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Mine
Tessa was prepared for the hurricane. Lindsey was the storm she didn’t see coming.
When Tessa Taylor unlocked her husband Ethan’s iPad to discover nude photos from a twenty-six-year-old bombshell named Lindsey, her seemingly perfect life came to a screeching halt.
With a hurricane barreling toward Florida and Ethan stuck on a business trip, Tessa finds herself imprisoned in her own home with a choice to make: Does she ride out the storm until she can confront Ethan in person, or does she take matters into her own hands?
Increasingly restless and desperate for revenge, Tessa resolves to act. And when she lures Lindsey over a few hours later, there’s no turning back.
What ensues is a battle of wills between two well-matched opponents, blinded by love for the same man but driven by demons of their own. Like storm-ravaged Florida, neither woman will be the same when the skies clear.
He’s mine. Both wife and mistress would stake their lives on it. But only one of them can be right.
When Tessa Taylor unlocked her husband Ethan’s iPad to discover nude photos from a twenty-six-year-old bombshell named Lindsey, her seemingly perfect life came to a screeching halt.
With a hurricane barreling toward Florida and Ethan stuck on a business trip, Tessa finds herself imprisoned in her own home with a choice to make: Does she ride out the storm until she can confront Ethan in person, or does she take matters into her own hands?
Increasingly restless and desperate for revenge, Tessa resolves to act. And when she lures Lindsey over a few hours later, there’s no turning back.
What ensues is a battle of wills between two well-matched opponents, blinded by love for the same man but driven by demons of their own. Like storm-ravaged Florida, neither woman will be the same when the skies clear.
He’s mine. Both wife and mistress would stake their lives on it. But only one of them can be right.
259 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 28, 2019
144 people are currently reading
9569 people want to read
About the author
Courtney Cole
44 books4,548 followersCourtney Cole is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist who loves to eat your emotions for breakfast.
She believes in the power of blonde hair dye and red lipstick, and that a well-timed smile can save the world.
Learn more about Courtney and her books at www.courtneycolecreates.com
Find her on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/#!/courtneyc...
She believes in the power of blonde hair dye and red lipstick, and that a well-timed smile can save the world.
Learn more about Courtney and her books at www.courtneycolecreates.com
Find her on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/#!/courtneyc...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 722 reviews
January 17, 2019
Dear Reader,
Before you begin reading this story, I should tell you… this is about every wife’s worst nightmare.
You think it can never happen to you.
It can.
You think you’re impervious to it because you do your best to keep your husband happy.
You’re not.
Trust me, I know.
The title of this story, MINE, has a double-meaning.
Ethan is Tessa’s, so from her point of view, MINE is self-explanatory.
But also… this story… is mine.
At least, parts of it.
My husband was unfaithful. It was a crazy circumstance, a perfect storm of irony and tragedy. It gutted me and brought my world down around me in bits and pieces.
When something like this happens to you, your mind plays tricks on you and turns you into someone you aren’t. I can’t tell you how often I fantasized about terrible things after I found out about the affair--- things I would never truly act upon.
Then, one day, I decided to write this story. To unleash the darkness that dwelled in my heart, the things I would never actually do, in a cathartic way to channel my anger.
I’ll let you wonder and decide where reality ends and my dark fantasies begin in this story.
Before you begin reading this story, I should tell you… this is about every wife’s worst nightmare.
You think it can never happen to you.
It can.
You think you’re impervious to it because you do your best to keep your husband happy.
You’re not.
Trust me, I know.
The title of this story, MINE, has a double-meaning.
Ethan is Tessa’s, so from her point of view, MINE is self-explanatory.
But also… this story… is mine.
At least, parts of it.
My husband was unfaithful. It was a crazy circumstance, a perfect storm of irony and tragedy. It gutted me and brought my world down around me in bits and pieces.
When something like this happens to you, your mind plays tricks on you and turns you into someone you aren’t. I can’t tell you how often I fantasized about terrible things after I found out about the affair--- things I would never truly act upon.
Then, one day, I decided to write this story. To unleash the darkness that dwelled in my heart, the things I would never actually do, in a cathartic way to channel my anger.
I’ll let you wonder and decide where reality ends and my dark fantasies begin in this story.
May 16, 2019
WOW
You know the feeling when you finish a book and wonder ..... What in the heck did I just read?! That was this book twice over.
I was immediately drawn into the brewing storm that quickly developed (and I don't mean just the weather). It consumed my reading time until I closed the book. The kind of book I call addictive,
The wife, Tessa confronts the mistress and the author weaves the themes of lies, revenge, infidelity and high drama together in almost a "frightful, fantasy" scenario. We get both their perspectives which creates an edge of your seat suspense with raging emotion.
A spine-chilling tale of betrayal and how it can spiral out of control. Just how far will she go? How is this going to end?
Buckle-up for a wild if you enjoy a whole lot of crazy in your thrillers!
Looking forward to my next Courtney Cole novel. Thanks to Gallery Books for my review copy. This one is available May 28, 2019
You know the feeling when you finish a book and wonder ..... What in the heck did I just read?! That was this book twice over.
I was immediately drawn into the brewing storm that quickly developed (and I don't mean just the weather). It consumed my reading time until I closed the book. The kind of book I call addictive,
The wife, Tessa confronts the mistress and the author weaves the themes of lies, revenge, infidelity and high drama together in almost a "frightful, fantasy" scenario. We get both their perspectives which creates an edge of your seat suspense with raging emotion.
A spine-chilling tale of betrayal and how it can spiral out of control. Just how far will she go? How is this going to end?
Buckle-up for a wild if you enjoy a whole lot of crazy in your thrillers!
Looking forward to my next Courtney Cole novel. Thanks to Gallery Books for my review copy. This one is available May 28, 2019
June 14, 2019
ᴀʟʟ ᴀʙᴏᴀʀᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʀᴀᴢʏ ᴛʀᴀɪɴ!
Courtney Cole! Yes! Girl! Yes! Hell have no fury like a woman scorned! So what happens when there are two? Well batten down those hatches or in this case those hurricane shutters. This was one wild and crazy storm of emotion! Tessa finds herself home alone in the middle of a hurricane, she is unable to find her iPad so she grabs her husbands. And what does she find? Messages of a suggestive nature from another woman. So what does she do? Messages her back pretending to be her husband and invites The other woman over.👏🏻 it’s not long before Lindsay shows up and that is when the fun begins!
Oh how I love a book about supposedly normal people behaving irrationally, impulsively, illogically, they SNAP! I have to admit in this book Tessa had all my support, I completely understood why she snapped! I mean seriously what would you do in the same situation? Now in general I’d say you should blame your spouse rather than the other person, but he was in New York at the time. What’s a girl to do? So while the wind raged outside the house Tessa raged inside. Tessa was a sympathetic and likable character, you learned a lot about her backstory. I had a lot of respect for her as a woman and as a mother. Lindsay on the other hand, let’s just say my opinion of Lindsay was the same as Tessa’s from beginning to end. The story was told from both women’s perspectives and I thought that gave us such insight into the full story. And what about the husband Ethan? Well I have one word for him... dog! Actually that’s kind of an insult to dogs.
This was a fast-paced addictive read that kept me gripped from first page to last. It was full of tension, Drama, and the perfect amount of crazy! If you like books that take you on a ride on the crazy train then... ALL ABOARD!🚂
Courtney Cole! Yes! Girl! Yes! Hell have no fury like a woman scorned! So what happens when there are two? Well batten down those hatches or in this case those hurricane shutters. This was one wild and crazy storm of emotion! Tessa finds herself home alone in the middle of a hurricane, she is unable to find her iPad so she grabs her husbands. And what does she find? Messages of a suggestive nature from another woman. So what does she do? Messages her back pretending to be her husband and invites The other woman over.👏🏻 it’s not long before Lindsay shows up and that is when the fun begins!
Oh how I love a book about supposedly normal people behaving irrationally, impulsively, illogically, they SNAP! I have to admit in this book Tessa had all my support, I completely understood why she snapped! I mean seriously what would you do in the same situation? Now in general I’d say you should blame your spouse rather than the other person, but he was in New York at the time. What’s a girl to do? So while the wind raged outside the house Tessa raged inside. Tessa was a sympathetic and likable character, you learned a lot about her backstory. I had a lot of respect for her as a woman and as a mother. Lindsay on the other hand, let’s just say my opinion of Lindsay was the same as Tessa’s from beginning to end. The story was told from both women’s perspectives and I thought that gave us such insight into the full story. And what about the husband Ethan? Well I have one word for him... dog! Actually that’s kind of an insult to dogs.
This was a fast-paced addictive read that kept me gripped from first page to last. It was full of tension, Drama, and the perfect amount of crazy! If you like books that take you on a ride on the crazy train then... ALL ABOARD!🚂
May 27, 2019
A simple title for a completely absorbing book! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Tessa is a successful mom of three. She’s happily married and just returns home to find a hurricane right on her front doorstep. A literal and figurative storm.
You see, just as the storm is beginning to bear down on the coast of Florida where she lives, Tessa finds out her husband, Ethan, is cheating on her with a younger woman.
Tessa needs answers and calls this woman over to the house pretending to be Ethan… The woman, Lindsey, comes to the house, and they ride out the storm together, and you’ll just have to imagine what ensued between two women who want the same man.
Mine is compulsively readable and so hard to put down. It rages with authenticity, and my absolute favorite aspect was the complexity in the characters. No one was all good or all bad, and that was an important theme in the novel. We are filled with shades of gray, and one small decision can lead any of us down a path of many faulty decisions that could ultimately destroy our lives or marriage.
Another thing I loved is even with an angsty, intense thriller, Courtney Cole leaves an imprint of her heart on the pages. Be prepared to have a chunk of time to sit with this one. In a blink, it’ll be over, and you will be left with much to think about. Courtney Cole, Mine was good stuff! Dramatic, bold, and intoxicatingly bad, but deliciously good all the same! I loved it!
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
Tessa is a successful mom of three. She’s happily married and just returns home to find a hurricane right on her front doorstep. A literal and figurative storm.
You see, just as the storm is beginning to bear down on the coast of Florida where she lives, Tessa finds out her husband, Ethan, is cheating on her with a younger woman.
Tessa needs answers and calls this woman over to the house pretending to be Ethan… The woman, Lindsey, comes to the house, and they ride out the storm together, and you’ll just have to imagine what ensued between two women who want the same man.
Mine is compulsively readable and so hard to put down. It rages with authenticity, and my absolute favorite aspect was the complexity in the characters. No one was all good or all bad, and that was an important theme in the novel. We are filled with shades of gray, and one small decision can lead any of us down a path of many faulty decisions that could ultimately destroy our lives or marriage.
Another thing I loved is even with an angsty, intense thriller, Courtney Cole leaves an imprint of her heart on the pages. Be prepared to have a chunk of time to sit with this one. In a blink, it’ll be over, and you will be left with much to think about. Courtney Cole, Mine was good stuff! Dramatic, bold, and intoxicatingly bad, but deliciously good all the same! I loved it!
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
April 17, 2019
3.85 Stars* (rounded up)
Let the games begin! It’s not exactly the hunger games and yet… may the odds be ever in her favor.
In the middle of a Hurricane during which you are batting down the hatches alone, you find out that your husband of 20 years is cheating. What do you do? Send a text to your husband’s girlfriend from his iPad, convincing her to come to you during the storm? Yeah right. Right!?!?
Wife Tessa does exactly that. Girlfriend Lindsey actually shows up! Tessa, needing answers, handcuffs her to the bed. Ha. Major Eye Roll.
Lindsey is one angry gal. She wants and expects everything and deserves nothing.
Ethan is a pig of a husband and a boyfriend!
Tessa. Oh Tessa. Where does one start? Revenge does not become you - yet where would we the readers be, if you chose differently?
“Mine” by Courtney Cole is an entertaining and campy novel that kept Kaceey and I thoroughly captivated! It is a nice, easy engrossing read which was perfect for one of our weekend buddy reads.
Thank you to Jessica Roth at Gallery Books, NetGalley and Courtney Cole for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Published on Goodreads and NetGalley on 4.14.19.
Will be published on Amazon and Twitter on 5.28.19.
Let the games begin! It’s not exactly the hunger games and yet… may the odds be ever in her favor.
In the middle of a Hurricane during which you are batting down the hatches alone, you find out that your husband of 20 years is cheating. What do you do? Send a text to your husband’s girlfriend from his iPad, convincing her to come to you during the storm? Yeah right. Right!?!?
Wife Tessa does exactly that. Girlfriend Lindsey actually shows up! Tessa, needing answers, handcuffs her to the bed. Ha. Major Eye Roll.
Lindsey is one angry gal. She wants and expects everything and deserves nothing.
Ethan is a pig of a husband and a boyfriend!
Tessa. Oh Tessa. Where does one start? Revenge does not become you - yet where would we the readers be, if you chose differently?
“Mine” by Courtney Cole is an entertaining and campy novel that kept Kaceey and I thoroughly captivated! It is a nice, easy engrossing read which was perfect for one of our weekend buddy reads.
Thank you to Jessica Roth at Gallery Books, NetGalley and Courtney Cole for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Published on Goodreads and NetGalley on 4.14.19.
Will be published on Amazon and Twitter on 5.28.19.
February 23, 2019
Tessa, a happily married woman, is forced to weather a hurricane raging outside their home when her husband informs her that he won’t be coming home for their romantic weekend alone that Tessa has been looking forward to. Their children are away, and she wanted this time for them. But he informs her he must remain away on business a little longer for work. After securing her home, she goes looking for her iPad instead she finds her husband's iPad and her whole world falls apart when she finds naked photos of another woman and racy text messages between this woman and her husband.
Alone, devastated, angry, and heartbroken, she comes up with a plan. A plan to lure his Lindsay, his mistress, to their home. When these two women are alone in the home together, what will happen?
This was an entertaining and extremely fast read. It also felt like a lifetime or made for tv movie. This is a book which will have the reader questioning what he or she would do in this situation. Your spouse of twenty years is having an affair, how would you react? What would you do?
I don't know a lot about Hurricanes but in one scene, Tessa can barely see to drive and decides not to turn around and leave due to not being able to see, then the mistress willingly gets in her car and drives to Tessa's home thinking she is seeing Ethan. All I could think it this guy must f*ck like a champion for her to risk her safety to drive around in a Cat 4 Hurricane. Seriously, not all things seem plausible, but people do risky things for love all the time.
Fast read, but also a little of a train wreck. I can see this being a lifetime-type movie. In some ways this reminded me of the movie called Obsessed. Not the same premise but deals with infidelity and two women...well, read the book and/or watch the movie. Fast read, but will I remember it, No. But it was entertaining. Pure escapism. This one might stir up feelings about infidelity whether you have ever been on the receiving end, or you were the cheater, or the other party. Either way, be warned. Revenge on the mistress.... hmmm, maybe it's just me but my spouse would be the one in trouble with me. But everyone reacts differently. Nuff said.
Thank you to Gallery, Threshold, Pocket books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Alone, devastated, angry, and heartbroken, she comes up with a plan. A plan to lure his Lindsay, his mistress, to their home. When these two women are alone in the home together, what will happen?
This was an entertaining and extremely fast read. It also felt like a lifetime or made for tv movie. This is a book which will have the reader questioning what he or she would do in this situation. Your spouse of twenty years is having an affair, how would you react? What would you do?
I don't know a lot about Hurricanes but in one scene, Tessa can barely see to drive and decides not to turn around and leave due to not being able to see, then the mistress willingly gets in her car and drives to Tessa's home thinking she is seeing Ethan. All I could think it this guy must f*ck like a champion for her to risk her safety to drive around in a Cat 4 Hurricane. Seriously, not all things seem plausible, but people do risky things for love all the time.
Fast read, but also a little of a train wreck. I can see this being a lifetime-type movie. In some ways this reminded me of the movie called Obsessed. Not the same premise but deals with infidelity and two women...well, read the book and/or watch the movie. Fast read, but will I remember it, No. But it was entertaining. Pure escapism. This one might stir up feelings about infidelity whether you have ever been on the receiving end, or you were the cheater, or the other party. Either way, be warned. Revenge on the mistress.... hmmm, maybe it's just me but my spouse would be the one in trouble with me. But everyone reacts differently. Nuff said.
Thank you to Gallery, Threshold, Pocket books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
February 20, 2019
Nope. Just nope.
1.5 Stars ⭐
_______________________________________________
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
1.5 Stars ⭐
_______________________________________________
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 19, 2019
Tessa is riding out a raging hurricane completely on her own. Her two youngest kids are safe, staying with their grandparents. The oldest is away at college. Husband is out of town for meetings, unable to get home.
Now Tessa can’t even find her own iPad, so she reaches for her husband’s. And that’s when her troubles went from very bad to down-right nightmarish!
Tessa is in utter shock as she scans messages to her husband from another woman named Lindsey! And folks let me tell you, there was nothing innocent about those messages!
With her world shattered and clearly not thinking straight, she texts a message to Lindsey, pretending to be her cheating husband.
The master plan? To convince Lindsey to come to the house for an all-out confrontation! And maybe a dash of revenge! (Did I mention she wasn’t thinking clearly?!)
This is a speedy story of heartache, betrayal and a splash of madness. Because as we all know...
“Hell hath no fury...!”
So, what would you do if you found out your spouse was having an affair?
Just how hard would you fight for what you felt was yours? Let’s just say Tessa is prepared to take it to an entirely new level! You’ll just have to find out for yourself to see who, if anyone, comes away from this warm and fuzzy love triangle unscathed!
A buddy read with Susanne!🌸
Thank you to Jessica Roth at Gallery Threshold Pocket Books via Netgalley and Courtney Cole for an ARC to read and review.
Now Tessa can’t even find her own iPad, so she reaches for her husband’s. And that’s when her troubles went from very bad to down-right nightmarish!
Tessa is in utter shock as she scans messages to her husband from another woman named Lindsey! And folks let me tell you, there was nothing innocent about those messages!
With her world shattered and clearly not thinking straight, she texts a message to Lindsey, pretending to be her cheating husband.
The master plan? To convince Lindsey to come to the house for an all-out confrontation! And maybe a dash of revenge! (Did I mention she wasn’t thinking clearly?!)
This is a speedy story of heartache, betrayal and a splash of madness. Because as we all know...
“Hell hath no fury...!”
So, what would you do if you found out your spouse was having an affair?
Just how hard would you fight for what you felt was yours? Let’s just say Tessa is prepared to take it to an entirely new level! You’ll just have to find out for yourself to see who, if anyone, comes away from this warm and fuzzy love triangle unscathed!
A buddy read with Susanne!🌸
Thank you to Jessica Roth at Gallery Threshold Pocket Books via Netgalley and Courtney Cole for an ARC to read and review.
July 25, 2019
Wow! That was...I really don’t have adequate words to do this story justice but I’ll give it my best.
Here’s the setup. Two women, one the wife and one the newly discovered mistress. Ethan, the offending husband, is out of town and Tessa just discovered his betrayal. She’s alone in their big coastal home with a hurricane bearing down on her, her internal storm growing at the same rate. She lures the girlfriend, Lindsey, to the house, not even sure why but wanting to know at a minimum who her husband chose to put their marriage at risk. What happens over the next few hours is one wild, crazy confrontation.
If you’ve ever experienced infidelity, Tessa’s range of emotions will feel awfully familiar. Even though some of her actions may sound crazy, you’d probably identify with them because you’ve been there. What she wanted from Lindsey sometimes felt like a fool’s errand but something you’ve got to explore in the midst of insane thoughts and emotional turmoil. Lindsey, as the other woman, offers a perspective, also relatable whether you identify with it or not, sometimes infuriating and pathetically naive at others. I was astounded at the author’s insights throughout because both of these women seem to capture the appropriate feelings and reactions with precision. When I later learned the author had been through this herself, it all made perfect sense. And, I’m so glad I chose the audio version because the narrators owned these characters. They made me feel!
I finished this in one sitting because I just couldn’t stop listening. It’s a perfect illustration of someone writing about something you know because it felt personal and raw and ugly and chock full of unfiltered vulnerability. It’s just perfect. And crazy.
(Thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
Here’s the setup. Two women, one the wife and one the newly discovered mistress. Ethan, the offending husband, is out of town and Tessa just discovered his betrayal. She’s alone in their big coastal home with a hurricane bearing down on her, her internal storm growing at the same rate. She lures the girlfriend, Lindsey, to the house, not even sure why but wanting to know at a minimum who her husband chose to put their marriage at risk. What happens over the next few hours is one wild, crazy confrontation.
If you’ve ever experienced infidelity, Tessa’s range of emotions will feel awfully familiar. Even though some of her actions may sound crazy, you’d probably identify with them because you’ve been there. What she wanted from Lindsey sometimes felt like a fool’s errand but something you’ve got to explore in the midst of insane thoughts and emotional turmoil. Lindsey, as the other woman, offers a perspective, also relatable whether you identify with it or not, sometimes infuriating and pathetically naive at others. I was astounded at the author’s insights throughout because both of these women seem to capture the appropriate feelings and reactions with precision. When I later learned the author had been through this herself, it all made perfect sense. And, I’m so glad I chose the audio version because the narrators owned these characters. They made me feel!
I finished this in one sitting because I just couldn’t stop listening. It’s a perfect illustration of someone writing about something you know because it felt personal and raw and ugly and chock full of unfiltered vulnerability. It’s just perfect. And crazy.
(Thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
June 6, 2019
Mine by Courtney Cole seemed to be a bit of a drama filled thriller in which there’s not a ton of guessing or twists galore but a flat out intense ride all the way. The story is told by switching the point of view back and forth between the two main characters, Tessa and Lindsay.
Tessa had some huge plans for her and her husband for the weekend while her children were going to be away but of course things do not go as planned. First, as Tessa is rushing home to beat a huge storm that is moving in she finds her husband isn’t even on the way but instead she will be alone as most have even evacuated.
Just as she thinks things can’t get any worse than her romantic weekend up in smoke Tessa picks up her husband’s Ipad when she can’t find her own only to realize he has been cheating on her. With the mystery mistress texting Tessa pretends to be her husband and invites her over.
As many other’s have mentioned already… Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned…that is what you find in this book. The author mentions that this book came about from her own trying time in her marriage so this is like her version of therapy and I, for one, was thankful she shared it with us and it’s definitely a suspenseful page turner.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Tessa had some huge plans for her and her husband for the weekend while her children were going to be away but of course things do not go as planned. First, as Tessa is rushing home to beat a huge storm that is moving in she finds her husband isn’t even on the way but instead she will be alone as most have even evacuated.
Just as she thinks things can’t get any worse than her romantic weekend up in smoke Tessa picks up her husband’s Ipad when she can’t find her own only to realize he has been cheating on her. With the mystery mistress texting Tessa pretends to be her husband and invites her over.
As many other’s have mentioned already… Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned…that is what you find in this book. The author mentions that this book came about from her own trying time in her marriage so this is like her version of therapy and I, for one, was thankful she shared it with us and it’s definitely a suspenseful page turner.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
September 30, 2019
This book was intense.... I read in one sitting.
Tessa, has dropped her two teenage kids out of state to stay with her parents, her husband Ethan is in New York on business and she is driving back home to Florida.
Her seemingly perfect life is about to come undone. On her way home to Florida the raging storm has picked up, the winds are howling and the car is being pushed over the road, turning on the radio Tessa learns the storm is developing into a Hurricane. She rushes home, secures and house and hunkers down.
She attempts to contact her husband, with no cell signal she reaches for his iPad what she finds are explicit text messages and photos back and forth between Ethan and his mistress.
We uncover the lies, betrayal and REVENGE.... all played out in the midst of a raging hurricane in the background. This book kept me on my toes waiting to kind out what Tessa would do next.
Very enjoyable, I give it 4 stars.
Tessa, has dropped her two teenage kids out of state to stay with her parents, her husband Ethan is in New York on business and she is driving back home to Florida.
Her seemingly perfect life is about to come undone. On her way home to Florida the raging storm has picked up, the winds are howling and the car is being pushed over the road, turning on the radio Tessa learns the storm is developing into a Hurricane. She rushes home, secures and house and hunkers down.
She attempts to contact her husband, with no cell signal she reaches for his iPad what she finds are explicit text messages and photos back and forth between Ethan and his mistress.
We uncover the lies, betrayal and REVENGE.... all played out in the midst of a raging hurricane in the background. This book kept me on my toes waiting to kind out what Tessa would do next.
Very enjoyable, I give it 4 stars.
July 7, 2019
Mine by Courtney Cole is an intense, heart-pounding portrayal of what happens when a woman is cheated on and finds herself locked in with her husband’s mistress hours after finding out about the affair. The emotions in this book run raw and deep, and I found myself captivated by the story of these women. Add this to your summer reading list—you don’t want to miss it!
About the Book
Tessa arrives home in the beginning of a horrible storm and finds her daughter borrowed her iPad when she went to visit her grandmother. Needing to do some work, Tessa uses her husband’s iPad and is interrupted by a text. From another woman. Who is clearly sleeping with her husband.
Tessa is devastated and angry. And she needs to know what is going on. So she opens the iPad up and sends a text back to Lindsey asking her to come over. And then Lindsey does come over… Trapped together in a storm, Lindsey and Tessa will go to the darkest of places to find out what Ethan has been saying to each of them. And by morning, nothing will be the same.
Reflection
I said it upfront and I’ll say it again here for emphasis—this book is INTENSE! A wild ride beginning with an unfortunately common story—a wife discovers by accident that her husband is having an affair. You will empathize fully with Tessa here because this has got to be the worst nightmare of every woman with a long-term spouse or partner.
Tessa is SO relateable. She’s switching between anger, sadness, delusions, hope, and confusion. Courtney Cole did a fantastic job with Tessa in particular. Her emotions were raw and her heart and soul poured out of the page. Lindsey seemed at times manipulative and cruel, then childish and naïve. Though I didn’t really like Lindsey, I did at times empathize with her a bit (a tiny bit).
And beyond the fact that Courtney Cole is an outstanding writer, there is another reason that Tessa felt so authentic. This story is her story. Parts of it, anyway. She wrote a note on Goodreads which I’m sharing here, because it was simultaneously heartbreaking and empowering how she healed through her creativity and introspection.
Thank you to Gallery Books for my copy. Opinions are my own. Keep reading to hear from Courtney about this novel.
Note from the Author
Dear Reader,
Before you begin reading this story, I should tell you… this is about every wife’s worst nightmare.
You think it can never happen to you.
It can.
You think you’re impervious to it because you do your best to keep your husband happy.
You’re not.
Trust me, I know.
The title of this story, MINE, has a double-meaning.
Ethan is Tessa’s, so from her point of view, MINE is self-explanatory.
But also… this story… is mine.
At least, parts of it.
My husband was unfaithful. It was a crazy circumstance, a perfect storm of irony and tragedy. It gutted me and brought my world down around me in bits and pieces.
When something like this happens to you, your mind plays tricks on you and turns you into someone you aren’t. I can’t tell you how often I fantasized about terrible things after I found out about the affair—things I would never truly act upon.
Then, one day, I decided to write this story. To unleash the darkness that dwelled in my heart, the things I would never actually do, in a cathartic way to channel my anger.
I’ll let you wonder and decide where reality ends and my dark fantasies begin in this story.
About the Book
Tessa arrives home in the beginning of a horrible storm and finds her daughter borrowed her iPad when she went to visit her grandmother. Needing to do some work, Tessa uses her husband’s iPad and is interrupted by a text. From another woman. Who is clearly sleeping with her husband.
Tessa is devastated and angry. And she needs to know what is going on. So she opens the iPad up and sends a text back to Lindsey asking her to come over. And then Lindsey does come over… Trapped together in a storm, Lindsey and Tessa will go to the darkest of places to find out what Ethan has been saying to each of them. And by morning, nothing will be the same.
Reflection
I said it upfront and I’ll say it again here for emphasis—this book is INTENSE! A wild ride beginning with an unfortunately common story—a wife discovers by accident that her husband is having an affair. You will empathize fully with Tessa here because this has got to be the worst nightmare of every woman with a long-term spouse or partner.
Tessa is SO relateable. She’s switching between anger, sadness, delusions, hope, and confusion. Courtney Cole did a fantastic job with Tessa in particular. Her emotions were raw and her heart and soul poured out of the page. Lindsey seemed at times manipulative and cruel, then childish and naïve. Though I didn’t really like Lindsey, I did at times empathize with her a bit (a tiny bit).
And beyond the fact that Courtney Cole is an outstanding writer, there is another reason that Tessa felt so authentic. This story is her story. Parts of it, anyway. She wrote a note on Goodreads which I’m sharing here, because it was simultaneously heartbreaking and empowering how she healed through her creativity and introspection.
Thank you to Gallery Books for my copy. Opinions are my own. Keep reading to hear from Courtney about this novel.
Note from the Author
Dear Reader,
Before you begin reading this story, I should tell you… this is about every wife’s worst nightmare.
You think it can never happen to you.
It can.
You think you’re impervious to it because you do your best to keep your husband happy.
You’re not.
Trust me, I know.
The title of this story, MINE, has a double-meaning.
Ethan is Tessa’s, so from her point of view, MINE is self-explanatory.
But also… this story… is mine.
At least, parts of it.
My husband was unfaithful. It was a crazy circumstance, a perfect storm of irony and tragedy. It gutted me and brought my world down around me in bits and pieces.
When something like this happens to you, your mind plays tricks on you and turns you into someone you aren’t. I can’t tell you how often I fantasized about terrible things after I found out about the affair—things I would never truly act upon.
Then, one day, I decided to write this story. To unleash the darkness that dwelled in my heart, the things I would never actually do, in a cathartic way to channel my anger.
I’ll let you wonder and decide where reality ends and my dark fantasies begin in this story.
August 15, 2019
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
You ever have the experience when you run into an acquaintance at the grocery store or in an elevator or a parking lot or some other random public place and ask what you feel is a pretty benign question like “how’s it going?” only to have that person fucking UNLEASH their life on you and tell you all about their cheating husband and demise of their marriage and you’re all like . . . .
Or you respond with something like “we got a new cat” because you don’t know how to communicate like a normal human to begin with and especially when you get word vomit all over you? Yeah, that’s what reading this book was like.
So, here are the things I knew about this one before I started:
1. It was all over Instagram;
2. It was a revenge story; and
3. It took place inthe penis of America Florida during an oncoming hurricane.
What I didn’t know was that this author had a cheating spouse and decided to put pen to paper in order to work out her feelings. Ummmmm, maybe she should have chosen therapy instead or . . . .
Or at least . . . .
Because this was just turrrrrrrrible.
The plot itself was one that had me channeling my inner Ron 2.0, because . . . .
No, Nic. It’s “RIDICULOUS™.” But I love some trashy Lifetime shit every once in a while so I was totally game to give this one a shot. Unfortunately, it lost me by the 13% mark when our betrayed leading lady uttered the phrase:
I AM THE STORM
The farfetched plot I could maybe overlook. The godawful dialogue and story progression I could not. I can’t believe this wasn’t self-pubbed.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!
You ever have the experience when you run into an acquaintance at the grocery store or in an elevator or a parking lot or some other random public place and ask what you feel is a pretty benign question like “how’s it going?” only to have that person fucking UNLEASH their life on you and tell you all about their cheating husband and demise of their marriage and you’re all like . . . .
Or you respond with something like “we got a new cat” because you don’t know how to communicate like a normal human to begin with and especially when you get word vomit all over you? Yeah, that’s what reading this book was like.
So, here are the things I knew about this one before I started:
1. It was all over Instagram;
2. It was a revenge story; and
3. It took place in
What I didn’t know was that this author had a cheating spouse and decided to put pen to paper in order to work out her feelings. Ummmmm, maybe she should have chosen therapy instead or . . . .
Or at least . . . .
Because this was just turrrrrrrrible.
The plot itself was one that had me channeling my inner Ron 2.0, because . . . .
No, Nic. It’s “RIDICULOUS™.” But I love some trashy Lifetime shit every once in a while so I was totally game to give this one a shot. Unfortunately, it lost me by the 13% mark when our betrayed leading lady uttered the phrase:
I AM THE STORM
The farfetched plot I could maybe overlook. The godawful dialogue and story progression I could not. I can’t believe this wasn’t self-pubbed.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!
February 8, 2020
"Her face is a frozen mask, and my heart is a block of ice. We are at a stalemate, with nowhere to go".
Mine by Courtney Cole.
OK..so this book was AMAZING! Five stars..and I am so happy to be giving five stars to a domestic thriller.
This one worked on every level. Brief plot description..Tessa and Ethan are married with three kids and a beautiful home right on the Florida ocean.
Tessa is happy with her life but not happy that there is a category Four Hurricane barreling toward the area and she is all alone..Hubbs is detained o n a business trip.
But still Tessa is happy. Until she finds the sex pictures and notes from her devoted husband's "girlfriend".
In shock, all alone and enraged, Tessa loses her shit. She lures the girlfriend..Lindsay over to her house. What happens when she gets there and takes Lindsay prisoner is the focus of the book.
I adored this. I w as so nervous reading it that it would devolve into cliches. What do I mean by that? Well.. if it was your typical thriller it might run like this..
Wife kills mistress. Or: Mistress is pregnant or: endless chase scenes with knives or: mistress is really long lost twin or: mistress is really a man's soul that has invaded female body because of Astral Projection (yes, that is the plot of one fine book out there!)..and the list goes on.
Luckily nothing like that happens. Oh..wife does some bad things. And through flashbacks, we find mistress has done some bad things too.
But above all, this book is HUMAN. It is a story that happens all to often (the cheating and "Mine" really shows the destruction, the pain, the emotional scarring that can lead to madness..it is visceral in its unflinching look at two women in love with the same man. It has a "take no prisoners" approach and does not attempt to Martyr either of these women or really villainize them. It is strong in humility, forgiveness and the emotional power of "Mine" meant I read it in one sitting.
I commend the author as she reveals this was based on her story. I have always been fascinated in human relationships. I think the question I ask the most is "why". I have never really understood all the cheating that goes on and why a seemingly happy person would risk everything that way. I enjoyed this book so much and the ending made great sense and was perfectly done.
I would recommend this book highly. It gave me a great night of reading and is thought provoking as well as unputdownable. Kudos to the author and thank you Dita for letting me know about this book. Five wonderful stars.
Mine by Courtney Cole.
OK..so this book was AMAZING! Five stars..and I am so happy to be giving five stars to a domestic thriller.
This one worked on every level. Brief plot description..Tessa and Ethan are married with three kids and a beautiful home right on the Florida ocean.
Tessa is happy with her life but not happy that there is a category Four Hurricane barreling toward the area and she is all alone..Hubbs is detained o n a business trip.
But still Tessa is happy. Until she finds the sex pictures and notes from her devoted husband's "girlfriend".
In shock, all alone and enraged, Tessa loses her shit. She lures the girlfriend..Lindsay over to her house. What happens when she gets there and takes Lindsay prisoner is the focus of the book.
I adored this. I w as so nervous reading it that it would devolve into cliches. What do I mean by that? Well.. if it was your typical thriller it might run like this..
Wife kills mistress. Or: Mistress is pregnant or: endless chase scenes with knives or: mistress is really long lost twin or: mistress is really a man's soul that has invaded female body because of Astral Projection (yes, that is the plot of one fine book out there!)..and the list goes on.
Luckily nothing like that happens. Oh..wife does some bad things. And through flashbacks, we find mistress has done some bad things too.
But above all, this book is HUMAN. It is a story that happens all to often (the cheating and "Mine" really shows the destruction, the pain, the emotional scarring that can lead to madness..it is visceral in its unflinching look at two women in love with the same man. It has a "take no prisoners" approach and does not attempt to Martyr either of these women or really villainize them. It is strong in humility, forgiveness and the emotional power of "Mine" meant I read it in one sitting.
I commend the author as she reveals this was based on her story. I have always been fascinated in human relationships. I think the question I ask the most is "why". I have never really understood all the cheating that goes on and why a seemingly happy person would risk everything that way. I enjoyed this book so much and the ending made great sense and was perfectly done.
I would recommend this book highly. It gave me a great night of reading and is thought provoking as well as unputdownable. Kudos to the author and thank you Dita for letting me know about this book. Five wonderful stars.
April 20, 2019
Holy cow!! I’ve just read this novel in one sitting. Book is written so well that I felt sick on my stomach because I thought it was my husband who was cheating on me. Just great mix of thriller and woman fiction which was tens and fast moving.
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 24, 2019
Mine, a suspense book, was a solid 3 stars. Mine centers around main characters Tessa and Lindsey. Tessa seems to have it all-she rich, owns a beautiful home and has a loving family. Her life suddenly takes a turn for the worst when she discovers that her husband Ethan is cheating on her with a much younger woman named Lindsey.
When Tessa’s cheating husband is away on business and her children are out of the house-she lures Lindsey to her home under the guise that she’s Ethan and he wants to ride out the storm with her. Things get very interesting when Lindsey finally arrives and finds Tessa waiting for her. No spoilers here but Mine is an interesting fast-paced book that is told from both women’s POVs.
Recommended to readers that enjoy suspense books. Thank you NetGalley for providing me a copy for review.
When Tessa’s cheating husband is away on business and her children are out of the house-she lures Lindsey to her home under the guise that she’s Ethan and he wants to ride out the storm with her. Things get very interesting when Lindsey finally arrives and finds Tessa waiting for her. No spoilers here but Mine is an interesting fast-paced book that is told from both women’s POVs.
Recommended to readers that enjoy suspense books. Thank you NetGalley for providing me a copy for review.
May 28, 2019
Wow this was a fun ride!!
This purely was a fast read that you'll have fun with on this train wreck. My goodness... it really was a train wreck... but man did I just really enjoy it!
In the middle of a hurricane, Tessa finds out that her husband has been having an affair. What should you do? Let's just send a text to his mistress's phone pretending to be him inviting her over in the storm. YIKES... let the GAMES begin!
So, let me tell you his girlfriend Lindsey shows up in this shit show!! You can imagine just what a show happens now between the wife and the lover?
I had been rolling my eyes but I enjoyed it!! It was such an easy and stress free read after my wedding ;).
The only issue I had with this one was the ending. It just left me feeling a bit unsatisfied and was expecting a little bit more of a twist.
Despite that, I would recommend if you don't mind train wrecks, drama, and some eye rolls ;).
3.75 stars rounded up!
Thank you so much to Gallery for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
Publication date: 5/28/19
Published to Goodreads: 5/27/19
This purely was a fast read that you'll have fun with on this train wreck. My goodness... it really was a train wreck... but man did I just really enjoy it!
In the middle of a hurricane, Tessa finds out that her husband has been having an affair. What should you do? Let's just send a text to his mistress's phone pretending to be him inviting her over in the storm. YIKES... let the GAMES begin!
So, let me tell you his girlfriend Lindsey shows up in this shit show!! You can imagine just what a show happens now between the wife and the lover?
I had been rolling my eyes but I enjoyed it!! It was such an easy and stress free read after my wedding ;).
The only issue I had with this one was the ending. It just left me feeling a bit unsatisfied and was expecting a little bit more of a twist.
Despite that, I would recommend if you don't mind train wrecks, drama, and some eye rolls ;).
3.75 stars rounded up!
Thank you so much to Gallery for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
Publication date: 5/28/19
Published to Goodreads: 5/27/19
May 30, 2019
What happens when a wife and a mistress meet during a hurricane? Explosions and fireworks!
Tessa Taylor discovers by accident her husband Ethan has been having an affair with a twenty-something year old. Alone in their home she takes it upon herself to invite Ethan's "girlfriend" Lindsey over pretending to be him. As a hurricane battles the Florida house, inside the women battle each other over who Ethan really belongs to.
And nothing is really what it seems as the women rehash their different relationships with Ethan.
Is it Tessa, his wife of twenty years, the mother of his three children or Lindsey, the girl in nursing school who has a young son staying with her mother in another state as she tries to better herself and to whom Ethan has told he loves and would leave his wife for? Should Tessa really believe her? Should Lindsey really believe Tessa?
As the night progresses and Ethan who is out of town and unable to get back to Florida due to the hurricane finds out that Tessa now knows his dark secret he. tries to keep tabs on both women not realizing they are actually together. But in Mine it becomes a dance of sorts between Tessa and Lindsey as to who loves Ethan more, and which woman he really loves and finally who will win him in the end.
An incredible book of betrayal, love and forgiveness I could not put it down and finished it in two days!
Thank you #NetGalley #Gallery Books # Mine #Courtney Cole for the advanced copy. Mine is out now. Go out and get your copy fast!
Tessa Taylor discovers by accident her husband Ethan has been having an affair with a twenty-something year old. Alone in their home she takes it upon herself to invite Ethan's "girlfriend" Lindsey over pretending to be him. As a hurricane battles the Florida house, inside the women battle each other over who Ethan really belongs to.
And nothing is really what it seems as the women rehash their different relationships with Ethan.
Is it Tessa, his wife of twenty years, the mother of his three children or Lindsey, the girl in nursing school who has a young son staying with her mother in another state as she tries to better herself and to whom Ethan has told he loves and would leave his wife for? Should Tessa really believe her? Should Lindsey really believe Tessa?
As the night progresses and Ethan who is out of town and unable to get back to Florida due to the hurricane finds out that Tessa now knows his dark secret he. tries to keep tabs on both women not realizing they are actually together. But in Mine it becomes a dance of sorts between Tessa and Lindsey as to who loves Ethan more, and which woman he really loves and finally who will win him in the end.
An incredible book of betrayal, love and forgiveness I could not put it down and finished it in two days!
Thank you #NetGalley #Gallery Books # Mine #Courtney Cole for the advanced copy. Mine is out now. Go out and get your copy fast!
January 3, 2020
Knowing that the author had personal experience with a cheating husband makes me want to write a glowing review of a story I found to be just okay. I want to be supportive and throw down on her behalf. I want to cheer her honesty and honor her bravery for putting her private life out there, albeit just the bare fact of it with no information on how things sussed out for her. To be clear, this story is fiction but the author divulges in the Acknowledgments that she had an unfaithful spouse and from that experience came this story idea. I’d love to, but I can’t.
This was a fast read. It was also entertaining in the way that a Lifetime movie or soap opera can be entertaining, but I’ve not been interested in either in a good twenty years. I could’ve been convinced to play along, were it not for the painfully cheesy dialogue. I agree with others that some form of closure or resolution would’ve elevated the ending but for me, the dialogue killed it.
I clamp my legs around her and scrawl WHORE on her chest in bright red.
“You can wipe that away, but you know what you are.” I tell her. “Feel those letters on your chest and know I put them there.”
What???!!!
I can’t even speak to that kind of writing. I can’t get past that dialogue. If you can, you might find this an addictive train wreck of a story.
This was a fast read. It was also entertaining in the way that a Lifetime movie or soap opera can be entertaining, but I’ve not been interested in either in a good twenty years. I could’ve been convinced to play along, were it not for the painfully cheesy dialogue. I agree with others that some form of closure or resolution would’ve elevated the ending but for me, the dialogue killed it.
I clamp my legs around her and scrawl WHORE on her chest in bright red.
“You can wipe that away, but you know what you are.” I tell her. “Feel those letters on your chest and know I put them there.”
What???!!!
I can’t even speak to that kind of writing. I can’t get past that dialogue. If you can, you might find this an addictive train wreck of a story.
May 13, 2019
I absolutely adored Cole's Saving Beck last year and when I saw she came out with this Domestic/Psychological Thriller, I was beyond excited to receive a surprise copy. SCORE! We get your typical premise when it comes to wife/mistress/husband... but Cole does it with such finesse that I literally opened this book to page one and three hours later turned the last page and finally put it down. Yes, ladies and gents, it's THAT compulsive of a read!
What happens when you make your bed and then your husband and his mistress sleeps in it? You think you have a solid and loving marriage and then one tragic moment when you open his iPad and see his sexts to his mistress and your whole world implodes while the outside world explodes in a hurricane. How apropos. Lure said mistress to your house and let the crazy begin! When a woman feels disrespected and betrayed, on either side, anything can happen. Your first thought is revenge on the woman and then potentially the man who caused the whole situation to begin with.
Listen, shit gets real. Everything contained in this book is plausible, bat shit or not. I could not put this book down. Then, when I read the afterword and found that Cole wrote this based on her own experiences with infidelity - wow, just wow honestly. Some couples can make it through, some can't. But what's true through and through is the rage that is felt. Even for the woman who knew what she was walking into - does she really though? Love is blind but so is rage.
Absolutely recommend this for a quick, fast paced ride to crazy town - population: EVERYONE.
Thank you Gallery for this free book.
What happens when you make your bed and then your husband and his mistress sleeps in it? You think you have a solid and loving marriage and then one tragic moment when you open his iPad and see his sexts to his mistress and your whole world implodes while the outside world explodes in a hurricane. How apropos. Lure said mistress to your house and let the crazy begin! When a woman feels disrespected and betrayed, on either side, anything can happen. Your first thought is revenge on the woman and then potentially the man who caused the whole situation to begin with.
Listen, shit gets real. Everything contained in this book is plausible, bat shit or not. I could not put this book down. Then, when I read the afterword and found that Cole wrote this based on her own experiences with infidelity - wow, just wow honestly. Some couples can make it through, some can't. But what's true through and through is the rage that is felt. Even for the woman who knew what she was walking into - does she really though? Love is blind but so is rage.
Absolutely recommend this for a quick, fast paced ride to crazy town - population: EVERYONE.
Thank you Gallery for this free book.
July 7, 2019
4.5 Stars ⭐️
What a page turner I loved it!!
What a page turner I loved it!!
July 12, 2019
What a great, fun read!! Perfect for those looking for a lighter thriller or drama. This had me go through a wide range of emotions! If anything i'd recommend this book to anything looking for an entertaining read. I may have to look at Cole's other novels now!
May 24, 2019
4 STARS
This was an interesting and captivating story.I was mesmerized and I couldn't put it down, I find the story brilliant!I loved most of it, it has suspense, it's intense and dramatic.
The story is told in alternating POVs with Tessa's story taking place in the present and Lindsey's taking place in the past with her own version of events of how she met Tessa's husband, Ethan.From the first pages I felt I was a part of this story.
This is a quick read that will keep your interest till the end!
This was an interesting and captivating story.I was mesmerized and I couldn't put it down, I find the story brilliant!I loved most of it, it has suspense, it's intense and dramatic.
The story is told in alternating POVs with Tessa's story taking place in the present and Lindsey's taking place in the past with her own version of events of how she met Tessa's husband, Ethan.From the first pages I felt I was a part of this story.
This is a quick read that will keep your interest till the end!
May 28, 2019
Hell Hath No Fury Like A Woman Scorned .... Contemporary usage of the phrase "Hell Hath No Fury" refers to the pinnacle of anger that has been attained by a jilted woman.
When Tessa accidentally discovers that her husband of 20 years is having an affair, her anger turns as tumultuous as the impeding hurricane outside. Seeing the texts, nude pictures, love talk with a much younger woman on his Ipad sends her into overdrive. Does she ride out the storm until she can confront Ethan in person when he returns from a business trip, or does she take matters into her own hands?
Desperate for revenge, Tessa lures Lindsey to her home. Wife and mistress claim the same man .. and neither will be the same once the storm is over.
MINE is a fast-paced book that is told from the viewpoint of both women. Both are angry ... both are hurt ... both are in love. And both will do anything to win ... at any cost.
I read this one in practically one sitting. Needless to say, I didn't bother sleeping ... the book was riveted to my hands and in my mind. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes psychological thrillers.
Many thanks to the author / Gallery Books / Netgalley / Edelweiss for the advanced copy of this psychological fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased ad entirely my own.
July 2, 2019
"Love doesn’t know boundaries.”
“Maybe not,” I answer.
“But people do. Or people should. Married people are out of bounds.
At least, they should be for any decent person.”
What the actual fuck did I just read?!! It’s been five minutes since I’ve read the last sentence in this book and I can’t for the life of me comprehend wtf I just read!! I knew exactly what I was going into when I started this story and I was more than okay with that because deep down, I felt that this was going to be a journey of self discovery and empowerment. Did I get those things? In a way, yes I did but I ended up getting so much more.
Tessa Taylor has been with the love of her life for over twenty years. She’s a devoted wife, mother, and a successful business woman that has created a multi million dollar company. Being busy is nothing new for this working mom but she tries her best to be there for her family and in return, they love her for it. With a fast approaching hurricane and being home alone, Tessa stumbles upon something that will ultimately change her life. What would you do if you found out your husband was having an affair?
Deciding to take matters into her own hands, Tessa devises a plan and is now face to face with her husband’s mistress. What do you say to someone who knowingly took part in something that would destroy the life that you’ve worked so hard to build? As Tessa will find out, not everything is in black and white and there are far more secrets to be discovered.
I have to say that this story kept me on my toes consistently!! There were time when I truly felt like I couldn’t take another revelation and my heart broke for some of these characters. I wanted to comfort them because I felt their pain bleeding through pages and you couldn’t help but feel for them. Then I started to feel something else. Pure anger and disbelief. Some of these characters made me so angry, I was wondering why I wasn’t in fictional jail yet!! Their actions affected so many people and to see them plot and execute something they knew was going to be detrimental and not give a crap, was like being slapped in the face without warning. I didn’t agree with certain things but in a way, I understood why it was done.
I’m just going to put it out there and say that I was not happy with that ending!! I wanted so much more and I was really disappointed that I didn’t get it. Call me bitter and yes I'm currently pouting at the moment but with good reason! Aside from that, I really did like most of the story and if you can suspend some of your beliefs and reign in your anger, this might be the book for you.
Please be aware: this book does contain cheating
May 28, 2019
Florida.
Tessa. Ethan. Lindsey.
Sounds like a sexy, sunny, fun little ménage romance.
But it's not.
Tessa and Ethan have been married for two decades. Happily. They have three amazing kids. 21. 18 and 15. Ethan's an architect and Tessa started her own - now multimillion-dollar - cosmetic company.
Everything could be perfect. And it kind of is - at least that's what Tessa thinks....
Until she discovers sexy photos and texts on Ethan's iPad.
She could be all calm and mad and angry. But she's lost her mind a tiny bit. Ethan's still out of town and Tessa decides to lure Lindsey to the house, pretending to be Ethan....
And Lindsey is only all too happy to come running.
Let the 'fun' times begin!
══════════════════
Well, that was ... interesting.
I think not many people will read and/or like this book. Cheating is a hard-limit for so many readers. I don't like cheaters either. Who does?
I just don't understand them. If you want to cheat - okay, do it. But then come home and talk about it and break up or try to work on your marriage. I don't see the point in lying? You either want your partner or you want someone else. Easy.
But of course for so many people it's not easy. They claim to still love their spouse. I just don't understand it. I don't really understand Ethan either. Well, maybe a tiny little bit. Tessa is so horribly busy with work and worrying about their oldest son - Ethan feels a bit left out.
Still no reason to cheat. It's just this typical male midlife crisis kind of thing. He wants to feel sexy and needed again.
This book is not really about the cheating. Well, yes, it kind of is. It's all about what Ethan and Lindsey did to Tessa. BUT - it's also this psycho hostage hurricane drama. LOL!
It was really interersting to read. You know that Tessa just completely snapped when she read those texts. She's not herself anymore. She doesn't really know what she's doing with Lindsey. What are her plans? She can't hold her hostage forever?! She can't kill her. She knows that her perfect life would be over if something happens to Lindsey. It IS kind of over now already - what does she think Lindsey will do once she's free?? Not go to the cops?
Ugh - I don't even know what I want to happen to all three of them. All of them are now guilty of something. Can't they just all live together happily ever after?? ☺
It was an interesting and exciting story. Different from our average cute romances. You just can't stop reading - even if you kind of hate every thing about what is happening!
The book is told from both Tessa and Lindsey's POV. Tessa's POV is the present time and Lindsey tells her chapters in the past - how she met Ethan and how their relationship developed.
We don't really get to hear Ethan's side of things. There was this letter, and I loved it. But that was it. He's just this idiot cheater to the reader. And I hate that. I need to love the hero in my books. He's not really the hero here of course, but he could've been a bit more heroish. A bit more human and broken and full of regret and love and ... I still liked him. Even though we don't see too much of him. I wanted to like him. Maybe that was just because those two ladies were just crazy! ☺
If you're mega scared of cheating in books, this is probably not for you - but maybe try it. It's a great story. Just completely crazy! I'm not sure I liked it. I pretty much didn't like anything that anyone did, but the story was still interesting and there are some sparks of hope for all of them.
I loved Ethan's letter! He's a cheating bastard, but he's also a sad guy stuck in a midlife crisis who loves his family and wife.
I would've loved to get an epilogue! It was a bit too rushed at the end. I wanted more.
It was definitely written in a way that keeps the reader fascinated. A bit like an accident at the side of the road though - you just can't not look. ☺ No. It's was an interesting book. A kind of 'what-might-happen' or 'what-would-I-do-if-I-were-in-such-a-situation-and-snapped' thing. I hated most of it, but I also liked reading it. It kept me entertained for a day. And I might have a few nightmares for another ten years or so.☺
MINE was a slightly over-the-top crazy Hollywood-type-midlife-crisis-cheating-hostage-hurricane drama! But I would definitely watch the movie! ☺
There were also a few 'mistakes' in the story/writing. Like the hurricane. It's sooo bad and nothing in/at the house breaks - none of the 45 windows! Nobody can drive - Tessa barely makes it home and then Lindsey and later someone else are driving in the hurricane - even though the radio said it's illegal to drive. And why is that person driving at all?? Doesn't make any sense and it's not explained either?
Then Tessa says how she can't trust Lindsey with her son in the house! There is NO one in the house with them at that point...
And then ... I mean, I'm German, so I'm really not sure, but I think Courtney uses the word CONSCIOUS wrong twice. She meant to use CONSCIENCE.
♡
♡
May 21, 2019
Mine by Courtney Cole is as wild and raging as the damaging hurricane that plays a pivotal part in her novel. It's suspenseful, dramatic, tense, and twisty in all the right places. I stayed up reading it until 5 am, so it definitely kept my rapt attention!
Tessa Taylor is looking forward to a romantic weekend with her husband of twenty years until Ethan suddenly calls to say he's stuck in meetings out of town and not coming home. She's devastated and to make things worse, a category 4 hurricane is headed straight for their house, and she's going to be riding the storm out all alone. At least her youngest kids are safe with her parents and her oldest son is safe at college...
Once Tessa secures their home against the raging storm, she settles down with Ethan's iPad since she can't find hers. Wow, is she in for the shock of her life when she opens it and sees texts and sexy photos to Ethan from a younger woman named Lindsey! Tessa is clearly in shock because how could Ethan be cheating on her when they are so happily married...or so she thought! Everything she thought she knew about her marriage comes crashing around her. She becomes blinded by rage towards Lindsey and Ethan.
Yet, Lindsey becomes the target of her revenge, and she texts her pretending to be Ethan telling her to come over in the middle of the hurricane to ride out the storm. No matter what happens or what she has to do, Tessa is going to confront the woman who tried to take her husband!
The story is told in alternating POVs with Tessa's story taking place in the present and Lindsey's taking place in the past with her own version of events of how she met Ethan, her love for him, and her belief that he's hers. The stories converge and move together until the final conclusion.
This is a tale of betrayal, heartbreak, pain, rage, madness, and revenge, and it makes you think long and hard about what you'd do if you were Tessa. I've never enjoyed a novel about a betrayed wife and a manipulative mistress more than I did this one! Just who will win the battle to prove Ethan is theirs? You'll have to read and find out!
Put this in on your summer reading list for a fast-paced, wildly compelling reading experience!
**Thanks to NetGalley, Jessica Roth, and Gallery Books for the chance to read and review an ARC copy. All opinions are my own.**
Tessa Taylor is looking forward to a romantic weekend with her husband of twenty years until Ethan suddenly calls to say he's stuck in meetings out of town and not coming home. She's devastated and to make things worse, a category 4 hurricane is headed straight for their house, and she's going to be riding the storm out all alone. At least her youngest kids are safe with her parents and her oldest son is safe at college...
Once Tessa secures their home against the raging storm, she settles down with Ethan's iPad since she can't find hers. Wow, is she in for the shock of her life when she opens it and sees texts and sexy photos to Ethan from a younger woman named Lindsey! Tessa is clearly in shock because how could Ethan be cheating on her when they are so happily married...or so she thought! Everything she thought she knew about her marriage comes crashing around her. She becomes blinded by rage towards Lindsey and Ethan.
Yet, Lindsey becomes the target of her revenge, and she texts her pretending to be Ethan telling her to come over in the middle of the hurricane to ride out the storm. No matter what happens or what she has to do, Tessa is going to confront the woman who tried to take her husband!
The story is told in alternating POVs with Tessa's story taking place in the present and Lindsey's taking place in the past with her own version of events of how she met Ethan, her love for him, and her belief that he's hers. The stories converge and move together until the final conclusion.
This is a tale of betrayal, heartbreak, pain, rage, madness, and revenge, and it makes you think long and hard about what you'd do if you were Tessa. I've never enjoyed a novel about a betrayed wife and a manipulative mistress more than I did this one! Just who will win the battle to prove Ethan is theirs? You'll have to read and find out!
Put this in on your summer reading list for a fast-paced, wildly compelling reading experience!
**Thanks to NetGalley, Jessica Roth, and Gallery Books for the chance to read and review an ARC copy. All opinions are my own.**
March 14, 2019
in 2018, Cole's book "Saving Beck" made my best fiction of the year list. Now, Cole has returned with "Mine," a psychological thriller that pits wife against mistress in the middle of a major hurricane. Not only is the rain coming down outside, but the world is crashing on the inside of Tessa's house as well. Told in alternating perspectives from Tessa to Lindsay, we get multiple perspectives on the affair and how we are led to this point. Tension is high and drama is plentiful. I can't wait to see what Cole puts out in 2020 now!
Thank you to Gallery Books for an advance copy. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to Gallery Books for an advance copy. All opinions are my own.
May 30, 2019
So so so sad.
I read this because I saw that the author herself wrote it based on the experience she had with her own partner in regards to unfaithfulness.
To say this book was hard to read is an understatement. It was utter torture. it was painful from the get go. From the POV of both women, this was a brilliantly crafted exercise in absolute honesty and pain.
If you abhor cheating in a book, well, this is a book where the entire theme is about it. But not in sense of it being about the act of a man, but from a place of the aftermath of discovery. Realizing woman find themselves at the mercy of men who have the absolute power to shatter lives and hearts so carelessly. Simple actions and deceit with the singular and selfish objectives of getting more attention or feeling younger... How these simple desires can obliterate worlds and families and people. The weight of it. The utter horror of finding out that who you loved and trusted most has little to no regard for you. That you no longer know them. That they have become a stranger in your own bed. Its fucking devastating and absolutely shattering.
One night
A hurricane
2 women
And the pain, the anger, the ugliness
And finally, the truth.
Beyond the betrayal, two woman facing each other, at first in anger. All the insecurities, the jealousy, the hurt, the rage.
And then, the realizations. 1. That they are both victims of their own insecurities about each other. And 2. That they were ready to obliterate each other for the deceit of one man...
Well written, well thought of and crafted with such a powerful hand. Courtney Cole nailed it.
It was such a difficult read. At first you hate the mistress, but through her narrative, you see a entirely other perspective. But lets face it girls... Its hard to be on the mistresses side. Courtney gave it a good shot. However, the main heroine, who was a wife for 20 years, is really the main victim here. But through the story, she blooms as a hero. having the power to see that she has a beautiful life and success she created for herself. And that she has the love and respect of her children. The knowledge and the power of knowing she always did right by them, at the detriment of her husbands needs. And also that because of age, she has the fortitude and foresight to show empathy and wisdom despite all that she is losing.
The twister being... I can't tell you! You need to read it. Its worth it.
I was cheated on while pregnant. It killed me. It took 20 years for me to rebuild myself. I know most of us hate cheating stories. But this isn't only about act of sex. Its about the destruction of lives. About the woman who are overwhelmed by how one single man wielded the power to destroy who they are as people, as woman, as mothers, daughters.
It's also about sisterhood and healing. How we need so much more of it in a world where men can easily drive wedges between us and make us see each other as villainous whores. When in essence, it was man who set those ugly wheels in motion.
A very painful 4 stars
And heartfelt sisterhood hug to Courtney Cole for the courage to write this. You rocked it sista!!
I read this because I saw that the author herself wrote it based on the experience she had with her own partner in regards to unfaithfulness.
To say this book was hard to read is an understatement. It was utter torture. it was painful from the get go. From the POV of both women, this was a brilliantly crafted exercise in absolute honesty and pain.
If you abhor cheating in a book, well, this is a book where the entire theme is about it. But not in sense of it being about the act of a man, but from a place of the aftermath of discovery. Realizing woman find themselves at the mercy of men who have the absolute power to shatter lives and hearts so carelessly. Simple actions and deceit with the singular and selfish objectives of getting more attention or feeling younger... How these simple desires can obliterate worlds and families and people. The weight of it. The utter horror of finding out that who you loved and trusted most has little to no regard for you. That you no longer know them. That they have become a stranger in your own bed. Its fucking devastating and absolutely shattering.
One night
A hurricane
2 women
And the pain, the anger, the ugliness
And finally, the truth.
Beyond the betrayal, two woman facing each other, at first in anger. All the insecurities, the jealousy, the hurt, the rage.
And then, the realizations. 1. That they are both victims of their own insecurities about each other. And 2. That they were ready to obliterate each other for the deceit of one man...
Well written, well thought of and crafted with such a powerful hand. Courtney Cole nailed it.
It was such a difficult read. At first you hate the mistress, but through her narrative, you see a entirely other perspective. But lets face it girls... Its hard to be on the mistresses side. Courtney gave it a good shot. However, the main heroine, who was a wife for 20 years, is really the main victim here. But through the story, she blooms as a hero. having the power to see that she has a beautiful life and success she created for herself. And that she has the love and respect of her children. The knowledge and the power of knowing she always did right by them, at the detriment of her husbands needs. And also that because of age, she has the fortitude and foresight to show empathy and wisdom despite all that she is losing.
The twister being... I can't tell you! You need to read it. Its worth it.
I was cheated on while pregnant. It killed me. It took 20 years for me to rebuild myself. I know most of us hate cheating stories. But this isn't only about act of sex. Its about the destruction of lives. About the woman who are overwhelmed by how one single man wielded the power to destroy who they are as people, as woman, as mothers, daughters.
It's also about sisterhood and healing. How we need so much more of it in a world where men can easily drive wedges between us and make us see each other as villainous whores. When in essence, it was man who set those ugly wheels in motion.
A very painful 4 stars
And heartfelt sisterhood hug to Courtney Cole for the courage to write this. You rocked it sista!!
June 9, 2019
She tried to take what was mine.
Lindsay stares at me, doe-eyed. In this moment, she almost looks like a child. A conniving child, but a child nonetheless. She thought she had so much power, sneaking around to steal my husband. She had no idea who she was dealing with.
********
Yikes! There's nothing like a woman scorned!
Two women, one man. Put a wife and a mistress alone together, trapped in the same house during a category four hurricane
and what do you get? The perfect storm!
I'm not quite sure how to review Mine by Courtney Cole. It was interesting. Very interesting, indeed! I'm also not sure what I expected but this wasn't it. That's not a bad thing, though. It's a definite twist to the wife meets mistress theme, and I did actually enjoy it even if I was a little reluctant about it at first. I figured it would end the way it did but it was definitely worth reading.
With thanks and appreciation to NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Courtney Cole for this advanced digital copy to read and review.
Lindsay stares at me, doe-eyed. In this moment, she almost looks like a child. A conniving child, but a child nonetheless. She thought she had so much power, sneaking around to steal my husband. She had no idea who she was dealing with.
********
Yikes! There's nothing like a woman scorned!
Two women, one man. Put a wife and a mistress alone together, trapped in the same house during a category four hurricane
and what do you get? The perfect storm!
I'm not quite sure how to review Mine by Courtney Cole. It was interesting. Very interesting, indeed! I'm also not sure what I expected but this wasn't it. That's not a bad thing, though. It's a definite twist to the wife meets mistress theme, and I did actually enjoy it even if I was a little reluctant about it at first. I figured it would end the way it did but it was definitely worth reading.
With thanks and appreciation to NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Courtney Cole for this advanced digital copy to read and review.
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