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Take Me Instead
34-year-old Ruby Martin sits at her funeral listening to her husband sobbing. She can hardly jump up and yell, ‘Don’t cry, Ben. I’m here; alive and well.’
She’d tried that before. No one believed her. Why would they?
Three weeks earlier, a white van jumped the lights at a busy Edinburgh junction and mowed down popular media presenter Ruby and her mother Rachel.
When Rachel spied Ruby’s lifeless body, she pleaded with God, Take Me Instead!
If you make a pact with God, read the small print. The Devil is in the detail.
Rachel’s request changes both of their lives…… but at what cost?
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'A blooming brilliant read. Five stars from me'. Diane, Fife
'Honestly? I didn’t expect this book to be so good. I totally forgot that I was reading a debut novel. Loved it.' Val, Pitlessie
She’d tried that before. No one believed her. Why would they?
Three weeks earlier, a white van jumped the lights at a busy Edinburgh junction and mowed down popular media presenter Ruby and her mother Rachel.
When Rachel spied Ruby’s lifeless body, she pleaded with God, Take Me Instead!
If you make a pact with God, read the small print. The Devil is in the detail.
Rachel’s request changes both of their lives…… but at what cost?
-------------------------------------------------
'A blooming brilliant read. Five stars from me'. Diane, Fife
'Honestly? I didn’t expect this book to be so good. I totally forgot that I was reading a debut novel. Loved it.' Val, Pitlessie
514 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 6, 2023
18 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 7, 2023
Oh Faye, it’s brilliant! A clear 6/5!
One of my favourite books of the year and I’ve already bought it for friends for Xmas and have a queue of others waiting to borrow it.
I sincerely hope that you have got someone looking at making this into a TV series?!
The way you deal with DV is sensitive, empathetic and still positive, such a hard balance.
Can’t wait to read your next one..
One of my favourite books of the year and I’ve already bought it for friends for Xmas and have a queue of others waiting to borrow it.
I sincerely hope that you have got someone looking at making this into a TV series?!
The way you deal with DV is sensitive, empathetic and still positive, such a hard balance.
Can’t wait to read your next one..
January 6, 2024
Wow! I absolutely loved this book from cover to cover. It made me really reflect on how lucky I am to have all I do in my life and how much there is to be missed should I no longer be here anymore. Absolutely beautiful and thought provoking. What an incredible debut novel! Would recommend this book to anyone (and already have done!).
October 22, 2023
I really enjoyed this debut novel, self-published by a local author. I initially heard of it through Facebook posts, and when I went to Amazon and read the free sample pages, I knew I had to buy the book to find out what happens.
It’s an interesting take on the “Freaky Friday” style body-swap story, following 56 year old Rachel and her 34 year old daughter Ruby, who are hit by a white van in Edinburgh on a day out. When Rachel wakes up in hospital, she is horrified to discover that the accident not only killed Ruby, but it took place 9 months ago. With no memory of the past nine months, and discovering her husband, Colin, is no longer her next of kin, Rachel is terrified and lost. It’s Ruby’s best friend Annabelle who comes to the rescue, bringing a thick journal and some mind-bending news - the journal was written by Ruby, who has lived the past nine months in Rachel’s body.
There are so many threads to this story, told mainly through Ruby’s voice via the journal. The most compelling is Ruby’s discovery that her mother has been coercively controlled by her husband for years, and Ruby’s subsequent attempt to extricate her mother from the marriage and build a new life for her. I couldn’t wait to see Colin get his comeuppance! The subject of domestic violence is sensitively handled though, and Ruby is humbled by the experiences she has as her mother, and by those of other survivors she encounters through a blog she sets up.
Ruby’s new relationship with her husband and children is heartbreaking at times, as is her loneliness now her old friends no longer know her, and she feels distant from the one friend her mum had managed to retain.
The characters are really well developed and Ruby’s journey from a privileged confidence that borders on arrogance at times, to the new, more thoughtful and compassionate version of herself at the end of the book is poignant. The book ends in the only way it can really, but it leaves the reader with a sense of both sadness and feeling uplifted for Rachel’s future.
My only criticism of the book would be that it could do with professional editing and proofreading, to pick up on spelling and punctuation mistakes (e.g. “it donned on her” where it should be “it dawned on her”, the use of “inferring” where it should be “implying” etc) but even as a massive pedant these weren’t enough to spoil my enjoyment of the story. I looked forward to going to bed every night so I could read a few more pages!
I’m glad to see there are more books to come from Faye and I look forward to reading them too.
It’s an interesting take on the “Freaky Friday” style body-swap story, following 56 year old Rachel and her 34 year old daughter Ruby, who are hit by a white van in Edinburgh on a day out. When Rachel wakes up in hospital, she is horrified to discover that the accident not only killed Ruby, but it took place 9 months ago. With no memory of the past nine months, and discovering her husband, Colin, is no longer her next of kin, Rachel is terrified and lost. It’s Ruby’s best friend Annabelle who comes to the rescue, bringing a thick journal and some mind-bending news - the journal was written by Ruby, who has lived the past nine months in Rachel’s body.
There are so many threads to this story, told mainly through Ruby’s voice via the journal. The most compelling is Ruby’s discovery that her mother has been coercively controlled by her husband for years, and Ruby’s subsequent attempt to extricate her mother from the marriage and build a new life for her. I couldn’t wait to see Colin get his comeuppance! The subject of domestic violence is sensitively handled though, and Ruby is humbled by the experiences she has as her mother, and by those of other survivors she encounters through a blog she sets up.
Ruby’s new relationship with her husband and children is heartbreaking at times, as is her loneliness now her old friends no longer know her, and she feels distant from the one friend her mum had managed to retain.
The characters are really well developed and Ruby’s journey from a privileged confidence that borders on arrogance at times, to the new, more thoughtful and compassionate version of herself at the end of the book is poignant. The book ends in the only way it can really, but it leaves the reader with a sense of both sadness and feeling uplifted for Rachel’s future.
My only criticism of the book would be that it could do with professional editing and proofreading, to pick up on spelling and punctuation mistakes (e.g. “it donned on her” where it should be “it dawned on her”, the use of “inferring” where it should be “implying” etc) but even as a massive pedant these weren’t enough to spoil my enjoyment of the story. I looked forward to going to bed every night so I could read a few more pages!
I’m glad to see there are more books to come from Faye and I look forward to reading them too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 30, 2024
You are dead. Tragic accident. A beautiful spring day, meeting up with your mum to go into town for lunch, crossing the road, and a careless driver ran you and your mum down.
And now you are gone.
Only, you are not. Because you wake up in hospital, in your mum’s body.
Quite a shock, especially because no-one believes you.
So you have no choice than to go back home with your mum’s horrible husband, attend your own funeral as her, see your husband fall apart and try and build a new relationship with your old friends, family and your children, who now call you granny.
Slowly, whilst pretending to have amnesia and not being able to remember anything of your life before the accident, you learn the secrets that your mum kept. You will have to fight to survive, escape, and build a new life.
Until it once again falls apart.
When Rachel wakes up in hospital, she thinks it’s spring, and she has had an accident. Her daughter Ruby died. Imagine her shock when she finds out that was months ago.
With no memory of the last 9 months, Rachel only has Ruby’s diary to bring her the answers she needs. Like, why has she lost so much weight? Why does she now live in Portobello, and where is her husband Colin?
Can Rachel work it out and put the pieces back together, as well as learn to live with the loss of her beloved Ruby? Find out in this gripping debut novel by local Edinburgh author Faye Stevenson.
I was instantly gripped by the story. It keeps you on the edge of your seat, wanting to find out what happened. There are lots of twists and turns, and the story alternates between Rachel’s now and Ruby’s diary, which keeps it interesting. I also loved the familiar places, being set in Edinburgh where I live.
The end however was confusing. I felt disappointed with the decisions the author made to reveal certain things to certain people (I won’t spoil what happens) and the ending felt unfinished.
That’s why I gave it 4 out of 5. Would have been 9 out of 10 if that had been an option.
And now you are gone.
Only, you are not. Because you wake up in hospital, in your mum’s body.
Quite a shock, especially because no-one believes you.
So you have no choice than to go back home with your mum’s horrible husband, attend your own funeral as her, see your husband fall apart and try and build a new relationship with your old friends, family and your children, who now call you granny.
Slowly, whilst pretending to have amnesia and not being able to remember anything of your life before the accident, you learn the secrets that your mum kept. You will have to fight to survive, escape, and build a new life.
Until it once again falls apart.
When Rachel wakes up in hospital, she thinks it’s spring, and she has had an accident. Her daughter Ruby died. Imagine her shock when she finds out that was months ago.
With no memory of the last 9 months, Rachel only has Ruby’s diary to bring her the answers she needs. Like, why has she lost so much weight? Why does she now live in Portobello, and where is her husband Colin?
Can Rachel work it out and put the pieces back together, as well as learn to live with the loss of her beloved Ruby? Find out in this gripping debut novel by local Edinburgh author Faye Stevenson.
I was instantly gripped by the story. It keeps you on the edge of your seat, wanting to find out what happened. There are lots of twists and turns, and the story alternates between Rachel’s now and Ruby’s diary, which keeps it interesting. I also loved the familiar places, being set in Edinburgh where I live.
The end however was confusing. I felt disappointed with the decisions the author made to reveal certain things to certain people (I won’t spoil what happens) and the ending felt unfinished.
That’s why I gave it 4 out of 5. Would have been 9 out of 10 if that had been an option.
August 12, 2024
When Ruby wakes up in hospital after a traffic accident and discovers she’s in the body of her dead mother, Rachel, things get complicated. How is Ruby going to navigate this new unfamiliar life? How can she stay close to her beloved husband when he believes she’s his interfering mother-in-law? Can she only be part of her children’s lives, not as mother but granny? And when she discovers that Rachel’s husband is married to an abusive controlling man determined to break her, Ruby knows she has to fight back and turn her life around, not for her own sake, but for her Rachel. Because, sooner or later, this cosmic mistake is going to be sorted.
If you like fast-paced domestic thrillers with a huge cast of characters, this book is for you. If you like moral dilemmas and a character who doesn’t always make the right choices, this book is for you. Raunchy, funny and poignant, a glimpse into the world of Michelin star chefs and broadcasting icons, this book, with its fascinating premise, explores the powerful themes of identity, toxic relationships, and the importance of family and friends.
If you like fast-paced domestic thrillers with a huge cast of characters, this book is for you. If you like moral dilemmas and a character who doesn’t always make the right choices, this book is for you. Raunchy, funny and poignant, a glimpse into the world of Michelin star chefs and broadcasting icons, this book, with its fascinating premise, explores the powerful themes of identity, toxic relationships, and the importance of family and friends.
February 16, 2024
A very enjoyable read. I thought that it was an original take on the body swap theme, which was executed in an intriguing way that had me hooked, wanting to find out how the situation could possibly be resolved.
The story was full of very well-drawn characters, not least the especially hideous Colin, who gained no sympathy. I loved the setting, having been to Scotland numerous times, and the story rattled along at a lively pace, introducing many characters, each with their own story. I wanted to cheer Ruby on, as she made many positive improvements to her mother's life.
I sometimes had to check and remind myself whose story I was reading as both narratives intertwined so seamlessly.
A very descriptive novel which possibly could have been a little shorter, but always a pleasure to read.
As a near obsessive reader and a member of 2 book clubs, I rate this book as far superior to many published novels. I look forward to the author's continuing works.
The story was full of very well-drawn characters, not least the especially hideous Colin, who gained no sympathy. I loved the setting, having been to Scotland numerous times, and the story rattled along at a lively pace, introducing many characters, each with their own story. I wanted to cheer Ruby on, as she made many positive improvements to her mother's life.
I sometimes had to check and remind myself whose story I was reading as both narratives intertwined so seamlessly.
A very descriptive novel which possibly could have been a little shorter, but always a pleasure to read.
As a near obsessive reader and a member of 2 book clubs, I rate this book as far superior to many published novels. I look forward to the author's continuing works.
October 5, 2023
A brilliant concept and an engaging read. I could relate to most of the characters and enjoyed the journey this took me on! A wonderful debut novel and well worth the read!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews