Marriage | Book Chatter

The Swap
By Robyn Harding
Gallery/Scout Press, 9781982141769, June 23, 2020, 336pp.

The Short of It:

In a pandemic, you need quick, fast reads that take you out of your current situation. The Swap accomplished that.

The Rest of It:

Swallow, “Low” for short, is an awkward teen whose family is polyamorous. Meaning, she has more than a mom and dad. More like an entire support team who have agreed to live as one happy family. No jealousy. No competition. She lives on an island that is open to these types of relationships. She thinks it’s a little weird but kind of gets it too. As for herself, she has no idea what she wants.

In walks Freya. She’s blonde and beautiful and magnetic. She’s also a grown woman. After she posts a flyer about pottery classes Low decides she’s buying whatever Freya is selling. As their pottery sessions turn into more than a friendship, at least in Low’s eyes, Freya begins to pit Low against another close friend of hers and the two compete for Freya’s attention which begins a dangerous game of tug of war.

Harding knows how to tell a story. She loops you in no matter how far-fetched the plot is. I read this in two sittings. Had it not been for work I would have finished it in one day. It ended in a surprising way and was a little over-the-top but that didn’t prevent me from savoring those last few pages. Have you read Harding before? I really enjoyed The Party a few years back.

The Swap comes out June 23rd but do add it to your list.

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

The Other Mrs. Miller
By Allison Dickson
G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 9780525539247, July 2019, 352pp.

The Short of It:

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from this one but what I got was an enjoyable, twisty read.

The Rest of It:

Phoebe and her husband live in a fairly well-to-do neighborhood. Mostly due to the fact that she came from money but not money that she likes to flaunt given that her father’s wandering eyes got him into a whole lot of trouble with young women all over. Although comfortable financially, her marriage is falling apart, she’s let herself go, and she wakes each day unhappy and anxious.

One morning, she notices a car parked across the street and the same car arrives daily. Could this be something related to her father’s dealings? As she becomes increasingly paranoid over this intrusion of privacy, a new family moves in across the street.

To Phoebe, this family provides a much-needed distraction until things get out of hand. Vicki and Phoebe get too close, too fast. Jake, Vicki’s eighteen-year-old son provides the type of distraction that an unsatisfied wife may seek but certainly does not need. All in all, both these families become entwined in a way that no one expects. I was honestly surprised at the direction the story took. It’s good, and twisty and fun. I am loving these types of books lately.

If you like a story that keeps you guessing, then pick up The Other Mrs. Miller soon.

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

Chatting with friends about books and life…