Ratings12
Average rating3.6
"Paul Strom has the perfect life: a glittering career as an advertising executive, a beautiful wife, two healthy boys, and a big house in a wealthy suburb. And he's the perfect husband: breadwinner, protector, provider. That's why he's planned a romantic weekend for his wife, Mia, at their lake house, just the two of them. It will be the best day ever. But as Paul and Mia drive out of the city and into the countryside, a spike of tension begins to wedge itself between them. How perfect is any marriage, really? How much do they trust each other? Is Paul the person he seems to be? And what are his secret plans for the cottage weekend? Forcing us to ask ourselves just how well we know those who are closest to us, this story crackles with dark energy spinning ever tighter towards its shocking conclusion"--Publisher.
Featured Series
3 primary booksFamily Secrets (Kaira Rouda) is a 3-book series with 3 primary works first released in 2017 with contributions by Kaira Rouda.
Reviews with the most likes.
Predictable with obnoxious characters. I kept waiting for some sort of interesting twist and there never was one. Not worth the time.
As Paul and Mia are driving out of town toward their lake house, having left their boys behind with their sitter, there's obvious tension between them. Paul notices but is determined that they will have the best day ever, no matter what.
This story takes place over the course of a little more than 24 hours and should be gone into with as little background information as possible. It has a slow start but Rouda begins to drop hints almost from the start. This is surely intentional because, as a reader, you can't help but realize that something isn't right almost from the get-go. The tension continues to build slowly but steadily until the end, leaving you on edge as you wait to see what will happen next. The story is told from Paul's perspective and will give Joe Goldberg (from YOU by Caroline Kepnes) a run for his money as the worst guy around. Despite being a bit predictable and playing with a very familiar theme in the suspense thriller genre, Rouda's expert build-up of tension pulls you in and doesn't let go. This is a book that must be read in one sitting. (4.5 stars)
(Thank you to Graydon House and Harlequin for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
This book pulled off something very unique for me...it was suspenseful and humorous at the same time. The main character is very self-absorbed. The extent of this and details of his life are slowly revealed as the story progresses. The tension continues to ramp up as we discover more about this character and his life. I listened to the audiobook version and it was well done and an enjoyable ride.