[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Atria Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
Libby and her dad, Bent, moved in with her aunts after her mom died. Lucy lives in one apartment. Aunt Desiree moved in with Lucy after she broke up with her boyfriend. Libby and Bent live in a second apartment. Then Bent helps Quinn move into the third apartment. Libby isn’t sure they should trust her; she could be a serial killer!
Quinn’s husband had been in the military with Bent. After two tours, John is physically home, but mentally and emotionally, the war has changed him. He insists he’s fine, but he’s drinking. And the PTSD makes him unconsciously violent at times. Now John has disappeared, and Quinn is on her own. She’s grateful to have a place to stay. But she thinks Bent knows more than he is saying about where John is and why he has disappeared.
Review
This was a good story while also being a poor fit for me as a reader. I like stories with a clearly defined goal – finish the quest, dethrone the usurper, find the killer, etc. I had a hard time figuring out what the goal was for this one. Was it about finding John? Or Quinn finding herself? Or Libby and Quinn becoming friends? I just wasn’t certain. In the end I decided it was less of a goal-oriented story and more of a snapshot of this season in life for these characters. I also struggled to put the prologue into the right place in the timeline, so that left me flipping back and forth in the book to be sure I didn’t miss something. In the end the timing all made sense.
It took me as long to warm up to the characters as it took them to warm up to each other. Once they all started interacting more comfortably, I was on board. By the end, I was invested in Libby and Quinn specifically, although Quinn’s boss became a fun addition to the story as well.
Libby and Quinn face some complicated relationships with the men in their lives. I enjoyed watching them find a friend in one another. Quinn’s journey includes more self-reflection, self-discovery and growth, which I enjoyed.
If you like character-driven stories, check out This Is Home and get to know Libby and Quinn. (Language, sex, substance use, PTSD/war stories, LGBTQ+)