Day: July 17, 2021

“Gripping and emotional family drama” is not always my favorite genre. I often feel that there is enough family drama in real life that I don’t need to read about other people’s problems.
However, every once in a while, a book comes along that strikes a chord and makes me realize that all families have their own issues.
This is that book.
Now, I realize that it’s fiction, but this author has a gift for writing approachable stories with realistic characters who have plausible reactions. That’s a fancy way of saying this book is totally relatable and I imagine just about anyone could find something or someone familiar in its pages.
I liked how the author made Steph, Evie, and Teresa distinct individuals. They were clear cut and well-defined.
However, each of them also had a bit of each of the others in them, which only became apparent as later events transpired.
For example, Evie was the “go along to get along” type – until she wasn’t. We didn’t get the realization in actual time (due to the way the plot transpired), but it was an event that was obviously a long time coming. And when it happened, she became more like how she perceived Steph to be.
At the same time, Steph was the Alpha personality who thought she had everything under control, until she realized that she was actually making excuse after excuse to maintain a status quo that made her unhappy.
Teresa seemed to be the floater, not a strong or weak personality, just stable. But she was put in awkward positions multiple times.

I thought the author’s perspective on friendships and marriages was extremely interesting and well represented. One can never know what is going on in someone else’s life, and making assumptions serves no purpose.
That being said, the book really centers around secrets. Should a person keep a secret from a best friend? Does the severity of the secret determine whether or not it should be shared? Is it ever too late to tell the truth about something? Is a lifelong friendship and automatic allowance to sharing everything, even if something happened decades before?
The author wisely addresses all of these questions through the interactions of Teresa, Steph, and Evie. At the same time, the reader is challenged to evaluate those questions for themselves.
As to plot details, well…look elsewhere. I was more taken by how the author managed to explore friendships and marriages in an entertaining but provocative manner.
This is indeed an emotional page turner with lots of family drama. You’ll be challenged to do some deep-thinking (if you so choose) but you’ll also be captivated by how obviously simple some of the realizations are (once the characters come to them, that is).
Ultimately, it’s an excellent book that is heartfelt and realistic with relatable characters and a plot that will keep you turning pages.

Author Bio:
Kerry Fisher is a million-copy bestselling author. She writes women’s contemporary fiction, is a USA Today bestseller and her books have been translated into twelve languages. She was born in Peterborough, studied French and Italian at the University of Bath and spent several years living in Spain, Italy and Corsica. After returning to England to work as a journalist, she eventually abandoned real life stories for the secrets of fictional families. She lives in Surrey with her husband, and a naughty Lab/Schnauzer called Poppy, who joins in the huge dances of joy when her young adult children come home.