A review by nm_young
The Family Trap by Lorna Dounaeva

3.0

⭐️⭐️⭐️
3 Stars= It was an enjoyable read

TRIGGERS: ANIMAL(PET) DEATH, CHILD ABUSE, CHILD NEGLECT, MURDER

POV: Dual, Third Person
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Part of a series: No
Safe or Dark: Dark (see trigger warnings above)

I can't remember if I snagged this book for free on Amazon or not, but that's not important. This book was enjoyable enough. While I didn't love it, I also didn't hate it. I just felt...meh about it. 

The things I didn't like

*The main character's name is Prudence. Every single time I read it, it made me cringe. I apologize if your name is Prudence. (I don't mean to personally insult anyone.).
* As soon as Pru's son's girlfriend meets her in the first chapter, she instantly tells her she is pregnant. "Hi, I'm Zoe. So nice to meet you. By the way, I'm pregnant with your son's kid." That isn't exactly how it went down, but it should have.
* Pru wonders on and off if the baby is, in fact, Nathan's, but starts buying clothes and other baby items right away.
* Friends who have known Pru practically her whole life, taking Zoe's side without even knowing her. Pru goes to her bestie with her suspicions of Zoe, and she is more or less like, "Oh, you are being too hard on her." No, you are her best friend. Supposed to be her ride or die.
* Many times throughout the book, Pru comes off as knowing it all. It got old pretty fast.
*Pru meets these different people for the first time, and they all almost instantly start divulging information about their personal lives to her. Pretty heavy stuff. Like, hello, you don't know this woman from Mary.
*

Spoiler

Zoe got her mom drunk on Cognac laced with painkillers and got her into the car to go to the store. She made sure the car was turned on and her mom would pass out. She made sure the doors were closed so her mom would die from carbon monoxide poisoning. It easily could have been seen as an accidental death. A drunk woman passed out behind the wheel in the garage and perished from the fumes. So why was Zoe arrested for murder? Why not play it off? It was never explained.

The things I liked

*The pace of the story was good. It held my attention from start to finish.
*It was entertaining. Even though it wasn't the best story, it was fun.
* The twist was twisting. Some people might find it predictable, but I didn't see it coming from a mile away.

If you are looking for a light, quick read, I suggest this book. It is a great pallet cleanser.