He promised to love her until her dying day…
When Becca’s first love shows up on her social media feed, she can’t help but smile fondly. Once upon a time Connor was the love of her life, and though it was over ten years ago, he’s always held a place in her heart.
Then he sends her a message. He sounds happy – still kind and funny, still living across the world in Australia. But he wants to know everything about her life now. How can Becca tell him the truth? About her workaholic husband, her stressful job, and the challenges of caring for her elderly father and her longed-for, adorable but exhausting three-year-old daughter Mia?
Becca hesitates, knowing she shouldn’t even reply. But Connor lives on the other side of the world. Just how dangerous can becoming friends again be?
It feels harmless. Until Mia gets sick – in a way that no one can explain. And it starts to become clear – someone will do absolutely anything to make sure Becca never escapes her past…
A completely unputdownable psychological thriller – perfect for fans of My Lovely Wife, The Girl on the Train, and The Woman at the Window.
I find books about young families to be quite emotive and this certainly lives up to that expectation. Rona Halsall has taken every mum's biggest fear and made it the focus of her latest heart rending novel: Becca's young daughter's health is causing concern and nobody can explain what is making her ill. As a district nurse Becca has a fairly broad knowledge of medical conditions and there's only one thing she can think her daughter's symptoms point to but she can't understand why or how this could be happening. Then when she approaches the experts for support her world is flipped on its head and she ends up on the wrong side of the authorities.
The author leads us sensitively through all the emotions the lead character experiences then gives us a background to Becca which doesn't seem to reflect the person we have seen her demonstrate in her every day life. She's a caring person who is meticulous in caring for her daughter and her many patients in the local community. It's not long before she finds herself completely isolated from everything she holds dear and seeks refuge back with her widowed father who is delighted to be on hand to support her. Her sister however is a different kettle of fish, seemingly full of sympathy one minute then more interested in her own agenda the next.
I really enjoyed how the story switches focus to Becca's younger days; a trip across the world to relieve the stress of work-related issues and the whirlwind romance she had with Connor, a young surf-dude and free spirit who captured her heart many years ago. But why would her two worlds collide all of a sudden? I did kind of work out the plotline regarding the two story threads but the book is about so much more than the two individual time frames. Some of the characters will shock you, some you will find reassuringly comforting - and not always those you expect as you try to work out what is happening to Becca's family and who is responsible.
I'm reluctant to say too much more regarding the relatively small cast of characters in case it helps you work out what's going on, but suffice to say they're not a very nice bunch of folks - with the odd exception.
I will be interested to know what other readers thought with regards to the conclusion of the book as I was in two minds over a couple of issues. My thanks to Bookouture for the opportunity to read this novel prior to publication and I look forward to being able to discuss it with other readers soon.
She lives on the Isle of Man with her husband, two dogs and two guinea pigs. She is an outdoorsy person and loves stomping up a mountain, walking the coastal paths and exploring the wonderful glens and beaches on the Island while she's plotting her next book. She has three children and two step-children who are now grown up and leading varied and interesting lives, which provides plenty of ideas for new stories!
To find out more about Rona and her novels, go to:
Website: https://ronahalsall.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/RonaHalsallAuthor
Twitter: @RonaHalsallAuth
Instagram: @ronahalsall
