. This isn’t a romance, but there is a burgeoning one between Callie and Luke, a friend from church who often has a booth at the same events where Callie sells her candles. I very much liked Luke and his steadying presence, he was definitely good for Callie.

And the bees. I’ve never given honeybees much thought, other than to avoid them while remembering the time when I was a kid and I stepped back from a curb and got stung on my heel. The descriptions of the aviary and all the care and maintenance Beck put into her hives was fascinating.

All in all this was a wonderful reading experience, and I look forward to more from this author.

*received from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed*

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Beekeeper Beckett Walsh is living her dream, working alongside her father in their apiary, until his untimely death sends her world into a tailspin. She suddenly finds she must deal with a new part owner of the family business--one who is looking to sell the property. Beck cannot fathom why her father would put her into the position to lose everything they built together.

When Callie Peterson is named in the trust of a man she's never heard of, she's not sure what to do. Her fledgling business has just taken wing and her mother has reentered her life asking for help getting into rehab for her lifelong substance abuse issues, making Callie's financial situation rather . . . precarious. She's sure she has no right to someone else's farm, but the money from the sale could solve her problems and give her the stability she's always craved.

As these two women navigate their present conundrum, they will discover a complex and entangled past full of secrets--and the potential for a brighter future for both of them.

The Marshal'sMission

 

ANNA ZOGG

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, Love Inspired Historical, 2017.

How acquired: Received from a BookCrossing member.

First lines: Who is that?

(For Goodreads synopsis, scroll down.)

My thoughts: My first time reading Anna Zogg, and I very much enjoyed this book. Lenora is a widow, struggling to keep her ranch going with just her ten-year-old son, Toby, to help her. Cole is a US Marshal, undercover and investigating a gang of outlaws who robbed a bank, killing two people in the process. A gang that included Lenora’s deceased husband.

The romance played out very, very slowly, which I liked, as it was also very realistic. Cole and Lenora have secrets they keep from each other. Cole’s secret didn’t bother me, he’s undercover law enforcement, so of course he has to keep his true identity a secret. Lenora’s secret worried me. Before he died, Amos gave her a satchel full of money, and not wanting to use any of it, Lenora buried it in his grave. Was that the right thing to do? Maybe, maybe not. But Cole of course is looking for that money, and both I and Lenora worried about his reaction when he learned she’d kept that secret from him.

I loved Cole and Lenora, and young Toby, who was fiercely protective of his mother. The relationship that built up between Cole and Toby was heartwarming. And of course I hated the villain, Jeb, who keeps coming around, harassing Lenora, and telling her he’s going to marry her. He, too, is looking for that money, and some of the scenes with him were tense indeed.

And then towards the end, the tension really ramped up, and even though I knew it would have a happy ending – it’s a category romance, after all – I was still on the edge of my seat and totally engrossed way past my bedtime.

Also, I love the cover.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Hiding his true identity is the only way for US Marshal Jesse Cole to bring bank robbers to justice. But the lovely widow whose Wyoming ranch he stumbles onto reminds him of everything he's sacrificed for the law. When his job is done, he's resolved to leave Lenora Pritchard behind--until she and her son are threatened. Now the only way to protect them is to make her his wife.

To conceal her late husband's guilt, Lenora hid his stolen haul. And with a ruthless gang leader determined to retrieve it, she needs Cole's protection for herself and her son. It's a marriage in name only, founded on dangerous secrets...but could it possibly lead to a true and loving family?

Three Christmas Wishes

SHEILA ROBERTS

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, Mira, 2016.

How acquired: Book Mooch.

First line: Riley Erickson’s life was perfect.

(For Goodreads synopsis, scroll down.)

My thoughts: By the time I was about a third of the way into this novel, I already knew I needed to hunt down the author’s back list. This is my first time reading this author, and I truly enjoyed every minute. It’s three romances rolled into one book, but more than that it’s a wonderful story of friendship and family.

Each of the three protagonists are facing a crisis. Riley’s fiancé breaks up with her, three weeks before their wedding, to be with her friend and coworker Emily, with whom he’s been having an affair. Noel’s landlady announces that she’s selling the house Noel lives in, and which Noel desperately wants to buy but cannot quite afford. Riley’s sister, Jo, is about to give birth to her first child, and is bitter and resentful that her husband is deployed with the Navy and already planning to re-up, which will leave her raising their child alone.

The women are all believable, likable and distinctive characters, and all of the supporting characters are richly drawn, even the ones who only make two or three appearances. The POV narrative shifts seamlessly between the three women, and the only thing that could’ve made the book better would be getting the POV of Jo’s husband and the men who come into Riley and Noel’s lives.

THREE CHRISTMAS WISHES is an emotional and engaging story, and as satisfying as the ending was, I was still left wanting more.

Goodreads synopsis: Riley Erickson, her pregnant sister, Jo, and their friend Noel are all wishing for the same thing: the perfect man. Or at least men who are perfect for them. Riley's hasn't turned out to be too impressive, dumping her for her bridesmaid three weeks before the wedding. Jo's husband is being perfectly stubborn. And Noel has given up completely.

When the three women visit a shopping-mall Santa on a lark, the guy is full of predictions. Riley's going to meet her perfect man in a memorable way. Noel is going to get a good man to go with that house she's trying desperately to buy. And Jo, well, a new man is about to come into her life. What on earth does that mean? She already has her hands full with the one she's got. As for Riley and Noel, they have some holiday challenges to meet…

But Christmas wishes can come true, as these three women are about to discover. Because in spite of romantic setbacks and derailed dreams, this truly is the most wonderful time of the year!

A Good Marriage

KIMBERLY MCCREIGHT

Stats for my copy: Kindle edition, HarperCollins, 2020.

How acquired: NetGalley

(For the Goodreads synopsis, scroll to the bottom of this post.)

My thoughts: It took me about three weeks to read this book, longer than it should have. While reading I could generally become immersed in the story, but once I set it down and then picked it up again later (or closed my Kindle app and then reopened it later), it took a bit to get immersed again as I didn't seem to be retaining much in my head.

Lizzie narrates her part of the story, and relates to us how she receives a call from Zach, an old law school friend, who has been accused of murdering his wife and is currently in Rikers. He is insistent that she represent him, and she is reluctantly drawn into his case. Not because she believes he is guilty, but because she recently began working for a large corporate firm, where associates aren't allowed to bring in cases. To Lizzie's disappointment, her boss, who is a partner, flouts that rule and tells her to take the case.

The narration switches back and forth between Lizzie's story, and Amanda's story, told in third person POV, and going back over the days leading up to the murder. Despite the two being very different women, the narrative voices did not feel distinctive to me. Other than the POV, it was as if the same person were narrating.

The plot got quite convoluted, with a lot of surprises and reveals. But it was Amanda's story that drew me in and kept me reading. Her story was more of a character study than Lizzie's, and I'll take a character driven story over plot driven any day. The more we got to know Amanda the more I felt sorry for her. Referencing my earlier remark about not retaining much in between reading sessions, I actually do still remember quite a lot about Amanda, but not so much about Lizzie.

As for the supporting characters, I had a little trouble remembering which woman was who, as they seemed to run together. But I was able to keep the men straight in my head. And I hated Zach early on, long before we found out whether he was guilty or innocent.

Overall, not an especially memorable story other than some of Amanda's parts, but easy reading to while away some time.

Goodreads synopsis: Lizzie Kitsakis is working late when she gets the call. Grueling hours are standard at elite law firms like Young & Crane, but they’d be easier to swallow if Lizzie was there voluntarily. Until recently, she’d been a happily underpaid federal prosecutor. That job and her brilliant, devoted husband Sam—she had everything she’d ever wanted. And then, suddenly, it all fell apart. 

No. That’s a lie. It wasn’t sudden, was it? Long ago the cracks in Lizzie’s marriage had started to show. She was just good at averting her eyes. 

The last thing Lizzie needs right now is a call from an inmate at Rikers asking for help—even if Zach Grayson is an old friend. But Zach is desperate: his wife, Amanda, has been found dead at the bottom of the stairs in their Brooklyn brownstone. And Zach’s the primary suspect. 

As Lizzie is drawn into the dark heart of idyllic Park Slope, she learns that Zach and Amanda weren’t what they seemed—and that their friends, a close-knit group of fellow parents at the exclusive Grace Hall private school, might be protecting troubling secrets of their own. In the end, she’s left wondering not only whether her own marriage can be saved, but what it means to have a good marriage in the first place.

Dominic (Benedetti Brothers, Book 2)

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS.

NATASHA KNIGHT

Goodreads synopsis: Dominic I was the boy who would never be king. The monster who could never be loved. Gia was just a job. Just another girl caught in a world of monsters. It didn’t matter that I liked the look of her. I didn’t care that she cringed when she saw my soul. I liked it. I liked her fear. And I wanted her. Monsters didn’t get to live happily ever after, though. I knew one day I’d have to go back. Because time neither forgave nor forgot. And neither did I. Old debts needed to be settled. Enemies punished. It was past time I returned to the family business. I’d been gone far too long.

Gia All my life, I believed in fairy tales. Not the Disney kind. Never those. I always knew life was darker than that. I was the daughter of a foot soldier. The sister of a snitch. A nobody. Monsters had been part of my life for as long as I could remember, but none as dark as Dominic Benedetti. None as cruel. None as broken. I had no illusions about what he was. I had no desire to save his soul. And I couldn’t care about his bleeding heart. But love isn’t always beautiful. It could be a twisted, ugly bitch. I’d always known this was the kind I’d find. The only kind that could touch me. Because some of us, we belonged in the dark. And Dominic and I belonged in the dark. 

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Createspace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016.

How acquired: Bought.

First line: Fear has a distinct smell, something that belongs only to it.

My thoughts: Mafia romance in general does not appeal to me. But I read the first book in this series because I'm a fan of the author, and I really enjoying it, and bought this second book. In my review of SALVATORE, I noted that “the premise is a little horrifying”. Well, let me tell you, the premise of this follow up is a LOT horrifying. In fact, I really did not see how Dominic was going to be a romance book hero. But to be fair, Ms. Knight does warn readers in an author's note that “you won't think him a hero, not for a long time, maybe not ever...”. And the further I got into the book the more I did like Dominic, and I sure wanted him to have redemption and a happy ever after.

But here's the difference between Dominic and his brother. Salvatore wanted out of the life. Out of the family business. Dominic wanted to run the family business. Redemption? Where Gia is concerned, yes, he does redeem himself. And he vows that her hands will stay clean. He will shield her from the dark side of his life. But when the book ends and they get their HEA, he's still a mobster.

But again, the author gave us that warning, so despite my disappointment that he did not make the break to a normal family life as Salvatore did, I'm giving the book the same rating I gave the first book – four stars. And I intend to read SERGIO, which I bought with this book, and then I'll probably buy GIOVANNI as well.

And, oh yeah, as with everything I've read from Ms. Knight, gripping, captivating,and steamy!

     

 

Two Good Dogs

SUSAN WILSON

Goodreads synopsis: Single mom Skye Mitchell has sunk her last dime into a dream, owning the venerable, if run-down LakeView Hotel in the Berkshire Hills. It’s here where she believes she’ll give her fourteen-year-old daughter Cody a better life. But being an innkeeper is more challenging than she imagined, and Cody still manages to fall in with the wrong crowd. In addition, Cody is keeping an earth-shattering secret that she’s terrified to reveal. The once loving, open girl has now become completely withdrawn, and Skye is both desperate and helpless to reach her.
When Adam March and his pit bull Chance check into the hotel, it becomes the first of many visits. Here in these peaceful mountains he finds an unexpected relief from his recent bereavement. He and the beleaguered innkeeper form a tentative friendship. Adam knows the struggles of raising a difficult teenager and Skye understands loneliness.
And then there is Mingo, a street kid with a pit bull dog of his own. When Cody discovers an overdosed Mingo, Adam takes the boy’s dog not just for safekeeping, but to foster and then rehome. But the dog isn’t the only one who needs saving. A makeshift family begins to form as four lost people learn to trust and rely on each other, with the help of two good dogs.

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, St. Martin's Griffin, 2018.

How acquired: Bought.

First line: Human emotion is a deeply fascinating thing for me.

My thoughts: I'm going to preface this review to tell you that I started writing it, then set it aside, then went out of town, then came back for a few days, and then remembered I'd never finished the review. And now unfortunately so much time has passed that I don't remember what else I wanted to say. So, my review is gonna be short and end abruptly!

This book started out as a bit of a challenge for me, and I considered DNFing it pretty quickly. The prologue is in first person, italicized, from the point of view of Chance, one of the two good dogs. Chapter one introduces us to Cody, with the narrative in third person, present tense. Ugh, my least favorite tense, but it's fine, I can deal with it. Then a few pages later, we meet Cody's mother, Skye, and the narrative changes to first person, past tense. Ok, we're going to be alternating. Fine, I can deal with it. Then chapter two, Adam is introduced, and the narrative changes to third person, past tense. Um, ok, so each of the main characters gets their own distinctive voice. And then on the next page Adam meets Skye, and the narrative suddenly shifts back to present tense, and then on the next page back to past tense. At this point I was only on page 20 and the narrative had changed four times. Just pick a style already!

Despite the specific narration for each of the main characters, there were several times when I wasn't sure for a few seconds who the focus had shifted to. Fortunately,the story was compelling enough that I stuck with it, and I enjoyed it.

And then looking at the author's other books, I realized this is a sequel to ONE GOOD DOG, which I have in my TBR pile, so I'm gonna have to pull it out to read soon, but not too soon.

The Hope of Azure Springs

RACHEL FORDHAM

Goodreads synopsis: Seven years ago, orphaned and alone, Em finally arrived at a new home in Iowa after riding the orphan train. But secrets from her past haunt her, and her new life in the Western wilderness is a rough one. When her guardian is shot and killed, Em, now nineteen, finally has the chance to search for her long-lost sister, but she won't be able to do it alone.

For Azure Springs Sheriff Caleb Reynolds, securing justice for the waifish and injured Em is just part of his job. He's determined to solve every case put before him in order to impress his parents and make a name for himself. Caleb expects to succeed. What he doesn't expect is the hold this strange young woman will have on his heart.

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Revell, 2018.

How acquired: Revell Reads Blog Tour Program.

First line: “She dead?”

My thoughts: The only downside to loving a book by a new to you author is realizing that it's a debut novel, and there is no back list to run out and hunt down!

Orphaned at age twelve, Em and her younger sister, Lucy, are put on an orphan train, where they end up being separated. The book opens seven years later, and Em has been found shot and unconscious and taken into Azure Springs. A local couple, Abraham and Abigail Howell, take her into their home to care for her while she recuperates.

Em is such a richly drawn character. We actually start getting to know Caleb, the sheriff, a little sooner than we do Em, since she is bedridden and sleeping a lot in the beginning. Caleb is determined to find the men who shot Em and killed her guardian, and thus he spends some time with Em, questioning her and slowly learning about her life before Azure Springs. He, too, is richly drawn. In fact, while the point of view changes back and forth between Em to Caleb, the supporting characters are still all well fleshed out.

It's not love at first sight, certainly not instalove, which I was very happy about. In fact, Caleb is quite smitten with Eliza, the Howells' oldest daughter, and she definitely has her sights set on him. He looks at Em and sees a waif, a thin, plain looking girl, who he initially mistakes for a child.

And that's a theme of the book. I don't ever get the impression that Em is ugly. But she's not a classic beauty or glamorous looking. Her own view of herself is skewed. Town after town with the orphan train, being overlooked by all the prospective families until most of the other children have been claimed, left her feeling unwanted and self-conscious about herself. As she and Caleb develop a strong friendship, she's grateful for that, but she assumes he won't ever want more than friendship with her. Especially compared to girls like Eliza.

While his pa talked, Caleb envisioned Em's freckled face. “Beauty is something we get to define. We may not see it right away, but when we do, we have trouble even remembering the other definition. We wonder how we were ever so misled. All we can see is the one person who defines it for us.”

That's just a tiny example of the beautiful writing. 

I loved watching Em grow and become more self-confident, falteringly but with self-determination. I loved Em's interactions with the Howells' younger daughters, seven-year old twins. I even enjoyed her interactions with Eliza, the only Howell not to welcome her with open arms, but who instead was snobbish and at times downright rude to Em. In fact, in the middle of one of those passages I wondered if there would be more Azure Springs books, as Eliza seemed like the perfect person to get her own story and have her character redeemed by love. Or even Margaret, a widow who owns a boarding house in town and gives Em her first paid job, and becomes a dear friend while imparting words of wisdom. And then I set the book down to see if the author was active on Goodreads, so I could ask her if there were going to be more Azure Springs books. She responded: “My second book is stand alone but the characters do pass through Azure Springs and we get to see lots of characters from The Hope of Azure Springs in it.” I'm already excited for that next book to come out!

When Em finally has the chance to travel to the town where she and her sister had been separated, I cried for several pages. A beautiful story, beautifully written, and emotionally satisfying. 

The Kind Worth Killing

PETER SWANSON

Synopsis from Goodreads: On a flight from London to Boston, Ted Severson meets the stunning Lily Kintner. Over martinis, the strangers play a game in which they reveal intimate details about themselves. But what begins as playful banter between Ted and Lily takes a turn when Ted claims, half-seriously, that he would like to kill his wife. Then Lily surprises him by saying that she’d like to help.

Back in Boston, Ted and Lily forge an unusual bond and talk about the ways Ted can get out of his marriage. But Lily has her own dark history she’s not sharing with Ted. As Ted begins to fall in love with Lily, he grows anxious about any holes in their scheme that could give them away. And suddenly the two are pulled into a very lethal game of cat and mouse, one in which both are not likely to survive when all is said and done.

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, William Morrow, 2016.

How acquired: Borrowed from my mom.

First line: “Hello, there,” she said.

My thoughts: While at my mom's house, talking about a book we'd both recently read and loved (LULLABY, by Claire Seeber), I commented that it made me want to read more of that genre. My mom promptly disappeared into her room and reemerged with this book in hand. I started it the next day and whizzed through it.

The chapters start out alternating between Ted, who just discovered his wife is cheating on him with their contractor, and Lily, who he meets in an airport bar. The find themselves on the same flight, and Ted spills the whole story to Lily, admitting that he'd like to kill his wife. And Lily, rather than being shocked, says she will help him do so.

As they take turns narrating, both in first person POV, we learn more about how Ted and Miranda met, and Lily's unconventional family, along with some secrets from Lily's past (although she does not share that information with Ted). They plot and plan how to murder Miranda and Brad, the contractor, and when the time is almost nigh, holy plot twist! Something right out of left field, and the twists and turns just keep coming.

This is a fast paced and engrossing book. I feel like I can't say too much about what happens without getting spoilery, but I was glued to the pages. The character's narrative voices aren't very distinctive, but that's literally the only complaint I can come up with. A brilliant and unexpected read, and I've already pre-ordered the author's next book and bought one of his previous books.