BABY DOLL by Hollie Overton

    BABY DOLL by Hollie Overton

The novel Baby Doll by Hollie Overton is a mystery/thriller about a sixteen year-old girl who was kidnapped and held hostage for eight years. Every chapter alternates between the perspectives of four character’s: Lily, Rick, Eve, and Abby. Lily, the protagonist, finally escapes after being held in captivity for eight years with her six year old daughter Sky after their captor makes a mistake. Before the abduction, Lily was docile and delicate, but over time became a strong and unbreakable woman. Rick Hanson, a high school English educator and a self-proclaimed writer, is a manipulative and calculating psycho. He is married and an active pillar in the community, but lives a double life where he keeps the girl he abducted locked in the basement of his “writing” cabin with the child that was conceived from rape. Eve, the twins mother and hospital director, is numb and without purpose, merely existing in life. Abby, Lily’s older twin sister, is the bossy, domineering twin who was fearless and sassy, but after Lily’s abduction, became the weak and fragile one.

Not one of the most thrilling books I’ve ever read as there are no surprising plot twists typical of thrillers, but interesting enough to finish. If you enjoyed the book Room by Emma Donoghue, this novel has a similar storyline. The characters do lack some depth and can seem a bit contrived or superficial, but if you’re looking for a quick beach read, this will do. I rate it 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Redhook Books for providing a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review. https://moesbookblog.wordpress.com/

Reviewed: March 12, 2017. Novel Publish Date: July 12, 2016.

Link to purchase: Goodreads

IT’S ALWAYS THE HUSBAND by Michele Campbell

   IT’S ALWAYS THE HUSBAND by Michele Campbell

The premise of this novel It’s Always the Husband by Michele Campbell is about a tumultuous and longstanding relationship between three women Kate, a charismatic manipulative shrew, Aubrey, a needy, depreciated, spineless soul, and Jenny, a constant fixer and sycophant. These women have been friends since college, but somewhere along the way, their relationships takes a wrong turn. Fast forward twenty years, and typical selfish Kate does the unthinkable, betraying Aubrey’s trust after years of unfettered and unreciprocated loyalty. This novel is a combination of women’s fiction and a typical whodunit mystery well worth the read. I particularly enjoy reading books that flashback and forth from past to present seamlessly weaving the story for readers to piece together. I rate this novel 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review. https://moesbookblog.wordpress.com/

Reviewed: March 5, 2017. Novel Publish Date: May 16, 2017.

Link to purchase: Goodreads