Publisher: Umhlanga Books

Publication Date: August 12, 2019

Length: 313 pages

I received this book from Voracious Readers to review.

Leah Brand has been married twice. Her first marriage ended in an accident that killed her husband and two children. Leah survived but lost part of one leg. Starting over was difficult. Employers were hesitant to hire someone with a prosthetic. She hoped that she had a second chance at happiness and family when she fell in love with the charming Mason. He swept her off her feet and soon they married. Mason’s daughter, Belinda, was a teenager and wasn’t afraid to show her displeasure at having Leah in the house. Gradually Leah’s loving relationship with Mason deteriorates to the point that Leah feels emotionally battered. Belinda and Mason treated Leah horribly, saying hurtful, belittling remarks. Leah accepted the disrespectful treatment and began to believe she really wasn’t an intelligent and capable woman. Mason began questioning her mental stability. Little things began changing in the house, and Leah is positive she didn’t make the changes. Why would she rearrange her clothing drawer and forget? Or did she? As weird occurrences escalated, Leah questioned her sanity. Was she losing her mind? What would Mason do if she became a burden?

Family dynamics are delicate. When Leah suffered a life-altering loss, it is unclear whether she had grieved properly. To bounce back from such trauma would take time. Mason moves so quickly from courtship to marriage. Leah is swept along by circumstances. She vacillates between wanting to improve her life and making it through another day and this behavior is frustrating. Clarke portrays Belinda as the typical self-absorbed teen resenting change. We have to believe Leah’s memories of a charming Mason since all we see is Mason being demanding. The character that is the most puzzling is Leah’s best friend, Andrea. No background on Andrea makes her a constant concern and mystery. Is she really the best friend she claims to be?

I enjoyed the author’s manner of telling Leah’s story month-to-month. This style enables readers to see the escalation of events in Leah’s life. Being a psychological thriller, of course, there are twists and turns. Will you expect them? Yes and no. As the pieces begin to be put together, some revelations are quite shocking. Will Leah survive? As the book draws to a close, we are in for one last surprise. The twists and turns of the ending leave us thinking that not all threads in this story are perfectly tied.

My Rating: 🌻🌻🌻🌻/5