Hello there, bookworms! Can you believe it? I’m actually getting a book review done for you guys. My schedule simply hasn’t allowed for it lately. Thankfully, I took a personal day due to some things going on at home, and I left the office with a headache that felt like my head was being torn in two last night, so it’s good to just wake up and breathe a little bit. To see more about the insanity of life lately, head to my prior post on the homepage of the blog!
It’s no secret that I’ve been behind on book reviews. I’ve been so far behind since at least the last few months of 2018, but I’m not worried. I will catch up on posts and get all reviews to you guys plush much more. I’m keeping fingers crossed for more book hauls, literary travels, cover reveals, release blitzes, writing journeys, and who knows what else! You’ll have to stay tuned right here to see what’s next. Until then, let’s talk about today’s book review, The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine.
Amber Patterson is fed up. She’s tired of being a nobody: a plain, invisible woman who blends into the background. She deserves more—a life of money and power like the one blond-haired, blue-eyed goddess Daphne Parrish takes for granted.
To everyone in the exclusive town of Bishops Harbor, Connecticut, Daphne—a socialite and philanthropist—and her real-estate mogul husband, Jackson, are a couple straight out of a fairy tale.
Amber’s envy could eat her alive . . . if she didn’t have a plan. Amber uses Daphne’s compassion and caring to insinuate herself into the family’s life—the first step in a meticulous scheme to undermine her. Before long, Amber is Daphne’s closest confidante, traveling to Europe with the Parrishes and their lovely young daughters, and growing closer to Jackson. But a skeleton from her past may undermine everything that Amber has worked towards, and if it is discovered, her well-laid plan may fall to pieces.
With shocking turns and dark secrets that will keep you guessing until the very end, The Last Mrs. Parrish is a fresh, juicy, and utterly addictive thriller from a diabolically imaginative talent.
I’m going to rewind a little bit. This book was one of our club reads back in November I believe (correct me if I’m wrong!) and it was just the kind of book you want to hunker down with as the months get colder.
Amber and Daphne form an unlikely friendship and it’s a pretty typical read while we watched Amber weasel her way into Daphne’s life and inner circle. It came off as catty, calculating, and conniving. I spent so many chapters feeling sorry for Daphne as she was blatantly conned by this social climber whose only interest was scoring an affair with Daphne’s husband, Jackson.
Thank goodness for flashbacks and chapters that gave me insight into what was actually going on. As the real story began to unfold, this story took on another dimension for me.
What began as a slow, possibly predictable read actually turned out to be so much more. None of the characters are who were they were originally perceived to be and as I turned the pages and made my way towards the end, I understood the complexity involved in each of their entanglements.
The beginning of this book did start out as a bit of a chore for me. As Amber droned on and on about her need to get in the right social circles, and the lies she so easily told Daphne had me cringing. Her attitude and shallow nature had me feeling like this book couldn’t possibly have much substance, but I’m glad I stuck with it to the end.
It’s hard to discuss this book at length without giving away many spoilers by saying very little, but just know there’s a lot going on and if you enjoy a soap opera of a story, this is one you need to read. Characters you thought you’d love, you might actually despise, and vice versa.
If you enjoy a darker read and a cast of characters who spend a good portion of this story lying to you, then you’ll have to read more and find out how their lies catch up to them and potentially destroy everything they’ve built.
I know this book is about 3 years old now, but if you haven’t given it a go yet, and are looking for a thrilling book to lose yourself in for awhile, grab a copy of The Last Mrs. Parrish!
