astifel21's review against another edition
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
Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis and Mental illness
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Self harm, Infertility, Miscarriage, and Suicide attempt
linzozil's review against another edition
Couldn’t get into the story, narration was tedious
kelly_e's review against another edition
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."
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."
Graphic: Mental illness and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Terminal illness, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, Cancer, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Infertility, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Infidelity, Cursing, Sexual content, Stalking, Alcoholism, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Abandonment, Addiction, Gaslighting, and Abortion
bookishkash's review against another edition
3.0
Love Walsh’s writing style and loved the first part, it was intriguing. But I didn’t love the direction it ended up going in. Not what I was expecting and not something I usually enjoy reading about.
hscott095's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
jtturpin's review against another edition
2.0
Sigh. This book. It could have been good but it just tried to do way too much. It was so contrived. And slow. And sooooo long. I love a twisty book but when I'm rolling my eyes because the author is making the story bend more than a yoga class it is just trying too hard. I just wanted it to be over. And in the end, it was all so obvious and not shocking at all.
fromsarahsbooknook's review against another edition
3.0
You guys, I thought this was gonna be a domestic suspense thriller, but instead it was more of a domestic rip-your-heart-out-and-make-you-cry kind of mystery.
So, not quite what I was looking for, but well done and with some unexpected twists.
So, not quite what I was looking for, but well done and with some unexpected twists.
jesstckr's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.5
donnaloubishop's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
hannah_stocker's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0