Harper | Book Chatter

A Good Marriage
By Kimberly McCreight
Harper, 9780062367686, May 5, 2020, 400pp.

The Short of It:

A woman is found dead at the bottom of the stairs. Her husband has been arrested for the crime, but everyone is lying.

The Rest of It:

*No Spoilers*

Zach is married to beautiful Amanda but their marriage is riddled with secrets. After dragging Zach to a party that he does not want to attend, Amanda returns home alone and is murdered shortly thereafter.

When Zach finds himself accused of her murder, he contacts an old lawyer friend, Lizzie to defend him even though she’s never defended anyone in a criminal trial. As Lizzie goes through the motions to discover the truth, she slowly realizes that anyone could have killed Amanda and that Amanda’s past was haunting her the entire time.

A Good Marriage is getting a lot of buzz. The author keeps you guessing the entire time. I thought I knew who the killer was numerous times and was wrong every time. Structurally, it’s tightly written and is an absolute a page turner (read it in one sitting) but I did not care about any of these characters, even Amanda. I don’t think you have to love the characters to like a story but in a murder mystery, I find it’s helpful to at least care about the victim. I felt nothing for her. Everything felt a little too detached for me. The relationships were somewhat shallow, or appeared to be which made it difficult to feel anything for these people.

I’ve read McCreight before. You may remember Reconstructing Amelia. That one had a lot of drama but I remember feeling empathy for the characters. That is the only thing I felt was missing here. In the end, I appreciated how quickly the story was told and for the author’s skill at keeping the big reveal a secret right until the end but had I felt a little more for these characters I think I would have enjoyed it even more.

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

Promises of the Heart
By Nan Rossiter
Harper, 9780062972132, February 4, 2020, 384pp.

The Short of It:

This story is full of heart. It’s a story about acceptance, new beginnings and continuing to have faith in what you cannot see.

The Rest of It:

Macey and Ben appear to have it all but the one thing they miss the most is a family to call their own. After several miscarriages, Macey is beginning to wonder if they will ever have a child of their own. Ben, although supportive, has his doubts too. Especially when Macey sets her sights on a three-legged dog at an adoption event, and then meets Harper, a little girl in foster care who is in need of a new home.

I’ve read everything Nan Rossiter has written and enjoyed all if it. She has a way of pulling you in with likable characters, beachy settings, her extreme love of animals and food and drink! Promises of the Heart is a little different in that it tackles a topic she hasn’t written about before, the foster care system, but she does so through a hopeful approach while bringing the topic into focus.

I enjoy books like this because it forces you to go a little outside of your comfort zone. There are so many children in foster care and many couples who are not able to have children of their own but deciding to foster is not an easy decision and Rossiter presents this doubt in an honest, realistic way.

If you are familiar with her other books, The Gin and Chowder Club or Nantucket, you will notice a difference in tone with Promises of the Heart but the things that remain are still solid and true; wholesome relationships, steadfast faith, and relatable characters.

The author has offered me a copy to giveaway! If you’d like a chance to win a copy, check out the details below. Please note, the book releases in February 2020 so the winner may have to wait a short while to receive it.

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

This giveaway is for one copy of Promises of the Heart and is open to the US and Canada. A winner will be chosen randomly by me. The book will come directly from the publisher/author once released. Only one entry per person. Giveaway closes on January 5, 2020 (pacific). I will contact the winner for his/her mailing address.