Krysten’s Review

This is the thing about good and evil. They aren’t so far apart—and they often start from the same valiant place of wanting something to be different.

Overall I enjoyed this book, though it did take me a minute to get into it. It was slow in places, as Hannah reflected on memories of her childhood and the beginning of her relationship with Owen. Once the story got going and the pace picked up, it was a quick and suspenseful read.

Admittedly, this is one of those stories where you have to work a little harder to suspend your disbelief, because while the events are plausible, they aren’t quite realistic. Hannah’s quest for the truth felt a little too easy. Sure, Owen left her a few obscure breadcrumbs to follow, but there was no way he could guarantee she’d remember the precise moments from their history that would lead her to the answer. Yet somehow, she flashes back to all the right memories and makes all the right moves to uncover the truth of Owen and Bailey’s past.

The author did a good job creating doubt about Owen and who he really was, which kept me on my toes alongside the characters. Everyone was flawed, everyone made mistakes, everyone had redeeming qualities. It’s one of those situations you can’t exactly relate to (because obviously), but you can at least empathize with the characters and their inner turmoil. I appreciated the ending, which was perhaps the most plausible part of the story. It wasn’t wrapped up with a neat little bow, because that would have been unrealistic—but it still felt like the story was complete.

All in all, this was worth reading, and I’d probably read another Laura Dave novel in the future.