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lmrivas54's review against another edition
5.0
Very intriguing plot, somewhat similar to The Secret Husband. Jeff dies, leaving behind his widow Claire and son Seth, 8 y/o. Equally devastated is Tish, supposedly a work partner. As the book progreses, we also learn that before Claire and Jeff met and married, Claire was his big brother's girlfriend. So this is like two love triangles. The author made an excellent job of unravelling the plot with much kindness towards both women who lost a man they loved. Many readers found Tish to be selfish, but what I found her to be is a sad, unhappy woman, who is not happy with herself and is looking for something that she thinks she found in Jeff. The worst of all IMO was Jeff: inmature and unsecure. I loved all the interconnections and how they were resolved. I was also intrigued that the book alternates three POV's: Claire, Tish's and Jeff's, the dead man. The only problem is, that Jeff never gives us a final answer on what he was thinking. Very entertaining, I passed the pages feverishly wanting to know what happened and ended up staying until 2 am to finish, and then think hard about it. Great book!
rouselle's review against another edition
3.0
This is the story of a man who dies tragically one day, leaving behind his wife and his son, and the other woman whom he also loved but nobody ever knew about. His death is so unexpected it leaves two women reeling from the loss. It is only after his death that one will truly get to know the other, and neither is truly prepared to uncover or divulge the truth.
Jeff was a great dad. He was a wonderful husband. He was kind and loving, and he never stopped pursuing her until she fell madly in love with him. Claire couldn't have picked a better guy. Maybe it was loneliness, or weakness, or sheer stupidity. Maybe it was old familiarity. Tim was Jeff's older brother, and Claire's ex-boyfriend whom she had loved very much. But that was a long time ago, and that kiss meant nothing. Nothing at all. Too bad Jeff had to see it.
Jeff was a great friend. He and Tish were office colleagues who shared a love for golf. They talked about their families all the time, and about how proud they were of their kids. Their funny and flirtatious IMs to each other made their 9 to 5 bearable, and so much more. It was only a matter of time before a line was crossed. Their chemistry was electric. Their connection was indescribable. They both knew this could only end badly, like they always do. But not now. Not yet.
Jeff loved his wife more than anything in the world. But he's not a perfect husband nor she a perfect wife. In a marriage, there will always be that difficult year. So maybe that's it. But he knew it's different with Tish. They hadn't seen each other coming, but now that they've found each other, it's just so hard to walk away.
It's a love story. It's a love triangle. It's a tale of infidelity that opens on a heartbreaking note, and ends on a more heartbreaking one. Everything else in between is just putting together the missing pieces of the puzzle. But more than that, it asks you the question: If you were in Claire's shoes, would you or would you not want to know whether your husband was cheating on you?
The story is told in three voices. I found it a little confusing, because I had to stop and check dozens of times if it was Claire, Tish, or Jeff talking. They all kind of sounded the same. I loved the conflict in the story, though. I loved how affected I felt each time Tish and Jeff would send those emails to one another. It's weird, because it felt personal, like they were cheating on me, too. Maybe because I'm a wife, too. So I guess that's a good thing. Good books should make you feel all kinds of feelings, and with this book, you will feel a lot.
Jeff was a great dad. He was a wonderful husband. He was kind and loving, and he never stopped pursuing her until she fell madly in love with him. Claire couldn't have picked a better guy. Maybe it was loneliness, or weakness, or sheer stupidity. Maybe it was old familiarity. Tim was Jeff's older brother, and Claire's ex-boyfriend whom she had loved very much. But that was a long time ago, and that kiss meant nothing. Nothing at all. Too bad Jeff had to see it.
Jeff was a great friend. He and Tish were office colleagues who shared a love for golf. They talked about their families all the time, and about how proud they were of their kids. Their funny and flirtatious IMs to each other made their 9 to 5 bearable, and so much more. It was only a matter of time before a line was crossed. Their chemistry was electric. Their connection was indescribable. They both knew this could only end badly, like they always do. But not now. Not yet.
Jeff loved his wife more than anything in the world. But he's not a perfect husband nor she a perfect wife. In a marriage, there will always be that difficult year. So maybe that's it. But he knew it's different with Tish. They hadn't seen each other coming, but now that they've found each other, it's just so hard to walk away.
It's a love story. It's a love triangle. It's a tale of infidelity that opens on a heartbreaking note, and ends on a more heartbreaking one. Everything else in between is just putting together the missing pieces of the puzzle. But more than that, it asks you the question: If you were in Claire's shoes, would you or would you not want to know whether your husband was cheating on you?
The story is told in three voices. I found it a little confusing, because I had to stop and check dozens of times if it was Claire, Tish, or Jeff talking. They all kind of sounded the same. I loved the conflict in the story, though. I loved how affected I felt each time Tish and Jeff would send those emails to one another. It's weird, because it felt personal, like they were cheating on me, too. Maybe because I'm a wife, too. So I guess that's a good thing. Good books should make you feel all kinds of feelings, and with this book, you will feel a lot.
samieyyy's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
gracefullypunk's review against another edition
2.0
I think "Smoke" must've been what made me keep pursuing McKenzie's books (that and the fact that they're free on Kindle Unlimited) because the rest have been far short of spectacular. They keep me reading, but I never seem to like the characters.
larry_yonce's review against another edition
3.0
"He caught me at the right moment.
That much was clear. But what I still wasn't sure of a year later was what made the moment right in the first place?"
Well me either, lady. Infidelity drama told from three perspectives: Claire, Jeff, and Tish. Well enough written but I didn't come away feeling that any of the characters were real people...everybody was kinda flat and borderline cliche. Includes golf and spoken word poetry competitions, if that interests you.
That much was clear. But what I still wasn't sure of a year later was what made the moment right in the first place?"
Well me either, lady. Infidelity drama told from three perspectives: Claire, Jeff, and Tish. Well enough written but I didn't come away feeling that any of the characters were real people...everybody was kinda flat and borderline cliche. Includes golf and spoken word poetry competitions, if that interests you.
nancy_ahyee's review against another edition
4.0
See my full review of this title on my blog: Books Under the Blanket (with a flashlight): https://booksundertheblanket.com/eight-years-six-days-on-my-tbr-list/
mcearl12's review against another edition
1.0
This was a zero. Audible narration was annoying, grating. Story itself was boring and predictable. Treacle.
licurl64's review against another edition
4.0
I couldn't put this book down, though I agree with other reviews that it was occasionally difficult to separate one narrator from another because the voices were similar.
While there's not much here by way of action, it is an interesting look at the relationships we have with those we love.
The only part of the book I didn't like was the ending, but that was because at that point I didn't care. I thought the store would have been better off without the epilogue and the maybe/maybe not that had existed throughout the story.
Favorite Quote:
"Hearts don't come with an owner's manual. Someone should do something about that."
While there's not much here by way of action, it is an interesting look at the relationships we have with those we love.
The only part of the book I didn't like was the ending, but that was because at that point I didn't care. I thought the store would have been better off without the epilogue and the maybe/maybe not that had existed throughout the story.
Favorite Quote:
"Hearts don't come with an owner's manual. Someone should do something about that."
rmarcin's review against another edition
4.0
Jeff Manning works in the accounting department at Johnson Company. Tish is in the HR department. They develop an attachment to each other. When Jeff is killed in a car accident, Tish is devastated. But Tish is not his wife, Claire is, and Claire is starting to suspect that there was more than friendship between Tish and Jeff.
This is an emotionally taxing story of grief and love, secrets and family. Heartbreaking. The ending is one that I will remember for a while.
This is an emotionally taxing story of grief and love, secrets and family. Heartbreaking. The ending is one that I will remember for a while.