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Sandi W.
a problem where ever he goes...
There is a saying that a frustrated woman will often use when it comes to understanding a man ~ 'He will be the death of me" ! Nothing better can explain this book.
We find Fi and Bram unhappily married with two sons, two careers and a wonderful expensive old home in the best of neighborhoods in London. From the outside they seem to be a stable, fairly-happy married couple with equivalent friends involved in community and school functions. But underneath there are a lot of lies and infidelities that take a toll on their marriage. They soon split up, and devise a cohabiting existence for the health and welfare of
…more their sons.
It appears that Bram is the deceitful partner. Basically just a bad seed. Bram causes problems where ever he goes. He has been involved in a number of problems that are coming back to bite him, most of which Fi knows nothing about. One of his indiscretions leads to a major accident, that is witnessed by a man even more despicable than Bram himself.
Bram feels there is only one way out of this dilemma, but before he takes that action, he must set some things right. How does his big finale, his big sacrifice for Fi and his boys turn out?
As I said, Bram causes problems where ever he goes... (less)The house in question belongs to a family in London -- 2 children and two employed parents. The father is a major screw-up and the mother is competent but thoroughly naive. After yet-again an indiscretion on dad's part, the parents part ways but the kids stay in the house. The parents take turns parenting them in the house so that the kids have that continuity. The crunchy granola idea of course doesn't work, and the mom arrives at the house after a weekend away to find complete strangers moving in...because they have bought the house. It only escalates and trouble piles on. The mystery of what happened is
…more revealed through the rest of the book. Just as things seems to settle down, the end throws a wallop. It's a good, compelling read. Hard to put down but you do want to slap those parents. (less)I haven't been this knocked out by an ending since Sharon Bolton's "LITTLE BLACK LIES". (I'm still not over that one,)
This book explores normal, trivial domestic life. But, is any of domestic life what it seems? Jump into this book if you aren't afraid of exploring our seemingly normal lives.
Terri C. (Litchfield, NH)
Good read for this summer
A story that one hopes will never happen to them but keeps the reader engaged with the transitioning narratives from the wife's perspective then the husbands. At times I felt myself predicting the events but still enjoyed the book.
Tiffany V. (Colora, MD)
The Twisty-Turny Summer Suspense You've Been Waiting For
When divorce is eminent and the best interests of the children are paramount, the bird's nest custody agreement seems to be a solid decision. Everything is going exceptionally smoothly…until you arrive at your home to see another family moving in, all your worldly possessions missing, and your estranged husband and your children are nowhere to be found. Such is the start of the exceptional tale of Fiona Lawson and her soon-to-be ex, Bram. I thoroughly enjoyed the innovative layout of this novel, as Fi's portion is told as a podcast and Bram's is told as a Word document. There were moments while reading this that
…more I audibly exclaimed "No way!" The twists and turns were wholly unexpected and moved the story along thoroughly yet swiftly to a satisfying conclusion. I give this book four and a half stars for an inventive storyline unlike anything else I've read recently and realistic characters (some of which you'll love, some you will hate, and some will have your feelings turning on a dime!). This would also make a fantastic movie, in my opinion. A huge thank you to BookBrowse, Lousie Candlish, and Berkley Publishing for providing me with a paperback copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. (less)This novel is an ongoing web of tangled webs that cross eventually in the end. I enjoyed the format, very readable as told through Foona's podcast and Bram's Word document. It did seem to drag a bit in the mid section but picked up pace again at the end. I longed for a prologue to learn if the outcome was as expected or if additional twists could be expected. This would make an excellent book club choice, lots of discussion points to be made and characters to sympathize with or not.
Amy H. (Iowa City, IA)
An intriguing crime? Or a Misunderstanding?
Fi, upon arriving home, finds another family moving into her house. The mystery must unravel from there. Is there a mistake or has her house been stolen out from under her? Very intriguing plot with a few twists and turns throughout. I enjoyed how it unfolded between Fi and Bram's statements and current day narrative.
Barbara B. (Holbrook, NY)
Our House
I enjoyed this book but I did find the texts annoying. This was written by Fi in a crime blog and her husband Bram wrote it in a document style. It did take me awhile to get used to this format but after really getting involved in this mystery I didn’t notice it anymore. The texts were critiques of Fi’s blog. This story had a lot of ups and downs that kept my curiosity going and I really did want to know how their situation got to the point it did. I would recommend this as a good quick summer read and I did enjoy it.
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