Happy summer solstice! There’s luck and magic in the air.
As well as being the longest day, today is also the hottest here in the UK so far. As I’m sure you know, the best way of spending a hot day is sitting on the sofa, fan on full blast, and reading a book, and that’s what I have been doing.
Today, not only have I read a book from start to finish, I have also been blogging up a storm – scheduling posts months in advance, and this is my second book review of the day. Enjoy!
Book Synopsis
THEN
She was fifteen, her mother’s golden girl. She had her whole life ahead of her. And then, in the blink of an eye, Ellie was gone.
NOW
It’s been 10 years since Ellie disappeared, but Laurel has never given up hope of finding her daughter.
And then, one day, a charming and charismatic stranger named Floyd walks into a café and sweeps Laurel off her feet.
Before too long, she’ll be staying the night at this house and being introduced to his nine-year-old daughter.
Poppy is precocious and pretty, and meeting her completely takes Laurel’s breath away.
Because Poppy is the spitting image of Ellie when she was that age. And now all those unanswered questions that have haunted Laurel come flooding back.
What happened to Ellie? Where did she go?
Who still has secrets to hide?
~ Synopsis from GoodReads
My review
When I read a thriller, I usually go in for the suspense—that nail-biting sensation of whodunnit. This book, though, has none of that. Yes, there are some thriller moments and unpredictable twists, but generally, I felt that I was one or two steps ahead of most of the characters, and by 70% of the book, I pretty much knew exactly what had happened.
Still, I ended up loving this book for the sheer emotional punch that it packed. It’s more about Laurel’s grief over her missing child and how it impacts all her other relationships. It was terribly sad to see her being so isolated, and then having her hopes go up, and then dash down, and then the bittersweet ending in the end.
I felt she was one character who really deserved a lot more than she got 😭. I so badly wanted her to get a happy ever after ending, finding love and closure. To be fair, she does get love and closure by the end of the book, although it may not have been the way she would have liked.
This is my second Lisa Jewell book—the first one was The Family Upstairs, which I also loved. Based on this track record, I am adding more of her books to my TBR.
Any suggestions on which Lisa Jewell book I should read next?
