Review by Booklist Review
Finn, Violet, and their son, Bear, had been enjoying their Florida vacation, relaxing on the same beach where Finn and Violet first bumped into each other all those years ago. They had the meet-cute of all meet-cutes, including an ambulance ride, a summer-camp T-shirt, and a years-delayed Craigslist Missed Connections posting. Now they're happily married or so Violet thought. She returned to their Florida hotel room to find Finn and Bear completely gone, with no trace of them left behind. It's up to Violet to uncover how much she truly knew about her husband, and to figure out if she'll ever see her son again. Strawser's debut novel blends the suspense of Kimberly Belle's The Marriage Lie (2016) with the emotional depth of Emma Straub's Modern Lovers (2016), perfect for readers looking for something new after all of the Girl thrillers. A well-paced novel with a ripped-from-the-headlines feel, Strawser uncovers which secrets should stay hidden, and which secrets Finn and Violet are helping each other keep. This is gritty, witty, and a worthy addition to the recent slate of domestic dramas.--Turza, Stephanie Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In Strawser's nerve-wracking debut, a woman's husband leaves with their son, shattering her life and catching others in his devastating wake. Violet and Finn Welsh and their three-year-old son, Bear, are on vacation in Florida when Violet's world is turned upside down. Although Finn's life before marrying Violet was marked by tragedy, Violet thought they were happy, but now all she knows is that she will do anything to get her son back. In between them is Caitlin Bryce-Daniels, Finn's longtime best friend and now Violet's close friend as well, whom Finn blackmails into helping him by threatening to reveal a horrible secret. The narrative, which alternates between the three, as well as past and present, is undeniably suspenseful. The conclusion is a bit neat, but Strawser's exploration of marriage, its expectations, and motherhood are spot-on, making for an absorbing read. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
"All the wrong people know all the wrong secrets here" says one character in Strawser's debut, knitting parental abduction with a page-turner of devastating secrets unraveling among friends and spouses. Violet's blessed life goes haywire when husband Finn takes their toddler son, Bear, and abandons her during a beach vacation. Finn draws friend Caitlin into his breakaway from his wife by threatening to expose her marital secrets if she doesn't hide him in the family cabin in Kentucky. But to help a desperate Finn is to betray a grieving mother. Torn between obligations of motherhood and friendship, Caitlin accedes to Finn's demands while strategizing a plan to return Bear to his mother. Alternating time lines and narrators first raise-and then answer- questions in a story than has more twists and turns than the roads in the Blue Ridge Mountains. VERDICT Fans of smart women's fiction mixed with a fast-paced plot should not miss this startling first novel from the editorial director of Writer's Digest Magazine. [See Prepub Alert, 10/3/16.]-Wendy W. Paige, Shelby Cty. P.L., Morristown, IN © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
