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- Shalini
- in Book Posts, Book Reviews, Digital Reads Media, Digital Reads PR, Digital Reads Reviews, Fiction
Publication Date: July 2022
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Blurb
Your ex-wife didn’t leave you because of me. She didn’t abandon her little girl because of a couple of love notes in your jeans pocket.
She left because she’s twisted, and she wanted to punish you.
Becoming a stepmother is the best thing that ever happened to me.
My favorite part of every day is picking Charlie up from school, watching her little rucksack bounce behind her as she skips over for a hug. I
After a few rocky months of panic attacks when her mother deserted her, Charlie is flourishing.
But the day Charlie’s mother Bronwyn returns without warning—showering Charlie with gifts and making promises she can’t keep—fear ripples through me.
When I raise my concerns, no one wants to listen. I know I sound like the jealous new wife, but nothing is more important to me than Charlie’s safety.
Me and Bronwyn have history. We both have dark secrets in our past, and I know the dangerous lengths she will go to get what she wants.
But Bronwyn doesn’t know me as well as I know her.
She doesn’t know just how far I will go to protect that little girl…
My Review
What was it all about
Unforgivable by author Natalie Barelli was a suspenseful book filled with domestic drama where all characters went loco down the pages.
Laura was with Jack now, but not married yet, as Bronwyn had still not given him the divorce.
Being Charlie’s stepmom was the only thing that Laura loved. But when Bronwyn landed herself at their home, all of Laura’s plans started dissipating like dust in the wind.
The conflicts started when the two women felt the need to play mental games with each other.
How it made me feel - The Good
Actually shocked was what I felt while reading the story. Initially, my sympathies lay with Laura who loved child Charlie with an intense passion. She was a complete lioness. Then she became as bad as the others.
Both the characters were etched contrarily where my mood swung in dual directions until the author gave me clear idea of the realities of their lives. Toward the end, both became quite despicable.
The story had good amount of twists as each woman tried to get one-up on the other. Those sections felt to be more interesting than the rest.
The style of writing was kept in tempo with a suspenseful thriller, though the overall vibe was more of a domestic noir.
It was a fast-read that kept me on my toes as I had no idea whose words to trust. The book quite followed up with its intention of keeping the readers await the twists.
The Bad
Credibility of the story got stretched when too many unbelievable things started happening. Both the women were whacko in the book, not in the good way.
Suspense did not sustain itself right till the end of the book. Unforgivable was quite unthriller-y
The Conclusion
I enjoyed some parts of the story, though it was not a thriller that I wanted. A good read, I would say.
Readers of thriller genre would want something more added into the story to uplift to the level this genre demanded.
I downloaded the digital version of the book from an online retail, and this is my journey down its pages, straight from the heart. STRICTLY HONEST and UNBIASED.
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One Response
I’m more of a mystery lover than a thriller lover Shalini, though I am concerned about having to suspend belief, and the suspense not being sustained. Great, honest review.