Leah Mercer is a writer to watch! Her absolute talent for producing compelling page-turners with gripping stories that leave readers constantly guessing is impressive.

Get ready to be emotionally and mentally wrecked. I have such a love-hate relationship with Leah Mercer because whereas I love her writing, I hate how I feel after. Not to say the stories are bad, nothing could be further from the truth, it's just that after reading her stories I am always emotionally spent at the end. How could someone pack such devastation and anguish alongside such blinding hope? She is a pro at enticing readers with a seemingly simple story that morphs into something bolder, darker, and entirely unexpected

Safe from Harm is a psychological thriller that transports readers into the lives of two women, Ali and Violet through which the story is told from their respective points of view. Ali’s husband tells her the last sentence any pregnant woman wants to hear, “I don’t want this baby. I can’t be the father you need me to be. I can’t be the father this baby deserves.” This prompts her to return to her grandmother's house (Violet) in Fairview where she meets Meg and Michael, a seemingly perfect couple with their baby girl.

While the premise may seem simple, a woman trying to come to terms with being a single mother while trying to make friends with her new neighbors, there is such an engrossing, contemplative, and heart-wrenching backstory made up of intricate details that are shrouded in secrecy. As the narratives collide, readers are left speechless at the deceptively clever and unexpected revelations.

Safe from Harm is a thought-provoking story that effectively explores the negative yet realistic truths of marriage, pregnancy, and raising children. It explores several darker themes of mental illness, physical abuse, and the overwhelmingly crushing feeling of grief, heartache, and loss. It begs the question, “Is there life after death? Can you truly move on with your life after tragedy?"

While there are no happy endings in this story, Leah Mercer stays true to her core with a hauntingly realistic yet traumatic ending that will leave readers questioning their mental fortitude.

Thank you to the author, Bookouture, and NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for my honest review.