What She Didn't Know

What She #1

by Tammy Falkner

I met my wife when we were both sixteen years old.  She quickly became my everything. Twenty years later, she still is.
 
Everyone thought Lynn was the crazy one.  They warned me from the moment I met her that, one day, she would break me. I didn’t care.  I wanted her and all her crazy. Always. 
 
Ultimately, some of our relationship was based on truths only the two of us knew, and that was unavoidable.
 
No matter what, I always knew one thing was true -- I loved Lynn with all my heart.
 
What no one saw was that my crazy far surpassed Lynn’s.  I just held mine close to my heart.  I held it in shadow while Lynn wore hers in the sun, but I knew it was there, right beneath the surface.  I just never told anyone.  
 
I always thought what Lynn didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her… until it did.
In the end, her crazy didn't break me. Mine did.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Mystery, Contemporary Romance, Mental Illness, Suspense

220 pages, ebook

First published November 1, 2017

About the author

Tammy Falkner lives on a farm in a lovely, sprawling little town in rural NC with her beekeeper husband and a house full of boys, a few dogs, and a cat or two (or five – who has time to count?). As half of the Lydia Dare team, she has co-written ten books, including the Westfield Wolves series and the Gentlemen Vampyre series. A huge fan of Regency England, she often wonders what other kinds of magical, mythical and strange creatures might live and interact within the ton. Exploring the theory that the fae can walk between Regency England and their own land, Tammy spends as much time as possible with the lords and ladies of society, horse-drawn carriages, and elegant balls. Now add to that some faeries, a little murder, a bit of mayhem, and a troublesome garden gnome, and you have her exciting new series. She hopes you enjoys her world as much as she does.

Also writes as
Lydia Dare

Reviews

[Jennifer Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 STARS

"Come out, come out, wherever you are.”



Tammy Falkner delivers an entertaining story that was very well paced with some clever twists and turns. Our hero, Mason’s beloved wife Lynn has disappeared/hiding and he’s determined to find out why.



I thought I had the whole story figured out yet there was one twist I didn’t guess. Our heroine is a multifaceted woman to the extreme and our hero loves all the parts of her.

"I didn’t mean to fall in love with all of them,”

[Dali · Rating 5 out of 5]

An addictive page turner. Tammy Falkner expertly weaves a wonderfully stirring story about the healing power of love.

My reviews usually follow the same pattern: initial thoughts, pseudo summary of the book which describes a bit of the plot and characters, the characters themselves, notable likes and book essentials. This one will be different. Not only because this story is a departure from Tammy’s previous books, but also because I really can’t say much about it without spoiling you. And where’s the fun in that?

I can say without a shadow of a doubt that this is the kind of story that sneaked up under my skin and will stay with me long after I hit the end. I couldn’t put it down, it was unlike anything I had ever read. It was addictive and consuming. I’m sure Tammy Falkner fans will love it even though it’s different in many ways.

What She Didn’t Know is hooking from the very start, pushing my limits right from the get go. I love jumping into new stories from authors I know without knowing much other than the title, because I enjoy getting to know the characters and their story as the author unravels it.

I will confess that I had an eye opening moment which led me to read the blurb. It gave me more understanding, but I also remembered whose book I was reading which gave me perspective and helped me put the pieces together. Then it all clicked into place and even though I was 99.9 percent sure of what was going on I didn’t skip ahead or go to the last chapter to take a peak because the journey towards piecing together the mystery behind the story was an incredible one. It’s stormy and heart-pounding, sexy and sweet, I was a bundle of nerves badly wanting to know what would be revealed next.

I fell for the protagonists with all their intricacies and desperately wanted them to find their happy ever after. I couldn’t predict how it would all turn out, but it was flawlessly written with a seamless pace and flow. I was absolutely entranced through every surprising twist, from the very emotional scenes to the very sexy ones.

This was a wonderfully moving and unique story. Tammy Falkner is amazingly adept at weaving a story that is gripping and beautiful. If you're a Tammy Falkner fan or if you like original contemporary romance with twists and turns you never imagined, this book is for you. It's the kind of book I want to gift to all my book buddies when it comes out!

What She Didn't Know is a standalone contemporary romance by author Tammy Falkner. Told mostly from the hero's point of view with a happy ending.

Amazon -> http://amzn.to/2y2q7jC

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[Carvanz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a wild and crazy read! This book tumbled me about until I wasn’t sure where I was going to land. And I loved every minute of it.

Mason’s wife Lynn is missing. He’s beside himself trying to find her. When he connects with one of her friends, he has hopes she will be able to help him locate her. What follows is a path unlike any I’ve read before.

It is much better if you go into this blind. Don’t read reviews, just step in and do it. If you like your romance with some twisty turns, uncertainties and a great deal of suspense, this is going to be the book you’ll want to read.

I’m wondering how the heck this author ever came up with this craziness!

This is an honest review of an advanced copy provided by NetGalley and Night Shift Publishing.

[Al *the semi serial series skipper* · Rating 2 out of 5]

***I received this advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review***

I remember the first book I read where the character had DID, Tell Me Your DreamsI enjoyed it so much and it left such an impact that whenever I come across a book/movie featuring a character with DID, I always read/watch it.

This book was predictable. After the first few pages I had an idea what was going on. Lynn, the wife of the MC Mason, has disappeared. He tries reaching out to her "friends" and they tell him she is fine and just sorting things out. They drop subtle hints and some not so subtle hints about the reason she's gone but it went over Mason's head. He IS a shrink, I wondered how good he was with his patients if he misses the most obvious things.

As I mentioned, I like reading books and characters with DID but this book was a bit difficult for me to believe. Psychiatry is not my field of expertise but the books, journals and movies I have seen don't have all the alter as intelligent as Lynn's alters. I expected a regressed character so to see them being adults and totally fine was a bit surprising. I will read some more and find out if this is usual.

The other ting I had issues with was Mason sleeping with all the alters. I know they are in one body but they were different people mentally. I consider that cheating. He had sex with the different alters and told them to keep it a secret because "What Lynn doesn't know won't hurt her" He knew what he was doing was wrong yet he kept doing it anyways. It know it was an unorthodox relationship but it rubbed me the wrong way especially considering that after he finishes having sex with them he asks about Lynn, it was distasteful. That's the same thing as sleeping with a character's twin IMO considering the author went to the effort of telling us that the alters are as different as light and day from each other. They look alike but think differently so they are different people. I wonder if she had had a male alter if he would have had sex with him too. Lynn tried to give him a pass by saying she doesn't consider it cheating since he's having sex with ALL of her but again, I think it was. I'm usually not gone-ho about cheating but this one was just icky.


The end left a lot to be desired. It was a fairy tale ending , totally unrealistic and it did not help me like this book any more. Mason decides to enrage Ash by singing the song her father sang before he raped Lynn, Ash grabs a knife in her rage and stabs Mason, Lynn immediately comes back and is in tears. He is rushed to the hospital where Lynn tells him she ran away because she was pregnant. Later on, she realizes since the incident she has not heard from any of the alters.
Shelly tells her it's because of the baby that the other alters left and that they want her to be happy What utter baloney .

The only thing that surprised me was Shelly, everything else was just as I expected.

[Janja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stories with the topic of mental illness in this genre as written by the author is small. Although I quickly found out what was going on, it was nice to see how Mason accepts and loves his wife's friends.
For my taste too much sex and too general description of the disease and cheezy ending.
But nevertheless, a solid book.

[Jac K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well… this one’s a tough one to review, because much of it depends on the reader being so confused that they keep reading. I’m going to do this in two parts…spoiler free & spoiler. Although I suspect most readers will guess what the deal is LONG before it’s reveled. T.F. was ahead of the game, because this reads very similar to the “domestic thrillers” that have recently become popular. For those wanting to go in blind… I’d just say buckle down, and try not to break your kindle while reading as Mason tries to locate his missing wife. (this is shared first chapter so shouldn’t be a spoiler) STOP reading here if you want to go into this blind….

SPOILERS AHEAD

As I said, we learn from the start that Mason is trying to locate his missing wife Lynn. He goes about this by receiving “visits” from her BFF’s (Ash, Jaime & Charlie) and having sex with them while professing his love for both them and Lynn. It’s graphic, he's crude, and you’re along for the ride.

The author gives several hints that help you guess what’s going on… the blurb talks about being crazy… Mason’s a psychologist… he met Lynn because she was his mom’s patient. Plus, I’ve read another book very similar to this Whispers and the Roars, so I guessed early on that this was a DID (multiple personality) situation. Which I wish made me feel better about what was going on, but it didn’t because we got stuff like this….

“Do you think Lynn would hate me if she knew?” she suddenly blurted out. “If she knew we sometimes fuck?” She flinched. But I couldn’t help but wonder why she was having a sudden attack of conscience. “Are you worried about that?”

I chose my words with care. “I’ve always thought that what Lynn didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.” She nodded. “I suppose.”

AND
How many women have you had sex with?”
I closed my eyes tightly. “Four,” I admitted.
“So there’s Lynn, and me, and… two more?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Oh.” Silence descended on the room. “During your whole lifetime, there have only been four?” “Yes.”
“The other two, they were after you met Lynn?”
“Yes.”
“One of them was Ash, right?”
I nodded, but couldn’t say the words.
“Jesus, Mason,” she cried. “Fuck! You’ve gone through her entire friend list.”
“Not the whole list.”
“You fucked Jamie, too.”
“Yes.”

The author does attempt to smooth this all over towards the end, but I still felt unsettled.



Bottom Line- I’m not sure how I feel about this book. I can’t say I enjoyed it, because I felt manipulated, and kind of icky with all the secrets, and Mason’s dialogue/behaviors. We’re told he’s torn and has guilt, but his actions show us differently. He displays no guilt, IMO he comes off rather insensitive to the “friends” concerns about betraying Lynn. Where are his concerns?? I’m also torn about how I feel about using something so serious as a plot device to shock us by misleading, but then brush it all away as ok. Not to mention, I’m no expert, but have my doubts how everything shook out from a medical standpoint. I was left with TONS of questions that weren’t resolved, and very disappointed that the couple (Lynn & Mason) spent so little time in the book together. They literally don’t have one discussion about everything that went down, and I felt as readers, we deserved that much.

[juviasft · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't have much to say about this one, other than it has and interesting topic (that I don't read often) and it's well written... until the end.

The end ruined it for me. You don't know what's happening until the author subtly let's you in the mystery, followed by some amanzingly well written descriptions, feelings, situations. And then... it all goes to hell. I can't believe it, honestly, that it has such a terrible and oh-so-cheesy ending, where everyone lives happily ever after and love wins. What a cliché ending for a non-cliché story.

[Inn Auni · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me 23 pages to conclude the entire story. It got a touch of mystery but, the romance theme surpass everything. I have to say the romance part left a bad taste in my mouth. It felt so wrong. When I saw the title, my first thought was, Mason did something evil. But what he did was downright icky. I don't even know why it was marketed as romance. The writing was smooth. That was the best part about reading this book. The multiple pov not so much. But, if you figure it out early on, then it wouldn't be a problem.

[╰⊱♥⊱╮ღ꧁Kathy,Ahmazing Book Faerie꧂ღ╭⊱♥≺ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh this sounds like a great read!!!
Roll on November!


well, I'm a bit late getting to this, but finally made it.
And yes!! It was awesome!
What a great read.
No secrets as such, because it was obvious to the reader right from the start what was going on..... but men can be so dim! lol.

Mason is so protective of Lynn, and for good reason, he loves her with all his heart, and has since the day him mom first introduced them. He also loves her friends.
When Lynn disappears and one of her friends turns up to tell Mason, he has no idea why she would up and vanish without a reason. But her friends seem to know, and taunt him about it, telling him, he knows why, he just needs to think about it.
It was bittersweet when at the end when Lynn's friends decided to leave our couple to their lives, and told Mason that they wouldn't be coming around again

What an awesome, intriguingly well put together story that was a pleasure to read.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

I am in awe of the twists and turns in this book, with the overriding ability to make me love and care about Mason. Not knowing where the story was going or what was real, I still loved him and wanted it to all work out.

[Angelic · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is crazily good..i knew what is happening after a few page but im confuse in shelly's.. this book is worth the read,but be ready for some cray!

[Tmara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I honestly can’t tell if I liked this book or not. But I do have a book hangover.

***Spoilers ahead and read at your own risk***

This was a clever book and it reminded me of A.Torre’s Black lies. The big difference was that it was the girl who had the disorder and not the guy.

It all began when Lynn who was married for 19 years to Mason, (a psychiatrist) had disappeared. She had gone alone before but never this long. He was worried. But one day, Ash came for a visit, and he knew his wife Lynn was going to be okay…*wink *wink…and then Jaime and Charlie.

What I didn’t like:

I get that he’s married to Lynn and these women were a part of her but for me, I felt like it was betrayal. I know it doesn’t make any sense. but that’s how I feel. I didn’t like it at all every time he EXPRESSED his love for them (in more ways than one)…I cringed and I hated it…aaarrgh!

Painful, I tell ya!

I mean even Ash, Jaime, and Charlie felt awfully guilty for loving Mason…even Mason also questioned his actions towards them. But for some strange reason Lynn was okay with it. I get that Mason felt like he needed to be close to these women for Lynn. He felt like if he fulfilled all of Lynn’s needs that maybe she wouldn’t look for it somewhere else.

Yeah…no.

This might not have been my cuppa but it surely resonated in me. I can’t seem to get it out of my head for days now. I had some self-realization. Why did it bother me so much? Writing was definitely spot on. It flowed seamlessly and I was riveted. I read the whole thing in one sitting. I was up until 2:30 in the morning.

Would I recommend the book? YES!

But it does have some major triggers so, be cautious and read the author's synopsis.

[Deb Marlowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! No spoilers here, but this book grabs you and will not let go! I had to finish and stayed up WAY too late--but no regrets! Incredibly interesting characters and a lovely story that reaffirms the importance of acceptance and love, no matter the circumstances.

[αиgєℓα · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hay me encanto ,es la primera vez que leo un libro de esta autora y lo ame enserio amo este tipo de libros con esta temática ,sin duda me iré corriendo a leer el segundo de la hermana gemela psicópata !!



Porque no tengo un mason en mi vida enserio ame a este chico por que sin importar que siempre amo incondicionalmente a Lynn ,la verdad que yo pensaba que el padre abusaba de ella o algo asi y que bueno que no fue nada de eso solo fue un trauma que sin duda si era fuerte y con la madre alcoholica pues que se podia esperar ,pero me alegra saber que su primero fue tambien mason en todos los sentidos ,ami me encanto eh leido otros libros con esta tematica y siempre termino enamorada no se si por que en parte todos tenemos diferentes personalidad al final del dia !!




Pero enserio me encanto esta historia sin duda la volveria a leer !♥

[Jeraca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this free novel from the author. This is my honest review.

Tammy Falkner picks the topics of trauma, of downright realness, and creates the most amazing stories to depict what a person would go through with their everyday struggles. It opens up the eyes of the readers to issues people in the world are going through and she creates the best stories for these characters.

I figured out the big bomb drop in chapter 7, but only because I've read another book with similarities in the past. So when I saw the signs in this book, I instantly knew what was happening. There was one thing that I didn't get until the reveal, but I wasn't surprised once I thought hard about it.

Yes, this review is vague, but I'm not spoiling this book for anyone. I feel that everyone should read this book because I think it was written so well and so beautifully.

I think these characters are so strong and determined and they have a strong will to make things work. They're are so many emotions and internal struggles that happen, and that just shows the love between them.

I'm so glad I got to finally read this book and I'm very excited to get my hands on the next one cause I have to see how the next story pans out!

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was so confusing, I know it was meant to be like that. But the first part of the way through I was like I just do not know what is going on. Then I put the book down started thinking about it like what if she has this disorder, which I was completely right about. But it just confused me so much up until I figured it out. That is why I gave it 3 stars. I love Tammy Falkner. Her books are amazing. And this book was so great too. I was just so confused during most of this story. But I am still excited about reading more by this author. I just need a little break because her books take alot out on me. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Even though it was a tad confusing. But once I figured it out it was so easy to get through. Until you figure it out, your mind is like how can this and this and this happen. But it all makes sense. So overall great story, just confusing.
Quotes:
“When I’m with you, I want nothing but you. But she’s my best friend. The moment I leave you, all the good things go flying out the window
“Kiss me goodbye like a good boy,”
"Come out, come out, wherever you are.”
"I didn’t mean to fall in love with all of them,”

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is something very new and different from Tammy Falkner and I really enjoyed it. The book was entertaining, fast paced with some very clever twists and turns. I won’t say much about the story as it’s best to go in without spoilers. I will say that I was able to figure out the major twist very early on in the book as I had read something previously that had a very similar twist. However knowing this, didn’t detract from the overall enjoyment of the story.


Mason’s wife, Lynn has disappeared/hiding and he’s determined to find out why. Mason gets help from Lynn’s friends to discover where she is. I really appreciated the love that Mason had for his wife and the care he showed to her friends. The characters are multi-faceted and well developed that made for a great read.


Overall, the story was clever and addictive and kept you wondering what was going to happen next. I loved the mystery and intrigue and how all the puzzle pieces fit together to come together in the end. Watching everything unfold was mesmerizing, especially towards the end where everything is revealed.


https://www.auniversaltruth.com/?p=1246

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Format: ebook
Tissue warning: possible
HEA: yes.
Triggers: mental disorder, child abuse (non-graphic in flashbacks)
Narrative: First person, following Mason till the end where we get a Lynn and Shelley POV.
My reviewer rating: 4 out of 5.
Recommend read: Yes.
Published: November 1, 2017

Thank you, Netgalley and the author for my free e-copy of What She Didn't Know in exchange for my honest-to-goodness review.

I will admit that I had this story figured out super quick, within the first 5 Kindle pages, but the author got me in one aspect till closer to the end. Even though I had predicted it, I still thoroughly enjoyed reading this story. I didn't skim or skip and it was nice to be surprised by that one small thing.

I love Lynn and all her friends. Even Ash. Shelley took some getting used to even if she didn't present herself till later. Mason as a hero of the story is a strong man. It takes a lot to be able to do what he's done and stay mostly sane.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book couldn't put it down. Mason met Lynn on his sixteenth birthday and couldn't stop thinking about her so he would go to the hospital were she worked, but she also was a patient. Mason and Lynn married years later even when his parents didn't want him to because of her condition. Lynn has four friends Ash,Jamie,Charlie and Shelly that always help her and take care of her when she feels she couldn't handle things. Mason developed feelings for each of her friends to were he loved them each except Shelly because he could never trust her. When Lynn went missing Mason was asking her friends to see if they knew where she was, but they all would tell him that she was fine and that Shelly would know, but finding Shelly was difficult. After reading some letters that Lynn wrote he finally figured out why she left and now he needed to fine her, but he had to put himself in danger to bring her back to him.

[Miriam Wolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

I usually stick to strictly romance books so I was not expecting this different kind of romance book, and at the beginning, I didn't like or understand Mason! I started to suspect the situation Mason was experiencing but then later there was a twist that I did not see coming!

I don't want to give away any spoilers as this book really needs to be read straight through for the best effect. I normally give in to temptation and read the ending of a book but in this case I did not and it was a good decision. If I did go to the ending, I would have been really confused and it is really important to see Mason's progression and not jump ahead!

The best part of this book was seeing how much Lynn and Mason loved each other and the sacrifices that they each made for that love.

[Shelley Youngblood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tammy Falkner has written an emotionally charged stand alone story in What She Didn't Know. It proves that love conquers all. It is unlike any story I have ever read and has a unique storyline in and of itself.

It took a moment for me to wrap my head around this book, but once I did I could not put it down. It proves to me the lengths one will go to love all facets of the one they are with.

Tammy Falkner had the ability to capture her reader heart and never let go. I cannot wait to see what she has in store for us next!

[Adricrisuruta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the story.
It was entertaining.
At first I managed to understand about the friends although Shelly confused me.
Mason is a great boy but as he himself recognizes this tremendously crazy for loving four women so different.
I don't like Lynn. It is selfish. She is always the one who needs and puts herself above Mason's well-being.
Shelly is the bomb. Strong, determined, unfiltered and ready for anything she loves. I really want to read your story.
Fortunately they achieved their happy ending.

[Donna ~ The Romance Cover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another new to me author and another entertaining read. While this trope has been done before I really enjoyed it, especially the selflessness of our hero. While I saw the plot coming a mile away I loved this authors spin on it and she really gave a great insight the struggles of mental illness.

"They all thought that Lynn’s crazy would break me. But I was pretty sure that mine would break me first."

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

HELL!

Wow!
I loved this! It catches the reality of a specific mental illness, as we!l as the challenges of loving a broken soul.
And it does it with splendidly completed characters - all of the essential people so well drawn and dancing through life, challenging anyone to dare to question their right to exist.
The book wraps up in a surprising fashion, but neatly and completely.

[|Stephanie| · Rating 3 out of 5]

The blurb sounded really interesting when I read it so I 1-clicked right away and started. The plot was ok but a little confusing at times. The issue I had was I couldn’t connect with the Hero at all. He rubbed me the wrong way and his actions contradicted how he claimed to feel. I figured out the big reveal early on so it wasn’t too shocking. It was still a book that held my attention and I’m hoping the next book will be about a certain character (fingers crossed). 3.5 Stars!

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was extremely intrigued by the blurb and where this story would take me.

Straight away its pretty obvious what is happening and you think you have figured out the story line and then it took i turn i really wasn't expecting.

I stayed up way later then i should of just to finish this book and i loved every minute of it. I can't wait to check out more from this author.

[Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tammy Falkner has a talent for commanding your attention from the first page and holding you captive until the very last page.

What she didn’t know is a story of a husband who is trying to find his missing wife. While looking for her all of her friends come to visit him.

I did figure out the story line quite quickly it it did not stop me from devouring this book.

Loved it! .

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) kinda book. It's A LOT to take in because there were so many personalities and having to separate characters who were real vs an identity. One thing I can say is THERE IS NEVER A DULL MOMENT but I don't think I can read another book containing DID again. My brain hurt.

[Maksida · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit that I almost didn't read this book but I'm so glad i did. From a few reviews I read I guessed what was happening but I still enjoyed the story. I have read all of Tammy's books and this one was totally different. I couldn't stop reading it. Loved it!
An ARC received from NetGalley for an honest review!

[Jen Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting look at how mental health, trauma, and personality impacts relationships. How flexible is your brain, your emotions, and your love.
Complete mind F@#%. I figured out a good bit of the emotional stuff in the first couple pages. Can’t imagine how wacky it would sound without that first piece of knowledge.