★★★★
SYNOPSIS:
How well do you know your girlfriend?
How well do you know your lover?
How well do you know yourself?
Daniel and Victoria are together. They're trying for a baby. Ruby is in prison, convicted of assault on an abusive partner.
But when Daniel joins a pen pal program for prisoners, he and Ruby make contact. At first the messages are polite, neutral - but soon they find themselves revealing more and more about themselves. Their deepest fears, their darkest desires.
And then, one day, Ruby comes to find Daniel. And now he must decide who to choose - and who to trust.
(Taken from Goodreads)
MY THOUGHTS:
When I first read the synopsis I was immediately drawn to the book, and glancing at the front cover I knew I was in for a twisted read. The novel did not disappoint.
When you first met Daniel you are ultimately drawn to him. You hear about his father's death, his step-fathers' controlling nature, the early years with Victoria and their struggle for starting a family and you are left feeling sad and sympathetic towards him. The story continues with more heartache and it really sets the scene for the whole novel. Daniel's voice is so poignant that it is hard to feel nothing but compassion and tenderness towards him.
As Victoria changes you are once again led down the path of routing for Daniel and willing her to leave so that he can find peace and happiness elsewhere. The cottage becomes a haven not only for Daniel but for the reader. Then the novel shifts gear slightly as Ruby enters his physical life. Alarm bells are ringing and you suddenly feel very protective of Daniel and want to shake him into action. He needs to rid himself of Ruby. Can she really be trusted?
Hatch very cleverly adds tension to the build up and you feel yourself bracing for the shock or climax, which is just around the corner. The twist, although subtle, is good and all the pieces slowly fall into place. Something that had been bothering me suddenly all made sense and really fulfilled my expectations and enjoyment of the novel.
A very big thank you to Netgalley, Serpent's Tail and A. S. Hatch for this dark, twisted and psychological novel which I loved.
This is my honest, unedited feedback.
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