Between You, Me, and the Fence Post: A Novel

by Hunter Snow

A poignant, emotionally honest story about love, addiction, and the quiet bravery it takes to choose yourself.

Actress Claire Davis has spent her life pretending—on screen and off. When she meets Reed Hart, the charismatic frontman of a once-popular band, she believes she’s found something real.

But Reed is addicted to more than fame. And loving him means living in the space between who he is and who he swears he’ll become.

Claire waits. She hopes. She tries to save him. When Reed finally seeks help, she thinks it’s their turning point.

Instead, it’s her wake-up call.


🎭 Putting on a Brave Face
🕰️ Waiting for Him to Change
🚩 Red Flags Ignored
🛟 Trying to Save Someone Who Won’t Save Themselves
🌧️ Quiet, Emotional Realism
🪞 Self-Awareness as the Turning Point
🌱 Choosing Yourself
🧡 Love Isn’t Enough
📝 Women’s Fiction

Genres: Fiction, Womens Fiction

410 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 2, 2026

About the author

I barely survived my career in the music industry—now I write about it.

From the Pacific Northwest, I spin stories inspired by everything I swore I’d never talk about.

Any resemblance to real people, places, or events? Pure coincidence. Obviously.

Reviews

[Jenni]

I opened this book and immediately felt like I’d been dropped into someone else’s relationship drama without warning — like overhearing a couple argue in the frozen‑foods aisle and suddenly becoming emotionally invested. Claire Davis has spent her entire life pretending she’s fine. On screen. Off screen. In relationships. Honestly, she could fake normalcy during an alien invasion and no one would question it.

Then Reed Hart strolls in — charismatic frontman, human red flag, emotional rollercoaster with no safety harness — and Claire decides he’s “the real thing.”
Claire, darling, that’s not real. That’s a man held together by guitar strings and denial.

Reed is addicted to more than fame.
He’s addicted to the fantasy version of himself — the one he promises he’ll become “soon,” “eventually,” “after this tour,” “after this crisis,” “after this next terrible decision.”
And Claire? She signs up for the emotional loyalty program like she’s collecting points.

She waits.
She hopes.
She tries to save him with the determination of someone attempting to fix a sinking boat using a teaspoon. Every red flag is waving like it’s auditioning for a parade, and she just steps around them like they’re decorative.

When Reed finally seeks help, Claire thinks it’s their turning point.
I thought it was their turning point.
The book pretends it’s their turning point.

But no.
It’s HER turning point — the moment she realises she’s been living in the emotional waiting room of a man who keeps missing his own appointments.

The quiet bravery in this story is brutal. Not loud, not dramatic, not “throwing plates and screaming in the rain.” It’s the kind where you sit alone, stare at your own reflection, and finally admit the truth you’ve been dodging like it’s a tax bill.

Claire choosing herself?
That’s the plot twist.
That’s the victory.
That’s the moment you want to stand up and clap like you’re at a school assembly.

It’s poignant, honest, messy in the real‑life way — not the soap‑opera way — and it hits with that emotional realism that makes you mutter, “Oh, I’ve known this couple. I’ve BEEN this couple.”

A 3.5–4 star read — raw, grounded, quietly devastating, and absolutely the kind of story that makes you want to hug Claire, gently bonk Reed with a rolled‑up newspaper, and then go for a long walk to process your own life choices.

[Mamawattto4 Melissa]

Thank you Hunter for always allowing me to read your stories early!!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I read Between You, Me, and the Fence Post in one sitting because I simply could not put it down. While it’s different from Hunter Snow’s usual style, it completely captivated me from the very first page.

This story is raw, emotional, and absolutely heartbreaking. It takes an honest look at love, addiction, hope, and the painful reality that you can’t save someone who isn’t ready to save themselves. Claire’s journey felt so authentic, and watching her learn that choosing herself wasn’t selfish it was necessary made for such a powerful read.

The emotions in this book hit hard, but they also felt incredibly relevant and real. Hunter Snow handled such a difficult topic with compassion and honesty, creating characters that stayed with me long after I finished the last page.

If you’re looking for a romance that goes beyond happily ever after and isn’t afraid to tackle the messy realities of loving someone struggling with addiction, I can’t recommend this enough. It’s beautifully written, deeply moving, and one of those books that lingers in your heart long after you’ve turned the final page.

[The Calm Chapter Mandi Wiencek]

🚬 Between You, Me and the Fencepost 🚬
((Spoiler-Free ARC Review))

Title- Between You, Me and the Fencepost
Author- Hunter Snow
Genre- Women’s/Contemporary Fiction

Trope City-
🥃 Alcohol Addiction
🥃 Grief/loss
🥃 Fame
🥃 Actress FMC
🥃 Washed up musician MMC

TRIGGER WARNING-
⚠️ This book is centered around sudden loss of a partner, unmanaged grief, alcoholism, addiction, infidelity and abuse of fame and power.

Holy feelings, friends. I don’t even know where to start. Claire FMC, is an actress whose career feels stagnant from constantly receiving small, inconsistent roles. Her best friend Mario is directing an indie film and casts Claire in it. Prior to filming, they meet Reed Hart (MMC) at an event and strange interactions lead to him requesting Claire’s number. He reaches out the very same night he meets her and charms her instantly.
Claire lost her long-time love to a type 1 diabetes related cardiac event. She hasn’t felt any release or joy since his passing. The consistent interaction with Reed changes that for her. Claire grows close to Reed and his daughter and doesn’t recognize that she’s being manipulated and used the entirety of a year spent with him. Alcoholism takes priority and life starts to unravel just as Claire’s success and career begins to take off. The struggles this sweet human faces absolutely killed me. I went through every stage of grief for her. I was angry, yelling at my book, crying, anxious, distraught, relieved. I felt EVERYTHING.

Hunter, this was so well done. I was absolutely hooked. Thank you and Grey’s Promotions for sharing this with me. I may never recover.

[Bookworm Express Kwan]

Yes! Yes! Yes!
Between You, Me, and the Fence Post is a story that needs to be told and re-told until shame changes sides. Like Roisín O’Donnell with Nesting, Hunter Snow shows readers the complexity behind coercive control and why leaving AND staying away isn’t as easy as it seems. I know readers will feel frustrated by the heroine for ignoring red flags and let her boundaries be crossed all the times, but - again - let’s put the blame where it belongs: at the person actually crossing those boundaries. Ugh.

Between You, Me and the Fence Post is about Claire Davis. At 41 she is a seasoned actress with enough credits to her name to make passers-by wonder why she looks so familiar, without making people stop and stare. But right when her career takes off she meets Reed Hart, the frontman of a once-popular band. She believes they have something real. But Reed is addicted to more than fame alone, and Claire is dragged into loving the mirage of man Reed promises to be.

I really like how realistic their situationship felt; Reed isn’t the undeniable catch and Claire is aware of his flaws. She is smart and she is capable. Reed is awful but for most part not a monster. It’s actually not easy to understand why Claire put up with this manchild - but that says way more about all the things we need to (un)learn when it comes to understanding the dynamics of coercive control and narcissistic abuse.

As the author prefaces, this is NOT a love story. If anything, Between You, Me and the Fence Post should be read as a cautionary tale that shows anyone can fall prey to a narcissist and their messed up games.

While I appreciate everything this book tries to do, I am a bit unsure about the straightforward approach. On one hand it makes totally sense that the plot moved from one event to another, as we were following the cycle of drama powered by Reed. On the other hand I wish we were shown just a bit more of Claire’s inner world. The confusion, the self doubt, the realization. Much was touched upon, but from a distance. Observational almost, instead of experiencing them, while I think these conflicting emotions would’ve been super interesting to explore.

Recommended for readers who like highly readable books with substance.

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing for an ARC.

[Gosia]

4.25
Claire is an actress who meets Reed, a once-famous singer, at an awards ceremony. They start talking, then dating, and I spent most of the book wanting to shake some sense into her.

Reed was a walking red flag. He drank all day, smoked constantly, never worked, lived in a mess, ignored his responsibilities, and refused to admit he had an alcohol problem. Yet Claire kept hoping he would change.

What frustrated me the most was how little support he gave her. He wasn't proud of her achievements and often seemed jealous of her success.

This story is so well written that it genuinely made me angry. I admired Claire for her patience, kindness, and big heart, but those same qualities kept her trapped in a toxic relationship.

The book explores alcoholism, unhealthy relationships, and controlling behaviour, but it is also a story about hard work, determination, and chasing your dreams. It shows how dedication can build a career and how easily everything can fall apart when you stop caring.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I wanted to pick this book up every chance I got. I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. I kept hoping things would improve, only to watch them get even worse. And let's not forget the dog. He loved everyone, unlike me, who spent most of the book being angry at Reed. 🐶😂

This story made me incredibly angry, but that's a testament to how well it was written.

[Wendy Livingstone]

This is Claire and Reed’s story.
Claire is an actress who has spent her life pretending on and off the screen, and Reed is the frontman of a once popular band, and when they meet, she is sure she has met the one for her. Claire has a tragic past, but Reed has his own demons with addiction challenges to overcome. This story takes a look at helping a person, or enabling them, and choosing yourself as a necessity.
This author has done a fantastic job in weaving the storyline with a difficult topic, with such compassion and sensitivity.
This is a well written story, which is raw, gritty, powerful, and an emotional roller coaster, with grief, heartbreak, complex and flawed characters, making choices, self-awareness, manipulation, challenges, addiction, hope, healing, redemption, and tough love, which leads to an entertaining, tragic, unpredictable, and poignant page turner.
I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend.

[Jasmine]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book follows Claire, an actress who falls for a front man of a once popular band. It takes you through a journey of love, loss and grief while exploring heavy-hitting topics such as addiction.

Claire was a really likeable main character and I found myself rooting for her. There are moments where you wanted to scream about all the red flags, but I was invested in her journey and wanted to find out how her story would end.

Overall, a really enjoyable and thought-provoking read! Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

[Cym & Her Books 🍉]

DNF at 40%

Both characters were insufferable. May be Extremely triggering for anyone that has experienced IPV, and it’s certainly not something I want to spend my time reading.

[Anita| FantasyandFeelings]

I read up to 40% of this book and I really wanted to enjoy it but I couldn’t. So I skipped to the end bc I wanted to know if at some point it changed, it got better. And I know it’s not a HEA but jeeezzzz I couldn’t understand why she stayed so long. I was so annoyed with the MMC I just couldn’t do it anymore. He wasn’t worth it. His attitude from the very beginning sucked and I just don’t get it. I wasn’t that invested in the initial relationship to see it crash and burn.

[READER VIEWS]

After the death of her beloved partner five years ago, Canadian actress Claire Davis has thrown herself into her career and recently earned herself an induction into the Canadian Hall of Fame. When she meets washed-up rockstar Reed Hart at an awards ceremony, dating is the last thing on her mind. But something about Reed’s persistence and sarcastic sense of humor intrigues her. Before she knows it, they are talking every night. She can’t wait to spend all her free time with him.

But a big problem looms, and Claire learns it quickly. Reed Hart is damaged goods. He’s a chain-smoking alcoholic with a penchant for being completely insensitive to Claire. But by then, her heart is so wildly invested in him, she doesn’t want to walk away.

Will Claire succumb to the plight of being in a toxic relationship with a person with an addiction, or will she learn that if you love someone, you need to set them free?

Between You, Me, and the Fence Post by Hunter Snow is an emotionally driven novel that explores the realities of loving someone with an addiction. Although Claire is a successful, independent woman, Snow shows that no one is immune to poor judgment when it comes to matters of the heart. You don’t get to choose who you love, but you do get to decide how you move forward. The author warns us that while the novel has some lighthearted parts, it is not a romantic comedy and explores heavy themes like addiction, suicide, and abuse.

Not only does the novel cover navigating a toxic romance, but the author explores how unresolved grief and trauma can bleed into other relationships. Claire had been stuffing down her grief over losing her partner Ben for years, which made her much more vulnerable to being played or taken advantage of. This will resonate strongly with readers whose loneliness may have manifested into an unhealthy partnership or second-chance romance.

Anyone who’s ever been in any sort of abusive relationship knows the struggle of power dynamics. You start as equals, and in Claire’s case, she quickly falls into an unhealthy routine of catering to Reed and making excuses for his behavior. The author did an excellent job of transporting readers into their private, unhealthy relationship, rife with insults, gaslighting, a dirty house, and plenty of guilt. It affected me on a visceral level; I wanted to jump into the story and shake some sense into Claire before she lost her identity forever. This was a raw and painstakingly real portrayal of how love can hold you hostage.

Ever wonder what it would be like to date a rockstar? Snow’s writing will appeal to that inner fangirl. If you like complex, messy, unconventional relationship stories, this one is for you. Between You, Me, and the Fence Post by Hunter Snow intersperses a little glitz and humor into a weighty storyline, brimming with well-developed characters.

[Emily Forgett]

This is the kind of book that sits with you long after you’ve read it.

This was something new and completely outside the typical genre I read so I really didn’t know what to expect. Right off the bat I will say this will make you feel incredibly frustrated and possibly angry, but that is the point. The FMC Claire is an actress who has some trauma from her past and some grief she is dealing with. She meets our MMC Reed at an award show and Reed is the lead vocalist in a band that Claire loved in college. They hit it off right away and Reed essentially asks Claire out and their relationship goes from there.

I need to make it a point that the MMC is completely unlikable. Reed is a POS to put it lightly, but that’s the point. You’re not supposed to like him. Claire on the other hand, I went through a constant cycle of “WTF is wrong with you” and “Oh poor Claire Bear” It was truly an exhausting roller coaster of emotion but at the end I realized, I was supposed to feel exhausted because that’s how Claire felt. What sucked me so deep into this book was how real these characters and their lives felt. I forgot I was reading about fake people for a minute. The authors writing is so good before I knew it I was already half way through the book and I couldn’t stop. I went to bed thinking about Claire and Reed and just wanted to keep going. The side characters are also what made this story for me. I loved all of them, especially sweet little Lilith and Quinn.

The most important part of this story is the topics it touches on. This is a heavy story, and it’s uncomfortable, ugly, sad, and so incredibly well written. The author takes you on a true journey of what it’s like dealing with grief, narcissistic abuse, addiction, and what it’s like being a woman who loves a broken man. This story is the perfect representation of how women are automatically made to feel responsible for picking up the pieces of a man when he can’t hold himself together. Of how a woman is made to feel guilty if she doesn’t stay around to support a man when he’s making the worst self destructive decisions. This story is very important for Women’s Fiction and is a beautiful story about learning to forgive yourself, putting yourself first, leaning on those that love you, and standing up for yourself. You get so frustrated at Claire, you want to scream and shake her, and then you get to the end and you understand her. You cry for her, and then you feel proud of her.

My only two complaints that kept this from being 5 stars for me is 1. Claire did not read like a 41 year old woman to me. I kept forgetting how old she actually was. 2. Towards the ends of the book all the chapters about the movie and the award shows felt very repetitive and wordy, and so felt like they could have been shortened down a little.

Thank you so much to Greys Promo and the author for the digital ARC of this book

[Holly Collins]

I always take notes, write down thoughts and relatable moments, and point out any errors (if there are any). My review is afterwards. Quotes from the book will be in (…) with the page number.

1. I love that there’s a list of trigger warnings at the beginning!! I think this is a must when heavy topics are in scenes or discussed. Awesome addition! 🫶🏻

2. We leave the tv in for our dogs. 😂🤦🏻‍♀️ (I turned off the TV I always left on for Sammy…) (pg. 24)

3. I always like finding the title in the book lol. Found it!

4. 50 pages in and I’m seeing a bunch of red flags!! Run sis! 🏃🏻‍♀️🏃🏻‍♀️

5. So. Many. Red. Flags. 🚩🚩🚩

6. I want to shake Claire so she can see all of the negative things about Reed!

7. Screaminggg red flag warning!! (“Take care of yourself.”) (pg. 115)

8. I hate that Claire has an excuse for everything that’s wrong. It’s really sad. (Because it was easier than pushing back.) (pg. 144)

9. I understand this too well…just not with my amazing husband, but a family member. I am still learning how to set healthy boundaries. (The version of him who made me feel selfish for having any boundaries at all.) (pg. 169)

10. Absolutely 100%!! (“You can’t help someone who doesn’t want it, Claire Bear.”) (pg. 235)

11. You *can* block emails and they will automatically delete, so this is wrong. (“How do I block his emails?”) (“You can’t.”) (pg. 248)

12. My favorite band!! 😊🖤💛 (“One kid asked me if Nirvana was a clothing brand.”) (pg. 291)

13. The audacity!! 😤 (“That he was an artist. That he was entitled.”) (pg. 364)

14. Holy bananas!! 😱

15. Wow! Natalie just shocked me!

16. Natalie is awesome!!

🩷🖤🩷🖤🩷🖤🩷🖤🩷🖤🩷🖤🩷

Wow this book touched so many issues that people need to know about. I love the realism! I saw the red flags from Reed immediately! But…when you’re in a relationship (no matter if it’s romantic, platonic, familial even) you can’t always see those red flags, even when they’re right in your face. This book brings narcissism and addiction to the front.

Hunter Snow is an amazing author! I love their writing, the flow of the book was good, and the characters are great. Yes, even Reed! I love when an author creates a character that I despise lol. It shows how creative they are. I love how strong Claire is!

This one is a must read! I think it’s important to take care of yourself, notice any red flags in life, and make sure you’re safe. Listen to those close to you! I truly enjoyed this book! Now, I’ll go look for other books by Hunter Snow!!

[Beejai Bohls]

I was drawn to the book by the cover and was hooked by the story on the pages. There are trigger warnings with this book, that should be taken seriously. This book is also not the traditional romance genre that I typically read but more of a self awareness love of the characters. The characters really grip you and then you will find yourself rooting for them as you get through the book. The characters have their flaws but everyone has their flaws, I feel that is what makes them so relatable. You have an actress and a musician, obviously there are things that they get exposed to which can lead to addiction. To be able to write about something that really affects almost everyone today, is amazing. It was handle with grace but not the type of grace that you don't see the struggles that happen. The characters have to learn to take things one day at a time. The FMC has to learn how to love herself again because if she can't love herself no one can love her. This story weighs heavily on you reading it because it is so well written that you feel everything that they are feeling. The book is exhausting but in a good way. To be able to feel that emotionally invested in the characters is huge win in the author column. I found myself getting incredibly frustrated with the FMC for ignoring all the red flags that are clearly visible. After thinking about it, don't we al ignore some red flags for love. The FMC finding her worth and standing up for how she needs to be treated is an amazing struggle that you will feel every emotion she does and then some. This book, I feel is something that everyone needs to read. It isn't because it deals with addiction but because it teaches you how to draw boundaries when you didn't have any, how to navigate getting out of unhealthy situations, and learning how to start loving yourself in the process. Not everyone's journey is the same but everyone can relate to this book. I wish I could read it for the first all over again just to have the self reflection that it brought to me. Such an amazing read. I look forward to reading more from this author.

[Heidi Sturgess]

Loving the retro vibe of this cover art but what lies in between will take you by surprise 😉 🥰📚there are trigger warnings so take heed but don’t be scared off 😉

Claire has spent most of her life in front of the screen an I think sometimes acting rolls over into real life because it’s easier to live in “ make believe” than reality because let’s face it sometimes reality is like a hungry vampire and it just sucks the life right out of you !

Claire may be an actress but she’s also a mom , friend , mourning the loss of her partner and a woman wanting to feel loved , needed and cherished , she’s just human like you and me . When Reed crosses her path , his attention is flattering and he was a crush way back when so why not get excited !? Unfortunately Reed has his own demons and some heavy baggage and I wondered if Claire could take on more than she already had going on 🤷‍♀️

Claire and Rees are real people dealing with real problems and I thinks that’s why they’re so relatable and on a few occasions I had to pause for some introspection 🫣 yes I did get frustrated with Claire at times but I also empathised with her and admired her strength and perseverance.

I’ll have to admit that I did look at things a little judgmentally at times but we all ignore red flags and warning signs for whatever reason so who am I to cast stones !? I also got see things from a different perspective like addiction , it’s an evil dark horse 💔🥲

I had to re read the ending a few times so that it could actually sink in 🫣😉 . This book really did hit hard and heavy 🫣🤗

[Monzerrad]

I totally enjoyed this book! I went into it not really knowing what to expect, but Claire’s story pulled me in and had me feeling so many emotions.

From the beginning, I knew Reed was a 🚩🚩🚩. The more I learned about him, the more those red flags kept popping up. His comments toward Claire were so negative and insensitive, and there were so many moments where I was thinking, girl, please see what I’m seeing! 😩

What I loved most was watching Claire finally choose herself. She spent so much time worrying about everyone else and trying to understand or help Reed that she started losing sight of herself. Seeing her realize that she deserved better and that she didn’t have to keep sacrificing herself for someone else was honestly my favorite part.

I also really appreciated that this book touches on something we don’t see enough in romance—choosing to love yourself first. Claire’s journey wasn’t just about finding another relationship or moving on to someone else. It was about finding herself again, recognizing what she deserved, and learning that putting herself first wasn’t selfish. I really loved that message and the way her growth was shown throughout the story.

This was definitely an emotional read, but I also loved the humor and Claire’s personality throughout the story. I found myself laughing, getting frustrated, and wanting to shake her a few times 😂, but overall, I was completely invested in her journey.

[Stacey (Bookalorian)]

Book Review - Contemporary Fiction

Title: Between You, Me, and the Fence Post by Hunter Snow

⭐ Star Rating: 5 ⭐

🎯 Vibe Check: PASS

This book felt like... Hollywood glamour walked directly into an emotional dumpster fire and decided to set up camp.

I was hooked... because apparently I enjoy watching fictional people make incredibly complicated emotional decisions while I sit there yelling GIRL, NO.

Claire has spent her life pretending, and then she falls for Reed, a charismatic musician struggling with addiction. She loves him, hopes for him, waits for him, and tries to save him.

And that is where this story really got me.

Because sometimes loving someone doesn't mean you can save them. Sometimes you have to realize that choosing yourself isn't selfish.

Did I care about the characters? Absolutely. Claire's journey felt incredibly real, especially watching her figure out where loving someone ends and losing yourself begins.

Tropes included: celebrity romance, addiction and recovery, complicated relationships, second chances, emotional healing, self-discovery, and messy love.

This book made me feel: hopeful, frustrated, heartbroken, and occasionally like I needed to have a strongly worded conversation with Claire.

😈 Petty Complaint: Reed, sir. Being hot, talented, and emotionally complicated does not excuse the bad decisions. Please seek therapy before chapter 37.

All in all, Between You, Me, and the Fence Post is an emotional story about love, addiction, hope, and learning when it's time to choose yourself.

5 stars from me.

Perfect for readers who like their romance messy, emotional, complicated, and just a little bit painful.

[Nisha]

What a beautiful read.
Between You, Me, and the Fence Post focuses on Claire, an actress who puts her past trauma behind and decides to move on with Reed, who is the charismatic lead singer of a once-famous band. The story focuses on the dynamics of their relationship and how ultimately, she learns to choose herself over a toxic relationship.
This is not a love story.. this is a story of love, emotional abuse, making excuses for abuse that can't be seen or touched, addiction, etc. I gobbled the book down in two days because it was written so beautifully.

One thing that I've realised through my own journey is that people have deep empathy for abuse that is tangible but the mental kind is absolutely ignored. Sometimes when we are in love, we start making excuses for narcissistic behaviour because we do not consider that to be a form of abuse. Having personally faced this, this story felt close to home.

Absolutely loved Claire's journey and the friends that followed her till the end.

[Nisha]

What a beautiful read.
Between You, Me, and the Fence Post focuses on Claire, an actress who puts her past trauma behind and decides to move on with Reed, who is the charismatic lead singer of a once-famous band. The story focuses on the dynamics of their relationship and how ultimately, she learns to choose herself over a toxic relationship.
This is not a love story.. this is a story of love, emotional abuse, making excuses for abuse that can't be seen or touched, addiction, etc. I gobbled the book down in two days because it was written so beautifully.

One thing that I've realised through my own journey is that people have deep empathy for abuse that is tangible but the mental kind is absolutely ignored. Sometimes when we are in love, we start making excuses for narcissistic behaviour because we do not consider that to be a form of abuse. Having personally faced this, this story felt close to home.

Absolutely loved Claire's journey and the friends that followed her till the end.

[Jennifer]

Between You, Me, and the Fence Post: A Novel by Hunter Snow.
5 of 5 Stars.
This engaging and emotional novel was at times both heartwarming and heartbreaking. Actress Claire spends her life both on and off screen pretending. So when she meets the charismatic Reed Hart, frontman of a once popular band, she thinks she’s finally found something real. However, Reed has his own demons and is addictive to more than fame. Claire ignores numerous red flags as Reed is always saying he will change, and so she waits and hopes. Having repeatedly tried to save him, she’s relieved when Reed finally seeks help. Having believed this could be the turning point in their relationship, she then has a wake up call. The characters are so realistically complex and relatable that you can’t help but feel invested. I was taken on an emotional rollercoaster whilst reading this, and thought how brave it was for Claire to finally choose herself. I was captivated throughout!

[Shaena]

the dramaaaa!!

OKAY HUNTERRR! let me break this down as I read:

What an EMOTIONAL JOURNEY!

Part 1)
I wanna yell at Claire. Why not leave when signs were there so early? Maybe because of Ben and the history there? Guilt. Who knows.
Part 2) Reid literally makes me angry. Like what. Rude af. Come on girl. You can do better. The whole part was just infuriating but again, I understand because of Ben. I was yelling at Claire through this whole dang part. GIRL.
Part 3) thank god for Mario. Also adore Floyd (so I thought) Writing is so immersive. I felt like Reid’s letters were something I was actually reading in real life.
I’m hooked for this book. Guessing all the endings for HEA.
Part 4)
WTF REID. WTF FLOYD. WHY.
THAT ENDING. Oh my God. I put together sooo many scenarios for the ending but never that!

This book put me through the emotional ringer. Great job, Hunter Snow! 👏👏👏👏

[Charlisa Wahtomy-Alba]

This is my first book by this author so I was unsure what I was getting into. If you have any kind of triggers there may be some in here so fair warning. I have seen people in my personal life go through the things that the MFC goes through and I will tell you that I have thought the same thing as some of the other reviews have said. Why does she let him treat her that way? Why didn't she leave at the first warning sign? I'm sure Reed wanted to be able to love Claire the way she deserved but by the time he may have realized that it was too late. This story touched on things that are a part of every day life for a lot of people. I was glad to see the MFC grow and mature over the story and finally put herself before all the crap the MMC was putting her through. Get ready to be on a rollercoaster. You will yell at the characters and you will want to throw your book or Kindle (please don't!). I promise it is well worth the read.

[Tashfia Nabila fareed]

There’s so much to love about this book. If you’re looking for a book club pick, look no further!

The book explores emotional abuse/ narcissistic abuse and addiction and it does so in a very realistic way. There’s no overdramatising scenes, just a story that makes you feel seen. I could relate to the FMC as well as felt like I was listening to a friend the whole time.

The story represented the vicious cycle of abuse, how victims are acutely aware of the abuse and yet find it hard to get out, how they feel shame and hide things from friends and so much more. I think it’s a book that a lot of us will relate to and therefore a perfect candidate for discussions.

I appreciated the humour spread throughout the book which again is very realistic (life can still be funny even though it’s a wreck at times) and made the book not as heavy. Highly recommend!

[Cindie Wenger]

wow

Wow, just wow! This book has really thrown me for a loop. I didn’t see the ending coming. About 25% of the way through this book. I almost quit reading it. I kept telling myself it’s gonna get better, it’s gonna get better. How could Claire let Reid use her like he did? How could she put up with the disgusting conditions of his home? And with Floyd? I kept reading and I’m so glad I did. This could’ve been any person’s story, and I’m sure it’s the story of many people. It doesn’t make it any less disgusting but the way the author let Claire handle it was just amazing. It wasn’t your typical happily ever after… But it was truly happily ever after. Thank you for such a deep story.

[Amanda Kimble]

5 out of 5 Stars

Between You, Me, and the Fence Post: A Novel by Hunter Snow

This is the first book I've read by the author. Between You, Me, and the Fence Post is a great read. It deals with an actress that loses her husband and never really deals with the pain.

Claire is a small time actress and while being nominated into an induction hall she meets Reed Hart. She falls for him as it's easy to have things in common. Old time movies and the love of random things. Then he breaks her heart and enters rehab. The quote I chose for her is this: “TJ couldn’t even wait a day to send me scripts. And I have some day-player roles coming up.”

[Kelli Harper]

This isn't a traditional romance, more so it is about a woman choosing herself and loving herself more than she loves the man she's with. And said "man" isn't a hero we're supposed to fall in love with. The heart of this story is Claire realizing that choosing herself isn't selfish. I loved the way the author has written the fine line between supporting someone and enabling them, along with the importance of boundaries, self-forgiveness, and leaning on people who genuinely care about you. A powerful read about addiction, unhealthy relationships, healing, and finding the courage to finally choose yourself.

[Tabitha]

Claire is an actress, both on screen and off. Pretending her way through life, especially after losing her husband.
She’s at an event with one of her best friends and the producer of her most recent film where she’s seated at a table with Reed, a musician who’s band was popular when Claire was in school. Claire falls in love with Reed but his struggles with addiction and his promises of the man he’s going to be have Claire trying to figure out there relationship and herself. When Reed enters rehab, thinking this will be a turning point, for him, it’s actually one for Claire.
There are definitely some heavy topics but great writing

[Jayme Raffauf]

This was a very interesting read for me. I will say that there are some triggers, so check those out first before reading. The emotional journey the reader is taken on as you read this story is a big one and I enjoyed following Claire along the way. Claire is an actress that is finding her way to success while also falling for a musician (Reed) that has his own issues, namely shared custody of his daughter and some major addiction concerns. I felt so many emotions for Claire as she faced so many difficult situations and decisions. Overall, this was a solid, but very emotional roller coaster of a story.

[Angela Durand]

This was such an emotional and powerful story. It wasn’t an easy read because of the difficult topics it explores, but it felt incredibly honest and realistic. My heart hurt for Claire, and I found myself rooting for her as she learned to put herself first and rediscover her own strength.

This was very different from the romances I usually read, but I’m so glad I stepped outside my comfort zone because it left a lasting impression. Thank you to Grey’s Promo and the author for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

[Besan Fawaz]

Thank you to Hunter Snow and Grey’s promotions for the early copy of Between You, Me, and the Fence Post.

This story touches on topics that we don’t see often enough, choosing to love yourself first.
Throughout this story there are moments I was ready to quit. Why, you ask, because I was so frustrated with how little Clare valued herself, as well as, how much it reminded me of a past experience of my own. I won’t give details to avoid ruining the plots and twists that come, but it definitely earned 👍🏼 👍🏼 from me!
Actions speak louder than any words spoken.

[Tiffany Kasper]

Thank you to Grey’s Promotions for the ARC!

I absolutely loved Between You, Me, and the Fencepost. This was one of those books that grabbed my attention early and kept me engaged from start to finish. I genuinely had a hard time putting it down.

Claire and Reed felt incredibly real and complicated. Between Reed’s struggles with alcohol and the ways he manipulates Claire, there were plenty of moments where I wanted to yell at these characters. As a therapist, reading this sometimes felt like sitting in on a therapy session and just watching two very messy, very human people navigate their lives and relationship.

I don’t have anything earth-shattering to say other than I really, really enjoyed this book. Hunter Snow is a fantastic writer, the characters felt real, and I was completely invested in their story. An easy five stars for me.