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Love Lies Beneath #2
A Sin Such as This
In this gripping follow-up to Love Lies Beneath, #1 New York Times bestselling author Ellen Hopkins's "fabulous, sex-filled masterpiece of mystery and romance" (Library Journal, starred review), the honeymoon ends for Tara Lattimore when her husband's ex-girlfriend is murdered, and she becomes a prime suspect.
Tara thought she was finally settling down when she married charming, handsome Dr. Cavin Lattimore, but life seems to be only getting more complicated. During the honeymoon, Tara's niece Kayla moved into their Lake Tahoe home and quickly hooked up with Cavin's manipulative, seductive son Eli. In a matter of weeks, Tara has gone from rich, single San Francisco professional to suburban housewife managing her niece's emotional ups-and-downs, as well as her stepson's continuing overt advances.
Adding to the family drama, Tara's younger sister Melody is going through a serious marital breakdown. During a heated argument, her husband Graham insists he and Tara once had an affair. Despite Tara's vehement denials, Melody is desperate to find the truth.
Enter Cavin's gorgeous ex-girlfriend, Sophia, whose sudden relocation to Lake Tahoe is causing further shake-up. When Sophia is found murdered, police quickly narrow the list of suspects to Tara, Cavin, Eli, and Kayla. All four have motive. All four have lost themselves in a complicated web of lust, jealousy, and betrayal. But how far was one of them actually willing to go? Tara has always considered herself a tough, self-made woman, on her own since she was a teen after a childhood defined by poverty, abuse, and neglect. For years, she suffered the sins of others. But that doesn't mean she never committed her own. Are the sins of the past about to catch up with her?
Tara thought she was finally settling down when she married charming, handsome Dr. Cavin Lattimore, but life seems to be only getting more complicated. During the honeymoon, Tara's niece Kayla moved into their Lake Tahoe home and quickly hooked up with Cavin's manipulative, seductive son Eli. In a matter of weeks, Tara has gone from rich, single San Francisco professional to suburban housewife managing her niece's emotional ups-and-downs, as well as her stepson's continuing overt advances.
Adding to the family drama, Tara's younger sister Melody is going through a serious marital breakdown. During a heated argument, her husband Graham insists he and Tara once had an affair. Despite Tara's vehement denials, Melody is desperate to find the truth.
Enter Cavin's gorgeous ex-girlfriend, Sophia, whose sudden relocation to Lake Tahoe is causing further shake-up. When Sophia is found murdered, police quickly narrow the list of suspects to Tara, Cavin, Eli, and Kayla. All four have motive. All four have lost themselves in a complicated web of lust, jealousy, and betrayal. But how far was one of them actually willing to go? Tara has always considered herself a tough, self-made woman, on her own since she was a teen after a childhood defined by poverty, abuse, and neglect. For years, she suffered the sins of others. But that doesn't mean she never committed her own. Are the sins of the past about to catch up with her?
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 29, 2018
113 people are currently reading
4217 people want to read
About the author
Ellen Hopkins
47 books19.1k followersEllen Hopkins is the New York Times bestselling author of Crank, Burned, Impulse, Glass, Identical, Tricks, Fallout, Perfect, Triangles, Tilt, and Collateral. She lives in Carson City, Nevada, with her husband and son. Hopkin's Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Pinterest pages get thousands of hits from teens who claim Hopkins is the "only one who understands me", and she can be visited at ellenhopkins.com.
Like most of you here, books are my life. Reading is a passion, but writing is the biggest part of me. Balance is my greatest challenge, as I love my family, friends, animals and home, but also love traveling to meet my readers. Hope I meet many of you soon!
Like most of you here, books are my life. Reading is a passion, but writing is the biggest part of me. Balance is my greatest challenge, as I love my family, friends, animals and home, but also love traveling to meet my readers. Hope I meet many of you soon!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews
March 30, 2018
This is a follow up to “Love Lies Beneath” - which I read three years ago when I was home - stuck in the house with a bright pink cast on my leg after having a complete ankle replacement.
Tara had a cast on her leg too, from a ski accident- which required her to spend time on crutches and a cast on her leg from trashing her knee while skiing. Skiing is how I broke my ankle the ‘first’ time, too. I shattered it in a ski accident and broke my tibia a day before a final at UC Berkeley.....taking a ‘hooky’ day from studying - at Squaw Valley in Lake Tahoe with a couple of students and Professors. Breaking it a second time 40 plus years later killed the ankle - so doctors replaced it.
I was enjoying the camraderie with Tara over our handicap hopping around on crutches. She was having more fun than I was - with her sexy lifestyle- and I was enjoying reading about it....rolling my eyes and all!
So.....I took a chance on this follow up book - “A Sin Such As This”. I no longer have any problem with my ankle - but at the start of this story, Tara is still having problems with her knee. Which is interfering with her sex life. She can have nice sex with her bad knee - but she craves wild & naughty sex.
So.... here’s the truth....
I read it ....all the messy relationships - graphic sex descriptions too - but I was a little less interested this go around. No fault of the book. More my mood.
It’s a GIRLFRIEND book.... with crazy relationship situations and behaviors — with memorable characters - looking at sex and romance from different points of view - The author explores infidelity- mental illness - characters inner feelings & thoughts - with some twists you don’t see coming towards the end—-so the suspense is real too.
It’s as good as the first book - the characters have just as many flaws - worries and charms.
Yet for me personally - this type of book is SCHLOCKY trashy reading. I’m not saying it as necessarily negative. I chose to read these books. Nobody twisted my arm. I like SCHLOCKY- when in the mood.
But I might be about done. It’s ‘me’ — not the author or the book! I still had my guilty pleasure reading - but I don’t see another craving around the corner soon.
Do I think most of my friends will want to read this - probably not. Younger women might enjoy this more than a 65 year old fart like myself. But who knows.
I ‘do’ think the author- Ellen Hopkins - has a lot of spunky loving sincerely about her - with an openness to her personality that shows up in her writing which I admire. She must be wonderful person to have lunch with.
3.5 Stars
Thank You Atria Books, Netgalley, and Ellen Hopkins
Tara had a cast on her leg too, from a ski accident- which required her to spend time on crutches and a cast on her leg from trashing her knee while skiing. Skiing is how I broke my ankle the ‘first’ time, too. I shattered it in a ski accident and broke my tibia a day before a final at UC Berkeley.....taking a ‘hooky’ day from studying - at Squaw Valley in Lake Tahoe with a couple of students and Professors. Breaking it a second time 40 plus years later killed the ankle - so doctors replaced it.
I was enjoying the camraderie with Tara over our handicap hopping around on crutches. She was having more fun than I was - with her sexy lifestyle- and I was enjoying reading about it....rolling my eyes and all!
So.....I took a chance on this follow up book - “A Sin Such As This”. I no longer have any problem with my ankle - but at the start of this story, Tara is still having problems with her knee. Which is interfering with her sex life. She can have nice sex with her bad knee - but she craves wild & naughty sex.
So.... here’s the truth....
I read it ....all the messy relationships - graphic sex descriptions too - but I was a little less interested this go around. No fault of the book. More my mood.
It’s a GIRLFRIEND book.... with crazy relationship situations and behaviors — with memorable characters - looking at sex and romance from different points of view - The author explores infidelity- mental illness - characters inner feelings & thoughts - with some twists you don’t see coming towards the end—-so the suspense is real too.
It’s as good as the first book - the characters have just as many flaws - worries and charms.
Yet for me personally - this type of book is SCHLOCKY trashy reading. I’m not saying it as necessarily negative. I chose to read these books. Nobody twisted my arm. I like SCHLOCKY- when in the mood.
But I might be about done. It’s ‘me’ — not the author or the book! I still had my guilty pleasure reading - but I don’t see another craving around the corner soon.
Do I think most of my friends will want to read this - probably not. Younger women might enjoy this more than a 65 year old fart like myself. But who knows.
I ‘do’ think the author- Ellen Hopkins - has a lot of spunky loving sincerely about her - with an openness to her personality that shows up in her writing which I admire. She must be wonderful person to have lunch with.
3.5 Stars
Thank You Atria Books, Netgalley, and Ellen Hopkins
June 19, 2018
Favorite Quotes:
Nice guy? Kill me now… A nice guy is roughly the equivalent of a decent girl. They’re like comfort food. Satisfying, but in all the wrong ways.
Worry causes wrinkles, and no one’s attracted to those.
My Review:
Mind blown! I had actually started to panic as after another intriguing yet slow build during this well-crafted and engrossing, yet maddeningly paced addictive tale, the storyline exploded at the 97% mark and I gasped as my heart seized in fear of another heinous cliffhanger. I was grinding my teeth, blinking hard, and ready to foam at the mouth! But, thankfully, I stumbled through an action-packed final 3% that left me so breathless I needed to read that 3% again much slower to absorb it all. W.O.W. Ellen Hopkins is a master storyteller who is also an evil genius and a wily minx. Her tantalizingly twisted yet alluring characters with their shady half-truths and bewitching storylines kept me 100% engaged yet somewhat itchy throughout. I had formed numerous wild theories of how the story would conclude but would never have dreamed up how all those little tightly woven threads knitted themselves into this finale. My gray matter will never be the same.
Nice guy? Kill me now… A nice guy is roughly the equivalent of a decent girl. They’re like comfort food. Satisfying, but in all the wrong ways.
Worry causes wrinkles, and no one’s attracted to those.
My Review:
Mind blown! I had actually started to panic as after another intriguing yet slow build during this well-crafted and engrossing, yet maddeningly paced addictive tale, the storyline exploded at the 97% mark and I gasped as my heart seized in fear of another heinous cliffhanger. I was grinding my teeth, blinking hard, and ready to foam at the mouth! But, thankfully, I stumbled through an action-packed final 3% that left me so breathless I needed to read that 3% again much slower to absorb it all. W.O.W. Ellen Hopkins is a master storyteller who is also an evil genius and a wily minx. Her tantalizingly twisted yet alluring characters with their shady half-truths and bewitching storylines kept me 100% engaged yet somewhat itchy throughout. I had formed numerous wild theories of how the story would conclude but would never have dreamed up how all those little tightly woven threads knitted themselves into this finale. My gray matter will never be the same.
February 25, 2022
**This will be Spoilerific so 🛑 if you want zero deets.**
2.5 Stars
A Sin Such as This picks up where we left off. Tara and Cavin are newlyweds; she recently learned he has a gambling problem and blew Eli’s college fund… and she’s a sociopath that accidentally murdered her first husband. She just wanted him to crash (laced his cocoa with opioids) because he was flirting with his ski instructor… but since she’s a sociopath she can’t feel regret.
That was a TOTAL shocker… didn’t see her being crazy coming. :) Her sis is unhappily married to Graham. Her niece is going to art school, and she’s still lusting after Eli. (who does have a birthday, so at least he’s legal in this one)
All caught up…let’s go. This one follows the same formula as the last book… nothing really happening until the end. So, the first 90% or so is filled with…
🍑 Mel (her sister) thinking about leaving Graham because she's convinced they (G & Tara) had an affair- getting a makeover, having a ONS, and being jealous of Tara.
🍑 Eli dating Kayla (her niece), sleeping with Sophia, and lusting after Tara while Kayla is jelly of Tara & Sophia.
🍑 Tara dropping her towel/ getting dressed in front of her friend’s boyfriend then getting upset when he comes on to her. Tara standing naked in front of a 10-yr old boy looking for his dog so he can get a good look at a woman.
🍑Tara thinking someone’s out to get her while she's suspicious of Cavin and Sophia. Tara lusting after Eli and being jelly of Kayla & Sophia.
🍑 Cringy sex scenes
We have more animal inspired sexcapades.
He lifts over me, moves my hair to one side, and lowers his lips to the back of my neck. Again, there is a brilliant sink of fangs.
And, Tara watches her NIECE and Eli (both 18) have sex in their backyard.
The two are relying on instinct. Pure animal drive, like big cats called by nature to mate for the first time.
Lust-fueled, he enters her again, missionary style. All lion now, he fucks hard and fast, and when her growl blossoms into a roar of orgasm, I don’t need to touch myself to come.
We also have a short little scene where she lets Eli finger her in their office when he comes home from school early.
MAJOR SPOILERS
The last 10% is action packed! I’m spoilering for those of you that read the first book and don’t want to read this book but want to know how it ends…. but if you don't want to know how it ends...🛑STOP HERE.
Mel is acting crazy, and purposely gave Tara a mango muffin. Eli races to retrieve her EpiPen and finds a gun in her purse. Later, Tara hosts a charity auction, and Sophia shows up uninvited. Kayla strolls in drunk and sees Eli and Sophia dancing and attacks. Tara kicks Sophia out and says, “leave us alone, or I’ll kill you.” Sophia is killed two days later, and the police arrest Tara because her gun is the murder weapon. She’s released two days later when her secret nanny cams show Mel leaving and returning at the time of the murder and replacing the gun. Mel HATES Tara for sleeping with Graham and wants her to be miserable rotting in jail. (she tells her the affair is completely in her head.) Tara also discovers that Cavin and Sophia were meeting and were somehow involved in pharma drug peddling scheme. The details are fuzzy on whether they were having an affair, and if Cavin used Tara for her money. She files for divorce, and he went to jail.
Then the big twist, Tara goes to her abusive mom’s grave and tells her that she planned the whole thing. She somehow knew her sister was thinking about killing Sophia and framing her, so she ate the mango muffin because she knew Eli would find the Glock and pull it out... giving Mel a push. She’s also planning on meeting Eli in Australia so they can finally have sex. And we get this while she's talking to her dead mom. (in her head)
Was Melody right about Graham?”
“I would never have cheated on Cavin with Graham. Not my style.” (I would like to point out that she let her stepson finger her while married to Cavin)
What about before Cavin?
“I think I’ll plead the fifth.”
But you always claimed you were averse to sleeping with married men.
"True. But I never said I wasn’t a liar.”
Bottom Line- I had the exact same experience this time around. It was strange, I can't say I enjoyed it, but I couldn't stop reading. It wasn't a great fit for me... I’m too close to 40, and my boys are too close to 17 for this to appeal to me at all. I think the book would’ve been MUCH better had it all been squished into one, cutting out all the filler and making Tara younger. (or Eli older- out of HS) Maybe like 25-30, it would’ve made her immature behavior more believable, and her obsession with Eli less icky.
2.5 Stars
A Sin Such as This picks up where we left off. Tara and Cavin are newlyweds; she recently learned he has a gambling problem and blew Eli’s college fund… and she’s a sociopath that accidentally murdered her first husband. She just wanted him to crash (laced his cocoa with opioids) because he was flirting with his ski instructor… but since she’s a sociopath she can’t feel regret.
That was a TOTAL shocker… didn’t see her being crazy coming. :) Her sis is unhappily married to Graham. Her niece is going to art school, and she’s still lusting after Eli. (who does have a birthday, so at least he’s legal in this one)
All caught up…let’s go. This one follows the same formula as the last book… nothing really happening until the end. So, the first 90% or so is filled with…
🍑 Mel (her sister) thinking about leaving Graham because she's convinced they (G & Tara) had an affair- getting a makeover, having a ONS, and being jealous of Tara.
🍑 Eli dating Kayla (her niece), sleeping with Sophia, and lusting after Tara while Kayla is jelly of Tara & Sophia.
🍑 Tara dropping her towel/ getting dressed in front of her friend’s boyfriend then getting upset when he comes on to her. Tara standing naked in front of a 10-yr old boy looking for his dog so he can get a good look at a woman.
🍑Tara thinking someone’s out to get her while she's suspicious of Cavin and Sophia. Tara lusting after Eli and being jelly of Kayla & Sophia.
🍑 Cringy sex scenes
We have more animal inspired sexcapades.
He lifts over me, moves my hair to one side, and lowers his lips to the back of my neck. Again, there is a brilliant sink of fangs.
And, Tara watches her NIECE and Eli (both 18) have sex in their backyard.
The two are relying on instinct. Pure animal drive, like big cats called by nature to mate for the first time.
Lust-fueled, he enters her again, missionary style. All lion now, he fucks hard and fast, and when her growl blossoms into a roar of orgasm, I don’t need to touch myself to come.
We also have a short little scene where she lets Eli finger her in their office when he comes home from school early.
MAJOR SPOILERS
The last 10% is action packed! I’m spoilering for those of you that read the first book and don’t want to read this book but want to know how it ends…. but if you don't want to know how it ends...🛑STOP HERE.
Mel is acting crazy, and purposely gave Tara a mango muffin. Eli races to retrieve her EpiPen and finds a gun in her purse. Later, Tara hosts a charity auction, and Sophia shows up uninvited. Kayla strolls in drunk and sees Eli and Sophia dancing and attacks. Tara kicks Sophia out and says, “leave us alone, or I’ll kill you.” Sophia is killed two days later, and the police arrest Tara because her gun is the murder weapon. She’s released two days later when her secret nanny cams show Mel leaving and returning at the time of the murder and replacing the gun. Mel HATES Tara for sleeping with Graham and wants her to be miserable rotting in jail. (she tells her the affair is completely in her head.) Tara also discovers that Cavin and Sophia were meeting and were somehow involved in pharma drug peddling scheme. The details are fuzzy on whether they were having an affair, and if Cavin used Tara for her money. She files for divorce, and he went to jail.
Then the big twist, Tara goes to her abusive mom’s grave and tells her that she planned the whole thing. She somehow knew her sister was thinking about killing Sophia and framing her, so she ate the mango muffin because she knew Eli would find the Glock and pull it out... giving Mel a push. She’s also planning on meeting Eli in Australia so they can finally have sex. And we get this while she's talking to her dead mom. (in her head)
Was Melody right about Graham?”
“I would never have cheated on Cavin with Graham. Not my style.” (I would like to point out that she let her stepson finger her while married to Cavin)
What about before Cavin?
“I think I’ll plead the fifth.”
But you always claimed you were averse to sleeping with married men.
"True. But I never said I wasn’t a liar.”
Bottom Line- I had the exact same experience this time around. It was strange, I can't say I enjoyed it, but I couldn't stop reading. It wasn't a great fit for me... I’m too close to 40, and my boys are too close to 17 for this to appeal to me at all. I think the book would’ve been MUCH better had it all been squished into one, cutting out all the filler and making Tara younger. (or Eli older- out of HS) Maybe like 25-30, it would’ve made her immature behavior more believable, and her obsession with Eli less icky.
May 17, 2018
Much like the previous novel, Love Lies Beneath, A Sin Such as This is a slow paced mundane novel with an explosive ending. If you enjoyed the first novel, then you’ll definitely love its sequel.
This novel is truly Tara’s novel. Tara is forever calculating, manipulative, and intelligent individual. Tara’s manipulative qualities are so subtly written that the reader does not realize what’s happening until it’s blatantly obvious. This is a both a strength and a weakness of Hopkins’ writing style. The subtlety of Tara’s manipulation allows for an explosive climax, but leaves the rest of the novel lacking.
Throughout the mundane musings of Tara’s life, Hopkins’ sprinkles in some truly unsettling moments. Hopkins’ drops a few lines of dialogue that cleverly change the momentum of the scene and the dynamics of the relationships.
The biggest drawback of this novel is how boring and stagnant it is for large portions of the narrative. The reader is treated to tedious situations involving Tara’s injured knee, her rehab, doctor’s appointment, and fundraiser planning. It isn’t until the final two chapters that something exciting happens. Though, that something is a game changer it doesn’t completely make up for the lack of movement throughout the entire novel.
I wrestled for with my star rating for quite some time before settling on four stars. I chose four over three because Hopkins’ handle on her characters, writing style, and climax outweighed the slow moving plot.
Overall, A Sin Such as This is more of the same, so if you enjoyed the first novel then you’ll definitely love its sequel.
*** I was provided an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
This novel is truly Tara’s novel. Tara is forever calculating, manipulative, and intelligent individual. Tara’s manipulative qualities are so subtly written that the reader does not realize what’s happening until it’s blatantly obvious. This is a both a strength and a weakness of Hopkins’ writing style. The subtlety of Tara’s manipulation allows for an explosive climax, but leaves the rest of the novel lacking.
Throughout the mundane musings of Tara’s life, Hopkins’ sprinkles in some truly unsettling moments. Hopkins’ drops a few lines of dialogue that cleverly change the momentum of the scene and the dynamics of the relationships.
The biggest drawback of this novel is how boring and stagnant it is for large portions of the narrative. The reader is treated to tedious situations involving Tara’s injured knee, her rehab, doctor’s appointment, and fundraiser planning. It isn’t until the final two chapters that something exciting happens. Though, that something is a game changer it doesn’t completely make up for the lack of movement throughout the entire novel.
I wrestled for with my star rating for quite some time before settling on four stars. I chose four over three because Hopkins’ handle on her characters, writing style, and climax outweighed the slow moving plot.
Overall, A Sin Such as This is more of the same, so if you enjoyed the first novel then you’ll definitely love its sequel.
*** I was provided an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
January 29, 2018
Tara is back at it again! In fact she might be my new favorite heroine. Say farewell to damsels in distress -- Tara Lattimore is a take-charge woman who knows what she wants and she doesn't play the victim card.
In A Sin Such as This, the reader is greeted with Tara happily married to her fourth husband, Dr. Cavin Lattimore. Or are they happily married? Why does Sophia keep coming around? Why does Eli keep hinting at things not being what they seem with his father? And what's really going on with Melody? Dear reader, you'll just have to find out on your own.
If you loved Love Lies Beneath, the sequel will leave you flipping the pages to the end. There were definitely some twists I didn’t see coming and I can’t wait to see if Hopkins follows this up with a third book!
I received an advance copy of this book from Atria. All opinions are my own.
In A Sin Such as This, the reader is greeted with Tara happily married to her fourth husband, Dr. Cavin Lattimore. Or are they happily married? Why does Sophia keep coming around? Why does Eli keep hinting at things not being what they seem with his father? And what's really going on with Melody? Dear reader, you'll just have to find out on your own.
If you loved Love Lies Beneath, the sequel will leave you flipping the pages to the end. There were definitely some twists I didn’t see coming and I can’t wait to see if Hopkins follows this up with a third book!
I received an advance copy of this book from Atria. All opinions are my own.
July 11, 2018
So I continued to read this book even though it seemed to have no point hoping that the end would make it better.... it didn’t.
May 30, 2018
I’ve been curious about Ellen Hopkins for quite some time. Her books are always being checked out at my local high school library and I’ve seen a ton of students walking around with Crank in their backpack.
Many of her books are YA novels so I was curious to see what it is that so many teens love about her work. From the sound of it, she writes really really edgy stuff so needless to say I was intrigued. Reading for high school students is like pulling teeth so when they are eagerly awaiting the next Ellen Hopkins book in droves, clearly there is something interesting happening there.
When A Sin Such As This came across my desk for review, I jumped on it even though it was geared toward adults and it was the second in a series, I was curious to see what it was about her writing that made so many students want to read her books—is it content? Prose? What is it about this author that people love?
So I may or may not have missed the ‘sex-filled masterpiece’ recommendation clearly stated at the beginning of the summary and pitch I received. I simply saw the name ‘Ellen Hopkins’ and was eager to read something by her—YA or adult—so I quickly agreed and made room on my review schedule for this one.
Imagine my surprise when there was indeed a lot of sex. I was like wait what’s going on here, why is there so much sex in a YA book?! I realized fairly quickly that this was clearly NOT a YA book—but something meant for adult audiences only. So be warned people there is quite a bit of sex and graphic content in this book.
This book is the second in a series and I would say readers would enjoy this book more if they read the first book. I went in blind and I didn’t feel like I had as strong of a connection with Tara as other readers had from the previous book from the sound of things. Though not entirely necessary I supposed because Hopkins does fill new readers in, but for me I just felt disconnected from her as a character as I didn’t have that connection from the first book. So if you ask me—read the first book before this one.
While there is a lot of sex in this book—it didn’t entirely put me off. I liked reading about all the complicated relationships and the different perspectives that some of the characters had when it came to sex, love, and relationships. This book explored a whole lot of different angles and topics which keep things moving and interesting.
I think this book will appeal to readers in their 20’s-30’s. I don’t know that I would want to read this book with my mom, but I did enjoy it—sex and crazy family and all. I personally think this book is geared toward a younger generation.
There is a lot of family drama and mental health issues addressed in this book which I found to be an interesting combination. I love that Hopkins is bold and puts sensitive issue front and center in her books.
I rated this book a 3 because I felt a little disconnected with the overall story having not read the other book first. I hate to have my literary shortcomings be the reason it was rated lower but I can’t help how I felt. I didn’t feel as invested in the story without knowing Tara on a deeper level. I mean I liked the book but I just didn’t love it in the way that I had hoped.
See my full review here
Many of her books are YA novels so I was curious to see what it is that so many teens love about her work. From the sound of it, she writes really really edgy stuff so needless to say I was intrigued. Reading for high school students is like pulling teeth so when they are eagerly awaiting the next Ellen Hopkins book in droves, clearly there is something interesting happening there.
When A Sin Such As This came across my desk for review, I jumped on it even though it was geared toward adults and it was the second in a series, I was curious to see what it was about her writing that made so many students want to read her books—is it content? Prose? What is it about this author that people love?
So I may or may not have missed the ‘sex-filled masterpiece’ recommendation clearly stated at the beginning of the summary and pitch I received. I simply saw the name ‘Ellen Hopkins’ and was eager to read something by her—YA or adult—so I quickly agreed and made room on my review schedule for this one.
Imagine my surprise when there was indeed a lot of sex. I was like wait what’s going on here, why is there so much sex in a YA book?! I realized fairly quickly that this was clearly NOT a YA book—but something meant for adult audiences only. So be warned people there is quite a bit of sex and graphic content in this book.
This book is the second in a series and I would say readers would enjoy this book more if they read the first book. I went in blind and I didn’t feel like I had as strong of a connection with Tara as other readers had from the previous book from the sound of things. Though not entirely necessary I supposed because Hopkins does fill new readers in, but for me I just felt disconnected from her as a character as I didn’t have that connection from the first book. So if you ask me—read the first book before this one.
While there is a lot of sex in this book—it didn’t entirely put me off. I liked reading about all the complicated relationships and the different perspectives that some of the characters had when it came to sex, love, and relationships. This book explored a whole lot of different angles and topics which keep things moving and interesting.
I think this book will appeal to readers in their 20’s-30’s. I don’t know that I would want to read this book with my mom, but I did enjoy it—sex and crazy family and all. I personally think this book is geared toward a younger generation.
There is a lot of family drama and mental health issues addressed in this book which I found to be an interesting combination. I love that Hopkins is bold and puts sensitive issue front and center in her books.
I rated this book a 3 because I felt a little disconnected with the overall story having not read the other book first. I hate to have my literary shortcomings be the reason it was rated lower but I can’t help how I felt. I didn’t feel as invested in the story without knowing Tara on a deeper level. I mean I liked the book but I just didn’t love it in the way that I had hoped.
See my full review here
April 7, 2020
PSA: This only gets two stars instead of one because of ELI!
***Spoilers included***
Oh, Tara. At the end of the first novel, you were dubbed a “sociopath,” but in this one, the most “sociopathic” behaviors you manifest (besides the selfishness that every other character possesses…) are letting your stepson finger you while you’re still “in love” with Cavin and help facilitate you sister trying to frame you for murder so you can get her caught…I’m beginning to see that Hopkins and I have very different definitions of sociopaths.
When you read “adult” Ellen Hopkins, gone are the impressive poetry and interesting characterization of teenagers, to be replaced by adults that continue to sabotage their lives and Hopkins’s sapphic stream of consciousness (a nicer way of saying literary porn…).
In this novel, Tara is finally married to Cavin (if anyone cared) and now lives with Eli. Her sister is entertaining leaving her husband, gets an old lady short haircut that is apparently hip, has a one-night-stand, and resents Tara even more, even though Tara quits throwing everything in her sister’s face in this book. Eli is dating Kayla, who is really jealous of Tara, but also still screwing Cavin’s ex until she winds up dead. In the end, it turns out Mel tried to frame Tara for murder because she was tired of Tara getting everyone and wanted to see her waste away in jail rather than kill her. Tara finds out Cavin and his ex were still connected via drugs and possibly sex, so she divorces him and plans to finally have sex with Eli on a whirlwind trip (now that he’s 18!) and she gives us a haphazard reminder that she’s still a “sociopath.” The worst part of the plot, however, is Tara waking up from countless nightmares and flashbacks of her mother’s abuse and thinking about her mother. Remind me why we should care when Tara doesn’t?!
What you can expect with this book:
Tara flashing her boobs to get what she wants because forty-year-old women are apparently too irresistible to ignore…
Tara flashing her friend’s boyfriend, then getting annoyed when he propositions her (23).
Tara watching Eli and her BIOLOGICAL NIECE HAVE SEX, then gets off by the sight (56).
More animalistic sex. In the first book, Tara somehow unhinged her jaw like a snake. In this one, Cavin sinks his fangs into her like a wolf… (10).
Snippets of details from a former lesbian encounter Tara had that isn’t mentioned in the first book…
A Ricky Martin concert (those still happen?)
Cavin giving Tara some cringe-worthy gaudy jewelry. A fire Opal surrounded by other stones in a massive pendant? That should've been the murder weapon. Like, people died when they saw how ugly it was around her neck...or turned to stone like Medusa's victims.
Eli making a “hip” playlist for Tara involving Evanescence’s “Bring Me To Life” (220)…I guess it’s been enough time for that to be retro?
TARA FLASHING A KID because he accidentally wanders into her yard! The true justice would have been her arrest for indecency!
More talk about how Tara enjoys giving head and how giant Cavin is. I call BS for accuracy on both accounts here. They call it a job for a reason…
Final thoughts:
Um, Eli is hot. Granted, he’s strikingly similar to someone I used to talk to, so there’s that, but why couldn’t the book have been centered around him and why didn’t we get to read about what the whole book spent the most time building to: Tara and Eli going away together? No one cared about Mel, dead bodies, or Tara’s mother. As a seasoned writer, I’d expect Hopkins to give the readers what they would want…
I liked how Tara never reconciled with her abusive mother and her last message to her was to beware the zombie apocalypse (80); however, I don’t like how that behavior is connected to her being a sociopath. When people hurt you, you shouldn’t give them a reason to do it again; that’s human nature. “Family” makes no difference: “Forgive, you invite whatever damage you originally suffered. Forgive, it’s like saying it didn’t hurt so bad after all. Forgive, it means you have to care in the first place” (150).
There was one poem about a crone, and I love a good crone (314).
I’m surprised that Hopkins doesn’t make Tara get Brazilians, but I guess it’s “feminist” for her to be hairy and guys, even teen guys, to want her that much?
“But I never said I wasn’t a liar” (368). I love a good unreliable narrator, but Tara lying seems to be from the inaccuracy that Hopkins’s short story and first book had two different versions of Tara and Graham’s past. That just seems like lazy writing. I’d rather everything I’d read be a lie and Tara is some prostitute in jail, fantasizing about the whole series!
***Spoilers included***
Oh, Tara. At the end of the first novel, you were dubbed a “sociopath,” but in this one, the most “sociopathic” behaviors you manifest (besides the selfishness that every other character possesses…) are letting your stepson finger you while you’re still “in love” with Cavin and help facilitate you sister trying to frame you for murder so you can get her caught…I’m beginning to see that Hopkins and I have very different definitions of sociopaths.
When you read “adult” Ellen Hopkins, gone are the impressive poetry and interesting characterization of teenagers, to be replaced by adults that continue to sabotage their lives and Hopkins’s sapphic stream of consciousness (a nicer way of saying literary porn…).
In this novel, Tara is finally married to Cavin (if anyone cared) and now lives with Eli. Her sister is entertaining leaving her husband, gets an old lady short haircut that is apparently hip, has a one-night-stand, and resents Tara even more, even though Tara quits throwing everything in her sister’s face in this book. Eli is dating Kayla, who is really jealous of Tara, but also still screwing Cavin’s ex until she winds up dead. In the end, it turns out Mel tried to frame Tara for murder because she was tired of Tara getting everyone and wanted to see her waste away in jail rather than kill her. Tara finds out Cavin and his ex were still connected via drugs and possibly sex, so she divorces him and plans to finally have sex with Eli on a whirlwind trip (now that he’s 18!) and she gives us a haphazard reminder that she’s still a “sociopath.” The worst part of the plot, however, is Tara waking up from countless nightmares and flashbacks of her mother’s abuse and thinking about her mother. Remind me why we should care when Tara doesn’t?!
What you can expect with this book:
Tara flashing her boobs to get what she wants because forty-year-old women are apparently too irresistible to ignore…
Tara flashing her friend’s boyfriend, then getting annoyed when he propositions her (23).
Tara watching Eli and her BIOLOGICAL NIECE HAVE SEX, then gets off by the sight (56).
More animalistic sex. In the first book, Tara somehow unhinged her jaw like a snake. In this one, Cavin sinks his fangs into her like a wolf… (10).
Snippets of details from a former lesbian encounter Tara had that isn’t mentioned in the first book…
A Ricky Martin concert (those still happen?)
Cavin giving Tara some cringe-worthy gaudy jewelry. A fire Opal surrounded by other stones in a massive pendant? That should've been the murder weapon. Like, people died when they saw how ugly it was around her neck...or turned to stone like Medusa's victims.
Eli making a “hip” playlist for Tara involving Evanescence’s “Bring Me To Life” (220)…I guess it’s been enough time for that to be retro?
TARA FLASHING A KID because he accidentally wanders into her yard! The true justice would have been her arrest for indecency!
More talk about how Tara enjoys giving head and how giant Cavin is. I call BS for accuracy on both accounts here. They call it a job for a reason…
Final thoughts:
Um, Eli is hot. Granted, he’s strikingly similar to someone I used to talk to, so there’s that, but why couldn’t the book have been centered around him and why didn’t we get to read about what the whole book spent the most time building to: Tara and Eli going away together? No one cared about Mel, dead bodies, or Tara’s mother. As a seasoned writer, I’d expect Hopkins to give the readers what they would want…
I liked how Tara never reconciled with her abusive mother and her last message to her was to beware the zombie apocalypse (80); however, I don’t like how that behavior is connected to her being a sociopath. When people hurt you, you shouldn’t give them a reason to do it again; that’s human nature. “Family” makes no difference: “Forgive, you invite whatever damage you originally suffered. Forgive, it’s like saying it didn’t hurt so bad after all. Forgive, it means you have to care in the first place” (150).
There was one poem about a crone, and I love a good crone (314).
I’m surprised that Hopkins doesn’t make Tara get Brazilians, but I guess it’s “feminist” for her to be hairy and guys, even teen guys, to want her that much?
“But I never said I wasn’t a liar” (368). I love a good unreliable narrator, but Tara lying seems to be from the inaccuracy that Hopkins’s short story and first book had two different versions of Tara and Graham’s past. That just seems like lazy writing. I’d rather everything I’d read be a lie and Tara is some prostitute in jail, fantasizing about the whole series!
May 20, 2018
A Sin Such as This is the follow-up book to Love Lies Beneath by Ellen Hopkins. Tara has gone from a rich single woman to a suburban housewife. Her niece, Kayla, moves into the home and immediately hooks up with the seductive stepson. As if that is not enough family drama, Tara's sister is going through marital issues. Then we have Sophia, a gorgeous ex-girlfriend found murdered. All of the main characters had motive but only one is suffering the sins of others. Whew—this is a bit much! Crazy beget crazy.
Let's look at the cover first. There is something about calming waters and a landscape that puts me at peace. Maybe too much. I fell asleep the first two times I started reading it. Then one chapter was really interesting and I saw promise for this novel. But it went downhill after that one chapter.
Here we are three years later with a sequel to Love Lies Beneath. I expected this follow-up novel to be better than the first book. It is largely because I am conditioned that Ellen Hopkins writes in beautiful prose. Not the case for traditional book format. The characters and the story itself fell flat, making it a struggle to finish. I found myself only looking forward to the few poems that separated sections. They told far more about the plot than dialogue and paragraphs did. Putting the format aside, I still did not care for A Sin Such as This as much as Ellen Hopkins' other works. Please go back to the beloved old writing style!
Happy Early Pub Day, Ellen Hopkins! A Sin Such as This is available Tuesday, May 29.
LiteraryMarie
Let's look at the cover first. There is something about calming waters and a landscape that puts me at peace. Maybe too much. I fell asleep the first two times I started reading it. Then one chapter was really interesting and I saw promise for this novel. But it went downhill after that one chapter.
Here we are three years later with a sequel to Love Lies Beneath. I expected this follow-up novel to be better than the first book. It is largely because I am conditioned that Ellen Hopkins writes in beautiful prose. Not the case for traditional book format. The characters and the story itself fell flat, making it a struggle to finish. I found myself only looking forward to the few poems that separated sections. They told far more about the plot than dialogue and paragraphs did. Putting the format aside, I still did not care for A Sin Such as This as much as Ellen Hopkins' other works. Please go back to the beloved old writing style!
Happy Early Pub Day, Ellen Hopkins! A Sin Such as This is available Tuesday, May 29.
LiteraryMarie
February 3, 2018
A novel that has it all.
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway
October 14, 2018
Reviewed by JoAnne
Book provided by NetGalley
Originally posted at Romancing the Book
Not having read the first book in the Love Lies Beneath series by the same name, I was at a slight disadvantage. But there was enough background information given throughout that I caught up rather quickly. Unfortunately the characters were hard to like. There was sex for no reason, affairs or hints of them, lots of exes, incestuous and almost incestuous relationships, nudity, lies and innuendos and every now and then a story line peeked through which would hold my interest for awhile.
Tara and her sister , Melody, have an odd relationship. One minute it’s loving and the next backstabbing. There are often no holds barred and everything relates back to their upbringing. Their mom had issues and lots and lots of boyfriends. No wonder they grew up the way they did. Melody is having a mid-life crisis, just turning forty, and not sure if her marriage will make it. Her oldest daughter is having a relationship and living with Cavin’s son Eli, in his and Tara’s house. Tara’s his stepmom and he comes on to her over and over again. Cavin is Tara’s fpurth husband and he has lots of secrets he’s keeping from her and Eli hints at them over and over again. It doesn’t hurt that Tara has lots of money and spends it on everyone.
There are a lot of twists and turns to the story. Some I didn’t see coming and others were somewhat predictable. The story was choppy at times. The characters all had a depth to them and all had hidden agendas. There are no happily-ever-afters or are there? The ending blindsided me. I didn’t see most of it coming. The epilogue tied up the loose ends. There were poems throughout that pertained to some of the action in the story and while not a poetry fan I enjoyed them.
Hopkins is a new to me author. I’m on the fence whether I’ll give any of her other books a try.
Book provided by NetGalley
Originally posted at Romancing the Book
Not having read the first book in the Love Lies Beneath series by the same name, I was at a slight disadvantage. But there was enough background information given throughout that I caught up rather quickly. Unfortunately the characters were hard to like. There was sex for no reason, affairs or hints of them, lots of exes, incestuous and almost incestuous relationships, nudity, lies and innuendos and every now and then a story line peeked through which would hold my interest for awhile.
Tara and her sister , Melody, have an odd relationship. One minute it’s loving and the next backstabbing. There are often no holds barred and everything relates back to their upbringing. Their mom had issues and lots and lots of boyfriends. No wonder they grew up the way they did. Melody is having a mid-life crisis, just turning forty, and not sure if her marriage will make it. Her oldest daughter is having a relationship and living with Cavin’s son Eli, in his and Tara’s house. Tara’s his stepmom and he comes on to her over and over again. Cavin is Tara’s fpurth husband and he has lots of secrets he’s keeping from her and Eli hints at them over and over again. It doesn’t hurt that Tara has lots of money and spends it on everyone.
There are a lot of twists and turns to the story. Some I didn’t see coming and others were somewhat predictable. The story was choppy at times. The characters all had a depth to them and all had hidden agendas. There are no happily-ever-afters or are there? The ending blindsided me. I didn’t see most of it coming. The epilogue tied up the loose ends. There were poems throughout that pertained to some of the action in the story and while not a poetry fan I enjoyed them.
Hopkins is a new to me author. I’m on the fence whether I’ll give any of her other books a try.
July 4, 2018
YAY ELLEN HOPKINS HAS A NEW BOOK!
Not only is it the sequel to Love Lies Beneath, but I managed to win a signed copy!
Okay, enough about me. You wanna hear about the book.
I wasn't totally prepared for A Sin Such as This mainly because I couldn't remember being thrilled by the first one. But once I got started, I couldn't put it down!
So we pick back up with Tara and Cavin coming back to the real world after having the time of their lives on their honeymoon. But the real world has so much drama; work, stepchildren, family, friends, maybe even a stalker. But Tara doesn't let that rock her world. She's still knows how to turn on the charm and get her way. But will that work on her husband? It's barely been three months and she already feels married to a man she hardly knows. Not to mention her niece, Kayla, is dating her stepson, who TOTALLY has the hots for her Tara, Sophie, and God knows who else. No one in their right mind wants teenagers in their home that aren't even their responsibility, but Tara still expects them to respect her. It's just drama on drama on dramaaaaaa in their house. Especially when Melody comes to visit. It's no secret that Tara and her sister, Mel, aren't the closest but maybe that could change when Mel starts letting her hair down. Sure, she has no control over her kids, and her marriage is crumbling, but please sleep with that stranger the day before burying your mom.
Honestly, I hope that I'm not this petty or secretive in my 40's (I know it's 20 years from now but ya know whatevs). There was so much drama but honestly, the drama is what makes the book. The ending kind of had me squirming because Tara is such an eccentric character that I'm not quite sure how to respond to; it's almost like I love to hate her.
Anyway, get the book!
This review and TONS of other Ellen Hopkins reviews can be found at A Reader's Diary!
Not only is it the sequel to Love Lies Beneath, but I managed to win a signed copy!
Okay, enough about me. You wanna hear about the book.
I wasn't totally prepared for A Sin Such as This mainly because I couldn't remember being thrilled by the first one. But once I got started, I couldn't put it down!
So we pick back up with Tara and Cavin coming back to the real world after having the time of their lives on their honeymoon. But the real world has so much drama; work, stepchildren, family, friends, maybe even a stalker. But Tara doesn't let that rock her world. She's still knows how to turn on the charm and get her way. But will that work on her husband? It's barely been three months and she already feels married to a man she hardly knows. Not to mention her niece, Kayla, is dating her stepson, who TOTALLY has the hots for her Tara, Sophie, and God knows who else. No one in their right mind wants teenagers in their home that aren't even their responsibility, but Tara still expects them to respect her. It's just drama on drama on dramaaaaaa in their house. Especially when Melody comes to visit. It's no secret that Tara and her sister, Mel, aren't the closest but maybe that could change when Mel starts letting her hair down. Sure, she has no control over her kids, and her marriage is crumbling, but please sleep with that stranger the day before burying your mom.
Honestly, I hope that I'm not this petty or secretive in my 40's (I know it's 20 years from now but ya know whatevs). There was so much drama but honestly, the drama is what makes the book. The ending kind of had me squirming because Tara is such an eccentric character that I'm not quite sure how to respond to; it's almost like I love to hate her.
Anyway, get the book!
This review and TONS of other Ellen Hopkins reviews can be found at A Reader's Diary!
July 13, 2018
A Sin Such as This by Ellen Hopkins was the second installment in her adult Love Lies Beneath Series. We follow Tara as she goes about her new married life with Cavin, while navigating relationships in her new community, with her changing sister, her ever-angry niece, and her more-than-a-little-bit-interested stepson. As the book continues, it is easy to feel sympathy for all of the awful things that Tara has been through in life, but you also feel like she is paranoid and impossible to trust. We begin to question her judgement and she becomes more and more of an unreliable narrator. With another ending happening in the last fifteen pages or so, I was fairly shocked, and I loved the ending, and seeing a powerful woman find a way to keep power. Great job again Ellen Hopkins.
June 26, 2018
Holy f*ck. I can’t recall another book leaving me with such a strong feeling of “what the f*ck did I just read??” The ending is cray-cray-crazy! The main character is kind of a bitch, and unapologetic about it. Most of the characters are actually quite unlikeable, and yet....
I was compelled and propelled to read this book quickly, for reasons I can’t quite comprehend. This series has me hooked (despite the WTF moments); I’ll read more. #facepalm
3.5***
I was compelled and propelled to read this book quickly, for reasons I can’t quite comprehend. This series has me hooked (despite the WTF moments); I’ll read more. #facepalm
3.5***
March 17, 2023
Better than the prequel however still ends just as abruptly as the first.. at least for the epilogue, it gives us more of an insight on what happened with the main characters. The book might have been more thrilling had the author capitalized on the plot details in the epilogue. The book itself fell flat in that sense.
June 25, 2024
Wtf
That’s all I have to say
Bought this book for $1 for a trip and just wtf
That’s all I have to say
Bought this book for $1 for a trip and just wtf
April 26, 2022
This book is the second in the Love Lies Beneath series. I really enjoyed the series as a whole, reading both volumes in two days, and do not agree with other reviewers that it is slow moving nor mundane. I found it a more interesting and sophisticated mystery/thriller than many. It is very sexually explicit, and there are descriptions of abuse however, so this may not be the best choice for some readers.
June 7, 2018
Ellen Hopkins is my favorite author, and I have read everything she's written.
Both Love Lies Beneath and A Sin Such as This are different than her usual novels as they are in traditional prose as opposed to Hopkins's usual poetic verse.
I liked both of these novels, but I think overall I do prefer Hopkins's other works.
The writing is good though a little slow-paced at time and the characters are engaging enough.
In the first novel, I slightly disliked the main character, Tara, and my aversion to her only grew while reading this sequel.
I think that Hopkins is trying to portray her as a strong, independent woman (which I appreciate), but Tara comes off as manipulative and snobby to me. Tara lacks genuine kindness, and, for me, that makes her unrelatable.
It was a good weekend read and I do not regret purchasing it, but I would not reread this book.
Both Love Lies Beneath and A Sin Such as This are different than her usual novels as they are in traditional prose as opposed to Hopkins's usual poetic verse.
I liked both of these novels, but I think overall I do prefer Hopkins's other works.
The writing is good though a little slow-paced at time and the characters are engaging enough.
In the first novel, I slightly disliked the main character, Tara, and my aversion to her only grew while reading this sequel.
I think that Hopkins is trying to portray her as a strong, independent woman (which I appreciate), but Tara comes off as manipulative and snobby to me. Tara lacks genuine kindness, and, for me, that makes her unrelatable.
It was a good weekend read and I do not regret purchasing it, but I would not reread this book.
January 21, 2020
I'm really disappointed by the way Ellen Hopkins wrapped up this book. she is by far one of my favorite authors, so it pains me to write a negative review. the book itself (and the first in the series) are both well written and intriguing to me, but the ending of this one feels as if she was in a rush to finish the book. it all happens abruptly and everything gets wrapped up in a nice little package, but the package is opposite of the rest of the book. Ellen knows how to write a story and goes into nice details, but this ending is going to keep me a little grumpy for a while. (the content of the ending is great, but it feels almost as if you've been walking down a road and in front of you appears a wall with the ending written on it)
June 26, 2019
So. Brazenly. Disappointed. The first one was good. Promising, even.
The opening poem resembled Melody, so I assumed Melody would play a momentous role in this book as opposed to secondary, as in “Love Lies Beneath.” Still, I am wordless of how it went. Not in the good way.
Most of the book continued along the same path as the first. Oh, except Tara’s husband claims she needs to get another knee surgery because she “rehabbed it too hard” and it was failing. He was her second opinion after another doctor (the one she was assigned since it would be “morally unethical” to see her husband medically because he’d be biased. Okay, Tara, but what do you know about morals? Or honesty? I’ll get there.
Anyway, Dr. Stanley tells her she needs to wear a brace, and she doesn’t want to because it would make her somehow less beautiful or whatever, so she asks her husband. His son tells Tara that “maybe he just likes her helpless,” which reminds her of a time a couple days ago where he told her he likes her helpless.
Oh, but who to believe? My husband, who I’ve only known for a little over six months and married anyway even though we’re still strangers because I don’t like being alone, or his son, who I’m constantly reminded is a pathological liar but I’m in lust with because he’s off limits? Choices are haaaard. I’ll just flip a $100 bill, heads is Cavin, tails is Eli. (Rich people problems, am I right?)
Anyway, she basically says to him, “Yeeeaah, I don’t want to do that. I’ll just see what happens,” and he’s like, “Yo, you need to do it sooner than later because you’re old and that affects recovery,” and she’s like, “Um, excuse me, b***h, I am not old,” but then she gets worries about her appearances. While she worries about hers, Melody becomes more comfortable with hers and loses some weight, and Tara starts seeing her as competition. Foreshadowing of a falling out, maybe? An argument? We’ll see…
So there’s a lot of flirting, a lot of f**king, a lot of foreshadowing. The flirting is with her fricking stepson, and the f**king is with Cavin to try to forget that she’d rather be in the act with her fricking stepson. So that’s fun and not uncomfortable at all.
But I get why it’s thrown in there. To remind us that Tara isn’t as fair-minded as she alleges. Odious, but justified as a reminder.
So Melody. Maybe it’s just me, but I think it’s about her. Maybe it was the church reference, but it felt like it was, so I’m going to go with it until otherwise proven, but again, I digress.
Her eldest daughter, Kayla, has run away from home after (randomly) becoming a problem child in the middle of “Love Lies Beneath” and lives with Tara and her new husband and his son, Eli, who she is in love with. Right. Because dating cousins (step or otherwise) is just as common in California as it is in Arkansas.
The thing is, all the adults are “incredulous” or “shocked” or “disgusted” when they find the step-cousins having sex out in the middle of the (not-fenced, easily viewed by anyone) backyard or smoking weed outside or getting hammered in the middle of the day (with the adults), but they all let it slide because it’s “not their problem.” Even Cavin, who is Eli’s dad, and Melody, who is Kayla’s mom.
Melody. Right, that’s where I was. So Melody and Tara’s mom is sick and dying of lung cancer, and Melody wants to take her girls to go say goodbye. Including Kayla, whose sudden mental health issues lead to outbursts, including in this situation. In the last book, or “previously” for the characters, Melody would have put on her momitude and been a parent, but the “New” Melody keeps saying she doesn’t care. We later find out that she’s suddenly on Xanax for anxiety, which could lead to some of these changes of which we are informed, but we really don’t know all that much because we only have Tara’s word, and that has been proven faulty.
Oh, before I forget to mention, Tara is hearing voices in her head, and they aren’t telling her to do anything like kill people, but they are arguing with her and making her paranoid as heck. We find out later that the voice in her head is someone she knows. Knew. Using the term loosely, that is.
So Mel’s husband, Graham, and Mel have been having marital issues “for a while,” but we don’t know that until recently because Tara’s too self-involved to notice. Their issues lead to Mel lashing out at people and giving up on everything and making changes and cheating on her husband while asking Tara her opinion and then slamming her for “trading in husbands like cars.” The falling out is well on its way, and you can’t stop once you’re free falling, which is exactly what is happening. During one of their arguments, Graham admits to Mel that he and Tara had hooked up years ago, and Mel is “royally and righteously pissed” (a quote used by Tara to describe Kayla). She seems to forgive Tara, and they even make plans to spend Mel’s birthday together, but she seeming and being are two different things.
Oh, I forgot to mention, there’s this chick, Sophia, who is Cavin’s ex-girlfriend and Eli’s f**k buddy who is suddenly around all the time, everywhere Tara and Cavin go. Cavin always has an excuse, and Tara makes note. Sophia ends up dead the day after Mel’s birthday. Everyone assumes it was Tara. She had motive and means - a gun bought for personal protection after an attempted break-in, recommended by the officer who came to check everything out. Sophia died by a gunshot wound. Cavin is heartbroken even though Sophia is an ex who means nothing and just so happens to find him on a day-to-day basis. Right. Eli is confused and sad, but not to the degree Cavin is. Oh yeah, wasn’t Eli trying to tell her about some arrangement between Cavin and Sophia…?
Detective SomethingOrOtherDoesItEvenMatter comes and investigates. Tara keeps telling herself to shut up, says she needs a lawyer, and asks to call her husband “before she’s arrested.”
“I know you’ve heard this before, but I didn’t do it,” she tells her lawyer. They have to figure out who did it. And it’s weird, because the night before, Mel was acting weird and she left without saying goodbye and that’s the night Sophia died, and her gun was missing (and the weapon used to kill Sophia), and OHHHH.
Security camera footage Tara had recently put up showed Mel taking the gun and Tara’s Escalade - the car seen on Sophia’s street a few times (why would Mel go there so often? Didn’t make sense to me) - and coming back around the time Sophia died. So it was Mel. And surprise, the seemingly neurotypical sister “inherited the worst kind of crazy from our dear, departed Mom. The kind that no only negates compassion but also eliminates even the slightest compunction about murdering a complete stranger, all in the name of revenge. Revenge against me.”
Deja vu. Hey, Tara, didn’t you say you “inherited brain abnormalities from your mother”? It isn’t believable now, because who would fail to notice that these two girls are so mentally ill that they could each murder someone? (Raul.)
Tara asks why Mel didn’t kill her instead of a stranger: “Her laugh was alien. ‘You always said you’d rather be dead than face years living behind bars. I didn’t want to kill you. I wanted to maim you. It would have been fun to watch you waste away. Besides, the b*tch deserved it. It wasn’t hard at all.”
“First, I’d die before I’d rot in prison.” - Tara talking with Cavin. Did Cavin tell Melody? Did Melody and Tara talk a lot about killing people or going to prison? “Always said”???
“You’ve always gotten your way and never had to work for a thing. I mean, all you had to do was spread your legs for the right man, [...]” Soooo...have you always hated Tara? Is this a new thing, starting with the knowledge that she slept with your husband before he was your husband, before she knew you two were even together, over twenty years ago? Is this about jealousy or revenge? Seriously, why would you invite your sister so intimately into your life if you hated her so much?
How do you know the b*tch deserved it? She was a stranger to you, and that’s made clear. If you thought she deserved it, it’s probably because she was cheating with your sister’s husband, and you’re against cheating. Oh, wait, that’s right, you cheated on your own husband when you and your sister went to Idaho for your mom’s funeral! (I da ho, amiright? Sorry, that was tasteless.)
So the “crazy she inherited” was probably sociopathy, right? They never mentioned the mom being a sociopath, only borderline, which, again, makes me ask if Ellen is clumping the two together. Also, sociopaths are not born. Psychopaths are born, sociopaths are created. Sociopaths have sympathy, psychopaths don’t. If they really are psychopaths, they should really research the right subject to learn about themself and, I don’t know, maybe learn how to satisfy their need for revenge by keying a car instead, if it’s that necessary?? Like, pop 3 tires if you’re that mad. Insurance won’t cover it unless all 4 are flat.
Also, wasn’t making strudel with mango in it (something to which your sister is deathly allergic) claiming your daughter made it and will be hurt if she doesn’t have any and not telling her there’s mango in it revenge enough?
The book ends with Tara sitting in the cemetery in Idaho, talking to her mom’s grave. She “confesses” she knew things were weird when Mel hired a PI (at Tara’s urging and expense) to investigate Graham, but the report showed up at Tara’s house with her name on it, and the research was done on Cavin. She “knew” then that Mel might be plotting murder. She “knew” she could have saved Sophia (how did you know Sophia would be the target? Or are you saying you could’ve stopped the murder altogether?), that she “let” Mel “trick” her into eating the strudel which she “knew” had mango in it, and she did all that “to convince Mel she didn’t see it coming.” The voice in her head, her mother, asks if she set up her sister, and she did for the reason of, “What goes around comes around.”
Cavin was cheating on her with Sophia after all, and she’s divorcing him while he relocates to the local prison for a while for distributing opioids as a side job. Oh, that model who died in that car accident, Genevieve? She was under the influence of Dr. Cavin’s opioids. So in the meantime while their divorce settles, and her fourth husband is away, she decides to get with his son. Classy. But it’s okay, guys. He’s 18.
She ends the book with Graham picking her up in a rental car. Surprise, they did have more than just a fling. All that mention of honesty? As she accused of Eli, it was a way to distract people from the lies.
Mom, as voice in head: “But you always claimed you were averse to sleeping with married men.”
“True. But I never said I wasn’t a liar.”
But. Yes. You. Did! Like all the time! “I would never lie to you” was basically your catchphrase! This one straight up sucked. I would not recommend this to anyone who values time. I’m truly very disappointed.
The opening poem resembled Melody, so I assumed Melody would play a momentous role in this book as opposed to secondary, as in “Love Lies Beneath.” Still, I am wordless of how it went. Not in the good way.
Most of the book continued along the same path as the first. Oh, except Tara’s husband claims she needs to get another knee surgery because she “rehabbed it too hard” and it was failing. He was her second opinion after another doctor (the one she was assigned since it would be “morally unethical” to see her husband medically because he’d be biased. Okay, Tara, but what do you know about morals? Or honesty? I’ll get there.
Anyway, Dr. Stanley tells her she needs to wear a brace, and she doesn’t want to because it would make her somehow less beautiful or whatever, so she asks her husband. His son tells Tara that “maybe he just likes her helpless,” which reminds her of a time a couple days ago where he told her he likes her helpless.
Oh, but who to believe? My husband, who I’ve only known for a little over six months and married anyway even though we’re still strangers because I don’t like being alone, or his son, who I’m constantly reminded is a pathological liar but I’m in lust with because he’s off limits? Choices are haaaard. I’ll just flip a $100 bill, heads is Cavin, tails is Eli. (Rich people problems, am I right?)
Anyway, she basically says to him, “Yeeeaah, I don’t want to do that. I’ll just see what happens,” and he’s like, “Yo, you need to do it sooner than later because you’re old and that affects recovery,” and she’s like, “Um, excuse me, b***h, I am not old,” but then she gets worries about her appearances. While she worries about hers, Melody becomes more comfortable with hers and loses some weight, and Tara starts seeing her as competition. Foreshadowing of a falling out, maybe? An argument? We’ll see…
So there’s a lot of flirting, a lot of f**king, a lot of foreshadowing. The flirting is with her fricking stepson, and the f**king is with Cavin to try to forget that she’d rather be in the act with her fricking stepson. So that’s fun and not uncomfortable at all.
But I get why it’s thrown in there. To remind us that Tara isn’t as fair-minded as she alleges. Odious, but justified as a reminder.
So Melody. Maybe it’s just me, but I think it’s about her. Maybe it was the church reference, but it felt like it was, so I’m going to go with it until otherwise proven, but again, I digress.
Her eldest daughter, Kayla, has run away from home after (randomly) becoming a problem child in the middle of “Love Lies Beneath” and lives with Tara and her new husband and his son, Eli, who she is in love with. Right. Because dating cousins (step or otherwise) is just as common in California as it is in Arkansas.
The thing is, all the adults are “incredulous” or “shocked” or “disgusted” when they find the step-cousins having sex out in the middle of the (not-fenced, easily viewed by anyone) backyard or smoking weed outside or getting hammered in the middle of the day (with the adults), but they all let it slide because it’s “not their problem.” Even Cavin, who is Eli’s dad, and Melody, who is Kayla’s mom.
Melody. Right, that’s where I was. So Melody and Tara’s mom is sick and dying of lung cancer, and Melody wants to take her girls to go say goodbye. Including Kayla, whose sudden mental health issues lead to outbursts, including in this situation. In the last book, or “previously” for the characters, Melody would have put on her momitude and been a parent, but the “New” Melody keeps saying she doesn’t care. We later find out that she’s suddenly on Xanax for anxiety, which could lead to some of these changes of which we are informed, but we really don’t know all that much because we only have Tara’s word, and that has been proven faulty.
Oh, before I forget to mention, Tara is hearing voices in her head, and they aren’t telling her to do anything like kill people, but they are arguing with her and making her paranoid as heck. We find out later that the voice in her head is someone she knows. Knew. Using the term loosely, that is.
So Mel’s husband, Graham, and Mel have been having marital issues “for a while,” but we don’t know that until recently because Tara’s too self-involved to notice. Their issues lead to Mel lashing out at people and giving up on everything and making changes and cheating on her husband while asking Tara her opinion and then slamming her for “trading in husbands like cars.” The falling out is well on its way, and you can’t stop once you’re free falling, which is exactly what is happening. During one of their arguments, Graham admits to Mel that he and Tara had hooked up years ago, and Mel is “royally and righteously pissed” (a quote used by Tara to describe Kayla). She seems to forgive Tara, and they even make plans to spend Mel’s birthday together, but she seeming and being are two different things.
Oh, I forgot to mention, there’s this chick, Sophia, who is Cavin’s ex-girlfriend and Eli’s f**k buddy who is suddenly around all the time, everywhere Tara and Cavin go. Cavin always has an excuse, and Tara makes note. Sophia ends up dead the day after Mel’s birthday. Everyone assumes it was Tara. She had motive and means - a gun bought for personal protection after an attempted break-in, recommended by the officer who came to check everything out. Sophia died by a gunshot wound. Cavin is heartbroken even though Sophia is an ex who means nothing and just so happens to find him on a day-to-day basis. Right. Eli is confused and sad, but not to the degree Cavin is. Oh yeah, wasn’t Eli trying to tell her about some arrangement between Cavin and Sophia…?
Detective SomethingOrOtherDoesItEvenMatter comes and investigates. Tara keeps telling herself to shut up, says she needs a lawyer, and asks to call her husband “before she’s arrested.”
“I know you’ve heard this before, but I didn’t do it,” she tells her lawyer. They have to figure out who did it. And it’s weird, because the night before, Mel was acting weird and she left without saying goodbye and that’s the night Sophia died, and her gun was missing (and the weapon used to kill Sophia), and OHHHH.
Security camera footage Tara had recently put up showed Mel taking the gun and Tara’s Escalade - the car seen on Sophia’s street a few times (why would Mel go there so often? Didn’t make sense to me) - and coming back around the time Sophia died. So it was Mel. And surprise, the seemingly neurotypical sister “inherited the worst kind of crazy from our dear, departed Mom. The kind that no only negates compassion but also eliminates even the slightest compunction about murdering a complete stranger, all in the name of revenge. Revenge against me.”
Deja vu. Hey, Tara, didn’t you say you “inherited brain abnormalities from your mother”? It isn’t believable now, because who would fail to notice that these two girls are so mentally ill that they could each murder someone? (Raul.)
Tara asks why Mel didn’t kill her instead of a stranger: “Her laugh was alien. ‘You always said you’d rather be dead than face years living behind bars. I didn’t want to kill you. I wanted to maim you. It would have been fun to watch you waste away. Besides, the b*tch deserved it. It wasn’t hard at all.”
“First, I’d die before I’d rot in prison.” - Tara talking with Cavin. Did Cavin tell Melody? Did Melody and Tara talk a lot about killing people or going to prison? “Always said”???
“You’ve always gotten your way and never had to work for a thing. I mean, all you had to do was spread your legs for the right man, [...]” Soooo...have you always hated Tara? Is this a new thing, starting with the knowledge that she slept with your husband before he was your husband, before she knew you two were even together, over twenty years ago? Is this about jealousy or revenge? Seriously, why would you invite your sister so intimately into your life if you hated her so much?
How do you know the b*tch deserved it? She was a stranger to you, and that’s made clear. If you thought she deserved it, it’s probably because she was cheating with your sister’s husband, and you’re against cheating. Oh, wait, that’s right, you cheated on your own husband when you and your sister went to Idaho for your mom’s funeral! (I da ho, amiright? Sorry, that was tasteless.)
So the “crazy she inherited” was probably sociopathy, right? They never mentioned the mom being a sociopath, only borderline, which, again, makes me ask if Ellen is clumping the two together. Also, sociopaths are not born. Psychopaths are born, sociopaths are created. Sociopaths have sympathy, psychopaths don’t. If they really are psychopaths, they should really research the right subject to learn about themself and, I don’t know, maybe learn how to satisfy their need for revenge by keying a car instead, if it’s that necessary?? Like, pop 3 tires if you’re that mad. Insurance won’t cover it unless all 4 are flat.
Also, wasn’t making strudel with mango in it (something to which your sister is deathly allergic) claiming your daughter made it and will be hurt if she doesn’t have any and not telling her there’s mango in it revenge enough?
The book ends with Tara sitting in the cemetery in Idaho, talking to her mom’s grave. She “confesses” she knew things were weird when Mel hired a PI (at Tara’s urging and expense) to investigate Graham, but the report showed up at Tara’s house with her name on it, and the research was done on Cavin. She “knew” then that Mel might be plotting murder. She “knew” she could have saved Sophia (how did you know Sophia would be the target? Or are you saying you could’ve stopped the murder altogether?), that she “let” Mel “trick” her into eating the strudel which she “knew” had mango in it, and she did all that “to convince Mel she didn’t see it coming.” The voice in her head, her mother, asks if she set up her sister, and she did for the reason of, “What goes around comes around.”
Cavin was cheating on her with Sophia after all, and she’s divorcing him while he relocates to the local prison for a while for distributing opioids as a side job. Oh, that model who died in that car accident, Genevieve? She was under the influence of Dr. Cavin’s opioids. So in the meantime while their divorce settles, and her fourth husband is away, she decides to get with his son. Classy. But it’s okay, guys. He’s 18.
She ends the book with Graham picking her up in a rental car. Surprise, they did have more than just a fling. All that mention of honesty? As she accused of Eli, it was a way to distract people from the lies.
Mom, as voice in head: “But you always claimed you were averse to sleeping with married men.”
“True. But I never said I wasn’t a liar.”
But. Yes. You. Did! Like all the time! “I would never lie to you” was basically your catchphrase! This one straight up sucked. I would not recommend this to anyone who values time. I’m truly very disappointed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2018
Actual rating: 3.5 stars.
I didn’t read the first book of this series, Love Lies Beneath, because I didn’t know when I requested this book that it was a sequel. However, I wasn’t confused at all. Hopkins explains all the characters and their relationships, as well as what’s going on in their lives, really thoroughly, so no one has to worry about being lost.
Tara was a bitch. Let’s get that outta the way. And I’m also not saying that because I disliked her. It’s the honest truth; she was a major bitch who knew what she wanted and how to get it. She was aggressive, brutal, stubborn, beyond confident to the point of arrogance, and unflinching in her opinions and views of life. She was obviously very smart and clever, too, based on how things unfolded. Most of the time I actually liked Tara. She did come across as unsympathetic, but it was refreshing to read from the POV of a woman who’s not the least bit insecure or afraid.
Even without having read Love Lies Beneath, from the start I knew something was up with Cavin. I mean, he was Tara’s fourth husband, and honestly at that point it’s pretty clear that she doesn’t have the greatest taste in men. He seemed vague and secretive, and he always had a ready excuse. I didn’t much care for him because I abhor cheating – whether it’s on a wife or girlfriend, it doesn’t matter who – so I just hoped he’d kind of fade away, which he basically did by the end (in fact, I was very happy about his fate).
Eli was pretty fucked up. I mean, since I didn’t read the first book I’m not sure if he’s an actual sociopath or if that’s just the way Tara sees him, but the way he acted was insane. He fucked like three or four different women at the same time – he dated one, would go and see another off and on for months, and then randomly sleep with whomever, whenever he felt like it. Talk about a total disregard for women (and others’ feelings). He also seemed to play games with people – he’d act friendly towards someone one second and then go and throw them under the bus or make them doubt their own feelings or relationships with other people.
Kayla was annoying, Melody was annoying, and everyone else wasn’t important enough.
So, the ending. Crazy. I suspected that Melody or Kayla would be responsible, so I wasn’t too surprised. However, I was totally surprised when it was revealed in the epilogue that Tara had actually orchestrated the murder. She hated Sophia (you and me both, girl), and she found a way to get rid of her while also helping her sister commit it without actually involving herself. This really goes to show just how clever and sly Tara is, and this is what I meant by her knowing what she wants and how to get it. She’s very sharp and can figure things out without overcomplicating anything or feeling conflicted.
The relationship between Eli and Tara was, you guessed it, pretty fucked up. He’s 18, she’s 42. She’s his stepmother. He obviously has a mom complex, based on all the MUCH older women he goes after (Sophia, Genevieve, Tara). The cat-and-mouse games they played with each other (though he mostly instigated them) were cringe-worthy and yet fascinating. I had mixed feelings about this relationship because it’s obviously taboo – not just because they’re step-family but because Tara’s double his age. At times I thought it was pretty hot, I’ll admit, but then other times I just felt disturbed. Then at the end of the book Tara decides to go with Eli to Australia for a few weeks, and it’s MORE than insinuated what they’re going to do together. Again, I don’t know how to feel about that, but I’m mostly freaked out.
Ellen Hopkins’ books are always dark, and this book was no exception. I did miss her free verse writing style, but as usual, her writing was impeccable. Great descriptions and dialogue.
I didn’t read the first book of this series, Love Lies Beneath, because I didn’t know when I requested this book that it was a sequel. However, I wasn’t confused at all. Hopkins explains all the characters and their relationships, as well as what’s going on in their lives, really thoroughly, so no one has to worry about being lost.
Tara was a bitch. Let’s get that outta the way. And I’m also not saying that because I disliked her. It’s the honest truth; she was a major bitch who knew what she wanted and how to get it. She was aggressive, brutal, stubborn, beyond confident to the point of arrogance, and unflinching in her opinions and views of life. She was obviously very smart and clever, too, based on how things unfolded. Most of the time I actually liked Tara. She did come across as unsympathetic, but it was refreshing to read from the POV of a woman who’s not the least bit insecure or afraid.
Even without having read Love Lies Beneath, from the start I knew something was up with Cavin. I mean, he was Tara’s fourth husband, and honestly at that point it’s pretty clear that she doesn’t have the greatest taste in men. He seemed vague and secretive, and he always had a ready excuse. I didn’t much care for him because I abhor cheating – whether it’s on a wife or girlfriend, it doesn’t matter who – so I just hoped he’d kind of fade away, which he basically did by the end (in fact, I was very happy about his fate).
Eli was pretty fucked up. I mean, since I didn’t read the first book I’m not sure if he’s an actual sociopath or if that’s just the way Tara sees him, but the way he acted was insane. He fucked like three or four different women at the same time – he dated one, would go and see another off and on for months, and then randomly sleep with whomever, whenever he felt like it. Talk about a total disregard for women (and others’ feelings). He also seemed to play games with people – he’d act friendly towards someone one second and then go and throw them under the bus or make them doubt their own feelings or relationships with other people.
Kayla was annoying, Melody was annoying, and everyone else wasn’t important enough.
So, the ending. Crazy. I suspected that Melody or Kayla would be responsible, so I wasn’t too surprised. However, I was totally surprised when it was revealed in the epilogue that Tara had actually orchestrated the murder. She hated Sophia (you and me both, girl), and she found a way to get rid of her while also helping her sister commit it without actually involving herself. This really goes to show just how clever and sly Tara is, and this is what I meant by her knowing what she wants and how to get it. She’s very sharp and can figure things out without overcomplicating anything or feeling conflicted.
The relationship between Eli and Tara was, you guessed it, pretty fucked up. He’s 18, she’s 42. She’s his stepmother. He obviously has a mom complex, based on all the MUCH older women he goes after (Sophia, Genevieve, Tara). The cat-and-mouse games they played with each other (though he mostly instigated them) were cringe-worthy and yet fascinating. I had mixed feelings about this relationship because it’s obviously taboo – not just because they’re step-family but because Tara’s double his age. At times I thought it was pretty hot, I’ll admit, but then other times I just felt disturbed. Then at the end of the book Tara decides to go with Eli to Australia for a few weeks, and it’s MORE than insinuated what they’re going to do together. Again, I don’t know how to feel about that, but I’m mostly freaked out.
Ellen Hopkins’ books are always dark, and this book was no exception. I did miss her free verse writing style, but as usual, her writing was impeccable. Great descriptions and dialogue.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 1, 2021
This was a very interesting and engaging book that will leave you guessing for the most part. Tara is a forty year old woman who recently got married for the fourth time. You'd think someone would be turned off to the idea of marriage after so many times. But not, Tara. Tara is constantly represented as strong, independent, and blunt throughout this story. Tara seems to possess all of the qualities a man craves because pretty much every guy in this book wants her! I'm not gonna lie, it was a bit annoying and seemed unrealistic. It reminded of those books where there's just one hot guy that all of the ladies would die for. But this book didn't go quite in that direction which was very pleasing. It also seems that a lot of people are out to get Tara for different reasons. Tara is quite the interesting main character in this book. There were so many things that just really left me engaged in the story and wanting to read more. There is a slow start, but once you get past that it's all up hill from there! Tara comes off in this story as someone who is very wise because she's had forty years of life experience and likes to give her wisdom to her loved ones. At times Tara came off sort of robotic too. One minute she would have feelings and those were usually jealousy or anger that she seemed to represent, but she would keep those feelings close to herself. Tara always made sure to look absolutely perfect to anyone she encountered. Tara plays a very good game in this book, she's really one of those "snakes in the grass". I was a little shocked about some of the events that occurred and didn't expect such things from a character like Tara. It made this story really pick up and become that much better for me. You'll be left wondering who's really the good guy and the bad guy in this novel. I also liked that this wasn't Hopkins usually poem form books so it was something different and yet she still made this a very good story. I'm more of a fan of the poem ones, but this book did not disappoint.
June 20, 2018
A bit more entertaining than the last, but only the last twenty percent or so. The characters aren’t like-able in any way, shape, or form. The plot is packed full of drawn out, meaningless moments, and the big ‘reveal’ at the end was, once again, rushed. I had an inkling that something like what happened was going to happen, but I didn’t feel connected enough with any of the characters to care enough. Tara is hard to get a handle on, Melody is annoying, and the rest of them lack substance. Just all around not my cup of tea.
Truth be told, I wish Hopkins would go back to writing gritty YA in verse. It’s what she’s best at.
**CONTAINS SPOILERS PAST THIS POINT**
I also didn’t appreciate the subtle hints that Melody inherited her mothers BPD, making her turn out to be a sociopath, when I reality that’s harmful to the mental health community and so far from a true representation of the disorder that it kind made me boil a bit. If anything, Tara showed more classic BPD symptoms: poor impulse control in her relationships (what with four marriages and jumping right in with Cavin, her back and forth behavior with Eli, and the hint at the end about a possible ongoing affair with Graham), she’s manipulative and her emotions seem to be all over the place (she seems to feel so much all at once and can’t quiet decipher what exactly it is she’s feeling), she seems to either love someone all at once, or hate them not too soon after, and then back again. Melody, seemed more like a genuine sociopath who was jealous over her sister and wanted to hurt her the best way she thought how to.
Truth be told, I wish Hopkins would go back to writing gritty YA in verse. It’s what she’s best at.
**CONTAINS SPOILERS PAST THIS POINT**
I also didn’t appreciate the subtle hints that Melody inherited her mothers BPD, making her turn out to be a sociopath, when I reality that’s harmful to the mental health community and so far from a true representation of the disorder that it kind made me boil a bit. If anything, Tara showed more classic BPD symptoms: poor impulse control in her relationships (what with four marriages and jumping right in with Cavin, her back and forth behavior with Eli, and the hint at the end about a possible ongoing affair with Graham), she’s manipulative and her emotions seem to be all over the place (she seems to feel so much all at once and can’t quiet decipher what exactly it is she’s feeling), she seems to either love someone all at once, or hate them not too soon after, and then back again. Melody, seemed more like a genuine sociopath who was jealous over her sister and wanted to hurt her the best way she thought how to.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2019
Wow! This second book ended with a BANG! I wish there was a third one so I can see what happens to Tara next after all of this madness!!!!
Let me just say, that not everything is as it seems for this one yet again!, Cavin isn't who he says he is, so get ready for the life he leads behind Tara's back, Sophia is a huge part of the picture even though you dont see her as much, Eli is also a huge huge part of everything, how he comes out in the book is misleading he looks like hes looking for trouble especially in the marriage of his father and Tara but he is actually not a bad guy. And Mel has a huge part in this story, and also Graham. It's crazy how other characters from the first book have such strong pieces in this book...
I am going to say this again, I wish there was another book to end it all, but then again, those who have read this book can come up with their own conclusions. But WOW is a must for this book...
Let me just say, that not everything is as it seems for this one yet again!, Cavin isn't who he says he is, so get ready for the life he leads behind Tara's back, Sophia is a huge part of the picture even though you dont see her as much, Eli is also a huge huge part of everything, how he comes out in the book is misleading he looks like hes looking for trouble especially in the marriage of his father and Tara but he is actually not a bad guy. And Mel has a huge part in this story, and also Graham. It's crazy how other characters from the first book have such strong pieces in this book...
I am going to say this again, I wish there was another book to end it all, but then again, those who have read this book can come up with their own conclusions. But WOW is a must for this book...
April 23, 2024
2.5 Tara thought she was finally settling down when she married the handsome Dr. Cavin Lattimore. Just as she was willing to overlook his gambling habits, she discovers his secret meetings with Sophia, his gorgeous ex-girlfriend and his son Eli’s occasional girlfriend. Life gets even more complicated when Tara’s niece, Kayla, starts hooking up with Eli. In a matter of weeks, Tara has reluctantly gone from rich, single San Francisco professional to Lake Tahoe housewife managing her niece’s whiplash moods, while resisting her stepson’s tantalizing sexual advances. Adding to the family drama is her younger sister, Melody, who’s having a serious marital breakdown, which means she might know something about her husband Graham and Tara’s brief dalliance years ago. [amazon synopsis]
Book #2 of the series. More of the same from Book #1 - distrust, teen sex/drugs/drinking, creepy son, everyone distrustful. Again - money cannot buy class.
Book #2 of the series. More of the same from Book #1 - distrust, teen sex/drugs/drinking, creepy son, everyone distrustful. Again - money cannot buy class.
March 24, 2021
Having recently read the first installment, I quickly picked up A Sin Such As This When I learned there was a follow up book to Love Lies Beneath. I am a huge fan of Ellen Hopkins and her writing, I love her realistic and rough books and prose writing. that being said I tend to enjoy her young adult novels more so than her adult novels, they are often better written and more engaging/interesting.
Cons: The first half of the novel was a little bit slow paced and mundane. I wish there could be more focus on Tara and Eli’s relationship.
Pros: Having read the first book, I felt more connected to Tara. It was interesting to be reminded that the narration is unreliable since it is from Tara’s POV, and to tie that all into the conclusion of the novel 👌🏼
Cons: The first half of the novel was a little bit slow paced and mundane. I wish there could be more focus on Tara and Eli’s relationship.
Pros: Having read the first book, I felt more connected to Tara. It was interesting to be reminded that the narration is unreliable since it is from Tara’s POV, and to tie that all into the conclusion of the novel 👌🏼
September 29, 2023
Number two put a lot more into perspective but I still have unanswered questions and holes in the characters that I find annoying. Admittedly I had a hard time putting the book down, and even with the last several chapters giving nearly all the details this still didn't show up to be Hopkins best work.
Spoilers ahead
Learning at the end of book one that Tara was a liar made it easier to look for cracks in the story than it did in the preceding novel. It's impossible to trust just about anything the characters say since they all cause doubt in one another in some way. Eli lies by omission, Cavin lies, Melody lies and Tara admits to lying. I'm exhausted by the untrustworthiness, especially from the narrator.
Spoilers ahead
Learning at the end of book one that Tara was a liar made it easier to look for cracks in the story than it did in the preceding novel. It's impossible to trust just about anything the characters say since they all cause doubt in one another in some way. Eli lies by omission, Cavin lies, Melody lies and Tara admits to lying. I'm exhausted by the untrustworthiness, especially from the narrator.
July 18, 2018
Ellen Hopkins is by far one of my favorite authors. The way she portrays the characters and really draws you into their personalities. However, I must admit this book did not seem like one of works. The story did capitative me and left me wanting more as I read however, I could not feel the characters personalities. Also, some parts seemed very rushed while others seemed so drawn out. I did like the twist at the end but I wish it was longer and had more meaning, the whole time you are wondering what’s going through each of these characters minds and in the end is disappointing that you are left with only a few pages of details.
May 2, 2021
Meh, indeed
I was really hoping this sequel would knock it out of the park for me. It didn’t. I found this book to be more dull than the first In fact, it felt like too much time had passed fizzling out the story that the reader lost interest and then too many conclusions were thrown into the last five pages in an effort to save face. The characters lacked dimensions this time around and it was a similar song and dance to the first novel in the series... perhaps add a dash of mental illness to it? I adore Ellen Hopkins. But, maybe she should stick to prose and YA. This was not it for me.
I was really hoping this sequel would knock it out of the park for me. It didn’t. I found this book to be more dull than the first In fact, it felt like too much time had passed fizzling out the story that the reader lost interest and then too many conclusions were thrown into the last five pages in an effort to save face. The characters lacked dimensions this time around and it was a similar song and dance to the first novel in the series... perhaps add a dash of mental illness to it? I adore Ellen Hopkins. But, maybe she should stick to prose and YA. This was not it for me.
August 12, 2022
I would give it 2.5 stars but I liked the ending so I added an extra .5. Honestly, I was disappointed by this book. I remember loving Hopkins' novels written in free verse when I was in high school, so I was super excited to try this one out. However, I expected much more and it was very underwhelming. The plot was extremely boring and dry for most of the book, and it felt like everything was super packed in and rushed at the end. Also, I could not STAND the main character, and the thing with the stepson was just... weird. This was a mediocre read. I didn't love it, didn't hate it, it was just extremely meh.
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