Adultery isn’t normally a subject that would appeal to me. Of course, I had no idea that this book centered around infidelity when I picked it up, but nevertheless, after I realized it, I read it and enjoyed it immensely. Told from the view of a male who is in an unhealthy relationship…no wait, make that two unhealthy relationships, and is trapped in a complex web of lies and betrayal, this book was a surprisingly endearing read. I don’t really know what made me enjoy it so much, but the author sure has a knack for composing a good story about family, love, and the problems we can surreptitiously slip ourselves into.
I have a feeling we will be seeing more of Courtney Maum in the future. Her writing style is similar to that of Emily Giffin, but there is a little more substance to it; not as much fluff and air-headedness. This book takes a little more concentration to get through than Giffin’s do, but in a good way. I wanted to finish this book and find out how everything turned out in all of the character’s lives. Even though the narrator is a dishonest husband and lover, I had a hard time not feeling sorry for him throughout the book. He played such a likeable and meek character, one that should be pitied and have gracious forgiveness piled upon. Now, if he were my husband in real life, I am sure I would feel differently. But that is the magic of books, isn’t it? We get to try on someone else’s shoes for a day or two, at little cost to us.
Review of Advance Reader Copy
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 7 religious exclamations; 36 mild obscenities; 8 religious profanities; 5 scatological words; 7 anatomical terms; 48 F-Word derivatives.
Violence/Gore: None
Sex/Nudity: One explicit sex scene involving nudity and details pertaining to sex; adults kiss; a woman’s body is described in a clinical way; a character mentions having an affair; another character mentions having an affair; brief description of a man’s affair with another woman, mentioned multiple times; a man mourns his loss of intimacy with his wife.
Mature Subject Matter:
Adultery, lies.
Alcohol / Drug Use:
Adults drink; adults smoke; hypothetical mention of a person cooking heroin; mention of an adult smoking cocaine.
