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Just Between Us
Four suburban mothers and friends conspire to cover up a deadly crime in this heart-stopping novel of suspense in the tradition of Lisa Scottoline and Lisa Unger.
Alison, Julie, Sarah, Heather. Four friends living the suburban ideal. Their jobs are steady, their kids are healthy. They’re as beautiful as their houses. But each of them has a dirty little secret, and hidden behind the veneer of their perfect lives is a crime and a mystery that will consume them all.
Everything starts to unravel when Alison spots a nasty bruise on Heather’s wrist. She shares her suspicions with Julie and Sarah, compelling all three to investigate what looks like an increasingly violent marriage. As mysterious injuries and erratic behavior mount, Heather can no longer deny the abuse, but she refuses to leave her husband. Desperate to save her, Alison and the others dread the phone call telling them that she’s been killed. But when that call finally comes, it’s not Heather who’s dead. In a moment they’ll come to regret, the women must decide what lengths they’ll go to in order to help a friend.
Just Between Us is a thrilling glimpse into the underbelly of suburbia, where not all neighbors can be trusted, and even the closest friends keep dangerous secrets. You never really know what goes on in another person’s mind, or in their marriage.
Alison, Julie, Sarah, Heather. Four friends living the suburban ideal. Their jobs are steady, their kids are healthy. They’re as beautiful as their houses. But each of them has a dirty little secret, and hidden behind the veneer of their perfect lives is a crime and a mystery that will consume them all.
Everything starts to unravel when Alison spots a nasty bruise on Heather’s wrist. She shares her suspicions with Julie and Sarah, compelling all three to investigate what looks like an increasingly violent marriage. As mysterious injuries and erratic behavior mount, Heather can no longer deny the abuse, but she refuses to leave her husband. Desperate to save her, Alison and the others dread the phone call telling them that she’s been killed. But when that call finally comes, it’s not Heather who’s dead. In a moment they’ll come to regret, the women must decide what lengths they’ll go to in order to help a friend.
Just Between Us is a thrilling glimpse into the underbelly of suburbia, where not all neighbors can be trusted, and even the closest friends keep dangerous secrets. You never really know what goes on in another person’s mind, or in their marriage.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 9, 2018
375 people are currently reading
9543 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Drake
7 books293 followersRebecca Drake is an American author of psychological suspense. Her latest book, JUST BETWEEN US, was featured by O, The Oprah Magazine as a “compulsively readable thriller,” while Publisher’s Weekly and the Associated Press lauded it as “tense, bombshell laden and action-packed” and “twisty and compelling.”
Her previous novel ONLY EVER YOU, was chosen by Barnes & Noble as a top thriller and Library Journal’s starred review called it a “gripping domestic thriller.” She is also the author of DON’T BE AFRAID, THE NEXT KILLING and THE DEAD PLACE,as well as short fiction featured in the anthologies, PITTSBURGH NOIR, SWAMP KILLERS, and A THOUSAND DOORS.
A native New Yorker and Penn State grad, Rebecca has lived in eight cities, including Doha, Qatar, and was an instructor in Seton Hill University’s Writing Popular Fiction MFA program. She currently resides in Pittsburgh with her husband, two children, a large cat and a little dog.
Her previous novel ONLY EVER YOU, was chosen by Barnes & Noble as a top thriller and Library Journal’s starred review called it a “gripping domestic thriller.” She is also the author of DON’T BE AFRAID, THE NEXT KILLING and THE DEAD PLACE,as well as short fiction featured in the anthologies, PITTSBURGH NOIR, SWAMP KILLERS, and A THOUSAND DOORS.
A native New Yorker and Penn State grad, Rebecca has lived in eight cities, including Doha, Qatar, and was an instructor in Seton Hill University’s Writing Popular Fiction MFA program. She currently resides in Pittsburgh with her husband, two children, a large cat and a little dog.
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November 24, 2017
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4.5 Stars!
This is the second book from Rebecca Drake that I have read. Last year I read “ Only Ever You” which I thought was a great read. So I was pretty excited to get my hands on this new novel.
“Just Between Us” is about four good friends - Alison, Julie, Sarah and Heather who seem to have it all. They all seem happy, healthy, and financially stable with great families. But we should never assume to know what goes on in a person’s mind or their marriage and especially behind closed doors.
The story is told from each of the four characters point of view, beginning with Alison. Alison is thinking back and playing the “what-if” game. What if they hadn’t moved to Sewickley? What if they had purchased a house in a different neighborhood? What if she had never met Julie at preschool drop-off?
“This is the way of fate – all of these pieces that must slot into place, one leading to the other, a progression toward a conclusion that seems inevitable only after the fact”
If all of that hadn’t happened, then the four women would likely never have met. And if they hadn’t met then they wouldn’t have been together that Friday afternoon at Crazy Mocha’s and Alison would never have asked the question that set everything in motion…..
“How did you get such a nasty bruise?”
Heather is married to a very successful plastic surgeon, Victor Lysenko. They seem to have a wonderful marriage. But Alison is positive that Heather is being abused. The other women aren’t so sure. Julie thinks that Alison is making assumptions and feels that Heather would have confided in them if Victor was hurting her. However, when things escalate, all of the women fear that something horrible is going to happen to Heather. They are almost expecting the call when it comes.
But nothing could have prepared them for what happens next.
How far would you go to protect one of your closest friends?
But things aren’t always what they seem and Heather isn’t the only one with secrets. All of the women have secrets that they don’t want known. As more information comes to light, doubt begins to creep in. Suspicious and paranoid, soon they are all looking over their shoulder, anxious about what could happen next.
“What had seemed like a good decision in the middle of the night looked like a horrible decision in the light of day, and I wished there were some magic morning-after do-over pill that could reverse everything”
I was really impressed with this novel. At first it was a little hard to keep track of whose point of view I was reading, but as I got to know each character it became easier. I really liked that at the top of each page near the page number it said the character’s name. So if I was unsure I just had to look up.
This is a story that explores friendship and the things that we will do for our friends. However, it also shows us there is much we may not know about those we care about, those we love. The author writes about friendship in a very realistic way. Although these women are very close, they don’t always get along. Sometimes they make snarky comments or talk about each other behind their backs. But they are always there for each other when it really counts.
The author builds the tension and heightens the suspense, making it very difficult to put the book down. With great characters and an interesting plot, I became thoroughly absorbed in this novel and had to know what was going to happen next. And just when I thought I had things figured out? A monkey wrench was thrown in and almost everything I thought I knew was wrong.
Rebecca Drake has done it again. I was thrilled with her last novel and “Just Between Us” was another winner for me. I will be anxiously awaiting more from this very talented author.
Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin and Rebecca Drake for providing an advanced readers copy of this book for me to read in exchange for my honest review.
4.5 Stars!
This is the second book from Rebecca Drake that I have read. Last year I read “ Only Ever You” which I thought was a great read. So I was pretty excited to get my hands on this new novel.
“Just Between Us” is about four good friends - Alison, Julie, Sarah and Heather who seem to have it all. They all seem happy, healthy, and financially stable with great families. But we should never assume to know what goes on in a person’s mind or their marriage and especially behind closed doors.
The story is told from each of the four characters point of view, beginning with Alison. Alison is thinking back and playing the “what-if” game. What if they hadn’t moved to Sewickley? What if they had purchased a house in a different neighborhood? What if she had never met Julie at preschool drop-off?
“This is the way of fate – all of these pieces that must slot into place, one leading to the other, a progression toward a conclusion that seems inevitable only after the fact”
If all of that hadn’t happened, then the four women would likely never have met. And if they hadn’t met then they wouldn’t have been together that Friday afternoon at Crazy Mocha’s and Alison would never have asked the question that set everything in motion…..
“How did you get such a nasty bruise?”
Heather is married to a very successful plastic surgeon, Victor Lysenko. They seem to have a wonderful marriage. But Alison is positive that Heather is being abused. The other women aren’t so sure. Julie thinks that Alison is making assumptions and feels that Heather would have confided in them if Victor was hurting her. However, when things escalate, all of the women fear that something horrible is going to happen to Heather. They are almost expecting the call when it comes.
But nothing could have prepared them for what happens next.
How far would you go to protect one of your closest friends?
But things aren’t always what they seem and Heather isn’t the only one with secrets. All of the women have secrets that they don’t want known. As more information comes to light, doubt begins to creep in. Suspicious and paranoid, soon they are all looking over their shoulder, anxious about what could happen next.
“What had seemed like a good decision in the middle of the night looked like a horrible decision in the light of day, and I wished there were some magic morning-after do-over pill that could reverse everything”
I was really impressed with this novel. At first it was a little hard to keep track of whose point of view I was reading, but as I got to know each character it became easier. I really liked that at the top of each page near the page number it said the character’s name. So if I was unsure I just had to look up.
This is a story that explores friendship and the things that we will do for our friends. However, it also shows us there is much we may not know about those we care about, those we love. The author writes about friendship in a very realistic way. Although these women are very close, they don’t always get along. Sometimes they make snarky comments or talk about each other behind their backs. But they are always there for each other when it really counts.
The author builds the tension and heightens the suspense, making it very difficult to put the book down. With great characters and an interesting plot, I became thoroughly absorbed in this novel and had to know what was going to happen next. And just when I thought I had things figured out? A monkey wrench was thrown in and almost everything I thought I knew was wrong.
Rebecca Drake has done it again. I was thrilled with her last novel and “Just Between Us” was another winner for me. I will be anxiously awaiting more from this very talented author.
Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin and Rebecca Drake for providing an advanced readers copy of this book for me to read in exchange for my honest review.
June 28, 2018
This is a hard book for me to review; a three star rating on my own scale means that overall I enjoyed the book, but I found some issues I couldn't overcome or the read wasn't altogether memorable. Here, I found I enjoyed the read in a broad sense, but struggled with the format and determined that I just wasn't engaged enough to keep all the details straight. This will be a short review, as I don't have a lot to say, but I still wanted to take the time to acknowledge that I read this and try to reach the reader who may find this to be their own five star read. While this is being promoted as a psychological thriller/suspense, I'd like to add in that I feel it has a lighter, more dramatic angle than a truly dark one. Think Desperate Housewives and Big, Little Lies.
The writing is top notch people. I read the author's previous novel, Only Ever You, and I devoured it. Her, the writing was just as high quality, so I came to the conclusion that it was my inability to keep straight the multiple POVs that narrate the story. There are four friends here, and we hear from all of them along the way; while this was definitely an interesting idea, I think I might have benefitted from the author choosing two ladies to tell the story and our gathering characterization from the remaining cast throughout their voice and experiences. This is 100% just my opinion though and has no bearing on the quality of writing or the value of the plot's content. I thought the story was a wonderful idea and found myself having not figured out a few of the twists. If you enjoyed Big, Little Lies and other similar domestic dramas, I think you'll enjoy this as well.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my copy; it was a pleasure to provide my honest thoughts here.
The writing is top notch people. I read the author's previous novel, Only Ever You, and I devoured it. Her, the writing was just as high quality, so I came to the conclusion that it was my inability to keep straight the multiple POVs that narrate the story. There are four friends here, and we hear from all of them along the way; while this was definitely an interesting idea, I think I might have benefitted from the author choosing two ladies to tell the story and our gathering characterization from the remaining cast throughout their voice and experiences. This is 100% just my opinion though and has no bearing on the quality of writing or the value of the plot's content. I thought the story was a wonderful idea and found myself having not figured out a few of the twists. If you enjoyed Big, Little Lies and other similar domestic dramas, I think you'll enjoy this as well.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my copy; it was a pleasure to provide my honest thoughts here.
September 5, 2017
This is a story of friendship. How well do we really know our closest friends? How far would you be willing to go to help if they asked?
Four close friends (Alison, Sarah, Julie and Heather) all bond over their school age children. After the morning ritual of delivering the youngsters to school, they enjoy starting their day getting together for coffee. As their relationships develop, they schedule play dates, as well as occasional outings that include their husbands. Just every-day women enjoying ordinary friendships. That is, until Alison notices a bruise on Heather’s wrist. Suddenly everything changes.
The main downside for me was I had difficulty keeping the characters straight. Told from all 4 women's POV I would often have to refer back to the name on the chapter to see who was speaking. I just didn't feel the character development was deep enough to differentiate between the 4 women. Even though some background was given on each of the women, it was just touched on and not explored enough to take hold.
The premise for this book was great but somehow I just didn’t totally connect with it. There were parts that had me totally enthralled, but by the end I didn’t find it all that memorable. Yet…curiously it has taken me three days to write my review as this book keeps turning over in my mind! So, maybe this had a bigger effect on me than I thought?!
I did enjoy all the twists that were laid out along the way. As these women discover more about each other and their ‘friendship’, you will be delightfully surprised!
3.75* rounded up to 4*
Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press and Rebecca Drake for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Four close friends (Alison, Sarah, Julie and Heather) all bond over their school age children. After the morning ritual of delivering the youngsters to school, they enjoy starting their day getting together for coffee. As their relationships develop, they schedule play dates, as well as occasional outings that include their husbands. Just every-day women enjoying ordinary friendships. That is, until Alison notices a bruise on Heather’s wrist. Suddenly everything changes.
The main downside for me was I had difficulty keeping the characters straight. Told from all 4 women's POV I would often have to refer back to the name on the chapter to see who was speaking. I just didn't feel the character development was deep enough to differentiate between the 4 women. Even though some background was given on each of the women, it was just touched on and not explored enough to take hold.
The premise for this book was great but somehow I just didn’t totally connect with it. There were parts that had me totally enthralled, but by the end I didn’t find it all that memorable. Yet…curiously it has taken me three days to write my review as this book keeps turning over in my mind! So, maybe this had a bigger effect on me than I thought?!
I did enjoy all the twists that were laid out along the way. As these women discover more about each other and their ‘friendship’, you will be delightfully surprised!
3.75* rounded up to 4*
Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press and Rebecca Drake for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 18, 2018
This is a tightly written, suspenseful read about female friendship and the dynamics of relationships.
Certainly, as a born and raised Pittsburgher, my favorite part of this book was that it was written in my hometown. The city takes on a life of its own and almost becomes a singular character in the story. The details were well done and I loved reading about locations that I could picture in my head. Additionally, as a work from home mom, this one was very relatable.
This book will question how far you will go for those you love. There were times when I was screaming at the characters in this book - a lot of poor decisions were made - but when you can have that kind of a visceral response, you know you’re reading something good.
By the final chapters, my heart was racing out of my chest. I had no idea how it would conclude, but the ending was one of my favorite parts of this here book.
My one complaint is that, while the chapters were broken up from the perspectives of all four friends, I had somewhat of a difficult time keeping track of who was narrating. I believe it could have been a bit more focused on one or two characters perspectives to get a more fleshed out understanding of the story, but I do see why the author chose to tell the story this way.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Certainly, as a born and raised Pittsburgher, my favorite part of this book was that it was written in my hometown. The city takes on a life of its own and almost becomes a singular character in the story. The details were well done and I loved reading about locations that I could picture in my head. Additionally, as a work from home mom, this one was very relatable.
This book will question how far you will go for those you love. There were times when I was screaming at the characters in this book - a lot of poor decisions were made - but when you can have that kind of a visceral response, you know you’re reading something good.
By the final chapters, my heart was racing out of my chest. I had no idea how it would conclude, but the ending was one of my favorite parts of this here book.
My one complaint is that, while the chapters were broken up from the perspectives of all four friends, I had somewhat of a difficult time keeping track of who was narrating. I believe it could have been a bit more focused on one or two characters perspectives to get a more fleshed out understanding of the story, but I do see why the author chose to tell the story this way.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 13, 2017
How far would you go to help one of your close girlfriends? How well do you THINK you know your girlfriends?
Just Between Us is a novel about four friends Sarah, Heather, Julie, and Alison who have formed a bond over their school aged children. These four women bond over morning coffee dates and their friendship takes off.... literally when Alison notices a huge bruise on Heather's wrist. It all sort of crashes down from there......
My biggest issue with this novel was the characterization. The novel was told from the perspective of each of the four women.. but I could not keep track of who was who in each chapter. Yes, the name was on the beginning of the chapter but there was not enough detail to actually differentiate between the four women. I was so focused on trying to figure out which character was which that I ended up losing sight into the actual storyline. This honestly was so frustrating and irritating to me that I just couldn't get past this until the end of the story when things became a little bit more clear. If you don't have in depth characterization, its like loosing the frosting to the cupcake :(.
Rebecca Drake definitely had some windy twists and turns that gradually was revealed to her readers...but I just had a difficult time connecting to this book.
I was left wanting more and my overall impression was just meh.
But, I do have to say one thing.... we all have secrets in our closet that ever so slowly drips out.. whether we want them to or not.....
Overall, 3 stars on this one for me :).
Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Rebecca Drake for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Publication date is 1/8/18.
Just Between Us is a novel about four friends Sarah, Heather, Julie, and Alison who have formed a bond over their school aged children. These four women bond over morning coffee dates and their friendship takes off.... literally when Alison notices a huge bruise on Heather's wrist. It all sort of crashes down from there......
My biggest issue with this novel was the characterization. The novel was told from the perspective of each of the four women.. but I could not keep track of who was who in each chapter. Yes, the name was on the beginning of the chapter but there was not enough detail to actually differentiate between the four women. I was so focused on trying to figure out which character was which that I ended up losing sight into the actual storyline. This honestly was so frustrating and irritating to me that I just couldn't get past this until the end of the story when things became a little bit more clear. If you don't have in depth characterization, its like loosing the frosting to the cupcake :(.
Rebecca Drake definitely had some windy twists and turns that gradually was revealed to her readers...but I just had a difficult time connecting to this book.
I was left wanting more and my overall impression was just meh.
But, I do have to say one thing.... we all have secrets in our closet that ever so slowly drips out.. whether we want them to or not.....
Overall, 3 stars on this one for me :).
Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Rebecca Drake for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Publication date is 1/8/18.
January 7, 2018
4.5 Stars
Full of surprises, friendship, stunners, and plenty of wine drinking!
A suspenseful and enjoyable read about a circle of four close girlfriends who find themselves involved in an event that threatens to shatter their lives! It took me some time to "get into" the story, but when I did it was "consuming" me!
The four friends are typical suburban moms raising their families. Heather is the friend who could be envied because she is married to Viktor, a respected surgeon and they live in a beautiful estate. It seems Heather has it all, but wait....why is she hiding bruising on her arms? Is this what it looks like or something else? Why are the friends so quick to judge? Just who has something to hide?
Things begin to escalate and when they do there is NO turning back for these ladies! It is like the ball that starts rolling and you can't stop it! First one of the friends gets a frantic phone call from Heather at 2:00 AM which sends her flying out of the house and speeding off to Heather's house!
Her snoopy neighbor may have "spied" her speeding away too. It is not long before the police come knocking and the girlfriends are sweating it!
If you were a fan of Depths of Lies, you might enjoy this one too. It has a bit of everything-humor with the ladies, stunners, and I think it may have a hint of being "a little out there" at times, but I enjoyed the ladies and the quick pace and many many stunners! I have to recommend!
Thank you for my "wish granted!!" St. Martin's Press and Rebecca Drake! Publication date is on 01/09/2018
Full of surprises, friendship, stunners, and plenty of wine drinking!
A suspenseful and enjoyable read about a circle of four close girlfriends who find themselves involved in an event that threatens to shatter their lives! It took me some time to "get into" the story, but when I did it was "consuming" me!
The four friends are typical suburban moms raising their families. Heather is the friend who could be envied because she is married to Viktor, a respected surgeon and they live in a beautiful estate. It seems Heather has it all, but wait....why is she hiding bruising on her arms? Is this what it looks like or something else? Why are the friends so quick to judge? Just who has something to hide?
Things begin to escalate and when they do there is NO turning back for these ladies! It is like the ball that starts rolling and you can't stop it! First one of the friends gets a frantic phone call from Heather at 2:00 AM which sends her flying out of the house and speeding off to Heather's house!
Her snoopy neighbor may have "spied" her speeding away too. It is not long before the police come knocking and the girlfriends are sweating it!
If you were a fan of Depths of Lies, you might enjoy this one too. It has a bit of everything-humor with the ladies, stunners, and I think it may have a hint of being "a little out there" at times, but I enjoyed the ladies and the quick pace and many many stunners! I have to recommend!
Thank you for my "wish granted!!" St. Martin's Press and Rebecca Drake! Publication date is on 01/09/2018
January 11, 2018
“You never really know what happens in someone else’s marriage.”
3.5 Stars. How far would you go to protect a friend? Three women begin to suspect that the fourth member of their group is being abused by her husband. Keeping her safe becomes their number one priority. One late evening their worst fears come true, but not in the way they expect. They must deal with the fallout from that night and the subsequent strain on their families and their friendship.
We were polite women living in a civilized society where people rarely did more than whisper about one another’s marriages. We tried reasoning with her and spent hours worrying about her, but ultimately we did nothing, watching from a distance like moviegoers at a disaster film, tense and expectant, waiting for the awful yet inevitable conclusion.I recently watched the first episode of Big Little Lies, so it was impossible not to make comparisons within the first few chapters: women whose children attend the same school become close, they frequently meet at a local coffee shop, and their wealthy, beautiful friend is possibly being abused. That's where the similarities end for me! The chapters alternate between four women with very different lives:
Sarah - Former lawyer, now a stay-at-home mom. Blunt and no-nonsense.
Julie - Realtor. Type-A, effervescent, optimistic. Always wants to see the best in people.
Alison - At-home IT consultant. Pessimistic. There are parts of her past she'd rather keep hidden. Sarah and Julie were already friends when Alison came along.
Heather - (32) Former model. Now married to a well-known plastic surgeon. Generally appears relaxed, without a care in the world. She's the newest member of the group. They've known her for almost two years.
So much in life hinges on chance—this date or that time, the myriad small, statistical variations which social scientists like to measure. . . . It’s only when I look back that I see this moment as the beginning, how everything started, though of course I didn’t understand the significance then. . . . This is the way of fate—all of these pieces that must slot into place, one leading to the other, a progression toward a conclusion that seems inevitable only after the fact.
LIKES
• The premise of several women working together to help a friend really appealed to me.
• The relationship dynamics - It's hard to imagine these women being friends if their kids didn't go to school together! The divisions between them start to widen when they're under pressure: different backgrounds and personality quirks, economic divisions, parenting differences, working vs. stay at home. Sarah and Julie were friends before they met Alison, so Alison often felt like a third wheel before Heather came along.
• The little insights tucked into the story: "I’ve often thought successful marriages are as much about couples knowing how to create space for each other’s moods as they are about togetherness and communication."
• I assumed the main twists before I even started reading, but I was wrong about everything else!
• The kid's conversations were adorable and hilarious. I appreciate when an author injects humor into otherwise dark subject matter!
Once when I was talking about the past with my brother, he said that being a police officer had taught him that the line that separates the civil from the uncivil is very fine, and that anyone is capable of anything given the right set of circumstances. I hadn’t believed him. There was a huge difference between the monsters and us, I’d argued. It wasn’t a fine line at all, but a gulf separating the law-abiding from the lawless. I hadn’t understood that dozens of smaller choices lead to those big moral decisions, as if each step were a point along an invisible map leading to what only feels upon arrival like a surprise destination.
DISLIKES
• "She's talking to Alison? I thought I was in Alison's chapter already!" - Unless I was in Alison's chapters, I was always wrong about whose chapter I was in! The four women have clearly-defined personalities, but I had a hard time telling them apart. I kept having to stop and figure out whose brain I was inhabiting!
• I didn't buy the event that set the journey to self-preservation in motion because the relationships lacked longevity and depth.
• There comes a point of absurdity where I either shake my head in annoyance or just sit back and enjoy the ride. The women have mild personalities and the first half was standard domestic fiction, so it was hard for me to accept the shift in the middle. I need a side of theatricality with my ridiculous! I had the hardest time imagining Sarah being so agreeable to some of the events in the book (though she did have the hardest time dealing with it all). Their escalating antics in the second half reminded me of the first rule of improv: "Say yes." Sure, one of them would occasionally pipe up with a few lines of dissent, but they quickly dived headfirst into whatever insane plan the other one had concocted.
• They started taking themselves too seriously and had an absurd conception of their abilities and expertise. Alison works in the technology field and her superior Googling skills are mentioned, but it was baffling to me when she seriously—albeit reluctantly—entertained the idea of hacking a government website.
• The husbands were way too clueless.
There are no monsters, just deeply flawed people, all of us given that power to choose, some of us making choices so damaging that they ruin the lives of those they claim to love. I believed once in those clear lines, the good and the evil, the perpetrator and the victim, and now I see that all of us end up playing both roles at some point in our lives. We hurt those that we love, we make choices that we can’t undo, we throw ourselves headlong into battles in the name of rescuing people who never asked to be saved. . . . . None of us are wholly innocent. We are all the damned and we are all the saved.
This book is about all the little choices along the way that lead us to unexpected places. Good people are capable of doing bad things. They may not even realize how far they've gone until they've already crossed a line. There's also a message about talking to your friends and being less polite. Early on, one of the characters muses about how her generation is more open than her parents' more polite generation. It turns out that the "openness" of the modern age is mostly superficial. At the end, she realizes how much she didn't know about her supposedly closest friends. There were so many missed opportunities to provide her friends a shoulder to lean on because she was too polite to pry. You never know what's going on behind closed doors, but sometimes all you have to do is ask.
I was actually smiling as I typed my dislikes! The second half was a lot of fun in a "What the heck are they going to do next!?" kind of way. It got a little too crazy for me, but I think readers of the genre will like this book. I enjoyed the writing and would read another book by this author.
_____________
I received this book for free from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. It's available today!
November 23, 2017
Alison, Julie, Sarah, and Heather are four mothers who meet over coffee and become friends. They live in beautiful homes, have jobs, are married, they have school aged children that play together, and appear to have it all. But each woman has something in her past that she is keeping secret from the other women. None of them are as perfect as they appear to be. Some of the are also not as nice as they want to appear. One-day Allison notices a bruise on Heather's wrist and their perfect lives begin to fall apart bit by bit.
The blurb of this book tells us that the four suburban moms are trying to cover up a deadly crime. How far would you go to protect your friends? What would you be willing to do to keep her safe? What do you do when things begin to fall apart?
Many books have plots that ask the following questions, how well do you know those in your life? What goes on behind closed doors? How far will you go for those you care about? This is also true in this book, but I just didn't buy most of it. For starters, the women are often catty to each other saying "shut up" or thinking ill of the other women. Yes, this is human nature, but it did not paint these four women as being that close knit. I didn't buy that they would go to the lengths they went to help their friend.
Also, this book jumps around telling each woman's POV. This doesn't sound like a BIG deal but keeping track of each woman, her child, her job, her husband, her interactions with others was ALOT! I often had to go back and read the header AND I will admit to confusing these characters from time to time. At one point I thought "Wait! I thought she was the attorney. Oh, she's not, okay so what does she do, she is not the real estate agent." UGH!
The premise of this book was very good. The Author does have a couple of twists and turns. I did guess that one character was not being honest, but I was wrong about why. In the end I wasn’t blown away by the "reveal". It was an entertaining read that I may have enjoyed more if I didn't have to keep figuring out who was who. I can't fault the writing. I thought this book was well written and the plot was well thought out.
Good not great.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
See more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com
The blurb of this book tells us that the four suburban moms are trying to cover up a deadly crime. How far would you go to protect your friends? What would you be willing to do to keep her safe? What do you do when things begin to fall apart?
Many books have plots that ask the following questions, how well do you know those in your life? What goes on behind closed doors? How far will you go for those you care about? This is also true in this book, but I just didn't buy most of it. For starters, the women are often catty to each other saying "shut up" or thinking ill of the other women. Yes, this is human nature, but it did not paint these four women as being that close knit. I didn't buy that they would go to the lengths they went to help their friend.
Also, this book jumps around telling each woman's POV. This doesn't sound like a BIG deal but keeping track of each woman, her child, her job, her husband, her interactions with others was ALOT! I often had to go back and read the header AND I will admit to confusing these characters from time to time. At one point I thought "Wait! I thought she was the attorney. Oh, she's not, okay so what does she do, she is not the real estate agent." UGH!
The premise of this book was very good. The Author does have a couple of twists and turns. I did guess that one character was not being honest, but I was wrong about why. In the end I wasn’t blown away by the "reveal". It was an entertaining read that I may have enjoyed more if I didn't have to keep figuring out who was who. I can't fault the writing. I thought this book was well written and the plot was well thought out.
Good not great.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
See more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com
December 30, 2017
Just Between Us by Rebecca Drake is the tale of four friends, Alison, Julie, Sarah, Heather. The story switches the point of view between these four ladies as we get to know them and their bond as friends and the secrets they are hiding.
Alison has played the what if game with herself wondering if anything had changed would she still be as close to these women or would she ever have met them? Their lives are perfect from the outside with their lovely suburban homes and healthy kids and the great friendship they have formed. But one day Alison spots a bruise on Heather’s wrist which starts the questions between them.
What should one do if they think their friend is being hurt somehow? Fearing for Heather the other ladies want only for her to know that they are there for her and will do anything to help her out. Then one night a phone call comes and instead of Heather being harmed as they fear and nightmare begins leaving the question of just how far do you go for friendship?
Right from the start I was completely hooked on the story of these four women as I began to know them. Just Between Us was just one of those books that I didn’t want to put down until every little dirty secret of the characters had been unearthed and discovered. As the pages kept turning the twists and suspense would build.
My only complaint with this book was that I think the author could have done a better job distinguishing the four women from one another as the point of view changed. Early on while reading I would have to pay close attention to whose voice was telling the story at any given time before I knew things about them to tell them apart. Once getting to know them better though the story really came together. Other than that one complaint I found this one an extremely compelling read from start to finish and would definitely recommend checking it out.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
Alison has played the what if game with herself wondering if anything had changed would she still be as close to these women or would she ever have met them? Their lives are perfect from the outside with their lovely suburban homes and healthy kids and the great friendship they have formed. But one day Alison spots a bruise on Heather’s wrist which starts the questions between them.
What should one do if they think their friend is being hurt somehow? Fearing for Heather the other ladies want only for her to know that they are there for her and will do anything to help her out. Then one night a phone call comes and instead of Heather being harmed as they fear and nightmare begins leaving the question of just how far do you go for friendship?
Right from the start I was completely hooked on the story of these four women as I began to know them. Just Between Us was just one of those books that I didn’t want to put down until every little dirty secret of the characters had been unearthed and discovered. As the pages kept turning the twists and suspense would build.
My only complaint with this book was that I think the author could have done a better job distinguishing the four women from one another as the point of view changed. Early on while reading I would have to pay close attention to whose voice was telling the story at any given time before I knew things about them to tell them apart. Once getting to know them better though the story really came together. Other than that one complaint I found this one an extremely compelling read from start to finish and would definitely recommend checking it out.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
January 8, 2018
Four suburban moms outside of Pittsburgh form a friendship while their children attend the same school. Alison, Sarah, Julie, and Heather often get together for coffee after dropping off their children. One morning Alison becomes concerned about Heather after noticing a bruise on her arm. Heather claims that she bumped into something in her home. The other women soon become concerned that Heather is being abused when they spot more bruises on her body.
At first, Heather denies any physical abuse by her husband. Weeks later a troubling situation occurs at her home that sparks the women’s concern. Heather is very upset and reveals physical encounters with her husband.
She confides that she cannot leave her marriage and is stuck due to financial reasons. The women continue to worry about her safety until one night when Heather calls for their help.
“Just Between Us” is about a rash decision testing the bonds of friendship. This was an entertaining, suspenseful book filled with twists and tension. This was the first novel that I read by Rebecca Drake.
At first, Heather denies any physical abuse by her husband. Weeks later a troubling situation occurs at her home that sparks the women’s concern. Heather is very upset and reveals physical encounters with her husband.
She confides that she cannot leave her marriage and is stuck due to financial reasons. The women continue to worry about her safety until one night when Heather calls for their help.
“Just Between Us” is about a rash decision testing the bonds of friendship. This was an entertaining, suspenseful book filled with twists and tension. This was the first novel that I read by Rebecca Drake.
January 24, 2018
4.5 Friends, coffee, kids, and enough secrets to make your head spin!
Alison, Julie, Sarah, and Heather are 4 suburban moms who become friends by meeting for coffee while the kids are in school to exchange parenting stories, gossip a little, and then later having playdates at their houses. They confided personal things to each other like women tend to do in close relationships. Heather is by far the more well off with her husband being a surgeon and a house to be envied. At this point, this is a typical Women’s Fiction novel, but don’t be fooled this is quite a ride! While attending a party, Julie walks in on a heated discussion between Heather and her husband and days before Alison noticed bruises on Heather’s wrists which triggered memories from her past.
Things go terribly wrong when in the middle of the night Alison receives a phone call from Heather. Heather is sobbing and not making a lot of sense. Alison calls the others to tell them that she’s headed to Heather’s house and they should meet her there. It’s obvious that Viktor, Heather’s husband, has hurt her as they all suspected was happening. Heather vehemently denies that she is abused and begs that the police not get involved, but the others know better and what’s best for their friend. Nosy neighbors have seen the abrupt departure in the midnight hours and start asking questions. Then the police are involved. How do these friends keep their activity hidden from their husbands and satisfy questions from neighbors all the while protecting Heather?
Told in alternating chapters from each of the characters kept the suspense up for me until the very end. The relationship between these friends will be tested, but despite their differences and squabbling, they remain strong. This is full of twists as each character’s past is revealed. After all, no matter how close friendships are do we reveal everything? Everyone has secrets.
Just Between Us is the first novel I’ve read by Rebecca Drake and it’s certainly not the last. Thank you, St. Martin’s Griffin, Rebecca Drake, and NetGalley for making my wish come true and granting me an advance copy.
Alison, Julie, Sarah, and Heather are 4 suburban moms who become friends by meeting for coffee while the kids are in school to exchange parenting stories, gossip a little, and then later having playdates at their houses. They confided personal things to each other like women tend to do in close relationships. Heather is by far the more well off with her husband being a surgeon and a house to be envied. At this point, this is a typical Women’s Fiction novel, but don’t be fooled this is quite a ride! While attending a party, Julie walks in on a heated discussion between Heather and her husband and days before Alison noticed bruises on Heather’s wrists which triggered memories from her past.
Things go terribly wrong when in the middle of the night Alison receives a phone call from Heather. Heather is sobbing and not making a lot of sense. Alison calls the others to tell them that she’s headed to Heather’s house and they should meet her there. It’s obvious that Viktor, Heather’s husband, has hurt her as they all suspected was happening. Heather vehemently denies that she is abused and begs that the police not get involved, but the others know better and what’s best for their friend. Nosy neighbors have seen the abrupt departure in the midnight hours and start asking questions. Then the police are involved. How do these friends keep their activity hidden from their husbands and satisfy questions from neighbors all the while protecting Heather?
Told in alternating chapters from each of the characters kept the suspense up for me until the very end. The relationship between these friends will be tested, but despite their differences and squabbling, they remain strong. This is full of twists as each character’s past is revealed. After all, no matter how close friendships are do we reveal everything? Everyone has secrets.
Just Between Us is the first novel I’ve read by Rebecca Drake and it’s certainly not the last. Thank you, St. Martin’s Griffin, Rebecca Drake, and NetGalley for making my wish come true and granting me an advance copy.
January 6, 2018
3.5 best book to read during a winter storm stars
Well, this was a fast-paced read that was incredibly difficult to put down! I won't rehash the plot because the book synopsis sums up the first 12 chapters quite well. Narrated by four adult women this reminded me of shows like Pretty Little Liars and Desperate Housewives (the early seasons). What we do for our friends and their family secrets!
Now I am going to say something extremely annoying- I figured the end out early on. But Rebecca Drake's writing kept me intrigued enough to learn the motive.
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced ebook in exchange for an honest review. Book to be published January 9th.
Well, this was a fast-paced read that was incredibly difficult to put down! I won't rehash the plot because the book synopsis sums up the first 12 chapters quite well. Narrated by four adult women this reminded me of shows like Pretty Little Liars and Desperate Housewives (the early seasons). What we do for our friends and their family secrets!
Now I am going to say something extremely annoying- I figured the end out early on. But Rebecca Drake's writing kept me intrigued enough to learn the motive.
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced ebook in exchange for an honest review. Book to be published January 9th.
January 21, 2018
About: Just Between Us is a thriller written by Rebecca Drake. It was recently published on 1/9/18 by St. Martin’s Griffin, an imprint of Macmillan, paperback, 384 pages. The genres are mystery, thriller, fiction, crime, and suspense.
My Experience: I started reading Just Between Us on 1/15/18 and finished it on 1/21/18 at 12:30AM. This book is a great read! The start of this book reminds me of Behind Closed Doors, The Last Mrs. Parrish, and The Wife Between Us because they all portrait domestic abuse. This book separates itself from the other books is the friendship. I like how they support each other despite their different personalities. I think I enjoy this book a bit more as a mom to little kids because I can relate my feelings with them. I like their different professional and personal backgrounds and whether they choose to be a stay-at-home mom or continue working. I like Alison’s drive to succeed and Julie’s trust in everyone. I like how Sarah’s defensive about stay-at-home mom. Heather gives me a lot of doubts and reading throughout the book, I couldn’t take her words for what it is until the end.
This book is told in the first person point of view following four friends: Alison, Julie, Sarah, and Heather. Alison works in IT, Julie works in real estate, and Sarah, an ex-lawyer and Heather, an ex-model are both stay at home moms. Their kids all goes to the same school. Alison is often jealous of Julie and Sarah’s friendship because they met each other first. Sarah is glad that Heather is a stay at home mom too because she is sick of people thinking that she doesn’t do enough work at home. They often meet at the coffee shop to catch up on life and gossip. Their friendship started to change when signs of abuse begins to surface among one of their friends. She’s ashamed of it and asked her three friends to keep it a secret just between them. A secret that could consume them. They all worried that a bruise here and a welt there could lead to an end of their friend’s life, but when a phone call comes one night, their friendship is tested beyond their fears. A smaller secret becomes a larger secret and soon it’s up to them to defend themselves.
This book starts out obvious but it spikes up the intensity and suspense as the story move forward. I like the names of each main character at the beginning of each chapter and at the top of the page with the title because there are four point of views and I often forget who I’m reading about since they all have a husband and two kids. I love their individual secrets and it’s delicious when it’s being revealed. I like the realistic reactions of each of the main characters the author describes in this book especially after each twists and turns. I like the easy way of their friendship where their first instinct was to help and only accuse when there’s hard evidence, but even so, they still stood by each other to help. I felt the adrenaline rush with Sarah’s close call about the phone at the bar and Alison and Julie’s shocking discovery at the rickety apartment. Friends meeting for coffee reminds me of the friends on Sex and the City, but this friendship is on a whole new level and I highly recommend everyone to read this book!
Pro: friendship, cover, suspense, realistic reactions, fast paced, page turner, twists and turns, adrenaline rush
Con: none
I rate it 5 stars!
***Disclaimer: Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.
xoxo,
Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com for more details
My Experience: I started reading Just Between Us on 1/15/18 and finished it on 1/21/18 at 12:30AM. This book is a great read! The start of this book reminds me of Behind Closed Doors, The Last Mrs. Parrish, and The Wife Between Us because they all portrait domestic abuse. This book separates itself from the other books is the friendship. I like how they support each other despite their different personalities. I think I enjoy this book a bit more as a mom to little kids because I can relate my feelings with them. I like their different professional and personal backgrounds and whether they choose to be a stay-at-home mom or continue working. I like Alison’s drive to succeed and Julie’s trust in everyone. I like how Sarah’s defensive about stay-at-home mom. Heather gives me a lot of doubts and reading throughout the book, I couldn’t take her words for what it is until the end.
This book is told in the first person point of view following four friends: Alison, Julie, Sarah, and Heather. Alison works in IT, Julie works in real estate, and Sarah, an ex-lawyer and Heather, an ex-model are both stay at home moms. Their kids all goes to the same school. Alison is often jealous of Julie and Sarah’s friendship because they met each other first. Sarah is glad that Heather is a stay at home mom too because she is sick of people thinking that she doesn’t do enough work at home. They often meet at the coffee shop to catch up on life and gossip. Their friendship started to change when signs of abuse begins to surface among one of their friends. She’s ashamed of it and asked her three friends to keep it a secret just between them. A secret that could consume them. They all worried that a bruise here and a welt there could lead to an end of their friend’s life, but when a phone call comes one night, their friendship is tested beyond their fears. A smaller secret becomes a larger secret and soon it’s up to them to defend themselves.
This book starts out obvious but it spikes up the intensity and suspense as the story move forward. I like the names of each main character at the beginning of each chapter and at the top of the page with the title because there are four point of views and I often forget who I’m reading about since they all have a husband and two kids. I love their individual secrets and it’s delicious when it’s being revealed. I like the realistic reactions of each of the main characters the author describes in this book especially after each twists and turns. I like the easy way of their friendship where their first instinct was to help and only accuse when there’s hard evidence, but even so, they still stood by each other to help. I felt the adrenaline rush with Sarah’s close call about the phone at the bar and Alison and Julie’s shocking discovery at the rickety apartment. Friends meeting for coffee reminds me of the friends on Sex and the City, but this friendship is on a whole new level and I highly recommend everyone to read this book!
Pro: friendship, cover, suspense, realistic reactions, fast paced, page turner, twists and turns, adrenaline rush
Con: none
I rate it 5 stars!
***Disclaimer: Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.
xoxo,
Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com for more details
December 30, 2017
Wow! I started this book this morning and finished it tonight.. just could not put it down.
How well do you really know your friends? What goes on behind closed doors is not always as it appears. How far would you go to protect yourself and your friends? The story of 4 women and the things that can snowball if you lie.
A very big thank you to Netgalley and St Martins Press for granting my wish for this book. I absolutely loved it and highly recommend it.
How well do you really know your friends? What goes on behind closed doors is not always as it appears. How far would you go to protect yourself and your friends? The story of 4 women and the things that can snowball if you lie.
A very big thank you to Netgalley and St Martins Press for granting my wish for this book. I absolutely loved it and highly recommend it.
December 29, 2017
Thanks to @stmartinspress for a copy of Just Between Us by Rebecca Drake via #netgalley. I really enjoyed this one. I’d give a solid 4 Stars.
Just Between Us is a story about four friends Allison, Julie, Sarah and Heather. The four mothers meet at their kid’s school and eventually start meeting for morning coffee most mornings. They are all married, have jobs and seem to have it all. That is until Allison notices a bruise on Heather’s wrist. Allison, Julie and Sarah all start to question Heather’s Home life. They start to dig in the life of Heather’s husband, Viktar. The three friends are completely stressing out over Heather’s new bruises or marks. Then the unthinkable happens! How well do you really know your friends, hmmm?
I really liked the twists in Just Between Us. I was just surprised with it all. It read in each of the four friends point of view which I love and was never confused. I recommend! Great mystery!
Just Between Us is a story about four friends Allison, Julie, Sarah and Heather. The four mothers meet at their kid’s school and eventually start meeting for morning coffee most mornings. They are all married, have jobs and seem to have it all. That is until Allison notices a bruise on Heather’s wrist. Allison, Julie and Sarah all start to question Heather’s Home life. They start to dig in the life of Heather’s husband, Viktar. The three friends are completely stressing out over Heather’s new bruises or marks. Then the unthinkable happens! How well do you really know your friends, hmmm?
I really liked the twists in Just Between Us. I was just surprised with it all. It read in each of the four friends point of view which I love and was never confused. I recommend! Great mystery!
January 12, 2018
Favorite Quotes:
The strange thing about a secret is it longs to be told. Someone can confide personal news —a terminal illness, having lied on a job application, even an indiscretion with a stranger— and you might simply focus on the story itself, the details and the implications, but if they add that caveat—“ don’t tell”— then suddenly that’s all you can think about doing.
…her small, probably fixed, ferrety nose sniffing the air while she darted beady-eyed looks about the room. I doubted she’d ever been in Heather’s house before—she was an acquaintance rather than a friend, one of those women who believed that personal power came from the collection, and distribution, of gossip.
The coffin was a huge, satin-padded mahogany box, Viktor tucked into its folds like a piece of expensive mail-order fruit that got delayed somewhere in transit, polished and presentable, hiding a rotting core.
It was the sort of death he might have appreciated, high-intensity and cinematic, crashing through a guardrail and plunging thirty feet into the river. A swift end to a short life, but people like that seem destined to die young.
My Review:
I seem to have been on a suspense junket lately, and I’ve surprised myself with how much I’ve enjoyed them, but it has also cost me greatly as I am now sleep deprived. My lack of somnolence came not only from being enthralled and unable to put my Kindle down but from also ruminating about the characters and storylines once I finally closed my eyes. Just Between Us presented such a conundrum. It was well plotted, full of creative and unimagined twists and turns, and terribly hard to put down. The primary and as well as many secondary characters were well fleshed out and knowable, but not all at once, as shocking surprises were in store from each household.
The four women were uniquely unsuited to be friends. This wily author presented them in a cunning and intriguing manner, tantalizing me with unpredictable and questionable behaviors and thoughts, as well as making them annoyingly realistic and significantly flawed once the layers of civility were removed. Not a one of them were as I had expected or as they had presented themselves, to anyone. Each had dark and shameful secrets hidden in their histories, which were compounded by the new clandestine activities they had been caught up with. They had pulled together with the united purpose of assisting one of their own then became ensnared and saw no choice but to press forward with riskier and outright illicit behaviors. It is so true to form that when in the midst of a crisis options appear limited or nonexistent, but a day or so later all the alternatives of should have and could have, will flood the mind. The storylines heated up and boiled over as the four ladies began to unravel from the guilt and stress with panic attacks, paranoia, resentments, distrust, and destructive bad habits that frayed and fractures their ties. But I never saw this ending coming, it was cleverly devised and craftily enacted, yet oddly disquieting as well.
The strange thing about a secret is it longs to be told. Someone can confide personal news —a terminal illness, having lied on a job application, even an indiscretion with a stranger— and you might simply focus on the story itself, the details and the implications, but if they add that caveat—“ don’t tell”— then suddenly that’s all you can think about doing.
…her small, probably fixed, ferrety nose sniffing the air while she darted beady-eyed looks about the room. I doubted she’d ever been in Heather’s house before—she was an acquaintance rather than a friend, one of those women who believed that personal power came from the collection, and distribution, of gossip.
The coffin was a huge, satin-padded mahogany box, Viktor tucked into its folds like a piece of expensive mail-order fruit that got delayed somewhere in transit, polished and presentable, hiding a rotting core.
It was the sort of death he might have appreciated, high-intensity and cinematic, crashing through a guardrail and plunging thirty feet into the river. A swift end to a short life, but people like that seem destined to die young.
My Review:
I seem to have been on a suspense junket lately, and I’ve surprised myself with how much I’ve enjoyed them, but it has also cost me greatly as I am now sleep deprived. My lack of somnolence came not only from being enthralled and unable to put my Kindle down but from also ruminating about the characters and storylines once I finally closed my eyes. Just Between Us presented such a conundrum. It was well plotted, full of creative and unimagined twists and turns, and terribly hard to put down. The primary and as well as many secondary characters were well fleshed out and knowable, but not all at once, as shocking surprises were in store from each household.
The four women were uniquely unsuited to be friends. This wily author presented them in a cunning and intriguing manner, tantalizing me with unpredictable and questionable behaviors and thoughts, as well as making them annoyingly realistic and significantly flawed once the layers of civility were removed. Not a one of them were as I had expected or as they had presented themselves, to anyone. Each had dark and shameful secrets hidden in their histories, which were compounded by the new clandestine activities they had been caught up with. They had pulled together with the united purpose of assisting one of their own then became ensnared and saw no choice but to press forward with riskier and outright illicit behaviors. It is so true to form that when in the midst of a crisis options appear limited or nonexistent, but a day or so later all the alternatives of should have and could have, will flood the mind. The storylines heated up and boiled over as the four ladies began to unravel from the guilt and stress with panic attacks, paranoia, resentments, distrust, and destructive bad habits that frayed and fractures their ties. But I never saw this ending coming, it was cleverly devised and craftily enacted, yet oddly disquieting as well.
February 20, 2018
I noticed very early on that this book is quite reminiscent of Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. I really enjoyed Moriarty's book, so this might have been perfectly fine, except that I couldn't help comparing the two and in that comparison, I am sorry to say, Just Between Us did not come out on top. My issue was mostly with the characters, who were all not very likable or even very well-developed. The plot was a little predictable, too, though if the characters had been intriguing, I wouldn't have cared all that much if the plot was not the strongest. That being said, it is a very easy, readable book and I sped through it quickly. It's the sort of book you want to take on holiday or when you want entertainment, but not too much stimulation. I don't want to sound negative about it, because it's not bad, just ultimately quite forgettable for me. If you are looking for domestic suspense, I would recommend Liane Moriarty or Lisa Jewell. Funnily enough, I am reading a book with almost the same title now, Strictly Between Us by Jane Fallon, and though the characters are also not super likable, they are fun to read about.
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
December 16, 2017
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 / 5 rounded up.
My reviews and (maybe) some other random thoughts can also be seen at
https://readingbetweenwinessite.wordp...
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This book totally blew me away. It was the first book I have read from Rebecca Drake and I was not disappointed. The suspense mounted consistently throughout this book, and while I guessed what was going on towards the end, it still was quite shocking.
All these ladies had their own secrets, and it was shocking to find out what each of them were, a couple being more surprising than the others. I thought there was great character development and I didn't dislike any of the main characters. I also think the author did a great job with the abuse in this book. Some books overwhelm you with it, but this one wasn't like that.
This book didn’t have the super short chapters that I enjoy, but that didn’t make the book hard to read. I sped through this one. It was hard to put this book down, and it was a super-fast read
I would highly recommend this book to anyone that likes a good mystery with an edge. The friend aspect was very interesting and begs the question "how well do you really know someone?"
I can't wait to read more by Rebecca Drake
*This book is set to be published on 09 Jan 2018*
*HUGE thanks to St. Martin's Griffin for providing me with an electronic ARC of this book via NetGalley. My review is completely honest and unbiased*
My reviews and (maybe) some other random thoughts can also be seen at
https://readingbetweenwinessite.wordp...
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This book totally blew me away. It was the first book I have read from Rebecca Drake and I was not disappointed. The suspense mounted consistently throughout this book, and while I guessed what was going on towards the end, it still was quite shocking.
All these ladies had their own secrets, and it was shocking to find out what each of them were, a couple being more surprising than the others. I thought there was great character development and I didn't dislike any of the main characters. I also think the author did a great job with the abuse in this book. Some books overwhelm you with it, but this one wasn't like that.
This book didn’t have the super short chapters that I enjoy, but that didn’t make the book hard to read. I sped through this one. It was hard to put this book down, and it was a super-fast read
I would highly recommend this book to anyone that likes a good mystery with an edge. The friend aspect was very interesting and begs the question "how well do you really know someone?"
I can't wait to read more by Rebecca Drake
*This book is set to be published on 09 Jan 2018*
*HUGE thanks to St. Martin's Griffin for providing me with an electronic ARC of this book via NetGalley. My review is completely honest and unbiased*
January 9, 2018
Suspense/thriller Author Rebecca Drake takes us to a suburban town where four close friends each hide dirty secrets that are slowly revealed as the fast paced story in Just Between Us unfolds. This domestic drama, similar in some ways to Big Little Lies, showcases their perfect, small town existence, but behind the public facade, there is darkness.
Three friends believe the other is in an abusive marriage and when the husband is found dead, they all agree to cover up the murder. As the investigation proceeds, nothing is what it seems and each friend must come clean as the authorities get closer and closer to the truth. Though at times decisions the friends make are a bit far fetched, the story is addicting, with short chapters, realistically flawed characters and a heart-pounding mystery.
In this wonderfully suspenseful, crime novel, Drake touches on domestic violence, relationships and marriage; food for thought when it comes to honesty and privacy amongst friends. Just Between Us is a fun, quick, read when you need a break from your own rat race!
Three friends believe the other is in an abusive marriage and when the husband is found dead, they all agree to cover up the murder. As the investigation proceeds, nothing is what it seems and each friend must come clean as the authorities get closer and closer to the truth. Though at times decisions the friends make are a bit far fetched, the story is addicting, with short chapters, realistically flawed characters and a heart-pounding mystery.
In this wonderfully suspenseful, crime novel, Drake touches on domestic violence, relationships and marriage; food for thought when it comes to honesty and privacy amongst friends. Just Between Us is a fun, quick, read when you need a break from your own rat race!
April 9, 2018
3.5 Stars
Just Between Us is a twisty, intriguing and suspenseful story that explores the dangerous secrets amongst a group of four women. Secrets that test just how far these women will go for each other.
Rebecca Drake does a good job creating some interesting and well-developed characters here with our group of friends. Often I get confused with so many points of views and characters however each character is unique and realistic and has a distinct voice that made it easy for me to remember each one and their part in this intriguing storyline. I really enjoyed the dynamics between the friends and at times I was entertained and other times I was a little frustrated with them for their decisions and wanted to shout at them. I enjoyed trying to figure out what they were going to do next and was entertained with what they did do.
So many great twists and turns in this one that had me questioning each friend and such a great twist in the end that took me by surprise and left me a little shocked and rattled after finishing this one. I recommend.
Thank you, NetGalley, St Martin’s Press and Rebecca Drake for a copy to read and review.
Review written and posted on our themed book blog Two Sisters Lost In A Coulee Reading.
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com
Just Between Us is a twisty, intriguing and suspenseful story that explores the dangerous secrets amongst a group of four women. Secrets that test just how far these women will go for each other.
Rebecca Drake does a good job creating some interesting and well-developed characters here with our group of friends. Often I get confused with so many points of views and characters however each character is unique and realistic and has a distinct voice that made it easy for me to remember each one and their part in this intriguing storyline. I really enjoyed the dynamics between the friends and at times I was entertained and other times I was a little frustrated with them for their decisions and wanted to shout at them. I enjoyed trying to figure out what they were going to do next and was entertained with what they did do.
So many great twists and turns in this one that had me questioning each friend and such a great twist in the end that took me by surprise and left me a little shocked and rattled after finishing this one. I recommend.
Thank you, NetGalley, St Martin’s Press and Rebecca Drake for a copy to read and review.
Review written and posted on our themed book blog Two Sisters Lost In A Coulee Reading.
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com
December 16, 2017
Heather, Alison, Julie, and Sarah are suburban mothers and wives living in Pennsylvania. Their children attend the same school and they become close over weekly dates at the local coffee shop. When the three friends start noticing bruises on Heather, they quickly become suspicious. Is Heather's handsome doctor husband, Viktor, hurting her? Reluctantly, Heather slowly confesses to the abuse and terror she experiences due to her spouse. Her friends feel helpless, however, as Heather refuses to leave him and the violence escalates. Then one night, they receive the call they've been dreading. But it's not Heather who is dead: it's Viktor. Suddenly, the foursome has a choice to make--one that will set in motion a series of events that will change their lives forever.
I've never read anything by Rebecca Drake before, and I chose this because it sounded interesting and suspenseful. When I first started reading it, it immediately had a very Big Little Lies vibe, and I was a little curious how the book would differentiate itself. It eventually did, but I'm not sure it did so favorably.
I'll preface my review by saying that I seem to be in the minority with my opinion, and I certainly didn't hate the book, I just didn't adore it as much as so many of the reviews I've been reading. You'll find a ton of people who loved this one, so certainly read those reviews before you make any decisions.
Drake's novel is told from the different points of view of all four women in an odd past tense--this tense lets you know bad things have happened, but you don't know what, leading you to wonder and speculate. I won't lie - I almost put this one down as a DNF for a while, but I kept going out of a morbid curiosity. After Viktor's death, I just found the story so completely implausible that I had a real tough time suspending disbelief. That these four women would do all these things, not get caught, and things would unfold the way they did... I'm sorry. I just had a hard time buying it. At the halfway point, I had no idea where the book was going, or where I wanted it to go. Yes, the various twists were surprising at times, but they were just so hard to believe.
The book is suspenseful, I will say that, as you wonder what will happen to the women, and what insane thing they will do next. There were certainly several plot points that caught me by surprise; honestly the whole thing was sort of baffling. It's definitely not what I was expecting. Still, as I said, the whole book gets increasingly preposterous (my favorite was when they considered hacking the DMV).
In the end, this was a very meandering book about four women I never really cared about or grew attached to in any way. You get confused about who is narrating in each chapter and perplexed as they act in completely implausible ways. Still, I kept reading because I was bewildered and fascinated about their actions and the secrets that were motivating everyone at their core. I can see why so many people enjoyed it, but it just wasn't my favorite.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!) in return for an unbiased review; it is available everywhere as of 01/09/2018.
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I've never read anything by Rebecca Drake before, and I chose this because it sounded interesting and suspenseful. When I first started reading it, it immediately had a very Big Little Lies vibe, and I was a little curious how the book would differentiate itself. It eventually did, but I'm not sure it did so favorably.
I'll preface my review by saying that I seem to be in the minority with my opinion, and I certainly didn't hate the book, I just didn't adore it as much as so many of the reviews I've been reading. You'll find a ton of people who loved this one, so certainly read those reviews before you make any decisions.
Drake's novel is told from the different points of view of all four women in an odd past tense--this tense lets you know bad things have happened, but you don't know what, leading you to wonder and speculate. I won't lie - I almost put this one down as a DNF for a while, but I kept going out of a morbid curiosity. After Viktor's death, I just found the story so completely implausible that I had a real tough time suspending disbelief. That these four women would do all these things, not get caught, and things would unfold the way they did... I'm sorry. I just had a hard time buying it. At the halfway point, I had no idea where the book was going, or where I wanted it to go. Yes, the various twists were surprising at times, but they were just so hard to believe.
The book is suspenseful, I will say that, as you wonder what will happen to the women, and what insane thing they will do next. There were certainly several plot points that caught me by surprise; honestly the whole thing was sort of baffling. It's definitely not what I was expecting. Still, as I said, the whole book gets increasingly preposterous (my favorite was when they considered hacking the DMV).
In the end, this was a very meandering book about four women I never really cared about or grew attached to in any way. You get confused about who is narrating in each chapter and perplexed as they act in completely implausible ways. Still, I kept reading because I was bewildered and fascinated about their actions and the secrets that were motivating everyone at their core. I can see why so many people enjoyed it, but it just wasn't my favorite.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!) in return for an unbiased review; it is available everywhere as of 01/09/2018.
Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Google+ ~ Instagram
January 6, 2018
I read this book very quickly; however, it became apparent about 1/3 through that this is a more shallow, less intricately plotted and less developed version of Natsuo Kirino’s “Out”, set in white suburban America. “Out” had so much tension and a wider scope. This was like the Wal Mart to “Out”’s Gucci.
January 9, 2018
Riveting, sophisticated, and well crafted!
Just Between Us is a character-driven, domestic thriller that delves into the intricate and dynamic bonds between friends and reminds us that everything is not always as it seems and you never really know what goes on behind closed doors.
The writing is precise and taut. The characters are complex, secretive, troubled, and believable. And the plot, told from multiple perspectives, is bursting with suspense and tension as it quickly twists, turns, and unravels all the actions, motivations, personalities, and relationships within it.
Just Between Us at its core is a novel about friendship, secrets, manipulation, jealousy, obsession, abuse, and murder. It's deliciously dark, intriguing, and a real page-turner you won't want to miss.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
All my reviews can be found on my blog at https://whatsbetterthanbooks.com
Just Between Us is a character-driven, domestic thriller that delves into the intricate and dynamic bonds between friends and reminds us that everything is not always as it seems and you never really know what goes on behind closed doors.
The writing is precise and taut. The characters are complex, secretive, troubled, and believable. And the plot, told from multiple perspectives, is bursting with suspense and tension as it quickly twists, turns, and unravels all the actions, motivations, personalities, and relationships within it.
Just Between Us at its core is a novel about friendship, secrets, manipulation, jealousy, obsession, abuse, and murder. It's deliciously dark, intriguing, and a real page-turner you won't want to miss.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
All my reviews can be found on my blog at https://whatsbetterthanbooks.com
February 12, 2018
Holy cow. Just Between Us started off a little slow for me ... until I made it to page 100. Then something happened and I did not want to put this book down. Things kept happening and I could not wait to see how this was going to end. Lies, so many lies ...
February 11, 2019
Omg! This book was so full of twists and every chapter revealed something new...
We hurt those that we love, we make choices that we can’t undo, we throw ourselves headlong into battles in the name of rescuing people who never asked to be saved .
We hurt those that we love, we make choices that we can’t undo, we throw ourselves headlong into battles in the name of rescuing people who never asked to be saved .
November 11, 2017
JUST BETWEEN US caught me by surprise; there are many turns and twist to be had! I can still feel the ending in my head. You can't save someone who does not want to be saved, and no one is completely innocent.
This novel start with four mothers who become best friends. However, they are all keeping secrets which causes someone to get murdered. What a great suspense/thriller which I highly recommend reading! I received this novel for an honest review
This novel start with four mothers who become best friends. However, they are all keeping secrets which causes someone to get murdered. What a great suspense/thriller which I highly recommend reading! I received this novel for an honest review
November 24, 2019
Just Between Us was an enjoyable suburban thriller about the lengths a group of women will go to in order to help a friend.
Alison, Julie, Sarah, and Heather are four friends living the ideal suburban life. Each of them has their secrets, but they keep them well hidden until one day Alison spots a bad bruise on Heather’s wrist. After sharing her suspicions with Julie and Sarah, the women discover Heather is stuck in an increasingly violent marriage. Despite the abuse, Heather refuses to leave her husband and the women dread the call telling them she’s dead. But when the call comes, it’s not Heather who’s dead. In the heat of the moment, the women agree to help Heather which is something they will later come to regret.
The story is told is alternating chapters from each of the four women’s points of view. I struggled a bit with so many perspectives and I honestly felt like several of them sounded identical leaving me having a hard time remembering whose chapter I was reading. Of the four women I enjoyed Alison as a character the most. I liked that while she was quick to jump to conclusions, she also had a tendency to be suspicious and wasn’t willing to believe everything she was told.
The plot in this book was quite interesting and I found myself curious how the death mentioned in the blurb would unfold. I have to admit I missed the part of the blurb that mentions the women covering up the death so I was quite surprised when that happened. After the fact the women all cope with the situation in different ways, all of which I understood given the circumstances. The last third or so of this book is where the plot really picks up and gets exciting. I enjoyed that portion of the book the most and felt the pacing was better there than it was in the rest of the book.
Overall I did enjoy Just Between Us, but I think it took a bit too long for the story to really get going. I would recommend this book if you enjoy suburban thrillers and I’ll definitely be checking out future books from the author.
**I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
Alison, Julie, Sarah, and Heather are four friends living the ideal suburban life. Each of them has their secrets, but they keep them well hidden until one day Alison spots a bad bruise on Heather’s wrist. After sharing her suspicions with Julie and Sarah, the women discover Heather is stuck in an increasingly violent marriage. Despite the abuse, Heather refuses to leave her husband and the women dread the call telling them she’s dead. But when the call comes, it’s not Heather who’s dead. In the heat of the moment, the women agree to help Heather which is something they will later come to regret.
The story is told is alternating chapters from each of the four women’s points of view. I struggled a bit with so many perspectives and I honestly felt like several of them sounded identical leaving me having a hard time remembering whose chapter I was reading. Of the four women I enjoyed Alison as a character the most. I liked that while she was quick to jump to conclusions, she also had a tendency to be suspicious and wasn’t willing to believe everything she was told.
The plot in this book was quite interesting and I found myself curious how the death mentioned in the blurb would unfold. I have to admit I missed the part of the blurb that mentions the women covering up the death so I was quite surprised when that happened. After the fact the women all cope with the situation in different ways, all of which I understood given the circumstances. The last third or so of this book is where the plot really picks up and gets exciting. I enjoyed that portion of the book the most and felt the pacing was better there than it was in the rest of the book.
Overall I did enjoy Just Between Us, but I think it took a bit too long for the story to really get going. I would recommend this book if you enjoy suburban thrillers and I’ll definitely be checking out future books from the author.
**I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
February 2, 2018
Man, this book was intense! You could really feel the tension and the suspense all the way from beginning to end with this read! I was excited when the publishers granted my wish for this title but was even more excited with the results.
This book takes you on a wild ride of 4 different ladies' thoughts and psyches and the result was quite chilling! This book will make you question what people really do think about you, when they say another thing! The reason I am not giving this book 5 Stars is because at times it was very hard for me, personally, to keep up with everything. This story is told from all four of the women's narratives and maybe I am just a bit slow (hehe) but I had difficulty keeping up at times.
Overall, this was one fantastic read that I would recommend to someone who is looking for a great psychological drama novel!
This book takes you on a wild ride of 4 different ladies' thoughts and psyches and the result was quite chilling! This book will make you question what people really do think about you, when they say another thing! The reason I am not giving this book 5 Stars is because at times it was very hard for me, personally, to keep up with everything. This story is told from all four of the women's narratives and maybe I am just a bit slow (hehe) but I had difficulty keeping up at times.
Overall, this was one fantastic read that I would recommend to someone who is looking for a great psychological drama novel!
January 9, 2018
Rebecca Drake returns following Only Ever You with her latest twisty and intense domestic suspense/psychological thriller JUST BETWEEN US. In the theme of Big Little Lies, a story of four suburban mothers who become immersed in a deadly crime.
Friends and bystanders get more than they bargained for by helping out a friend in need.
“You never really know what happens in someone else’s marriage.”
Set in suburban, Pittsburgh, PA readers are introduced to four women: Alison, Julie, Sarah, and Heather. Between their children and husbands, and their busy lives, they love their favorite coffee shop on Friday mornings. Told from four different POVs.
Julie is a multi-million dollar producer–a successful real estate agent married to Brian a VP of business development for a significant medical device firm. She believes in staying positive. Very social, an extrovert and a great organizer. Red-hair and energic. Obsessed with fitness, yoga, and healthy diet.
Sarah is little harder to like (by Alison). A former lawyer, with other hidden issues. Prickly at times. Alison envied the relationship between Julie and Sarah. They had a friendship before she came along. Sarah is beautiful, biracial and wears lots of brightly colored scarves and jewelry. Sarah did not have the patience for whining. She is very can-do and opinionated. She is married to Eric, a teacher and they pinch pennies with a family of five.
Heather, a former model married to a famous plastic surgeon Viktor. Son Daniel. They have the glamorous life and a large home and staff. She now is a SAHM (stay-at-home-mom), like Sarah, with of course— a much more substantial household income.
Alison is an IT consultant, and the women think she has an overactive imagination. She is tall and introverted. (She is the most intriguing). My pick. She had little interest in the country-club life or team sports. She comes across a little desperate, lonely, and needy to the others. She and Michael had moved to Pittsburgh because of Michael’s job transfer. No one knew her unfortunate past. The women think she is negative at times. Often her personality rubs Sarah the wrong way.
Julie and Alison had kept their careers. Sarah and Heather had not. There was a big difference between the disposal income of course between Heather and Sarah.
Each of the women has their juicy dark secrets. (Heather, in particular).
Alison is the first to be suspicious of Heather and her bruises. When comforted, she brushes it off. The other women do not seem to suspect a problem with the handsome and charming doctor. Even the broken dishes in the house. Could it have been something sexual she does not want to discuss?
Should they mind their own business or try and help? Julie thought Alison was wrong. Is Alison too overly cautious due to her family history?
Even though Heather denies it at first; however, she ultimately confesses. (think Big Little Lies Celeste and Perry Wright). (things do not play out the same.) She pretends all is ok in their household. From the exterior, they looked like the perfect family.
The friends begin their own sleuthing and investigating into Viktor’s past. His former wife died. However, was it accidental? They slowly discover secrets Heather has not shared until it is too late. Things get complicated. The women fear for her safety and her young son.
“The strange thing about a secret is it longs to be told.” Suddenly that is all you can think about.
Then the call comes. Someone is dead.
Self-defense? A crime scene. How involved will they become? There are secrets in every marriage. This is "only" the beginning of the unraveling.
Nothing, or no one is as they appear.
“There are no monsters, just deeply flawed people, all of us given that power to choose, some of us making choices to damaging that they ruin the lives of those they claim to love.”
Drake cranks up the intensity and the adrenaline. She expertly weaves a web of deceit and lies and keeps the reader guessing what will come next.
You feel the fear and hysteria from each of the women. The mistrust. In the blink of an eye, things change, and everyone is making impulsive decisions which lead to consequences.
At 40-45% into the book, you wonder what could be coming next? Plenty! It is just getting started.
Someone is watching. Were they not careful enough? A letter. Photos. Blackmail. Video Things get very complicated.
Action-packed, the hidden secrets behind the façade of ordinary women, across social classes and moral lines. How far would you go to protect a friend? Friendships tested. Betrayal.
Had they been duped? Will they turn on one another? Who can be trusted? Excusing behaviors.
“Brushing way the inconsistencies in character. Finding plausibility in the implausible because we want to believe the person we love is incapable of ugliness.”
The lies we tell ourselves and others. Lines are not always clear between good and evil. Perpetrator and victim.
On a serious note, a peek inside of domestic abuse and violence. It is not always wrapped, in a clear package.
“We hurt those that we love; we make choices that we can’t undo, we throw ourselves headlong into battles in the name of rescuing people who never asked to be saved.”
With all this sleuthing, not sure how they could find the time for their families. However, I was dying to know what happens. Hooked from page one to the grand finale.
JUST BETWEEN US, will keep you reading past your bedtime to learn the secrets held close. I enjoyed the different POVs from the women. The drama was balanced nicely with suspense and humor. Some clever twists and turns you are not expecting. Unpredictable.
I am glad the author chose to end the book with Alison speaking. Very fitting. Underneath the drama, a cautionary tale. The novel is an ideal choice for book clubs and further discussions.
For fans of Desperate Housewives, and twisty domestic suspense thrillers. A few come to mind:
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty, The Perfect Neighbors by Sarah Pekkanen, Behind Closed Doors by B. A. Paris, The Night the Lights Went Out by Karen White, The Good Girl by Mary Kubica, and The Drowning Girls by Paula Treick DeBoard. Looking forward to seeing what comes next!
A special thank you to St. Martin's Griffin and #NetGalley for an advanced reading copy.
JDCMustReadBooks
Friends and bystanders get more than they bargained for by helping out a friend in need.
“You never really know what happens in someone else’s marriage.”
Set in suburban, Pittsburgh, PA readers are introduced to four women: Alison, Julie, Sarah, and Heather. Between their children and husbands, and their busy lives, they love their favorite coffee shop on Friday mornings. Told from four different POVs.
Julie is a multi-million dollar producer–a successful real estate agent married to Brian a VP of business development for a significant medical device firm. She believes in staying positive. Very social, an extrovert and a great organizer. Red-hair and energic. Obsessed with fitness, yoga, and healthy diet.
Sarah is little harder to like (by Alison). A former lawyer, with other hidden issues. Prickly at times. Alison envied the relationship between Julie and Sarah. They had a friendship before she came along. Sarah is beautiful, biracial and wears lots of brightly colored scarves and jewelry. Sarah did not have the patience for whining. She is very can-do and opinionated. She is married to Eric, a teacher and they pinch pennies with a family of five.
Heather, a former model married to a famous plastic surgeon Viktor. Son Daniel. They have the glamorous life and a large home and staff. She now is a SAHM (stay-at-home-mom), like Sarah, with of course— a much more substantial household income.
Alison is an IT consultant, and the women think she has an overactive imagination. She is tall and introverted. (She is the most intriguing). My pick. She had little interest in the country-club life or team sports. She comes across a little desperate, lonely, and needy to the others. She and Michael had moved to Pittsburgh because of Michael’s job transfer. No one knew her unfortunate past. The women think she is negative at times. Often her personality rubs Sarah the wrong way.
Julie and Alison had kept their careers. Sarah and Heather had not. There was a big difference between the disposal income of course between Heather and Sarah.
Each of the women has their juicy dark secrets. (Heather, in particular).
Alison is the first to be suspicious of Heather and her bruises. When comforted, she brushes it off. The other women do not seem to suspect a problem with the handsome and charming doctor. Even the broken dishes in the house. Could it have been something sexual she does not want to discuss?
Should they mind their own business or try and help? Julie thought Alison was wrong. Is Alison too overly cautious due to her family history?
Even though Heather denies it at first; however, she ultimately confesses. (think Big Little Lies Celeste and Perry Wright). (things do not play out the same.) She pretends all is ok in their household. From the exterior, they looked like the perfect family.
The friends begin their own sleuthing and investigating into Viktor’s past. His former wife died. However, was it accidental? They slowly discover secrets Heather has not shared until it is too late. Things get complicated. The women fear for her safety and her young son.
“The strange thing about a secret is it longs to be told.” Suddenly that is all you can think about.
Then the call comes. Someone is dead.
Self-defense? A crime scene. How involved will they become? There are secrets in every marriage. This is "only" the beginning of the unraveling.
Nothing, or no one is as they appear.
“There are no monsters, just deeply flawed people, all of us given that power to choose, some of us making choices to damaging that they ruin the lives of those they claim to love.”
Drake cranks up the intensity and the adrenaline. She expertly weaves a web of deceit and lies and keeps the reader guessing what will come next.
You feel the fear and hysteria from each of the women. The mistrust. In the blink of an eye, things change, and everyone is making impulsive decisions which lead to consequences.
At 40-45% into the book, you wonder what could be coming next? Plenty! It is just getting started.
Someone is watching. Were they not careful enough? A letter. Photos. Blackmail. Video Things get very complicated.
Action-packed, the hidden secrets behind the façade of ordinary women, across social classes and moral lines. How far would you go to protect a friend? Friendships tested. Betrayal.
Had they been duped? Will they turn on one another? Who can be trusted? Excusing behaviors.
“Brushing way the inconsistencies in character. Finding plausibility in the implausible because we want to believe the person we love is incapable of ugliness.”
The lies we tell ourselves and others. Lines are not always clear between good and evil. Perpetrator and victim.
On a serious note, a peek inside of domestic abuse and violence. It is not always wrapped, in a clear package.
“We hurt those that we love; we make choices that we can’t undo, we throw ourselves headlong into battles in the name of rescuing people who never asked to be saved.”
With all this sleuthing, not sure how they could find the time for their families. However, I was dying to know what happens. Hooked from page one to the grand finale.
JUST BETWEEN US, will keep you reading past your bedtime to learn the secrets held close. I enjoyed the different POVs from the women. The drama was balanced nicely with suspense and humor. Some clever twists and turns you are not expecting. Unpredictable.
I am glad the author chose to end the book with Alison speaking. Very fitting. Underneath the drama, a cautionary tale. The novel is an ideal choice for book clubs and further discussions.
For fans of Desperate Housewives, and twisty domestic suspense thrillers. A few come to mind:
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty, The Perfect Neighbors by Sarah Pekkanen, Behind Closed Doors by B. A. Paris, The Night the Lights Went Out by Karen White, The Good Girl by Mary Kubica, and The Drowning Girls by Paula Treick DeBoard. Looking forward to seeing what comes next!
A special thank you to St. Martin's Griffin and #NetGalley for an advanced reading copy.
JDCMustReadBooks
March 30, 2018
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Four mothers who have been friends for years, Heather, Sarah, Alison and Julie, still meet for weekly coffee dates and arrange playdates with their children while juggling their jobs and husbands. When the other three begin to notice strange bruises and markings on Heather, they begin to question Heather’s relationship with the wealthy Viktor and of course, when questioned, Heather eventually comes clean. When Heather kills her husband unexpectedly one night in an “act of self defense”, her friends are quick to come to her aid. However, secrets quickly begin to be revealed about Heather and Viktor, and as the cops continue to investigate, Sarah, Alison and Julie question their friendship with Heather and what secrets she could be keeping from them all.
“Just Between Us” by Rebecca Drake is a tightly-packed drama filled with female friendship and loyalty. Set in a small town, the women quickly bond over similar interests and same-aged children, and then slowly begin to question how much they really know about each other. Such is the truth of adult female relationships in the modern age, and Ms. Drake writes this truth in a poignant and honest way. All of the women have their own baggage, and struggle to come to terms with it, which evokes sympathy in a reader while keeping the characters genuine.
The best part of this novel was the unexpected twist. Many possible endings are hinted at throughout the novel, and many characters are thrust into the limelight as the main suspect for a brief while, but the truth of the ending shocks and surprises everyone (the main characters and me too, of course!). I loved how Drake was able to take a huge leap with this novel and make the ending go above and beyond expectations.
Far from a normal women’s dramatic novel, “Just Between Us’ has suspense, mystery, guesswork and intrigue, which make the novel a quick and easy read. Each character has their moment of weakness and doubt, as will the reader, and although the ending is unpredictable and surprising, it is also finite and complete, providing the answers to a reader’s speculations and questions.
I was first introduced to Rebecca Drake through her novel, “Only Ever You” (also provided by NetGalley) and this novel lived up to the expectations I had in place. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and hope to see more from Ms. Drake in the future.
Four mothers who have been friends for years, Heather, Sarah, Alison and Julie, still meet for weekly coffee dates and arrange playdates with their children while juggling their jobs and husbands. When the other three begin to notice strange bruises and markings on Heather, they begin to question Heather’s relationship with the wealthy Viktor and of course, when questioned, Heather eventually comes clean. When Heather kills her husband unexpectedly one night in an “act of self defense”, her friends are quick to come to her aid. However, secrets quickly begin to be revealed about Heather and Viktor, and as the cops continue to investigate, Sarah, Alison and Julie question their friendship with Heather and what secrets she could be keeping from them all.
“Just Between Us” by Rebecca Drake is a tightly-packed drama filled with female friendship and loyalty. Set in a small town, the women quickly bond over similar interests and same-aged children, and then slowly begin to question how much they really know about each other. Such is the truth of adult female relationships in the modern age, and Ms. Drake writes this truth in a poignant and honest way. All of the women have their own baggage, and struggle to come to terms with it, which evokes sympathy in a reader while keeping the characters genuine.
The best part of this novel was the unexpected twist. Many possible endings are hinted at throughout the novel, and many characters are thrust into the limelight as the main suspect for a brief while, but the truth of the ending shocks and surprises everyone (the main characters and me too, of course!). I loved how Drake was able to take a huge leap with this novel and make the ending go above and beyond expectations.
Far from a normal women’s dramatic novel, “Just Between Us’ has suspense, mystery, guesswork and intrigue, which make the novel a quick and easy read. Each character has their moment of weakness and doubt, as will the reader, and although the ending is unpredictable and surprising, it is also finite and complete, providing the answers to a reader’s speculations and questions.
I was first introduced to Rebecca Drake through her novel, “Only Ever You” (also provided by NetGalley) and this novel lived up to the expectations I had in place. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and hope to see more from Ms. Drake in the future.
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