Reviews with content warning for Mental illness - The Love of My Life

My rating is more a note that I just didn't gel with the plot versus the quality of the read. The twist just wasn't what I was expecting, and it's a twist that just isn't one I love as a human/reader. It was still a really unique premise with good development.

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entropyseeker's review

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adventurous challenging medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.75

I truly didn't know what to expect going into this book. I picked it up because it was linked to some goodreads achievement and man was this a whirlwind. Especially since its a white woman in the UK suburbs. Highly rec, big page turner with just the right bread crumbs to keep you guessing

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astifelreads's review

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emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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kelly_e's review

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emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Title: The Love of My Life
Author: Rosie Walsh
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: March 1, 2022

T H R E E • W O R D S

Entertaining • Twisty • Propulsive

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Emma loves her husband Leo and their young daughter Ruby: she’d do anything for them. But almost everything she’s told them about herself is a lie.

And she might just have got away with it, if it weren’t for her husband’s job. Leo is an obituary writer; Emma a well-known marine biologist. When she suffers a serious illness, Leo copes by doing what he knows best – researching and writing about his wife’s life. But as he starts to unravel the truth, he discovers the woman he loves doesn’t really exist. Even her name isn’t real.

When the very darkest moments of Emma’s past finally emerge, she must somehow prove to Leo that she really is the woman he always thought she was...

But first, she must tell him about the other love of her life.

💭 T H O U G H T S

I included The Love of My Life on a list of 23 books to read in 2023 because it was one of the 2022 releases that intrigued me, but that I never got around to picking up. I wasn't exactly sure where this story would take me, yet it ended up taking me to the right place at the right time.

Combining elements of a variety of genres (mystery, suspense, romance, literary) flawlessly this book was an entertaining exploration of marriage, motherhood, and whether we ever really know the people we love. Well rounded complex characters are the foundation of this novel. Switching between Emma and Leo's perspectives, there's a slow suspenseful pace where everything unravels at the perfect moment. I didn't ever quite know where things were going to go next, which is why I ended up enjoying my time with this book.

The Love of My Life was another enjoyable GMA pick. Despite this having a slower pace, it was still a page turner that kept my interest. If you're looking for something thrilling, this isn't it. I look forward to reading Ghosted next year.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• domestic suspense lovers
• readers who loved The Last Thing He Told Me

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"When we have experienced more loss than is bearable she says, we hold on to everything."

"I don't know anything, other than that it's only when something's damaged beyond repair that we realize how beautiful it was."

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readingwithmeredith's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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what_heather_loves's review

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emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

"To be near my wife, to Emma is to return to source.
So when I learn, in the days following this morning - this in pc, commonplace morning, with dogs and frog and coffee and dead priests - that I know nothing of this woman, it will break me."

I adored this complex and emotional read, which is a character-driven thriller, for those who aren't usually drawn to mysteries and thrillers. It's not about a crime, but about love and the emotional impact of sometimes unforgivable, weighty decisions on two families, who become entangled as a result. Chapters alternate between charismatic protagonist Emma and her winsome husband Leo, as the secret she has carefully kept hidden begins to unravel. The first part of scene setting is a little slower, but the rest of the novel feels brisk and engaging, one of those books you can't put down. I felt for Emma and also for Janice (the woman from the other family) because of how their roles as mothers was challenging and nuanced. Tightly written, there is skilful ambiguity in the early part, the author knowing the reader is likely to jump to a particular conclusion about why Emma is hiding her past that later turns out to be incorrect.

Exploring challenging topics such as mental illness and deception in families, this is a heart-wrenching, nuanced and compelling mystery.

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