First, the cover is gorgeous, and I pretty much bought the book for that reason alone. :)

While it may seem odd to start a book with a funeral, it works well in this book as it gives an inner glimpse into the three MCs’ minds. Yes, this book is told from 3 points of view. And unfortunately that was my main complaint. More on that later.

Enter Janet, Madeline, and Claire. Three women who couldn’t be more different from each other band together as unlikely friends and allies. I liked each of these woman as characters, and they felt relatable, which I appreciated, even though they are all older than I. The plot was a roller coaster of ups and down - occasionally a bit too much drama for my taste, but that’s just personal preference. I absolutely LOVED the tie-ins to Reay’s other books: Alex Powell from Dear Mr. Knightley and Sid McKenna from The Bronte Plot.

Back to the POVs…Janet and Madeline both have first person POVs, and Claire’s is in third person. HOWEVER, Madeline’s is 1st person past tense but abruptly changed to 1st person present in the last chapter. Janet’s is 1st person present tense; and Claire’s is 3rd person past tense but strangely changes to 3rd person present tense. Some of these shifts were significant and done for a reason, but at times, I really struggled to keep the ever shifting perspectives in focus. Again, that’s just personal preference.

Content: innuendo; mentions of affairs; underaged drinking (not condoned); making love is mentioned; dealing with adultery and divorce; wayward teen issues

Quotes:

“Blood might be thicker than water, but both were thinner than money.”


“‘Who said forgiveness was supposed to be easy?’”