The Stolen Marriage by Diane Chamberlain

St. Martin's Press | October 2017 | 384 pgs

Source: Library

This story is set in the 1940s between Hickory, North Carolina and Baltimore, Maryland where the people are affected by the WWII and many of their young men were sent to fight the war. With their life restraint with food and gas rations, they all try their very best to get by while hoping that the war would end quickly with victory. This is the backdrop of the story and at its heart of it is twenty-three-year-old Tess DeMello and her journey as one mistake has altered her life forever. 

Tess is living with her mother in a little Italian neighbourhood in Baltimore. The DeMellos and the Russo family have known each other for years and Tess is engaged with Vincent Russo and they are planning for their wedding once Vincent has his own pediatric practice and Tess has graduated from nursing school. Both of them have been hanging on to these dreams until Vincent is sent to Chicago to help with the infantile paralysis epidemic there. A couple of weeks he has promised has turned to months, and while Tess has been understanding all this while she couldn't help feeling a little insecure given this difficult time with minimal communication. When her best friend suggested a short trip to Washington as a break, she decided to give it a go after much thought but an evening of drinks has turned her life upside down. 

Pregnant and filled with guilt, Tess decided to end her engagement with Vincent. She fled to Hickory, North Carolina without telling anyone except her best friend and her mother, hoping that the baby's father would offer her some financial assistance. To her surprise, Henry Kraft offered her marriage and she agreed, after all what does she has to lose? But living in the small, rural town in Hickory isn't easy. Many of the Hickory residents treat Tess like an outsider despite they all admire and respect Henry. The Krafts own a family furniture factory and while Tess doesn't have to worry about her life financially, she feels unhappy and trapped in the marriage with Henry treating her like a stranger. Most of all, he is secretive and often stays out all night. Tess also finds some stacks of money hidden in their bedroom by chance and begins to question herself about the man she married. Henry seems like an honorable man but is it simply an act? And most of all, what is he hiding away from her? 

The Stolen Marriage isn't a psychological suspense or a crime thriller although there is an element of mystery interwoven in the story. The author has done a great job in her research and setting up the story and issues like interracial marriage, out of wedlock pregnancy as well as the polio epidemic are some of the difficulties faced during that time period and I could imagine what it was like living in the 1940s. The characters are well developed and fleshed out and I couldn't help but feeling emotionally invested while reading about Tess's journey. The ending surprised me but it was a good closure, though. All in all it was an addictive read and I'll be sure to check out the other books by this author.  

© 2017 Melody's Reading Corner (https://mel-reading-corner.blogspot.sg/), All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Watch Me Disappear by Janelle Brown

Random House Publishing Group | July 2017 | 368 pgs

Source: Library

At first glance, Watch Me Disappear may seem like a psychological suspense but at its core it is actually a story revolving family dynamic and how well you really know your loved ones.

Billie Flanagan had gone missing from a hiking expedition in the Desolation Wilderness a year ago and till present her body couldn't be found. Her husband, Jonathan and their sixteen-year-old daughter, Olive are still coping with the grief of losing her while awaiting for the court issuance of her death certificate, which has proved to be a long struggling wait considering that there is no solid proof and that her death remains a mystery. While Jonathan tries to cope with the loss and hoping for a closure that would allow them to move on with their life through the insurance settlement, Olive, on the other hand, starts having visions of her mother. Each of these visions seems to tell Olive that Billie might be alive and that Olive should try to find her. 

Meanwhile, Jonathan isn't so sure about Olive's visions and thinks his daughter is hallucinating with her grief and denial. Worrying over her emotional stability, he sent Olive to visit a therapist while he himself drinks as he works on a memoir about his marriage, which is part work as a writer to a publishing house and part in loving memory of Billie. And as he finds her laptop and stumbles upon an encrypted folder, his mind wanders in different directions the more he starts unearthing secrets from her past through his little diggings and investigations. Who was the woman he knew as Billie Flanagan? What happened to her on that fateful day when she went hiking alone in Desolation Wilderness? 

I've to admit it took me a little while to get engrossed in this story. It had a slow beginning and focus much on the mundane life and relationship within the Flanagan household. The reader also get to know a bit more of Olive, her relationship with her mother as well as bits of her school life. Olive is an angsty teenage girl who will go anywhere to find the truth about her mother's disappearance. Jonathan believes in his family but he hadn't been paying much attention towards Billie and Olive; he was too involved in his work and he didn't want to intrude upon their "girl bonding" moments until there was a time Olive slowly drifted away from that bond. 

As mentioned before, if you're expecting this to be a psychological suspense then you'll be disappointed because this is leaning more towards the issues of family dynamic, marriage and relationship and what you tell yourself about the people you love. That said, the story has a few twists and turns and like Jonathan and Olive, I was totally clueless and dying of curiosity over Billie's disappearance until the final page, which left me speechless as my mind finally settled on the last three paragraphs. This is a well written story which will prompt a discussion (because I sure want to discuss that ending with whoever had read the book!)

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End note: I googled Desolation Wilderness out of curiosity and was surprised to learn that it isn't fictional (OK, perhaps it's only me who didn't know this fact) and is located in El Dorado County, California. (More info here from Wikipedia)

© 2017 Melody's Reading Corner (https://mel-reading-corner.blogspot.sg/), All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

The Arrangement by Sarah Dunn

Little, Brown and Company | March 2017 | 368 pgs

Source: Library

It all started on one particularly wine-soaked dinner party. Lucy and Owen invited a couple over to their house for some chitchat and mingling and their conversation has somehow steered towards relationship and open marriage. Lucy, the ever practical and sensible woman she is, balked over the idea for she couldn't imagine a normal couple would agree with that kind of suggestion. Lucy and Owen have been living in Beekman for a while where it is a town filled with stay-at-home moms who would team up to cook the school lunches and the dads would make things like pickles and cheese and ground their own spices for dinner parties. They're simple just like that. 

Lucy and Owen have traded their cramped Manhattan apartment to Beekman partly for the laid-back atmosphere but also for the sake of their autistic son, Wyatt. Lucy and Owen may not be a perfect couple but they do try their best to make their life happy and stress-free, which is challenging due to Wyatt who requires attention most of the times. As much as Lucy is dumbstruck over the open marriage issue, there is a small part of her which is intrigued by it. After their friends left their dinner party, Lucy and Owen casually discuss about the matter once again and ultimately they've come to an agreement of trying it out for six months. They named this short marital experience as 'The Arrangement' with some ground rules; which is no snooping, no leaving and no falling in love. They think a break from monogamy now could give them a moment to refresh their marriage life and come back as a happier and a more loving partner. But what follows is a series of events which they've never anticipated, and towards the end they'll have to ask themselves if 'The Arrangement' benefits their relationship or is it simply "the grass is always greener on the other side"? 

At times entertaining and at times thought-provoking, The Arrangement was an addictive read about a couple's bizarre experience to revitalise their marriage and ended up learning a few lessons along the way. As much as I found the open marriage issue appalling, I think there are some parts like middle-aged and dealing with challenging children is both relatable and spot-on. While I don't agree with 'The Arrangement' plan, I held on to the story because it was entertaining (I've never read anything like this before), hilarious (the dialogues and some events could be funny at times) and most of all, I wanted to know what happened to Lucy and Owen and hoped that they'd walk out from that experience to be wiser and more understanding towards their other half. Aside from Lucy and Owen, there are also a few characters that made this story interesting with their own stories and yes, they're somewhat connected to Lucy and Owen in some ways. Overall it was an entertaining read though I can't fathom why Lucy and Owen would think 'The Arrangement' is a good idea initially. 

© 2017 Melody's Reading Corner (https://mel-reading-corner.blogspot.sg/), All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Penguin Publishing Group | September 2017 | 352 pgs

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

I read Celeste Ng's Everything I Never Told You in 2015 and enjoyed her writing style and most of all the sensitivity and the insightfulness when portraying her characters and crafting her story. This second book is no exception and once again I found myself immersed in Celeste's storytelling and her interesting cast of characters set in Shaker Heights, Cleveland. 

The Richardsons is an upper class family consists of six members. William Richardson works as a lawyer and his wife, Eleanor, is a journalist with one of the local papers. Shaker Heights has its own history and for all Eleanor knows her family roots are there. One can say Shaker Heights is a well-planned suburb and the Richardsons are quite happy with the community there until Mia Warren and her teenaged daughter, Pearl, enter into their lives. 

Mia, a single mother, is an artist and together with her daughter they travel from places to places until Shaker Heights becomes their latest resting place. They rent a house from the Richardsons and soon the four Richardson children are drawn to this enigmatic mother-daughter pair. Pearl soon quickly adapts to their new environment and has found friendship in Moody, the third child of the Richardsons family. Mia remains quiet and reserved until a coworker at a part-time place where she works confides in her about her baby daughter, May Ling Chow, whom she left at a fire station out of desperation due to her poverty condition, decides to have her baby back but an old friend of the Richardsons, the McCullough couple (the wife had had a few pregnancies but couldn't keep her babies) has decided to adopt the homeless baby and soon Eleanor and Mia find themselves on opposing sides as the custody battle divides the once peaceful community. As if that is not enough, Eleanor is determined to unravel Mia's past but that obsession will soon come with a price. 

What made someone a mother? Was it biology alone, or was it love? ~ Pg 280

Once again, Celeste Ng has delivered a taut and an insightful piece of work centering around secrets, identity and the ferocity pull of maternal love. The story begins with a slow start, basically the introduction of the Richardsons and Shaker Heights but towards the middle the reader will embrace the change of direction and momentum as lots of things happened quickly. The characterisation is the huge draw of the story and I found myself invested in Mia's story and why Eleanor Richardson is relentless in pursuing Mia's mysterious past despite of consequences there might be. Celeste Ng has portrayed a multiple aspects of the role of a mother which is both moving and thought-provoking and although I liked her previous novel, I've to say I liked this one better. 

© 2017 Melody's Reading Corner (https://mel-reading-corner.blogspot.sg/), All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Penguin Publishing Group | May 2017 | 336 pgs

Source: Library

Eleanor Oliphant is an unusual woman. Living alone and with no friends, one would've thought her life must be terribly miserable and lonely. On the contrary, Eleanor doesn't really care what others think of her and is rather contented with her simple, routine life. Not a natural with social skills and sweet talking, she is often brushed off as being odd by her co-workers and even if they do talk to her their intentions are usually insincere or with motives. Eleanor has a crush on a musician named Johnnie Lomond and she often envision them being as a couple one day. It is a wishful thinking on her part, but he keeps her motivated in some way. 

Then her life takes a turn after she's met Raymond Gibbons. Raymond works in the same company as Eleanor although they are from different department. Eleanor knew Raymond because she needs his help with fixing her office computer; and being a new employee and a conversationalist at heart, Raymond will try to get into conversations with Eleanor whenever he sees her. Eleanor isn't interested in forming a friendship with Raymond initially, but both of them saw an elderly man fell and hurt his head on their way out of the office at the same time one day. While Eleanor isn't the one who accompanied Sammy into the ambulance, she couldn't help thinking of his condition and when Raymond suggest they visit Sammy together after work she knew she has no reason to turn him down. That one visit lead to another visit, and in no time Eleanor finds herself quite familiarise with Sammy and even Raymond. In the subsequent events, Eleanor changes bit by bit the more she's out with Raymond and interact with others. And towards the end, the reader will discover more of Eleanor and what makes her live in her own world and how she comes out from that abyss of loneliness and self-blame. 

I've to say Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine is more than a fine book; it is a moving, uplifting book filled with heart and courage. She is an intriguing character but not one who finds approachable at first sight; she is aloof and it took me some time to warm up to her but I liked her for her guilelessness and her genuine self. This is a heartwarming story that made me laugh, cry and be inspired by Eleanor's courage and determination for walking out of her abyss and be someone different. This book is Gail Honeyman's debut and was shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish College Fiction Prize. I'll be sure to follow her next release. 

© 2017 Melody's Reading Corner (https://mel-reading-corner.blogspot.sg/), All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Small Hours by Jennifer Kitses

Grand Central Publishing | June 2017 | 288 pgs

Source: Library

Small Hours is Jennifer Kitses' debut novel and a compelling domestic drama that explores a couple's search for a new life and how a misstep devastates the family thereafter. 

Two years ago, Tom and Helen fled their home in New York to live in Devon; a former mill town and now an exurb. With its quiet community and away from the pressures of the city, they (especially Helen) are hopeful that this new place would give them some bliss and some peace where they could raise their young twin daughters who are three. Before the move, both Tom and Helen struggled to keep their jobs during the economy crisis but failed. Both of them eventually found something but not without a price. For Tom, a 90-minute train ride is essential for his journey to and from work aside from a demanding boss at a newswire firm. While Helen has the flexibility of working at home for her designing projects, her job often requires her to work last minute changes on short notices regardless of the hours. As they juggle between work and family, the stress begins to take a toll on them until Helen snaps over an incident on one fateful September morning. Tom, on the other hand, has been trying to keep his infidelity a few years back under wraps until it comes to a stage whereby he has to make a decision whether or not if he should let his "other family" go or to remain as part of his life. 

Small Hours is an addictive domestic drama which tells what many working parents are facing today - to find balance between work and family on top of the financial stress. However, it is also a story about secrets, bad choices and decisions and how they will destroy the fragile equilibrium of a family bliss if one is not careful. Tom and Helen, both in their early 40s which is neither too young nor too old, are stuck in a situation where they don't have many job opportunities that work in their favours. Most of all, there aren't much communications in between their busy life so it is not surprising to see one party succumbs to temptations while the other break under pressure. While there aren't twists and turns (or murder) in this novel, it was interesting (and intriguing) seeing the story unfolds through Tom's and Helen's story alternatively in a span of one fateful September day until the conclusion. It was thought-provoking in a way, and I was glad I picked this up.

© 2017 Melody's Reading Corner (https://mel-reading-corner.blogspot.sg/), All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

The Romance Reader's Guide to Life by Sharon Pywell

Flatiron Books | April 2017 | 320 pgs

Source: Library

This book is a romance about romances. With a romance plot set side-by-side with another fictional romance, this story tells a tale about a bond between two sisters and their dreams set during the 1930s in a small town of Lynn, Massachusetts and another in Romancelandia, featuring a charismatic privateer (or a pirate) and a proper young woman on her way into entering the society. 

Since young, Neave Terhune knew she doesn't fit anywhere; she's not as sociable and glamorous like her twin sister, Lilly. Despite their characteristics differences they are each other's confidante, playmate and business partner when they first launched their cosmetic business during their teenage years (never mind if it's small and most of their clients are the neighbourhood housewives and school girls). Neave may live in Lilly's shadow but she is smart whereas Lilly has a sharp eye when it comes to makeup and fashion. They have an older brother, Snyder, who's into comics books and a younger sister, Janey. 

Neave loves reading but her books are limited, let alone choices thus she is glad to take up the job of reading to old Mrs Daniels because she has a lot of books. Neave isn't allowed to read romance due to her age, hence she is excited to find a copy of The Pirate Lover when Mrs Daniels is not looking. She is fascinated by the world of Romancelandia, and most of all she is fascinated by the gutsy Electra Gates as she met her equal, the infamous privateer Basil Le Cherche. All the way throughout Neave's adulthood, that romance copy continues to stay with her even after Mrs Daniels's passing. The two sisters are still as close after Lilly remarried for the second time and that's when the trouble starts when Lilly's husband starts to get violent. 

With Electra's story parallels to Neave's, the reader will see the similarities between these two women as they met their own dangers and challenges. There's even a bit of the supernatural element as there are parts narrated by Lilly from the afterlife (this is not a spoiler as it begins right from the start), including Neave's protector, Mr Boppit the dog. It was an unusual story but yet a wildly original and an entertaining one and I loved it (I even enjoyed Electra's story and reading it has inspired me to look out for more pirate romance books.) 

© 2017 Melody's Reading Corner (https://mel-reading-corner.blogspot.sg/), All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.