How well we think we know those closest to us. And then, what a shock to the system it is to find out we don’t know them at all.
This is the first book I’ve read by Mary Kubica and it definitely won’t be my last! This was a twisty roller coaster ride that gave new meaning to the term gaslighting (for those unfamiliar with it, from dictionary.com — to cause a person to doubt his or her own sanity through the use of psychological manipulation). I was on the edge of my seat reading The Other Mrs. and couldn’t flip the pages fast enough.
After Will’s sister dies, his family (wife Sadie and two young boys) move to a remote Maine island to live in her house and care for Imogen, the daughter she left behind. The only problem is that Imogen hates them. For Sadie, Will and the boys, a move to a new place means a fresh start and that is a welcome change, after Will’s affair and one son’s trouble at school. Shortly after their arrival, a neighbor is killed and Sadie becomes a suspect.
Sadie blames herself for Will having an affair. She knows she tends to be cold and feels her profession as a doctor is partly responsible since emotion has no place in medicine.
There’s a small part of me that blamed myself for the affair. That believed I’d been the one to push Will into the arms of another woman, because of who I am. I blamed my career, which requires that I be detached. That detachment, the absence of an emotional involvement, works its way into our marriage at times. Intimacy and vulnerability aren’t my strong suit, nor have they ever been. Will thought he could change me. Turns out he was wrong.
I can be cold, I know. Glacial even. I’ve been told this before. I often think that I’d been the one to push Will into the arms of another woman. If only I had been more affectionate, more sensitive, more vulnerable. More happy.
The story is told from three points of view - Sadie - is married to Will and, Camille - is in love with Will but is obsessed to the point of stalking him, and Mouse - a 6 year old child who struggles with her “Fake Mom.”
Camille tries to evoke sympathy from the reader for being the “other woman.” She conveys how lonely and difficult it can be. This is not exactly what one expects to hear from the “other woman,” even if it’s true. One doesn’t often hear this perspective.
It’s not easy being the other woman. The only thing there is for us is disdain, never sympathy. No one feels sorry for us. Instead they judge. We’re written off as selfish, scheming, shrewd, when all we’re guilty of is falling in love. People forget we’re human, that we have feelings too.
I went on, telling her how hard it was being that other woman. How lonely. How I didn’t have the promise of daily contact. No check-in phone calls, no late night confessions as we drifted to sleep. There was no one to talk to about my feelings. Alone, I tried not to ruminate on it.
Kubica masterfully structured this story and it flows well. Don’t be put off if you don’t understand the other two POVs, especially Mouse’s. It will all come together in the end. I thought I had figured out the mystery but turns out I only got part of it right but that little predictability didn’t detract from my enjoyment because there was a lot more action and twists to the story. It’s impossible to see all the twists coming and Kubica does a great job keeping the reader guessing.
Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing - Park Row and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
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