Category Archives: Susan Lewis

January 25, 2021 · 12:02 am

Review: Forgive Me by Susan Lewis

Title: Forgive Me by Susan Lewis
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 397 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

From the internationally bestselling author of over 40 novels comes a gripping story of love, family, and the price of forgiveness, for readers of Diane Chamberlain and Lisa Scottoline.

In prison, Archie Colbrook spends his time writing letters. Letters addressed to a person against whom he committed terrible, nameless harm. Archie knows he doesn’t deserve forgiveness. Yes, he didn’t mean to hurt anyone, and sure, he was only following orders. But does that matter? He still did it.

In a small coastal town of Northern England, Claudia Winters hopes to feel safe for the first time in years after fleeing from her abusive husband with her mother and daughter. Their new life is supposed to be a fresh start. But Claudia knows the past won’t stay hidden for long—and she can’t help but feel that someone is watching her. And that something terrible is about to happen.

Linked by one irrevocable act of violence, Archie and Claudia’s lives intertwine. Claudia can’t overlook what Archie did to her family—but is forgiveness the only way to truly move on?

Tense, emotional, and gripping, Susan Lewis’s latest novel is a spellbinding story of family and the power of forgiveness.

Review:

Forgive Me by Susan Lewis is a touching novel with a hint of mystery.

After careful planning, Claudia Winters and her sixteen year old daughter Jasmine are finally starting a new life. They are joined by her mum Marcy Kavanagh as they settle into life in Kesterly-on-Sea. Claudia still cannot help looking over her shoulder as she restarts her decorating business after meeting Andee Lawrence.  With Andee’s help, Claudia finds and restores the perfect home and they finally seem to free of their past. However, unbeknownst to them, someone has discovered their location and will stop at nothing to ensure she cannot reveal anything about her controlling, abusive husband.

Nineteen year old Archie Colbrook is currently on remand awaiting trial. He is skeptical when Dan Collier approaches him to see if he would like to participate in the Restorative Justice  program. Dan’s request is a little unorthodox since Archie has yet to be convicted of his crimes, but he believes in the healing power of the program. Through a series of letters, Archie reveals information about his past along with his sincere remorse for his crime. But Archie’s concern and dedication to his mum prevents him from revealing any information about who hired him.

Forgive Me is a compelling novel of forgiveness, redemption and healing. The characters are three-dimensional with relatable flaws and strengths. The storyline is well-developed and unfolds at a brisk pace. The setting springs vibrantly to life and is easy to visualize. With unexpected twists and turns, Susan Lewis brings this emotional story to a heartwarming conclusion. I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend this incredible novel.

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Filed under Contemporary, Forgive Me, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Susan Lewis, William Morrow Paperbacks

August 9, 2020 · 11:56 pm

Review: My Lies, Your Lies by Susan Lewis

Title: My Lies, Your Lies by Susan Lewis
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 413 pages
Book Rating: C+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

For readers of Lisa Jewell and Diane Chamberlain comes another gripping novel from internationally bestselling author Susan Lewis, about an eccentric old woman, the ghostwriter helping write her memoirs, and the destructive secrets binding them together.

She’s rewriting history, but which version of the truth will she tell?

Joely tells other people’s secrets for a living. As a ghost writer, she’s used to scandal – but this just might be her strangest assignment yet. Freda has never told her story to anyone before. But now she’s ready to set the record straight and right a wrong that’s haunted her for forty years.

Freda’s memoir begins with a 15-year-old girl falling madly in love with her male teacher. As Joely sets out to write this troubling love story, she is spun into a world of secrets and lies she could never have imagined, causing her to question everything she thought she knew about her own family.

Delving further into Freda’s past, Joely’s sure she can uncover the truth—but at what cost?

Breathlessly intriguing from the first page to the last, My Lies, Your Lies is a gripping novel that intertwines the tumultuous past of one mysterious woman to the present of another with a harrowing, unexpected twist.

Review:

My Lies, Your Lies by Susan Lewis is an intriguing novel with a touch of mystery.

Ghostwriter Joely Foster is grateful her latest job will take her away from problems at home.  She is headed off on a bit of a mysterious and somewhat puzzling assignment  since she will be ghostwriting the memoir of a well-known author. Freda Donahoe is rather eccentric and she tells the story she wants heard in a very precise manner.   The experience she is revealing takes places during 1968 and involves a love affair between fifteen year old Freda and her twenty-five year old music instructor David Michaels aka “Sir”.  Joely’s attempts to guess how the story ends are rebuffed by Freda who turns Joely’s world upside down with shocking revelations and accusations. But what happens next is truly frightening and Joely grows more terrified with every passing hour.  Will she figure a way out of an increasingly desperate situation?

Joely is a well-drawn character whose domestic life is in shambles.  Her marriage is in serious trouble and her relationship with her fifteen year old daughter Holly is precarious. Joely is close to her mother Marianne and brother Jamie.  She does not know quite how to take Freda, whose moods turn on a dime. She is also uncomfortable with some of the intimate details Freda wants in her memoir.

My Lies, Your Lies has an intriguing premise but it is a very slow paced for the first half of the story. The dramatic and isolated setting is atmospheric and somewhat foreboding.  Freda is an interesting yet somewhat unlikable character who is rather manipulative. The storyline is clever and features a book within a book as chapters alternate between events in the present and Freda’s memoir.  At the halfway point, the story picks up steam as Freda’s disclosures and actions stun Joely. With a serious of unanticipated twists,  Susan Lewis brings this novel to a rather unconventional conclusion.

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Filed under Contemporary, My Lies Your Lies, Mystery, Rated C+, Review, Susan Lewis, William Morrow

January 26, 2020 · 11:57 pm

Review: Home Truths by Susan Lewis

Title: Home Truths by Susan Lewis
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 455 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

International bestselling author Susan Lewis’s riveting, unforgettable novel of a woman determined to protect her children—at all costs.

A mother’s worst nightmare becomes a reality…

Angie Watts once had what seemed like an idyllic life: a house in a small town in the English countryside with her beloved husband Steve and their three adored children. She never could have predicted how her life would one day turn out.

When her oldest son, Liam, grows from a sweet-natured boy to a troubled teen, Angie’s world begins to crumble. Expelled from school and disappearing from home for days on end, Liam falls in with a notorious local gang. After arriving home one day to find their 5-year-old son with a syringe Liam has left lying around, Steve makes a rash decision that will have lasting repercussions on their family.

Two years later, Steve is gone, Liam is missing, and with money running out, Angie and her other two children are on the brink of eviction. Then Angie is called into the police station and informed that there’s been a murder—and Liam is a suspect. As Angie’s desperation to save her family leads her to take drastic measures, her daughter secretly devises her own plan to save the family…which could put everyone in danger.

Alternating between Angie’s blissful life as a young mother and her present-day nightmare, Home Truths is a searing exploration of the lengths one mother will go to survive and protect her children.

Review:

Home Truths by Susan Lewis is a poignant and sometimes bleak novel about a mother’s financial struggles following a tragedy.

In her early forties, Angie Watts is a widow who is trying to keep her family afloat following the murder of her beloved husband, Steve. She is also very worried about her oldest son, Liam, whose involvement in gangs and drug use tore their family apart. Angie deeply regrets lashing out at her son while angry and grieving. Liam left and never returned home but she continues searching for him. Currently, her search for him takes a backseat to her fruitless attempts to prevent her landlord from evicting her, thirteen year old Grace and seven year old Zac.  Angie is also swimming in a sea of debt and despite juggling numerous jobs, she is becoming more desperate with each passing day. With the help of her sister Emma, Angie is hanging on by a thread when their precarious situation begins to collapse. And unbeknownst to Angie, troubling is brewing with Grace as she tries to help her mum. Will Angie’s efforts to save her family be successful?

Angie is shocked at how quickly her financial situation spiraled out of control.  But her reaction to the crisis is not exactly healthy as she ignores her increasingly fraught circumstances. She is very lucky to have Emma to count on for moral support and help with Zac and Grace. Unfortunately Emma is not able to provide much financial assistance since she is a single mum of two sons.  Angie has managed to hide just how dire her circumstances have become, but it soon becomes impossible to keep her secrets.

Grace is well aware of their financial difficulties and she desperately wants to help. She is mature for her age, but she does not fully comprehend the risks she is taking on social media. Grace and her best friend Lois brainstorm ideas to raise money and when a solution presents itself, they keep their plans to themselves. With Angie distracted, Grace makes a decision that could culminate with tragic results.

Home Truths is a hard-hitting novel that deals with real life topics such as gang activity, homelessness, human trafficking, debt and poverty. The storyline is sometimes heavy and occasionally depressing, but it is impossible not to become invested in Angie’s efforts to provide for her family. Susan Lewis brings this thought-provoking and engrossing novel to a surprisingly uplifting and heartwarming conclusion.  A true to life, realistic portrayal of topical issues that I recommend to readers of the genre.

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Filed under Contemporary, Home Truths, Rated B, Review, Susan Lewis, William Morrow, Women's Fiction

June 12, 2019 · 11:58 pm

Review: One Minute Later by Susan Lewis

Title: One Minute Later by Susan Lewis
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 512 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

International bestselling author Susan Lewis’ riveting, unforgettable novel of a woman whose life changes in an instant and the handsome young man with whom she shares a secret history—perfect for readers of Jodi Picoult, Diane Chamberlain, and Susan Wiggs. 

How well do you know the people you love? For one young woman returning to the past, the answer could be heart-shattering…

Vivi Shager is living her dream. Raised with drive and ambition by a resolutely single mother, Vivi has a thriving law career, a gorgeous apartment in London, and a full calendar that keeps her busy at work and at play. Then on the day of her twenty-seventh birthday, an undiagnosed heart condition sends Vivi’s prospects for the future into a tailspin. After escaping her roots nearly a decade ago, she’s forced to return to her childhood home to be cared for by her devoted and enigmatic mother. Vivi has always known the woman is hiding something and now she’s determined to find out what it is. Though her condition makes her fragile and vulnerable and she’s afraid of what may happen, her spirit remains strong. Then comes an unexpected ray of light.

Josh Raynor, a local veterinarian who his sisters claim is too handsome for his own good, brings a forbidden love to Vivi’s world. Josh and Vivi are soon inseparable, unaware of the past their families share. All Vivi knows is that Josh is wrestling with a demon of his own…

Then quite suddenly the awful truth is staring Vivi in the face and it changes everything.

Review:

One Minute Later by Susan Lewis is a poignant novel that also shines a very important light on organ donation.

On her twenty-seventh birthday, Vivienne “Vivi” Shager’s life forever changes after she has a heart attack. Instead of remaining in London where she works a high powered job, she returns with her mum, Gina, brother Mark and former stepfather Gil to her small seaside hometown. Vivi’s new reality involves an implant to shock her heart into beating, a strict medication regimen and a quiet, stress-free life. Now living with Gina, Vivi reconnects with her best friend, Michelle, and tries to prevent herself from falling into depression. Vivi has spent a lifetime wondering her father’s identity and she is determined to find out who he is with or without Gina’s help.  After meeting a friend of Michelle’s and her husband, Vivi is stunned by the depth of her feelings for him, but not knowing what her future holds, will they grab hold of their chance for happiness?

Before her heart attack, Vivi is a bit self-centered as she works long hours and travels frequently for her job. She has little time for her mum or Michelle due to her demanding work schedule. And yet, when Vivi is faced with a true medical crisis, there is nothing Gina and Michelle won’t do for her.  After her stunning diagnosis, she tries hard to keep her spirits up, but her prognosis is grim. Although grateful for Gina’s assistance, Vivi is prickly, combative and downright rude to her mum. A lot of her animosity stems from Gina’s refusal to answer her daughter’s question about who her father is. After her mum refuses to answer her questions,  Vivi starts searching on her own. Will Vivi’s quest be successful?

Beginning in 1984, a secondary story arc follows Shelley, Jack and their family’s idyllic life on their farm. Shelley and Jack are blissfully in love and although finances are tight and their property needs lots of work, their family is quite happy. With their future looking very bright, the only trouble on the horizon is a bit of an on-going feud with a neighbor.

One Minute Later is an engaging novel with a lovely cast of likable characters. Vivi’s medical diagnosis and her struggle to accept what the future holds is quite emotional yet also very informative. Both story arcs are interesting but readers will need to exercise patience since the intersection between past and present is not apparent until rather late in the story.  Susan Lewis brings this endearing novel to a bittersweet conclusion that is realistic yet heart-wrenching.  An engrossing novel that I enjoyed and highly recommend.

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Filed under Contemporary, One Minute Later, Rated B, Review, Susan Lewis, William Morrow Paperbacks, Women's Fiction

December 14, 2015 · 11:57 pm

Review: Too Close to Home by Susan Lewis

too closeTitle: Too Close to Home by Susan Lewis
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 417 pages
Book Rating: C

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

For readers of Jodi Picoult, Heather Gudenkauf, and Elizabeth Flock comes a riveting and timely novel that delves into a modern family’s harrowing encounter with the complex world of cyberbullying.

Jenna Moore finally feels that she and her family are exactly where they should be. Leaving busy London behind, they’ve moved to the beautiful, serene Welsh coast. There Jenna, her husband, Jack, and the couple’s four children have found a little slice of heaven. In the house of their dreams, Jenna and Jack are ramping up for the launch of their new publishing business, and the kids are happier than they’ve ever been, wandering the wild, grassy moors that meet white sand beaches and wide ocean.

But a fissure cracks open. The once open and honest Jack suddenly seems to be keeping secrets, spinning intricate lies. And fifteen-year-old Paige has become withdrawn, isolating herself from her family and her new friends. Frightened of the darkness enveloping her family, Jenna struggles to hold her loved ones together. But a cruel disturbance has insinuated itself into her home, threatening to take away everything she holds dear.

Review:

Too Close to Home by Susan Lewis is a rather grim novel about a family who slowly begins to unravel. Difficult subject matter is deftly handled but the pacing is slow and the message is sometimes lost in the tedious details of day to day life.

Jenna Moore is a happily married mother of four. Despite the loss of her husband Jack’s job the year prior, they and their children have settled into a rather idyllic life in Wales following their move from London. Just as she and Jack are on the verge of launching their internet publishing company, she is struggling with writer’s block as the deadline for her next novel approaches. While Jenna could not be more thrilled with how well their life is going, slowly, but surely, cracks begin to appear in her marriage and as her once happy union begins to fall apart, so does the rest of her family.

Initially, Jenna is a likable character who is, without a doubt, an involved and caring mother. She is a little naive and trusting and since she is the creative side of their upcoming publishing company, she never thinks to question Jack’s business decisions despite a few anomalies that come to her attention. Even when faced with Jack’s increasingly secretive behavior and inconsistent explanations, Jenna remains woefully blind to what should be glaringly obvious to her. But when the full truth comes out about Jack and their business, Jenna’s over the top and outrageous behavior puts her in the completely unsympathetic category. While her anger and hurt is understandable, her inability to put her children first makes it impossible to feel sorry for her. But what is completely beyond comprehension is Jenna’s inability to see how terribly wrong things are with her oldest daughter.

At the beginning of the novel, fifteen year old Paige has everything going for her. Although she does not have a huge circle of friends, she is well-liked and popular. She is doing well in school and she is very excited about a few upcoming projects she is involved in. But the tide begins to turn for Paige after her Facebook account is hacked and a stranger befriends her online. Her situation deteriorates quickly and despite her best friend’s attempts to convince her to tell someone what is going on, Paige keeps quiet in hopes that things will improve on their own. The escalation of what is happening to her coincides with her family’s problems and Paige’s trust in the wrong person leads her down a very dark path.

While the different story arcs are interesting, the novel moves at a snail’s pace. The first half of novel is filled with superfluous details of the family’s day to day life and it is not until about the halfway point that anything noteworthy occurs. The next several chapters are sometimes cringe worthy as Jenna makes one bad decision after another regarding Jack. Paige’s situation rapidly deteriorates as her situation worsens and she continues making misguided choices. The last quarter of the novel moves at a breakneck speed once Jenna finally discovers what has been happening with Paige.

Despite its flaws, Too Close to Home is well worth reading. Paige’s storyline is sadly true to life and her reactions to the situation ring true. Although Jenna’s portion of the novel is a little hard to relate to, her circumstances are also dishearteningly realistic.  Life is not always sunshine and roses and I commend Susan Lewis for tackling such difficult (yet topical) topics in her latest release.

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Filed under Ballantine Books, Contemporary, Rated C, Review, Susan Lewis, Too Close to Home, Women's Fiction

January 18, 2015 · 11:57 pm

Review: Behind Closed Doors by Susan Lewis

behind closedTitle: Behind Closed Doors by Susan Lewis
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 370 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

For readers of Jodi Picoult, Heather Gudenkauf, and Elizabeth Flock comes a spellbinding tale of a girl gone missing—and the detective who will risk everything to find her.

Detective Sergeant Andrea Lawrence is reluctant to take this emotionally charged case, but she can’t help herself. In a small British seaside community, a fourteen-year-old girl has vanished. Sophie Monroe hasn’t been seen since she fought—loudly, miserably—with her stepmother and father more than a week before. But her frantic parents seem to be the only people concerned about Sophie’s disappearance. Everyone else just assumes that an angry teenager is acting out by hiding for a while.

Did someone help Sophie run away, or abduct her? Either way, Detective Andee is certain something bad has happened. As Andee investigates, two men jump to the top of the list of suspects—but neither of them can be located. And the deeper Andee delves into Sophie’s life, the more she struggles to keep her own darkest fears at bay—because Andee knows all too well what happens when young girls are lost and never found.

The Review:

Fans of police procedurals do not want to miss Susan Lewis’s newest release Behind Closed Doors. With a very intriguing mystery and an outstanding cast of characters, it is an absolutely riveting novel that is impossible to put down.

Detective Sergeant Andrea “Andee” Lawrence comes face to face with her unresolved and traumatic past when fourteen year old Sophie Monroe is reported missing. While investigating Sophie’s case, Andee is haunted by the memories of her sister Penny’s disappearance twenty years earlier. With Penny’s fate still unknown, Andee does everything in her power to uncover the truth about what happened to Sophie, but can she maintain her objectivity during such an emotionally volatile investigation?

Andee is a single mother of two teenagers who has recently moved back to the town where she and Penny vacationed with their grandparents every summer. Devastated after her twenty year relationship with her children’s father ended, Andee has finally started a new relationship when a family crisis brings her ex back into her life. Trying to juggle both her professional and personal lives is quite challenging and Andee is also plagued with doubts that her judgment is clouded by her unsettling memories of Penny’s case and the impact of her disappearance on her family.

Although readers only see a brief glimpse of Sophie, her presence is keenly felt throughout the entire novel and it is impossible not to feel a connection to her. She is a very sympathetic character and her back story is incredibly heartbreaking. Her reactions to all of the changes in her life are sadly all too real in today’s world and it is very easy to understand the reasons behind her (misguided) choices.

The mystery element is positively brilliant and there are numerous plot twists that effectively keep the truth about what happened to Sophie obscured for most of the story.  While Andee’s investigation uncovers a fairly long list of suspects and possible motives for Sophie’s disappearance, none of the clues lead to definitive answer for what happened to the missing teen.

Behind Closed Doors is a completely captivating read with a richly developed cast of characters and a complex storyline. It is an emotionally compelling novel that has plenty of depth and substance and a plot is all too frighteningly realistic.  Susan Lewis brings the story to a very unexpected and poignant conclusion that is quite moving. An excellent mystery that fans of the genre are going to love.

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Filed under Ballantine Books, Behind Closed Doors, Contemporary, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Susan Lewis