Romance

Sounds like a domestic thriller, doesn’t it? Instead, this disappointing novel manages to cover decades in which almost nothing happens. The story jumped forward years at a time, usually from someone making a sandwich or deciding where to go on holiday to the same person doing similar things several years later. Day after day, these two couples live their boring, unsatisfying marriages, their kids grow up and get older.

Whenever something interesting or dramatic might possibly happen, the narrative slows from the usual meander to an absolute crawl, and then tries to build suspense by leaving out the sort of details that provide character development. There are pages and pages devoted to finding a Mysterious Suitcase In The Attic, with heavy hints about the Very Upsetting contents, vague references for ages, ugh. It felt more like vaguebook updates than a thriller.

Edit: The reason this review was behind a cut for spoilers is because there is a spoiler next, please don't send me mean messages about this review having spoilers.

Surprise! Christie’s new husband, who we saw for about three seconds, and who was weird and shady for 2.5 of those 3 seconds, is actually Ellie’s husband with a fake name! He takes them both hostage, because for some reason they both figure out his double identity at the same time and decide to confront him separately on the same day (what???), and both separately agree to come quietly inside to talk things over and also leave their phones over there. Ugh. The women are randomly rescued, an ending without agency or satisfaction in a book without agency or satisfaction.
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When two worlds collide

The chapters in the book alternate between Christie and Eleanor with their husbands stories woven in. It seems like two different books meshed into one, yet common sense dictates there must be an overlap or connection so I kept looking for clues to merge the stories . When it comes, it's unexpected and you start to question everything you read. Totally not what I expected! A book about human nature and how an unresolved past can warp each one of us so easily. A good holiday read. ( )

A bit slow. Interesting situation. Twists but some easy to guess ( )

About middle age women and their families, their dissatisfaction with their husbands, and their husband's insecurities with the story wrapped around two brothers. Interesting turns and twists which didn't work out the way you thought they would. Surprisingly good read. ( )