Reviewed by Martha Artyomenko
Book Description:
Melanie and Will Connors are the perfect power couple. Will is the chief campaign strategist for a rising presidential candidate; Melanie is a prominent advocate for protecting children in an over-sexualized culture. Their devotion to one another is admired, even envied.
But their marriage isn’t what it appears to be.
Will maintains an apartment in Washington DC, and over the years his visits home have grown fewer and farther between. The long-distance marriage has enabled Melanie to avoid intimacy—and has only increased her shame about her secretive past. But then Will issues this ultimatum: We work on the marriage . . . or we work on the divorce.
The Connors commit to marriage counseling in the most brutal of environments—snowy New Hampshire, a tiny state that is ‘first in the nation’ for presidential primaries and a prize to be won at any cost . . . and the price of victory keeps rising.
As Melanie sifts through the debris of her secretive past, she obsesses over the fear that she hasn’t done enough to protect her teenaged daughter. When she sees her facing some of the same temptations she knows she must intervene . . . but how can a woman with so many veiled secrets guide a daughter honestly?
My Review:
I was reading this book in shorter segments and likely because I was reading an advanced review copy on the Kindle, it messed up the format, which played into my enjoyment of the book. This book has several story lines that intertwine and mesh. It was hard at times to keep Miranda, Melanie, Sophie and other all in their places. There were times when I just got lost completely. It seemed like there were so many things that were behind the veil of secrets, even to the readers.
Some very interesting things that I really liked that this book touched on was the fact that even the most paranoid parent cannot always protect their children, even when they know what to look for. This book touched on molestation and how the victims often blame themselves. It touched on political issues, prostititution and marriage issues that can come forth in a political race. I really found that the authors were not afraid to shy away from the hard things. They addressed them hard on and that made this a not so light read for anyone.
It hits them all. Abortion is actually also talked about as well, and planned by one of the young women that is part of the “family values” political campaign. It shows the struggle and how a young woman might make that choice, even if she believes it is wrong or not what she wanted.
Over all, this book is one that I would have preferred to read in print so the format didn’t irritate me so much, but also I think I may have been able to keep track of the character better that way as well.
This book was provided for me for review by NetGalley. The opinions contained herein are my own.
