lexilou2015's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. I like how it went back an forth between the Now and Then it really gave you an idea of what their lives were before each other as well as leading up to getting married. I thought it was a great read. I also like how the author is so in depth with detail, I can’t tell you how many times I could picture being right there exactly in the spot that she wrote about. It was great. I recommend reading this book!
ellingtonfeint's review
4.0
Mrs Douglas stole the show!
This book felt slow in a good way for the 1st part of the book and then wrapped up very quickly
This book felt slow in a good way for the 1st part of the book and then wrapped up very quickly
tee_victoria's review
4.0
The Semi-Attached Couple first caught my eye because of the interesting title. I cannot say that the story itself was equally as interesting, but it certainly had its moments. Eden demonstrates that enduring difficulty often brings people together, causing previous disagreements to appear as trifles. Whilst the romantic ending may be considered farcical by some, I found it very sweet - and the perfect end to a tale that began with some difficulty. The initial bullying that Helen endured was disturbing to read, and I could not understand why Teviot was so wicked. If not for the comic relief afforded by Mrs Douglas - who judged everyone and everything in her path - the story would have been very depressing indeed.
At times, it did feel like Eden was rambling and the plot barely progressing. Had The Semi-Attached Couple been more succinctly told, it would undoubtedly be one of my favourites. That being said, it was witty and filled with clever observations of human nature. Some of my favourite lines include:
“Nothing is too bad to be true, Mr. Douglas, and nothing is true that is not bad”
“No woman, be she ever so hardened or hackneyed in the ways of the world, can ever achieve an indifferent pronunciation, if the term may be allowed, of the name of the individual most interesting to her”
At times, it did feel like Eden was rambling and the plot barely progressing. Had The Semi-Attached Couple been more succinctly told, it would undoubtedly be one of my favourites. That being said, it was witty and filled with clever observations of human nature. Some of my favourite lines include:
“Nothing is too bad to be true, Mr. Douglas, and nothing is true that is not bad”
“No woman, be she ever so hardened or hackneyed in the ways of the world, can ever achieve an indifferent pronunciation, if the term may be allowed, of the name of the individual most interesting to her”
angiegreads's review against another edition
3.0
I would like to thank NetGalley for the free copy of this book.
This book took me a minute to get into because I thought the different character changes confusing at first. But as I began to pay closer attention, I realized how everything connected, and I was able to enjoy this title.
The book alternates with "then" and "now" instead of chapters. It is the story of Rob and Ellie, their relationship then and now, and the pasts of both characters. It is also the story of Detective Lucien Broussard, his relationship with his family, and his dedication to solving the abductions of three missing boys, and a high profile murder case that his captain wants his full attention on the murder of an American tourist, which is bad for business. There is a lot going on in this story, and I enjoyed the way everything connected in the end. All in all, it was an enjoyable book, and I'm glad I didn't give up on reading it.
This book took me a minute to get into because I thought the different character changes confusing at first. But as I began to pay closer attention, I realized how everything connected, and I was able to enjoy this title.
The book alternates with "then" and "now" instead of chapters. It is the story of Rob and Ellie, their relationship then and now, and the pasts of both characters. It is also the story of Detective Lucien Broussard, his relationship with his family, and his dedication to solving the abductions of three missing boys, and a high profile murder case that his captain wants his full attention on the murder of an American tourist, which is bad for business. There is a lot going on in this story, and I enjoyed the way everything connected in the end. All in all, it was an enjoyable book, and I'm glad I didn't give up on reading it.
melissadelongcox's review against another edition
4.0
* Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! *
This line, y'all: How can you find out that the person you love is a killer…and continue to love him anyway? This line is what made me decide I NEEDED to read this book, and I was so right. The story is one that jumps right in, there's no build to the action and I loved that. I was intrigued from the first moment and read this in just a couple sittings because I needed to know what happened.
The only thing I would change about the book is the tense it's written in - while not uncommon, it distracted me and made it tough sometimes to not think "shouldn't it be phrased like...", which obviously pulls you out of the flow of the story! Otherwise, I really enjoyed it. And the then/now style was great - I wanted to know their backstory but I also didn't want to step away from the present day action, so I found that style to really work. Like others have mentioned, they're short sections, but I liked getting to see things from the his and her perspective.
3.5 stars
This line, y'all: How can you find out that the person you love is a killer…and continue to love him anyway? This line is what made me decide I NEEDED to read this book, and I was so right. The story is one that jumps right in, there's no build to the action and I loved that. I was intrigued from the first moment and read this in just a couple sittings because I needed to know what happened.
The only thing I would change about the book is the tense it's written in - while not uncommon, it distracted me and made it tough sometimes to not think "shouldn't it be phrased like...", which obviously pulls you out of the flow of the story! Otherwise, I really enjoyed it. And the then/now style was great - I wanted to know their backstory but I also didn't want to step away from the present day action, so I found that style to really work. Like others have mentioned, they're short sections, but I liked getting to see things from the his and her perspective.
3.5 stars
vanessa_issa's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not usually into crime/thriller books, but this one caught my attention. First, because the cover is so innocent and sweet that it makes you wonder what happened to that girl. And second, because as soon as you start reading it, you realize it's nothing like you imagined it. She's not exactly a "good girl".
Ellie's in love with Rob, but she doesn't know about his past. For all she knew, he was just an amazing man who could make her happy. When she discovers more about the person he used to be before meeting her, she realizes he's a total stranger. There was no Rob Beauman. The man she had married was a fiction. He lied to her, because he also loved her. He didn't want to ruin the only good thing in his life. But then, she also has a past. And together they can really make a mess.
The story is a mixture of romance and terrible crimes. The writing style is really good and perfect for this kind of novel. It helps the reader to understand all the characters' thoughts and feelings - even the most disturbing ones. The author uses alternating chapters to explore what happened before and in the present.
I really liked it, but I wish there were less time jumps, especially at the end.
Favorite quote: "Love doesn’t make sense, does it? We fall in love with someone, and then as layers are revealed that don’t line up with our feelings, we’re in it already.”
*Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing an ARC*.
Ellie's in love with Rob, but she doesn't know about his past. For all she knew, he was just an amazing man who could make her happy. When she discovers more about the person he used to be before meeting her, she realizes he's a total stranger. There was no Rob Beauman. The man she had married was a fiction. He lied to her, because he also loved her. He didn't want to ruin the only good thing in his life. But then, she also has a past. And together they can really make a mess.
The story is a mixture of romance and terrible crimes. The writing style is really good and perfect for this kind of novel. It helps the reader to understand all the characters' thoughts and feelings - even the most disturbing ones. The author uses alternating chapters to explore what happened before and in the present.
I really liked it, but I wish there were less time jumps, especially at the end.
Favorite quote: "Love doesn’t make sense, does it? We fall in love with someone, and then as layers are revealed that don’t line up with our feelings, we’re in it already.”
*Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing an ARC*.
kle105's review against another edition
3.0
I think from the summary of the book I was expecting something more, and while this book was still enjoyable it was a little underwhelming. Ellie is a recent newlywed who finds out secrets about her husband the night of her wedding.
This book alternates between her and her husband before and after, alternating to tell just a little more of the story. Ellie comes into contact with murders and other characters along the way and has orders to commit crimes herself. Even with the side story of missing children it lacked a true mystery edge that I was hoping would eventually play out. Overall still enjoyable.
I received a free copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book alternates between her and her husband before and after, alternating to tell just a little more of the story. Ellie comes into contact with murders and other characters along the way and has orders to commit crimes herself. Even with the side story of missing children it lacked a true mystery edge that I was hoping would eventually play out. Overall still enjoyable.
I received a free copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
mmeggann's review against another edition
4.0
When I read the description for this book where it says something along the lines of, 'What do you do when you find out the person you love is a killer?' I knew I had to read it. Thankfully, although I don't know that I read any more of the description before deciding to pick it up, I was definitely not disappointed.
Ellie and Rob are a very happy newlywed couple, but they are both filled with secrets. As these secrets begin to reveal themselves, they're both faced with decisions to make. How much can you love someone who has gone out of their way to hide so much? If you both hide things from each other, is it then fair?
All in all I felt that this book was very well written. In alternating "then" and "now" chapters, the story jumps around to different points within their lives to paint a picture of who they are now and why their decisions are so crucial within each moment. I found it relatively easy to follow and I felt the pacing done in this manner made it an even harder book to put down.
What did I think?: I really liked reading this and thought it had a great mix of thriller and romance. Some parts were a bit graphic but never too much so in my opinion.
Who should read it?: If you enjoy thrillers, this is one of the better ones I've picked up in a while. I highly recommend it if you're looking for something fast paced and exciting.
Ellie and Rob are a very happy newlywed couple, but they are both filled with secrets. As these secrets begin to reveal themselves, they're both faced with decisions to make. How much can you love someone who has gone out of their way to hide so much? If you both hide things from each other, is it then fair?
All in all I felt that this book was very well written. In alternating "then" and "now" chapters, the story jumps around to different points within their lives to paint a picture of who they are now and why their decisions are so crucial within each moment. I found it relatively easy to follow and I felt the pacing done in this manner made it an even harder book to put down.
What did I think?: I really liked reading this and thought it had a great mix of thriller and romance. Some parts were a bit graphic but never too much so in my opinion.
Who should read it?: If you enjoy thrillers, this is one of the better ones I've picked up in a while. I highly recommend it if you're looking for something fast paced and exciting.
hlbovard7's review against another edition
3.0
Liked the way the book jumped back and forth in time but the ending left a lot to be desired.
kokoro's review
4.0
Me prometieron una comedia, o tengo la novela equivocada o el humor ingles de 1820’s no es como el mexicano del 2020’s.
Si, hay malentendidos entre la pareja lo cual hace cada uno cree el otro le odia. Aunado con la intervención malintencionada o no de parientes y amigos les complica la situación a los protagonistas.
Sin embargo, esos malentendidos son tan tontos bajo mi punto de vista moderno, y si hubiesen hablado entre ellos no habríamos tenido novela.
Debo decir que casi todos los personajes no son de mi total agrado pues la hipocresía, lenguas largas, personalidades vacías, dependencia hacia los hombres (algo aceptable para su época a pesar de entenderlo aun así me da el argh leer los diversos ejemplos que abundan en la novela), hacen acto de presencia. Solo me agradan Mary Forrester y Eliza Douglas.
Es fácil de leer, pero tardé un poco en engancharme a la historia para que después a la autora se le ocurriera escribir una contienda electoral que no entiendo la razón, pues en esa parte ya estaba entusiasmada con la, digamos, pelea en el matrimonio y pum cambia todo. De hecho, esa fue la razón principal por la cual es una estrella menos.
El como se reconciliaron fue, al menos para mí, meh, pues ya había visto algo igual en el manga de Petshop of horrors que a pesar de ser más reciente comparaba la novela con este.
Pero a pesar de los pocos personajes que me agrada, los capítulos dedicados a una elección y otras cosillas, fue entretenida de leer y ver un poco como era (novelizada) la Inglaterra de aquellos años.
La autora era fangirl de Jane Austen como así lo hace leer en boca de Eliza, ya lo sabía pero aun así fue curiosos leerlo XD.
En 1820's ya existía el "amiga, date cuenta!" XD creo eso solo quien sea de México sabrá de que hablo.
"Descubrir que ahora nos reconforta lo que en el pasado nos habría aterrorizado supone una dura prueba para medir nuestro grado de esperanza" Narrador.
Si, hay malentendidos entre la pareja lo cual hace cada uno cree el otro le odia. Aunado con la intervención malintencionada o no de parientes y amigos les complica la situación a los protagonistas.
Sin embargo, esos malentendidos son tan tontos bajo mi punto de vista moderno, y si hubiesen hablado entre ellos no habríamos tenido novela.
Debo decir que casi todos los personajes no son de mi total agrado pues la hipocresía, lenguas largas, personalidades vacías, dependencia hacia los hombres (algo aceptable para su época a pesar de entenderlo aun así me da el argh leer los diversos ejemplos que abundan en la novela), hacen acto de presencia. Solo me agradan Mary Forrester y Eliza Douglas.
Es fácil de leer, pero tardé un poco en engancharme a la historia para que después a la autora se le ocurriera escribir una contienda electoral que no entiendo la razón, pues en esa parte ya estaba entusiasmada con la, digamos, pelea en el matrimonio y pum cambia todo. De hecho, esa fue la razón principal por la cual es una estrella menos.
El como se reconciliaron fue, al menos para mí, meh, pues ya había visto algo igual en el manga de Petshop of horrors que a pesar de ser más reciente comparaba la novela con este.
Pero a pesar de los pocos personajes que me agrada, los capítulos dedicados a una elección y otras cosillas, fue entretenida de leer y ver un poco como era (novelizada) la Inglaterra de aquellos años.
La autora era fangirl de Jane Austen como así lo hace leer en boca de Eliza, ya lo sabía pero aun así fue curiosos leerlo XD.
En 1820's ya existía el "amiga, date cuenta!" XD creo eso solo quien sea de México sabrá de que hablo.
"Descubrir que ahora nos reconforta lo que en el pasado nos habría aterrorizado supone una dura prueba para medir nuestro grado de esperanza" Narrador.