THE OTHER MRS. by Mary Kubica

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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.

MR. NOBODY by Catherine Steadman

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Emma Lewis is a leader in her field of memory loss and is chosen to work on a case that will challenge her to determine the diagnosis — is it retrograde amnesia, fugue or lying. It will require her to return to her home town, which she and her family changed their names and left 14 years ago. But Emma knows it’s a big opportunity for her career because these cases are so rare.

This perfect offer out of the blue, this opportunity, the chance I’ve been waiting for. But I’d have to go there? Why does it have to be there of all the places in the world? I’ve spent fourteen years of my life trying to get away from that place, what happened there, and now … now I find out that the only way forward, the only way out, is back.

...if I’m honest, it scares me. My face out there connected and connected and connected until it all leads back to that one night. The night when my whole world was shattered and it was easier to just throw the whole thing in the trash than try to fix it.

Both main characters have issues with the past — Emma hides her past whereas Mr. Nobody has no past. He was found on a beach and has no memory of who he is or where he came from. It’s up to Emma to determine whether she can help him to remember.  But she is having problems of her own.

His world shrinks to a pinhead and then dilates so wide, suddenly terrifyingly borderless. He has no edges anymore. Who is he? He has no self. He feels the panic roaring inside him, escalating, his heart tripping faster. His mind frantically searches for something—anything—to grab a hold of, his eyes wildly scanning the landscape around him. But there is no escape from it, the void. He is here and there is no before. There are no answers.

I’ve been so focused on putting those pieces—and you—back together again that somewhere along the way I came apart at the seams.

What a fun ride this was! It had all the elements of a great psychological thriller — suspense, mystery, twists and turns, hard to put down, kept you guessing, etc. I was in the minority with my response to Steadman’s previous work (Something in the Water). It just didn’t float my boat! (LOL). I was hesitant to read another book by Steadman but ultimately decided to take the chance and I am so glad I did. 

Mr. Nobody grabbed me right from the start and kept me turning the pages as fast as possible. The premise was fascinating and the execution did it justice. This is a compelling story that you won’t be able to put down. I thought I had figured some of it out but I was happy to learn I was wrong. Mr. Nobody is a unique story that you won’t feel you’ve read before. The premise is fascinating and the execution does it justice.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

THE DEAD GIRLS CLUB by Damien Angelica Walters

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Is it true that people become psychologists or psychiatrists because they have so many of their own personal problems? That seems to be the case with Heather, a child psychologist who is at the center of our story. 

The Dead Girls Club is billed as a supernatural thriller yet I did not find that to be the case. The more apt description, in my opinion, is it is a wannabe supernatural story but never gets there plus it's hardly thrilling. I had to force myself to get through the second half of the book. In fact, because it’s considered a supernatural thriller, I expected The Dead Girls Club to be a fast read that I wouldn’t be able to put down. I was wrong. Finally, while the ending caught me by surprise, it seemed anti-climactic.

The story is alternately told in ”Then” and ”Now” chapters with ”Then” being when our main character Heather is 12 and ”Now” is when she is 40-ish. For me, the ”Then” chapters were more compelling and interesting -- we learn about the Red Lady, an urban legend about a witch who was killed centuries ago. These stories were the most appealing element for me as was the buddy relationship between young Heather and Becca, the Red Lady storyteller.  

The ”Now” chapters were somewhat boring and didn't hold my attention as well. There seemed to be some redundancy and aspects came across as contrived. Her husband and two other childhood friends were never fully developed and didn’t play much of a role — it felt like the husband in particular was an afterthought.  These chapters show that Heather is spiraling out of control, becoming increasingly paranoid. She isn't exactly a likable or sympathetic character and that contributed to my being unengaged with the story.  

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

THE CONFESSION CLUB by Elizabeth Berg

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The Confession Club is a fun and fast read, much like a beach read. It’s a heartwarming and comfortable story about friendship, love, honesty, and second chances. While this is the third book in the Mason Series, it is a completely a stand-alone story and Berg fills in any missing details that you need to know. Just be warned that whether you read the first two books or not, you may find the beginning rather confusing like me even though I read Books 1 (The Story of Arthur Truluv) and 2 (Night of Miracles).

It was not easy for me to become engaged with this book and the characters. The first chapter introduced eight people, none of which were in the first two books, and I wasn’t able to get a feel for any of them. With chapter 2, the focus honed in on two main characters and I began to enjoy the story. What wasn’t clear to me while reading chapter 1 was that all of the eight new people were secondary or actually tertiary in importance.

The book tells of a group of people that began as a supper club and has evolved into a confession club where women share their insecurities and regrets in a nonjudgmental setting. 

Naturally, it was endlessly fascinating, what people confessed to. There was a saying someone shared at an early meeting: The truth is always interesting. So, too, an honest confession. And it wasn’t necessarily the sin that was interesting; it was the willingness to say, There. Have a good look at my imperfections. It made you feel better about your own.

“That’s what life is, at its best. A confession club: people admitting to doubts and fears and failures. That’s what brings us closer to one another, our imperfections.

“But to say out loud our missteps or inadequacies—to confess in an honest way and to be lovingly heard—well, that’s the kind of redemption we need on a regular basis.”

The reader will find, throughout the book, insights from everyday people and truisms about everyday life, which makes The Confession Club very real, relatable and at times inspirational.

All around are broken people, doing the best they can. And getting better.

“The only way to get out of that darkness is to go into it,” Karen says. “That’s how you can come out the other side. You’re going to have to hurt more before you finally feel better.”

For me, the story was not about the confession club but rather about Iris, who we met in Night of Miracles and her relationship with a homeless man named John, a vet with PTSD. While Iris is well developed, I didn’t feel like I got to know John that well but maybe that’s in keeping with his character because he has PTSD and isn’t forthcoming with details about his life.  For both of them, they get a second chance at love with each other.

When she abruptly revealed her feelings for John at Confession Club, and revealed as well a kind of shame at feeling this way about a homeless man, Joanie said, “Did you ever hear that Elaine May quote ‘The only safe thing is to take a chance’?”

While The Confession Club is entertaining, I found the first two books more enjoyable and satisfying. In fact, The Story of Arthur Truluv is a wonderful book that everyone needs to read. What? You haven’t read it? Well, get to it!

THE MOTHER-IN-LAW by Sally Hepworth

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Why does the Mother-in-Law always get the bad rap? Sometimes it’s deserved and sometimes not. I’ll let you be the judge. The distinctive feature of this book, my first by Sally Hepworth, is that it’s told from two POVs — the Mother-in-Law (Diana) and the Daughter-in-Law (Lucy).  The reader gains insight into their complicated relationship by learning how each of their perceptions of the same situation and/or their motivations differ.  In typical fashion, the Mother-in-Law seems like an awful and unfair person who seeks to control her children but when I read Diana’s POV, it gave me a whole different take and my opinion of her changed accordingly.  It’s so easy for misunderstandings to occur and this book drives that point home.

But for some reason, despite our similarities, when I look at her, all I see are our differences.

A Mother-in-Law can’t help but be in a no win situation. It’s difficult to navigate being attentive versus annoying, generous versus spoiling the grandchildren, having strong opinions versus being controlling, etc. Similarly, there is only so much a Daughter-in-Law can do to gain the approval of their Mother-In-Law.

Everyone, no matter how old they are, wants their mother’s approval. And EVERYONE, no matter who they are, wants their mother-in-law’s.

Of all the worries I’d had—that she wasn’t the mother-in-law I’d wanted, that she didn’t live up to my expectations—I hadn’t, narcissistically as it turns out, considered that she wouldn’t like me.

Someone once told me that you have two families in your life—the one you are born into and the one you choose. But that’s not entirely true, is it? Yes, you may get to choose your partner, but you don’t, for instance, choose your children. You don’t choose your brothers- or sisters-in-law, you don’t choose your partner’s spinster aunt with the drinking problem or cousin with the revolving door of girlfriends who don’t speak English. More importantly, you don’t choose your mother-in-law. The cackling mercenaries of fate determine it all.

The reader will definitely be drawn in by the first sentence:

I am folding laundry at my kitchen table when the police car pulls up.

The Mother-in-Law is a fun and fast read and I will definitely read more of Sally Hepworth’s work.

           

THE CHILD OF AUSCHWITZ by Lily Graham

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Could a baby be born in Auschwitz and survive? I know that babies were routinely killed at Auschwitz but I would never have imagined that one could be both born and survive. The Child of Auschwitz is the story of that miracle and is based on the life of Vera Bein who gave birth to a daughter in December of 1944 while in Auschwitz-Birkenau.

I was born into a world that had forbidden my existence.

The simple fact of me, had any of the authorities known, would have been enough to end my life before it had even begun. Still, I came. Small, and half-starved, yet determined to be alive, on one of the coldest nights in one of the darkest places in human history.

Lily Graham seamlessly interweaves the story of Eva Adami while in the camps and several years before being captured. While there are sections that explore the past, Eva also tells stories, including how she met her husband and their courtship, to a small group of other female prisoners to detract them from their hellish existence. We become acquainted with Eva’s family and learn how Eva met Michal, who becomes her husband. Eva voluntarily goes to Auschwitz from the Terezin Jewish ghetto in order to find her beloved Michal. Accompanying her is Sofie, her new friend who’s in search of her cousin who looked after her young son Tomas until  she was captured. She needs to find out from the cousin where she hid her son so she can find him after the war. We witness the exceedingly close and remarkable friendship between Eva and Sofie, both of whom are completely devoted to one another and will do whatever it takes to both protect and save each other. It is a beautiful friendship that seemingly knows no bounds.

Eva shows incredible strength and resilience and we really get to know her and Sofie. It is a moving and emotional story that will hold the reader until the final pages.It was truly miraculous that a baby could born to a mother who is starving and stick thin. It was also a godsend that the baby was unable to cry, due to the tiny size of her lungs, and so could live undetected by the Nazis. 

I barely made a sound, my underdeveloped lungs unable to allow me to cry. It would make my life hard, a price I would pay for all my years, but it is why I survived.

While the atrocities inflicted on fellow human beings are unimaginable and incomprehensible, this is also a story about hope, courage, a determination to survive, friendship and a Mother’s love for her child.  The Child of Auschwitz is beautifully written and the character development is very well done. The ending felt rushed to me but this did not deter from my overall positive reading experience.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

THE BROTHERS OF AUSCHWITZ by Malka Adler

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The Brothers of Auschwitz, a biographical novel,  is the most moving and disturbing Holocaust book I’ve ever read and there have been quite a few. Yes, any story about the experience of being in a concentration camp is deeply upsetting but this one was extremely raw and emotional for me. The detail is exceptional and it will shock you to your core. The reader will feel the pain, anguish, desperation, helplessness, terror, and the horrors of it all as experienced by these two brothers who were taken at 15 and 16 years old. You can’t help but feel outrage that human beings were treated in such a brutal and barbaric way.

We all knew the method at Zeiss. The method: No food, no water, no place to breathe, no shower, no coat, no medication, just work, work fast, until death comes. It takes about three months to come. In the meantime they bring a fresh, healthy consignment and the old-timers get on a train to the nearest available crematorium. Yes. Three months was enough for the Germans to turn healthy young men into a pile of disgusting rags.

There are aspects of being a concentration camp prisoner that I never even contemplated but are on clear display in this book. Yes, it is very difficult to read at times but I feel it is an important book that is worth reading because it brings the experience to life like no other book. There is a marked tension throughout the story that had me on the edge of my seat, unable to put this book down.

This is a story about family, love, the will to survive and above all else, hope. The bond between these two brothers is remarkable and you cannot help but wonder if either would’ve made it through without the other. It is a miracle that they even found each other and were able to stay together. 

What really makes this story stand out from all the others I’ve read is that roughly one-third of the way through the book the war ends. It’s the aftermath that we witness up close and the post traumatic stress that the brothers experience for the rest of their lives. Acclimating to civilized life after suffering and struggling to merely survive is no easy task. It is impossible for them to escape the images, memories and even the smells. 

Sometimes I have images with sound from life in the camps. The images and sounds come like thieves in the day.

There are so many things these former prisoners had to learn or relearn — not to gulp their food, not to steal food, not to keep food in their pocket or hidden in their bed, to say please and thank you, to wash their hands before a meal, and so much more.  There were many newly acquired fears that stuck with them. Because they were shuttled in cattle cars from one camp to the next, one brother won’t ever get on a train. Also feared are hospitals and one brother refuses to ever set foot in one — as a result, he won’t even go for a much needed cataract surgery. One brother confesses that he can’t and won’t go anywhere near a BBQ. Going to a bakery is a very scary proposition because of the ovens. Then there are the mental images and sound bytes that assault their senses at any time. You may leave the concentration camp but the camp never leaves you. 

I realized that the war had ended in the world but not in people’s hearts. I knew, the war would never ever leave us. Just like putting a boiling iron with a number on the body of a calf. The calf grows older, the number remains unchanged.

In fact, after the war was over, the brothers discovered there was a new “hell.” Safely ensconced in Israel, they faced humiliation and later felt shame.

...you went like sheep to the slaughter and didn’t resist. You didn’t fight like men. There were thousands of you in their trains, why didn’t you revolt. You could have grabbed their guns, at least wiped out a few Germans before the crematorium. Aah. We felt new enemies had risen against us. For the Germans we were garbage, in Eretz-Israel we were sheep.

We should have attacked them. We should have caused havoc, stopped those convoys walking and walking to the crematorium as if they were handing out candies on sticks in there. They’d have fired their rifles, so what, was gas any better? At least we’d have stopped the pace of death, I think about that and go mad. 

Before the hunger we could have risen against them. The hunger weakened our minds. A hungry person can’t think about anything, his mind is stupid. The Germans took care to make us stupid in the camps, so we wouldn’t notice the convoys going to the crematorium, is it any wonder that we were silent? People didn’t even have the strength to commit suicide. The mind needs a lot of strength to think it’s better to die.

There seems to be some issue with the translation as what’s written seems “rough around the edges.” Perhaps it will be improved when published but if it’s not, it is still a book that needs to be read.

Thank you to Harper Collins UK One More Chapter and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion and review.