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Drowning in Paper Flowers
THE Ruby Powell is the epitome of perfect. She’s beautiful, prominent, and wealthy. She lives in her dream home in the most affluent neighborhood in Dallas. She's a doting mother, a devoted wife, and a respected member of her community. She takes pride in serving as the president of both her son’s elementary school PTA and her daughter’s high school soccer Booster Club. Her kids adore her, and her husband is still her best friend after eighteen years of marriage.
THE Ruby Powell is a full-figured, middle-aged housewife, living in a house she’s grown to despise. She’s a subpar mother. She detests her husband. And she’s addicted to anti-anxiety pills due to a recurring nightmare. She volunteers at both of her children’s schools, albeit for appearance’s sake only, because what would it look like if she were a stay-at-home mom who didn’t volunteer? Her teenage daughter loathes her, and her six-year-old son suffers from PTSD due to being the victim of a kidnapping when he was a toddler.
What happens when Ruby is no longer able to separate the truth from the lie?
A nightmare.
An affair.
A dead body.
A lifelong secret.
And the ending you never saw coming.
THE Ruby Powell is a full-figured, middle-aged housewife, living in a house she’s grown to despise. She’s a subpar mother. She detests her husband. And she’s addicted to anti-anxiety pills due to a recurring nightmare. She volunteers at both of her children’s schools, albeit for appearance’s sake only, because what would it look like if she were a stay-at-home mom who didn’t volunteer? Her teenage daughter loathes her, and her six-year-old son suffers from PTSD due to being the victim of a kidnapping when he was a toddler.
What happens when Ruby is no longer able to separate the truth from the lie?
A nightmare.
An affair.
A dead body.
A lifelong secret.
And the ending you never saw coming.
Audible Audio
Published June 4, 2025
6376 people are currently reading
26915 people want to read
About the author
E.L. Westbury
3 books298 followersE.L. Westbury is a wife, mother of five (three humans and two fur babies), and vanilla latte lover. After years of scribbling ideas for a novel on coffeehouse napkins and figuring out a hundred different ways to describe a single smile, she eventually sat down and poured her heart into her first manuscript. Even though her writing is filled with twists, turns, snaps, crackles and pops, at heart she's a hopeless romantic. When she isn't writing, she's begging her husband to watch The Notebook with her for the hundredth time, laughing while learning the latest Gen Z lingo from her kids, or curled up on the couch covered in dog kisses. She resides in Texas and often escapes to Colorado, finding peace in wildflowers, red wine and the mountains. Her wish is to continue writing and leave her readers with a little piece of herself in every book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 923 reviews
February 6, 2026
Every page of DIPF carries a piece of me. I’m endlessly grateful to the readers who’ve been with me since the start, and to every one of you just discovering my work. I hope this story grips you, haunts you, and stays with you long after the last page. Love to you all! 💛
March 28, 2026
4.25 Stars.
Freaking loved it. Can’t stop thinking about it.
A mother struggling to hold her family together begins to unravel as buried trauma and long-suppressed truths start surfacing, straining her relationship with her daughter and blurring the line between memory and reality.
I finished this at 5am, which tells you how hooked I was-but I wouldn't call it a traditional thriller. The tension is there, but the big reveals are pretty easy to clock early on, and the story doesn't try very hard to disguise them.
It's more about a psychological unraveling than twist-driven suspense, which worked for me-but it's worth going in with that expectation.
The middle drags a bit. Some chapters feel overextended, and a few of the heavier, darker moments come in slightly disjointed, almost like they're dropped in before being fully grounded.
Where this book really shines is in the characters. Ruby took a while to click for me-I wasn't even sure | liked her at first-but by the end she felt layered flawed, and deeply human.
Millie, though... she completely stole the show. That protective, almost feral big sister energy hit me immediately, and I connected with it personally. Her relationship with Mason added a soft, grounding layer that never felt forced.
The emotional core between Ruby and Millie carries the story. Their relationship is messy, strained, and very real, and their arc lands so genuinely as a result. The push and pull /good bad mother daughter dynamic is real.
I may sound a little critical, but it’s only because I enjoyed the story so much that with just a couple tweaks it could have ventured into 5 star territory.
Highly recommend. Currently on KU and Audible for like $6 (don’t need to use a credit 😉) even less if you have KU and apply the discount. 🤭
Also, I’m probably not going to be on Goodreads as often anymore. If you’re on Instagram- I’d love to connect there. 💖
⋆✴︎a˚｡⋆ Connect with me on Instagram ˗ˏˋ★︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹
🌻Psychological tension
🌻Messy, realistic mother–daughter relationship
🌻Fierce, protective big sister energy
🌻Emotional payoff
🌻Tender but tense parenting moments
🌻Slow-burn unraveling
Freaking loved it. Can’t stop thinking about it.
A mother struggling to hold her family together begins to unravel as buried trauma and long-suppressed truths start surfacing, straining her relationship with her daughter and blurring the line between memory and reality.
I finished this at 5am, which tells you how hooked I was-but I wouldn't call it a traditional thriller. The tension is there, but the big reveals are pretty easy to clock early on, and the story doesn't try very hard to disguise them.
It's more about a psychological unraveling than twist-driven suspense, which worked for me-but it's worth going in with that expectation.
The middle drags a bit. Some chapters feel overextended, and a few of the heavier, darker moments come in slightly disjointed, almost like they're dropped in before being fully grounded.
Where this book really shines is in the characters. Ruby took a while to click for me-I wasn't even sure | liked her at first-but by the end she felt layered flawed, and deeply human.
Millie, though... she completely stole the show. That protective, almost feral big sister energy hit me immediately, and I connected with it personally. Her relationship with Mason added a soft, grounding layer that never felt forced.
The emotional core between Ruby and Millie carries the story. Their relationship is messy, strained, and very real, and their arc lands so genuinely as a result. The push and pull /good bad mother daughter dynamic is real.
I may sound a little critical, but it’s only because I enjoyed the story so much that with just a couple tweaks it could have ventured into 5 star territory.
Highly recommend. Currently on KU and Audible for like $6 (don’t need to use a credit 😉) even less if you have KU and apply the discount. 🤭
Also, I’m probably not going to be on Goodreads as often anymore. If you’re on Instagram- I’d love to connect there. 💖
⋆✴︎a˚｡⋆ Connect with me on Instagram ˗ˏˋ★︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹
🌻Psychological tension
🌻Messy, realistic mother–daughter relationship
🌻Fierce, protective big sister energy
🌻Emotional payoff
🌻Tender but tense parenting moments
🌻Slow-burn unraveling
January 7, 2025
I ATE THIS BOOK UP - finishing it in less than 24 hours. I. could. not. put. it. down!
I liked that it was told from multiple POVs. All of the characters were unreliable and semi unlikable, which left me unable to trust any of them and constantly questioning their actions/motives. I appreciate Westbury’s use of present day vocabulary, which made the characters feel real and relatable, allowing me to connect with them.
The twists did not stop coming - and kept me on edge the entire time. I loved the way the plot unfolded, it kept me glued to the pages, desperate for answers. Finally, I loved the way the truth was revealed. The ending was unexpected yet satisfying.
Fantastic, 5 ⭐️ thriller - definitely recommend!
I liked that it was told from multiple POVs. All of the characters were unreliable and semi unlikable, which left me unable to trust any of them and constantly questioning their actions/motives. I appreciate Westbury’s use of present day vocabulary, which made the characters feel real and relatable, allowing me to connect with them.
The twists did not stop coming - and kept me on edge the entire time. I loved the way the plot unfolded, it kept me glued to the pages, desperate for answers. Finally, I loved the way the truth was revealed. The ending was unexpected yet satisfying.
Fantastic, 5 ⭐️ thriller - definitely recommend!
June 15, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ HOLY PLOT TWIST. And then another. And just when you think there aren't anymore twists possible, BAM! I went into this book with the expectation of the usual thriller/plot twists and suspense. But I quickly learned that this author should be teaching master classes in psychological thrillers. The characters are for the most part unlikeable, but in the realest, could be your own family kind of way. Absolutely my favorite read of 2025 so far! Highly recommend!
EDIT: This audiobook is fantastic! Highly recommend! 10 out of 5 stars!
EDIT: This audiobook is fantastic! Highly recommend! 10 out of 5 stars!
February 6, 2026
The author’s excessive use of similes and metaphors to describe the characters’ feelings detracted from what was overall an interesting plot.
March 8, 2026
Each chapter was a different character and the minor or personal drama they were dealing with. And each chapter made me wonder why am I reading this book? Nothing captured my attention and nothing was written that made me excited to continue reading. Millie, the daughter dealing with teenage stuff. Jack, the husband having an affair. Ruby the main character has a pretty boring life. At about 80% a “secret” is revealed, but by then, I just wanted to be done reading this book.
September 25, 2025
4.25 🌟
Y’all… this book was a ride!!!! Drowning in Paper Flowers by E.L. Westbury had me gripped and hooked from the very beginning. Talk about plot twist galore??? I was literally speechless more than once. I devoured this in just two days because I simply had to know what would happen next.
Now, let me be honest, the characters are pretty unlikable and at times downright annoying, BUT the storytelling, the atmosphere, and those jaw dropping twists completely made up for it. This is one of those books that had me wanting to scream, throw punches, and still keep flipping pages because it was that good.
The authors ability to weave a psychological thriller is seriously impressive. The way her mind works when it comes to dark, twisty storytelling feels so compelling and masterful. I’ll definitely be picking up more of her books in the future.
If you’re looking for a psychological thriller that will keep you on edge, drop your jaw, and pull you in page after page, I can’t recommend this enough. I don’t see it floating around much in the book world, but let me be the one to tell you, it deserves attention!!!!
Thriller lovers, this one’s for you! 👏🏼
Y’all… this book was a ride!!!! Drowning in Paper Flowers by E.L. Westbury had me gripped and hooked from the very beginning. Talk about plot twist galore??? I was literally speechless more than once. I devoured this in just two days because I simply had to know what would happen next.
Now, let me be honest, the characters are pretty unlikable and at times downright annoying, BUT the storytelling, the atmosphere, and those jaw dropping twists completely made up for it. This is one of those books that had me wanting to scream, throw punches, and still keep flipping pages because it was that good.
The authors ability to weave a psychological thriller is seriously impressive. The way her mind works when it comes to dark, twisty storytelling feels so compelling and masterful. I’ll definitely be picking up more of her books in the future.
If you’re looking for a psychological thriller that will keep you on edge, drop your jaw, and pull you in page after page, I can’t recommend this enough. I don’t see it floating around much in the book world, but let me be the one to tell you, it deserves attention!!!!
Thriller lovers, this one’s for you! 👏🏼
February 27, 2026
This book was super hyped up so I was excited to read it, but it really fell flat for me. The story seemed to drag on until the end when everything happened at once. A lot of focus was spent on things that, in the end, felt irrelevant to the story. I also felt that the writer suddenly thought of a good idea to add “shock value” and tossed it in the storyline and went with it.
I tend to prefer twists that are “oh wow, I didn’t see that coming but thinking back, there were definitely some breadcrumbs and it all adds up now.”
There was a severe overuse of em dashes, and I began to wonder if the writer was trying to hit a word count because the em dashes were always adding some type of metaphor or unnecessary description of something. The first page of chapter 6 was only a half page long yet there were FIVE sentences with em dashes and unnecessary content (or content that could have been condensed into a regular sentence). The writing could have been more concise and nothing would have been lost.
Also, there was such an odd number of things described as cherry-flavored or cherry-red, which was such a little detail, but it bothered me.
Finally, I was turned off by the constant pop culture references. It felt like the writer was trying to be the “cool mom” by showing off how many pop culture things she knew. Off the top of my head I remember reading references to the Kardashians, Stanley cups, the word “rizz,” TikTok/Facebook/Instagram, “Gen Z,” and Chick Fil A saying “my pleasure.”
I can certainly see WHY people liked the book, but it just didn’t do it for me. If you’re looking for a quick, easy read, this definitely fits the bill.
If you prefer a book that has a more mature writing style and doesn’t feel catered to a specific generation, this may not be for you.
I tend to prefer twists that are “oh wow, I didn’t see that coming but thinking back, there were definitely some breadcrumbs and it all adds up now.”
There was a severe overuse of em dashes, and I began to wonder if the writer was trying to hit a word count because the em dashes were always adding some type of metaphor or unnecessary description of something. The first page of chapter 6 was only a half page long yet there were FIVE sentences with em dashes and unnecessary content (or content that could have been condensed into a regular sentence). The writing could have been more concise and nothing would have been lost.
Also, there was such an odd number of things described as cherry-flavored or cherry-red, which was such a little detail, but it bothered me.
Finally, I was turned off by the constant pop culture references. It felt like the writer was trying to be the “cool mom” by showing off how many pop culture things she knew. Off the top of my head I remember reading references to the Kardashians, Stanley cups, the word “rizz,” TikTok/Facebook/Instagram, “Gen Z,” and Chick Fil A saying “my pleasure.”
I can certainly see WHY people liked the book, but it just didn’t do it for me. If you’re looking for a quick, easy read, this definitely fits the bill.
If you prefer a book that has a more mature writing style and doesn’t feel catered to a specific generation, this may not be for you.
March 5, 2026
I purchased the audible version of this book based on several positive reviews. About a third of the way in, I gave up. There are way too many similes, adjectives, metaphors and after a while, it became annoying and distracted me from the story. I’m actually surprised that more readers didn’t experience the same reaction.
March 18, 2026
4.5⭐️ Drowning in Paper Flowers is one of those pieces that quietly pulls you in and keeps you there. Really liked it.
March 8, 2026
One of the most horrible books I have ever listened to. I kept going because of the rave reviews I’ve recently read. No amount of my wishing made this book bearable. So many similes, adjectives, metaphors, and, quite frankly, stupid names/nicknames throughout the entire book. Less is more.
I feel as though the author was trying to win a horrible bet with the amount of times she described eyes as “divergent”. Half the word count has to be attributed to over explaining EVERY physical trait, joke, nickname, and describing a speech pattern. Grating. Though the characters physical traits were over explained, ad nauseam, they were all written from the same annoying, entitled, upper class, educated view point—which doesn’t work when the story revolves around elementary boys, high school girls, women dealing with PTSD, entitled husbands, and criminal grandmothers. From start to finish, this was awful. Do not waste your time.
I feel as though the author was trying to win a horrible bet with the amount of times she described eyes as “divergent”. Half the word count has to be attributed to over explaining EVERY physical trait, joke, nickname, and describing a speech pattern. Grating. Though the characters physical traits were over explained, ad nauseam, they were all written from the same annoying, entitled, upper class, educated view point—which doesn’t work when the story revolves around elementary boys, high school girls, women dealing with PTSD, entitled husbands, and criminal grandmothers. From start to finish, this was awful. Do not waste your time.
January 22, 2025
This was brilliantly written and left me wanting to find more by this author. EL Westbury will definitely be an auto buy author for me from now on.
March 3, 2026
I understand why this book is popular. I just don’t think it’s good.
It opens with that irresistible “what is happening?” tension that pulls you in fast.
And then it slowly unravels.
The characters are deeply unlikeable and not in a fascinating way, just in a draining one:
A grating six-year-old that speaks by switching his Bs and Vs. (cuz that’s fun to read) A hostile, self-absorbed sixteen-year-old. A wealthy, ugly husband (compared to Gargamel from the Smurfs) with the personality of damp cardboard. A passive-aggressive wife marinating in resentment and questionable parenting choices.
The storyline grows increasingly disjointed, and while the twist didn’t shock me, I can admit it may land better for readers who don’t see it coming. For me, the breadcrumbs were a little too obvious.
What did stand out was the portrayal of the men. Every male character is weak, negligent, morally suspect or hideous. After a while, it stops feeling layered and starts feeling pointed.
To be fair, I get why it works for some. The slow-burn unraveling keeps you turning pages. But the ending is where it truly fumbles. After an entire novel of questions, the answers are shoved into the epilogue in a frantic information dump. Instead of payoff, it feels rushed and oddly detached… not to mention completely implausible!!
And after all that trauma? The characters remain insufferable. The bully is coddled. The criminal(s) protected. Accountability dodged. Growth non existent. Bad guys win.
In the end, this book left me sad…. not for the tragedies, but for what the story chooses to excuse.
It opens with that irresistible “what is happening?” tension that pulls you in fast.
And then it slowly unravels.
The characters are deeply unlikeable and not in a fascinating way, just in a draining one:
A grating six-year-old that speaks by switching his Bs and Vs. (cuz that’s fun to read) A hostile, self-absorbed sixteen-year-old. A wealthy, ugly husband (compared to Gargamel from the Smurfs) with the personality of damp cardboard. A passive-aggressive wife marinating in resentment and questionable parenting choices.
The storyline grows increasingly disjointed, and while the twist didn’t shock me, I can admit it may land better for readers who don’t see it coming. For me, the breadcrumbs were a little too obvious.
What did stand out was the portrayal of the men. Every male character is weak, negligent, morally suspect or hideous. After a while, it stops feeling layered and starts feeling pointed.
To be fair, I get why it works for some. The slow-burn unraveling keeps you turning pages. But the ending is where it truly fumbles. After an entire novel of questions, the answers are shoved into the epilogue in a frantic information dump. Instead of payoff, it feels rushed and oddly detached… not to mention completely implausible!!
And after all that trauma? The characters remain insufferable. The bully is coddled. The criminal(s) protected. Accountability dodged. Growth non existent. Bad guys win.
In the end, this book left me sad…. not for the tragedies, but for what the story chooses to excuse.
February 11, 2026
Such a brilliant beginner thriller! It’s so easy to follow and the twists are really great and worth seeing through to the end. I had the best time with this and was eager to pick up whenever I had to put it down. I wasn’t a major fan of any of the characters in this but I think that’s the point - you can’t trust anyone and you will suspect everyone!!!! Fans of Freida McFadden will love this and it’s available on KU!
February 18, 2026
Dont waste your time
I hate this book. There is so much unnecessary information and sub plots, that end up meaning nothing. This was so boring up until the last 80%. I hated every single character in this book, and there are so many plot holes and things unexplained, or just downright not realistic.
I hate this book. There is so much unnecessary information and sub plots, that end up meaning nothing. This was so boring up until the last 80%. I hated every single character in this book, and there are so many plot holes and things unexplained, or just downright not realistic.
August 13, 2025
Drowning in Paper Flowers - E.L. Westbury
I wanna start this off by saying I loved this thriller… There were so many twist and terms… I already had a lot of compassion for Ruby from the start… But that only grew throughout the book! This book was recommended to me by a friend, and I brought it to book club for our monthly read… It was a big hit!! I will definitely revisit the book again in the future... And a cliffhanger where the book could pick up again (*sigh* "Oh Jack") I'd be interested in where the second book might go, but also a little worried that another one might not land the same and love where this one ended, even if I was still frustrated with Millie at the end!
Ruby Powell is balancing the act of being a perfect wife and mother while being a respected member of society and the PTS President. Quickly in the story we find out that it’s all a lie. We not only get Ruby’s perspective but also Jack, Ruby’s husband, Ivy (from beyond the grave) and Millie’s (Ruby and Jack’s teenage daughter). I love that the story flashes back and forth while also moving along.
The perspectives allow you to see truth and lies throughout the story and walk you through the story like we would in real life. I didn't know when I picked up the book that there was an assault in the book and I had to pause and let myself process. I hate that her daughter saw the situation and believed so easily a lie.
Ruby isn't able to see the darkness around her; she didn't see her son, Mason, being as affected by being kidnapped and caudled by her. Before his kidnapping, she missed her husband cheating, missed the cracks and not realness of her relationships around her. Too busy trying to be the perfect mother and volunteer. The kidnapping was just the start of the spiral that got started. The thing is Ruby finds out that her husband is cheating while their toddler is missing, and in that moment, loses her love for him. She finds companionship with her friend Flynn (whose son Jett is the same age as Mason) and her daughter’s soccer coach, Ethan. Although we find out that it was all emotional and a single kiss.
Millie is the protective older sister trying to shield Mason, aka Blue, from their “uncaring” mother and staying loyal to her father. She is living and interacting with her brother, mother, father and peers based on the lies she has built up or believed... Millie has a lot of growing up to do and while she learns, the reality is forced to grow up in ways you can’t imagine. Millie’s side of the story starts crumbling as she is told she will no longer be starting the soccer game and is benched. This comes the same time that she has received a text with a photo of her mom and soccer coach kissing. Her best friend, Lena, has suddenly taken a hard change and turned on her, hanging out with the bully who has been Millie’s archnemesis. As her entire world is crumbling, she finds out that Lena is pregnant with her soccer coach. Millie finds out the enemy is the one who sent her the picture and realizes that the lies that are tearing her apart might not be what she originally thought.
There are so many twists and turns throughout the book that I felt like the psychological thriller wasn’t going to stop. It didn’t have many reviews - literally, when I started reading the book, there were only two on Goodreads and they were both basically the same thing as the summary included in the book. I’m posting this well past when I finished the book, as I was also reading other books.
The coach being charged twice shows that there was more than one girl whom the coach groomed and had an inappropriate relationship with. Mason being the bully and not able to control his emotions, was a twist that is heartbreaking, understandable, but not one I was expecting. Finding out Ruby was kidnapped by the parents who think she are her parents... She doesn't find out until she tells her mom about everything she is dealing with, then her mom finally shares the truth about her life. Ivy was really Ruby’s sister, who was still raised by her alcoholic biological mother. The reason her mother never wanted Ruby in therapy, and her mom met Ivy at the pond. This is where her mother found out about the affair and how in love Ivy and Jack were. Ivy attacked her mom and in self-defense, her mom hit her over the head with a rock.
Jack ends up going to prison for Ivy’s murder... A knife, Ivy’s locket and testimonies from people who overheard the fight between Jack and Ivy in the hotel, among other things was enough, even with amazing lawyers for him to go to prison. We then finally hear from Ivy for the first time again in a few chapters. We experience her fight with Bobby, how she was left alone in the grass... Then a man coming up and stabbing her in the chest, then drowned on her own blood in the water. She likens seeing the star above to looking like paper flowers (i.e. finally hearing the title of the book).
In the epilogue, we find out that Ruby went to meet Ivy and came upon her body floating in the pond. We also find out that Ruby found Mason in the treehouse in his pajamas... and that Ivy is the one who kidnapped him and still sneaks into the house at night, leaving him paper sunflowers. He is afraid of her and doenst like sunflowers so he hides them in his treehouse. He is still holding Jack’s pocket knife while telling his mom all about the attack and all of his experiences. Ruby explains how she cleaned up everything and burned the clothes, got rid of the treehouse, how Jack used the knife to open mail (she then used gloves to move the knife to his car), mailed him the locket, everything she needed to do to get rid of evidence for Mason. Ruby is still married to Jack, but is working with his business partner for her to buy out Jack from the business and then she will divorce him. Flynn and Jett moved away and Ruby has never spoken to her friend again. Ruby and the kids moved into the house next to her parents. Millie has decided to stay at the same school with her boyfriend Brett and about a week after Jack’s trial, she crawled into bed with her mom and mended fences and begged for forgiveness. Ruby shared everything that happened with her assault and emotional affair with Ethan. Millie and Mason both ask to change their last name from their dad’s last name.
In the second epilogue, we hear from Jack after some time in prison... He writes out a letter to Ruby saying, “I know your secret”.
Themes: cheating, sexual abuse, murder, lies, mother and daughter bonding and more that I am probably missing.
I wanna start this off by saying I loved this thriller… There were so many twist and terms… I already had a lot of compassion for Ruby from the start… But that only grew throughout the book! This book was recommended to me by a friend, and I brought it to book club for our monthly read… It was a big hit!! I will definitely revisit the book again in the future... And a cliffhanger where the book could pick up again (*sigh* "Oh Jack") I'd be interested in where the second book might go, but also a little worried that another one might not land the same and love where this one ended, even if I was still frustrated with Millie at the end!
Ruby Powell is balancing the act of being a perfect wife and mother while being a respected member of society and the PTS President. Quickly in the story we find out that it’s all a lie. We not only get Ruby’s perspective but also Jack, Ruby’s husband, Ivy (from beyond the grave) and Millie’s (Ruby and Jack’s teenage daughter). I love that the story flashes back and forth while also moving along.
The perspectives allow you to see truth and lies throughout the story and walk you through the story like we would in real life. I didn't know when I picked up the book that there was an assault in the book and I had to pause and let myself process. I hate that her daughter saw the situation and believed so easily a lie.
Ruby isn't able to see the darkness around her; she didn't see her son, Mason, being as affected by being kidnapped and caudled by her. Before his kidnapping, she missed her husband cheating, missed the cracks and not realness of her relationships around her. Too busy trying to be the perfect mother and volunteer. The kidnapping was just the start of the spiral that got started. The thing is Ruby finds out that her husband is cheating while their toddler is missing, and in that moment, loses her love for him. She finds companionship with her friend Flynn (whose son Jett is the same age as Mason) and her daughter’s soccer coach, Ethan. Although we find out that it was all emotional and a single kiss.
Millie is the protective older sister trying to shield Mason, aka Blue, from their “uncaring” mother and staying loyal to her father. She is living and interacting with her brother, mother, father and peers based on the lies she has built up or believed... Millie has a lot of growing up to do and while she learns, the reality is forced to grow up in ways you can’t imagine. Millie’s side of the story starts crumbling as she is told she will no longer be starting the soccer game and is benched. This comes the same time that she has received a text with a photo of her mom and soccer coach kissing. Her best friend, Lena, has suddenly taken a hard change and turned on her, hanging out with the bully who has been Millie’s archnemesis. As her entire world is crumbling, she finds out that Lena is pregnant with her soccer coach. Millie finds out the enemy is the one who sent her the picture and realizes that the lies that are tearing her apart might not be what she originally thought.
There are so many twists and turns throughout the book that I felt like the psychological thriller wasn’t going to stop. It didn’t have many reviews - literally, when I started reading the book, there were only two on Goodreads and they were both basically the same thing as the summary included in the book. I’m posting this well past when I finished the book, as I was also reading other books.
The coach being charged twice shows that there was more than one girl whom the coach groomed and had an inappropriate relationship with. Mason being the bully and not able to control his emotions, was a twist that is heartbreaking, understandable, but not one I was expecting. Finding out Ruby was kidnapped by the parents who think she are her parents... She doesn't find out until she tells her mom about everything she is dealing with, then her mom finally shares the truth about her life. Ivy was really Ruby’s sister, who was still raised by her alcoholic biological mother. The reason her mother never wanted Ruby in therapy, and her mom met Ivy at the pond. This is where her mother found out about the affair and how in love Ivy and Jack were. Ivy attacked her mom and in self-defense, her mom hit her over the head with a rock.
Jack ends up going to prison for Ivy’s murder... A knife, Ivy’s locket and testimonies from people who overheard the fight between Jack and Ivy in the hotel, among other things was enough, even with amazing lawyers for him to go to prison. We then finally hear from Ivy for the first time again in a few chapters. We experience her fight with Bobby, how she was left alone in the grass... Then a man coming up and stabbing her in the chest, then drowned on her own blood in the water. She likens seeing the star above to looking like paper flowers (i.e. finally hearing the title of the book).
In the epilogue, we find out that Ruby went to meet Ivy and came upon her body floating in the pond. We also find out that Ruby found Mason in the treehouse in his pajamas... and that Ivy is the one who kidnapped him and still sneaks into the house at night, leaving him paper sunflowers. He is afraid of her and doenst like sunflowers so he hides them in his treehouse. He is still holding Jack’s pocket knife while telling his mom all about the attack and all of his experiences. Ruby explains how she cleaned up everything and burned the clothes, got rid of the treehouse, how Jack used the knife to open mail (she then used gloves to move the knife to his car), mailed him the locket, everything she needed to do to get rid of evidence for Mason. Ruby is still married to Jack, but is working with his business partner for her to buy out Jack from the business and then she will divorce him. Flynn and Jett moved away and Ruby has never spoken to her friend again. Ruby and the kids moved into the house next to her parents. Millie has decided to stay at the same school with her boyfriend Brett and about a week after Jack’s trial, she crawled into bed with her mom and mended fences and begged for forgiveness. Ruby shared everything that happened with her assault and emotional affair with Ethan. Millie and Mason both ask to change their last name from their dad’s last name.
In the second epilogue, we hear from Jack after some time in prison... He writes out a letter to Ruby saying, “I know your secret”.
Themes: cheating, sexual abuse, murder, lies, mother and daughter bonding and more that I am probably missing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2026
4.5 rounded up for GR
Stick with it!!! There are so many twists and turns and you think you have it figured out but not even close!!! That ending….🤯. OMG!!!!!
Stick with it!!! There are so many twists and turns and you think you have it figured out but not even close!!! That ending….🤯. OMG!!!!!
March 8, 2026
How in god’s name does this have 4+ stars???? This book was AWFUL. Holy fuck. I have not read something this bad in a very long time. I’m pissed I didn’t dnf
February 23, 2025
I’m honestly speechless at the moment.
It took me a couple of chapters to really get into but there were so many different POV there was really no way (at least to me) to know which direction it was going.
The last 100 pages really all came together with all the twist and surprises.
It took me a couple of chapters to really get into but there were so many different POV there was really no way (at least to me) to know which direction it was going.
The last 100 pages really all came together with all the twist and surprises.
December 27, 2024
HOLY TWIST! I could not put this book down! I had several guesses as to where the ending was going, but I had it wrong every time! Highly recommend!
October 20, 2025
This book got me out of my reading slump. Highly recommend.
March 21, 2026
What happens when Ruby is no longer able to separate the truth from the lie?
A nightmare.
An affair.
A dead body.
A lifelong secret.
And the ending you never saw coming.
It did start off a little slow especially during the first half but the tension was simmering underneath the surface and I could sense that twists were about to come but I definitely feel like this was more of a family drama.
There is a lot of hype to this one, although I didn’t seem to love it as much as others seem to have it was still a solid listen, especially when towards the end family drama territory seemed to change into thriller/mystery territory.
A nightmare.
An affair.
A dead body.
A lifelong secret.
And the ending you never saw coming.
It did start off a little slow especially during the first half but the tension was simmering underneath the surface and I could sense that twists were about to come but I definitely feel like this was more of a family drama.
There is a lot of hype to this one, although I didn’t seem to love it as much as others seem to have it was still a solid listen, especially when towards the end family drama territory seemed to change into thriller/mystery territory.
February 28, 2026
I freaking enjoyed the hell out of this book! I had not read any reviews before hand and only had the Goodreads description to go on when I started it. just…WHOA. It’s such a thriller with the absolute most shitty characters in a book I’ve ever read. Not shitty writing, just shitty people. No one is worth a damn thing. Hahahhahaha. I hate every single one of them and they’re written so fantastically perfect!!! *chefs kiss This thrilling roller coaster is definitely a gem everyone should read. I think this is this author’s first book and I am giving it one tall and loud standing ovation.
March 3, 2026
Wow! Absolutely loved this book. Looking forward to reading more from this author ❤️
March 3, 2026
Fantastic! I loved all the different point of views.
February 15, 2026
Wellllll… this is my first 2-star read.
I really wanted to love this one. The twists at the end? So good. Those final pages definitely grabbed me.
But man… this book dragged. There were so many characters and so many metaphors that it honestly became distracting. Instead of building suspense, it just felt heavy and slow.
I was this 🤏 close to DNF’ing it around 60%, but I had already invested that much time, so I pushed through hoping something would finally hook me.
And to be fair… the last few pages did.
Still, for me, it just took too long to get there.
Would I recommend it? Maybe if you love layered storytelling and don’t mind a slower burn.
I really wanted to love this one. The twists at the end? So good. Those final pages definitely grabbed me.
But man… this book dragged. There were so many characters and so many metaphors that it honestly became distracting. Instead of building suspense, it just felt heavy and slow.
I was this 🤏 close to DNF’ing it around 60%, but I had already invested that much time, so I pushed through hoping something would finally hook me.
And to be fair… the last few pages did.
Still, for me, it just took too long to get there.
Would I recommend it? Maybe if you love layered storytelling and don’t mind a slower burn.
February 17, 2026
Absolutely loved this book! It’s a very well-written story that pulls you in and doesn’t let you go. It’s multiple POV but not confusing at all, and it’s done so well that you get to really understand different perspectives and views in varying situations. It was a ride being in the minds of the characters for sure.
I spent most of the book trying to “figure it out,” and while I was close, I was never right. It just made it that much more necessary for me to hurry up and finish it. I’m a little tired today from the late-night marathon read.
I also want to note how well the author does with metaphors and descriptive language. There’s a balance between making sure the reader is getting a clear picture and overdoing it. The author was perfectly balanced with it through and through, and perfectly added so much more depth to the story and characters. I have a blind teenager that loves books, and while she’s a little too young for this book, this is the kind of descriptive writing that we look for in books for her. It’s 10/10 for me!
If you love a good story with layers and depth, messy people, twists and turns, and mystery I cannot recommend this book enough.
I spent most of the book trying to “figure it out,” and while I was close, I was never right. It just made it that much more necessary for me to hurry up and finish it. I’m a little tired today from the late-night marathon read.
I also want to note how well the author does with metaphors and descriptive language. There’s a balance between making sure the reader is getting a clear picture and overdoing it. The author was perfectly balanced with it through and through, and perfectly added so much more depth to the story and characters. I have a blind teenager that loves books, and while she’s a little too young for this book, this is the kind of descriptive writing that we look for in books for her. It’s 10/10 for me!
If you love a good story with layers and depth, messy people, twists and turns, and mystery I cannot recommend this book enough.
March 11, 2026
Trigger:
-Multiple rapes (The new “go to” for authors. Why can’t a thriller be written without this topic?!)
***Spoiler***
Do yourself a favor and don’t read. I found it skin crawling at the end. And I realize some of you may feel differently than me…..
The first half of this novel was so good. Everything you want in a thriller! Fast paced, gripping plot, intriguing characters so well developed along with witty dialogue punctuated with lots of music references.
And then….
And then it got weird and disturbing and I just can’t believe an author wrote about a 1st grade little boy who is a horrific bully and zipped tied another student all without explaining where in the hell he came upon zip ties. To make matters worse, he is coddled by his mother and she never discusses his behavior with him.
But hold on, that’s not even the most disturbing part.
The first grade boy stabs a woman more than 20 times and the mother sets things up so that her cheating husband takes the blame and is sent to prison. And the mother cleans up the mess and confesses that she’s never been happier and “revenge is best served cold.”
I am so gobsmacked that an author chose to write about an elementary school boy with twisted bullying tendencies who murders another woman.
He eventually sees a therapist and tells the therapist he has nightmares about killing a woman. She tells him it is normal to have dreams like that of someone you are scared of. And knock me over with a feather the mother exclaims that after her son heard that, “the darkness in his eyes faded.”
As a retired educator, myself, I know there are deeply troubled students. But why put this in a novel?! It’s so disturbing.
Why?!
The only saving grace was knowing the imprisoned husband wrote his wife a letter simply stating: “I know your secret.”
-Multiple rapes (The new “go to” for authors. Why can’t a thriller be written without this topic?!)
***Spoiler***
Do yourself a favor and don’t read. I found it skin crawling at the end. And I realize some of you may feel differently than me…..
The first half of this novel was so good. Everything you want in a thriller! Fast paced, gripping plot, intriguing characters so well developed along with witty dialogue punctuated with lots of music references.
And then….
And then it got weird and disturbing and I just can’t believe an author wrote about a 1st grade little boy who is a horrific bully and zipped tied another student all without explaining where in the hell he came upon zip ties. To make matters worse, he is coddled by his mother and she never discusses his behavior with him.
But hold on, that’s not even the most disturbing part.
The first grade boy stabs a woman more than 20 times and the mother sets things up so that her cheating husband takes the blame and is sent to prison. And the mother cleans up the mess and confesses that she’s never been happier and “revenge is best served cold.”
I am so gobsmacked that an author chose to write about an elementary school boy with twisted bullying tendencies who murders another woman.
He eventually sees a therapist and tells the therapist he has nightmares about killing a woman. She tells him it is normal to have dreams like that of someone you are scared of. And knock me over with a feather the mother exclaims that after her son heard that, “the darkness in his eyes faded.”
As a retired educator, myself, I know there are deeply troubled students. But why put this in a novel?! It’s so disturbing.
Why?!
The only saving grace was knowing the imprisoned husband wrote his wife a letter simply stating: “I know your secret.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2026
“Revenge is a dish best served cold.”
Phenomenal! I didn’t see it coming. Without reading the synopsis, I thought this was a historical fiction/drama, based on the book cover. Boy, was I wrong! 😑
I liked how the story was interconnected. Ruby's "perfect" life as a wealthy Dallas PTA president begins to crumble under the weight school scandal and the discovery of a dead body near her pond who turned out to be her husband’s mistress.
Perfect story buildup. This will stay with me for a while.
Phenomenal! I didn’t see it coming. Without reading the synopsis, I thought this was a historical fiction/drama, based on the book cover. Boy, was I wrong! 😑
I liked how the story was interconnected. Ruby's "perfect" life as a wealthy Dallas PTA president begins to crumble under the weight school scandal and the discovery of a dead body near her pond who turned out to be her husband’s mistress.
Perfect story buildup. This will stay with me for a while.
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