daniellemerjano's review against another edition
3.0
This book was just "meh". It had been sitting on my shelves forever and I decided to pick it up. I was able to predict almost the whole book and it's frustrating because they still didn't finish all the plot lines at the end.
sarasbooklife's review against another edition
1.0
1.5 . Blech. Super predictable, super annoying main character and writing style to me. I almost DNF this one two times and wish I would have. Alllll the annoying cliches had me rolling my eyes (love beyond measure within days, a person lying but you can tell by their eyes they are a good person...etc). I repeat, blech!
bookfairy99's review against another edition
5.0
This book hooked me from page one. The heroine tells her story in an engaging, conversational style. The writing is superb, filled with wonderful metaphors and striking imagery. A gruff, mysterious hero adds a perfect romantic subplot to this thriller. I was a little dissapointed that a couple of loose ends were allowed to slip, and that a deus ex machina twist at the ending got the heroine out of trouble, but even these two elements couldn't detract from my utter enjoyment of this novel. I'll definitely look for more books by Lisa Unger. (A+)
mistylyn's review against another edition
3.0
Until ten minutes ago, this was the best of 2021 thus far. Until ten minutes ago, I was hoping that this was one in a series so that I could inhale the next. Until ten minutes ago, I was mentally drafting and revising my letter to author Lisa Unger’s publicist asking to be officially named as a recognized “super fan”. And then.....oh, and then. ::sigh:: And then I read the final pages...and I’m pretty hacked off.
Now here come the spoilers folks. The first 99% of the book is brilliant. Seriously. Well-written, well-drawn characters, well-developed plot. So things are going along swimmingly. As a reader, you get that little tingle—you know, the one that is strangely sad, knowing the end is right around the corner; but, also exhilarating, to be finally getting some answers after the investment you’ve made in the story. Suddenly, and without warning, the narrator—our beautifully smart and just as beautifully flawed protagonist—is using the “let’s wind this thing down” time to utter phrases that amount to “we may never know”, and “that remains unanswered”. Oh sure, she is using far more engaging vocabulary, and her style is still there, but she is basically telling us, us invested readers, that she has just plum run outta time, sugar! Every damn question that had urged me forward and propelled me through the pages sat quidam, orphaned and alone, of absolutely no consequence EXCEPT TO ME. You just can’t suck me in, then, as I get close to the finish line, say “oh man, I can’t believe I told you so much....and now, well just LOOK at the time! I GUESS YOU WILL JUST HAVE TO BUY MY NEXT BOOK!”
So Ms. Ungar, when you can tell me who killed Teresa; when you can tell me how Max ended up with the baby; when you can set me straight on how, exactly Jake ended up back in the system—when you can begin to address these burning questions, only then can I possibly consider “super fan” status. Really, now. This was just.....soul-sucking.
Now here come the spoilers folks. The first 99% of the book is brilliant. Seriously. Well-written, well-drawn characters, well-developed plot. So things are going along swimmingly. As a reader, you get that little tingle—you know, the one that is strangely sad, knowing the end is right around the corner; but, also exhilarating, to be finally getting some answers after the investment you’ve made in the story. Suddenly, and without warning, the narrator—our beautifully smart and just as beautifully flawed protagonist—is using the “let’s wind this thing down” time to utter phrases that amount to “we may never know”, and “that remains unanswered”. Oh sure, she is using far more engaging vocabulary, and her style is still there, but she is basically telling us, us invested readers, that she has just plum run outta time, sugar! Every damn question that had urged me forward and propelled me through the pages sat quidam, orphaned and alone, of absolutely no consequence EXCEPT TO ME. You just can’t suck me in, then, as I get close to the finish line, say “oh man, I can’t believe I told you so much....and now, well just LOOK at the time! I GUESS YOU WILL JUST HAVE TO BUY MY NEXT BOOK!”
So Ms. Ungar, when you can tell me who killed Teresa; when you can tell me how Max ended up with the baby; when you can set me straight on how, exactly Jake ended up back in the system—when you can begin to address these burning questions, only then can I possibly consider “super fan” status. Really, now. This was just.....soul-sucking.
jprisk724's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. I liked a lot of it, and was really interested in seeing the end and having all the pieces come together. But I didn’t finish it loving it, and sometimes I didn’t like how the character was often talking to the reader. A decent mystery story.
markw's review against another edition
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Disappointing. Too many plot holes and/or unbelievable motivations/emotions for me to be able to enjoy this.
It's pretty badly written, too, e.g. "my love and hate were like a trainwreck that threatened to crash into me" (I paraphrase) – how the heck does a a trainwreck crash into anything else?!?
It's pretty badly written, too, e.g. "my love and hate were like a trainwreck that threatened to crash into me" (I paraphrase) – how the heck does a a trainwreck crash into anything else?!?
alleybam's review against another edition
4.0
It's interesting that the author chose to start the book off with a chapter in the past and future versus just one or the other. It was different. I'll give her that, but I believe she would've been better off leaving out the excerpt from the future. I'm sure the intent was to keep the audience guessing as to who "she thought she loved" that turned on her, but to me, that gave away Zach right away. The moment she met Jake, her thoughts and feelings let you know that there was no way he was the shooter.
Moving forward, I appreciate the thoughtful reflections and the concept of how small decisions can alter our lives. That being said, I did not appreciate it being repeated over and over throughout the book. First chapter, great. Final chapter as a follow up, perfect. It was so repetitive, I was having a hard time not skimming those paragraphs.
Now, on to the main character, whose life has been turned upside down after performing a good deed. Ridley. I didn't mind her as a character, but I could not stand the perspective of the book. I'm fine that Ridley is telling the story, but I do not appreciate being told what I think. There was a constant "You're probably thinking..." At one point I thought "Do you want me to think she is acting like a child? I didn't initially, but the story just told me that I'm probably thinking she is. Are you trying to justify the fact that you are making her sound childish? What is really going on here?"
That being said, I really enjoyed the plot line, concept, and characters. I just wish the story had been told better.
Moving forward, I appreciate the thoughtful reflections and the concept of how small decisions can alter our lives. That being said, I did not appreciate it being repeated over and over throughout the book. First chapter, great. Final chapter as a follow up, perfect. It was so repetitive, I was having a hard time not skimming those paragraphs.
Now, on to the main character, whose life has been turned upside down after performing a good deed. Ridley. I didn't mind her as a character, but I could not stand the perspective of the book. I'm fine that Ridley is telling the story, but I do not appreciate being told what I think. There was a constant "You're probably thinking..." At one point I thought "Do you want me to think she is acting like a child? I didn't initially, but the story just told me that I'm probably thinking she is. Are you trying to justify the fact that you are making her sound childish? What is really going on here?"
That being said, I really enjoyed the plot line, concept, and characters. I just wish the story had been told better.
fuzzywuzzy's review against another edition
4.0
I would have to give this book a solid 4 stars. I liked it end it had a very strong clot and as usual Lisa unger rates almost flawlessly. I do think this will drag a bit more than the last when I read by her however for some reason with the ways that she writes it’s bearable. I had to take off stars for two reasons. One reason was at one point maybe in about 75% it seem like the book was over but clearly it wasn’t because there was still 25% more left in this book to read. This is where really good editing should have come in and it should have been wrapped up better because the next 25% sort of dragged. Everything seemed excessive almost after the 75% mark. The second reason is that I really do not like open ended endings. This is where you stop reading if you are worried about a spoiler. It kills me when I have to figure out how things ended up on my own. I’d much rather the author tell me and I can either love it or hate it. I don’t like the fact that Ridley has no idea what happened to her mother or at least who is responsible. In conclusion even with misgivings about this book I will always read a Lisa Unger book just because the first one I read by her was so good that I had to wait a second by her immediately after the last. So that being said I would definitely recommend this book because it was still a very good book.