At some point, I think we've all felt like Emily Proudman in at least one aspect of her near train wreck of a life. For me, the connection was her feelings on everyone expecting you to have everything together and navigating the overwhelming and sometimes confusing topics of "adulting" - taxes, mortgages, etc. Since I was also late to the party with marriage and kids I knew firsthand how awkward it can feel interacting with friends that "settled down" before you are and not knowing what to say to them while you're still single. Emily definitely grew and matured as a person because of her experiences throughout the story and she is unarguably better off now.
The Safe Place is a moderately fast-paced and intriguing book. I would absolutely love to see Querencia in person, a property like it, or really just France in general. Anna Downes' descriptions of that little slice of heaven made it easy to picture the fantastic property in my mind. I even had an easy time picturing the nauseating state of Emily's flat in London shared with her roommate thanks to the descriptions haha.
Besides Emily, I would say that Nina is the second most developed character. Scott just seemed unable to find a viable solution to getting off of the ride he's on - even with all of his wealth. I can honestly say I was not expecting that twist with Aurelia - not even remotely. After this point, I feel like the book got a little bit predictable which was unfortunate. That isn't to say that the rest of the book isn't worth reading to see everything concluded with little surprises sprinkled here and there. Even at the end of the book, I have a couple of questions that weren't fully explained in the story. I am still curious to know what the orange folder said and what actually happened to Emily.
I would recommend reading this book to readers who enjoy thrillers, suspense, and family situations that live in the gray area. I initially got to read an excerpt from this book via BookishFirst and I was so happy to be approved for an ARC copy. Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read the rest of The Safe Place - all opinions are my own.
The Safe Place is a moderately fast-paced and intriguing book. I would absolutely love to see Querencia in person, a property like it, or really just France in general. Anna Downes' descriptions of that little slice of heaven made it easy to picture the fantastic property in my mind. I even had an easy time picturing the nauseating state of Emily's flat in London shared with her roommate thanks to the descriptions haha.
Besides Emily, I would say that Nina is the second most developed character. Scott just seemed unable to find a viable solution to getting off of the ride he's on - even with all of his wealth. I can honestly say I was not expecting that twist with Aurelia - not even remotely. After this point, I feel like the book got a little bit predictable which was unfortunate. That isn't to say that the rest of the book isn't worth reading to see everything concluded with little surprises sprinkled here and there. Even at the end of the book, I have a couple of questions that weren't fully explained in the story. I am still curious to know what the orange folder said and what actually happened to Emily.
I would recommend reading this book to readers who enjoy thrillers, suspense, and family situations that live in the gray area. I initially got to read an excerpt from this book via BookishFirst and I was so happy to be approved for an ARC copy. Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read the rest of The Safe Place - all opinions are my own.