Tag Archives: Marriage

Everything She Ever Wanted: A True Story of Obsessive Love, Murder, and Betrayal by Ann Rule

American Literature August 28, 2013 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Pat Taylor Allanson was a southern belle whose dream of owning an elite horse stable was on the verge of coming true, until her husband was arrested for murdering his own parents, and Pat’s penchant for drama had people wondering if there was more to the story than what it appeared–and what about that arsenic? Review: I admit it, I have a thing for true crime, particularly Ann Rule, and this is not the first time I’ve read Everything She Ever Wanted. It’s not…

Lost Girls by Celina Grace

British Literature August 14, 2013 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Maudie’s childhood friend disappeared without a trace when they were girls–but now Maudie is seeing her everywhere, but nobody else knows what she is talking about. Review: Lost Girls had a great sense of place and character, but was lacking in the plot department. I felt like it was missing at least 2-3 twists and the ending was the obvious one, unfortunately. If you like supporting up-and-coming authors and indie publishing, then this is definitely one to get because Celina Grace definitely will improve…

Dead by Sunset by Ann Rule

American Literature July 15, 2013 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: The true crime account of the murder of a brilliant attorney by her sociopathically narcissistic husband. Review: I was looking for a quick and easy read and decided to return to an old favorite. Dead by Sunset is one of Ann Rule’s best books, offering an exquisitely detailed portrait of a narcissist and the destruction he created in the lives of his wives (5 of them), girlfriends (too numerous to count), kids (sadly he was a bad father to 6 kids), and business associates.…

Lie Still by Julia Heaberlin

American Literature July 2, 2013 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: When pregnant Emily and her lawman husband move from New York City to a small, wealthy Texas town, she finds herself enmeshed in mean girl culture and doesn’t take it seriously until the town’s queen bee goes missing–and a mysterious package hinting at her own dark past shows up on her doorstep. Review: Lie Still is your next read if you liked Gone Girl–and if you did, this is probably all I need to say. Lie Still hooked me from the very beginning with…

A Thousand Pardons by Jonathan Dee

American Literature March 12, 2013 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: When her marriage breaks apart after a spectacular midwife crisis, a mom discovers a natural talent for public relations. Review: A Thousand Pardons isn’t quite the fictional juggernaut its marketing copy made it out to be. It’s a mostly engaging character study that never quite pulled me in. It kept a certain level of distance from the reader, and that’s a technique that just doesn’t do it for me. Many thanks to Random House for the review copy.

Vow: A Memoir of Marriage and Infidelity by Wendy Plump

American Literature February 12, 2013 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: A journalist details the multiple affairs that ended her marriage. Review: The story told in Vow is a train wreck. Wendy Plump and her husband pretty much destroyed their marriage with infidelity on both sides, ending finally when her husband had a baby with another woman. For all her candor, I never felt like Plump got to the heart of why she did what she did, or responded the way she did, or how she feels about the endeavor of marriage in general. I…

The Neighbors by Ania Ahlborn

American Literature January 2, 2013 Superfast Reader 1 Comment

Synopsis: When a troubled young man moves into a dilapidated house with his childhood friend, the perfect life of the sexy next door neighbors entices him–and ensnares him. Review: The Neighbors is a creepy little thriller whose twists take the form of character revelation. I was never exactly surprised by the actual plot, but I kept turning the pages because of the complexity of the characters, their backstories, and their relationships.

A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans

American Literature December 24, 2012 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Subtitled “How a Liberated Woman Found Herself Sitting on Her Roof, Covering Her Head, and Calling Her Husband ‘Master’.” Review: I didn’t think I wanted to read A Year of Biblical Womanhood because it seemed gimmicky and I assumed that the writer was going for snark. But I gradually became turned on to the beautiful, incisive, perceptive, and deeply Christian writings of author Rachel Held Evans and realized I had to make this my next read. I want all of my friends to read…

Fleeing Fundamentalism by Carlene Cross

American Literature September 9, 2012 Superfast Reader 4 Comments

Synopsis: The wife of a fundamentalist pastor details her years of abuse at the hands of her hypocritical husband. Review: A friend of mine recommended Fleeing Fundamentalism after hearing that I’d been digging into books on polygamy. Honestly, these kinds of stories are the only kinds of memoirs I want to read–stories about women dealing with extreme personal situations. I definitely appreciated Carlene Cross’s insight into her particular situation, but as is generally the case I was disappointed in the theology-lite. Sadly, Cross came to…

Broken Harbor by Tana French

Irish Literature July 28, 2012 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Detective Mick “Scorcher” Kennedy has a spotless record of solves, but when he’s partnered with a street smart rookie on the murder of a family in a boom economy development turned recession slum outside of Dublin, the ghosts from his past threaten his ability to play by the straight and narrow. Review: I am a huge fan of Tana French and Broken Harbor definitely lived up to my expectations. First of all, her sense of mood and place is just brilliant. She sets the…

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