WATCH THEM FALL by Marion Todd

4*. Decent introduction to this author, though the Clare-Al relationship isn't believable.

I'm new to this author, and if the book's one in a series, that wasn't obvious and I wasn't lost. 

Clare could've had her cop-other-half's job when Al took a job that'd keep him away from home 4 nights a week. Promotion for them both, but she preferred to keep her hand in, rather than go for management. So, she's overworking, has only their dog Benji for company, and there's not even a text or WhatsApp convo with Al for several chapters, making me wonder if he's dead and she's living in a world of her making. But nope, he's real and when he's home, they don't really have any time together as she's always working or being called out. Even Benji has a surrogate family who're actually his sitters. 

The tale itself is decent but the personal relationships are too clunky, too obvious, too 'tries to create intrigue but doesn't quite get it right'. It's a tale of greed and threats, of big fish in small ponds and of the female who's ended up in the role that Clare didn't want being a climber, at the cost of not properly doing the job she's being paid for. There's an explosion from Clare right at the very end, that's incredibly apt and satisfying, hopefully resulting in the departure of said female. I hope she gets sued for professional negligence. 

Will Clare end up in her role in the next book? Will Chris be able to pick up his shattered pieces and start living again? I'd kind of like to know but at the same time I wasn't fully vested in the characters as they weren't really believable. They lacked depth and the tale lacked simple meaningful conversations between couples. 

ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Canelo for my reading pleasure. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ALWAYS YOU AND ME by Dani Atkins

5* Even though I don't believe in HEAs anymore, this book had me crying because of THAT ending. I'm going to try and review without spoilering, but ugh, I started the book almost in tears and ended it in actual tears, and with hope that sometimes love does last.  This book is so much more than a second chance at love. It's about loving, and being loved by, flawed characters whose lives with each other had their time, and when that time was gone, the love continued. Like Finn and Matt by Charlie Winters, this is a book I loved but won't ever read again. A part of me can't believe the author went there with the ending, but another part of me, the romantic-but-hurt part, wants to believe in the power of everlasting love.  ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my reading pleasure. 
Read more

HER BEAUTIFUL LIFE by Brianna Labuskes

4* What a read. Started off with something mundane, turned into something totally shocking. I wasn't sure I'd like this tale of a former roomie/bestie going to interview a trad wife, some 10/11 years after their lives diverged, following a fallout, for a celebrity piece. I was a bit surprised at the lack of awkwardness and tension between the former friends, and didn't expect the tension from the actual eventual source. I absolutely didn't expect the plot, which was really, really well done, if you can cope with the plotting, the (occasionally) flawed rationale, the not-really-likable journalist/writer, Holland, and the iceberg-type trad wife, Cat/Catriona. Add in various very, very good red herrings (staff, scared kids, a creepy teen, a domineering husband, a mysterious death - still not clarified at the end, cops that don't have big-city cop instincts or mistrust, mental health, a possible psychopath), and you have a very, very well-done, well- dovetailed tale tha...
Read more

THE FIX by Mia Sheridan

4* Wasn't prepared for that opener, but a good tale, especially as an intro to this author. The opener to this tale is brutal but leads to an ultimately happier event 11 years down the line. I wasn't expecting what I read, so it was a bit of a shocker, although it was great to see both Cami's mental strength and her physicality saving her. I think the author did well to skip the years in between, not dwelling on the pain, trauma and loss.  The tale does need a bit of a dose of suspension of disbelief that in only 2 days, Cami and Rex saved the day, but then again his past, expertise and contacts made things believable.  The ending is a big of a POW! The kind of thing that can only happen in America with their ridiculous gun laws. But, the victim deserved it. And, if only there were more hot mics IRL in 2025 USA, and if only people were prepared to find their big girl and big boy pants and speak up. Sorry, I digress, but there's just so much that's wrong with that co...
Read more