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False Hope
She made a big promise. Did she also make a big mistake?
Ten years ago, Grace made her dying sister a promise—that she would look after Hope’s baby son as her own. Now, the man whose son she is raising has turned up on Grace’s operating table, fighting for his life.
When an accusation of negligence follows, Grace is forced to confront not just the man who abandoned her sister, but also his mother, Norma—who blames Grace for taking everything she loves.
Based on what her sister told her, Grace is sure she did the right thing to keep that promise. But what if Hope didn’t tell her everything? Norma’s vicious attacks push Grace to investigate further and what she finds makes her question everything she thinks she knows, pointing to a very different past—and a devastating betrayal.
As Grace uncovers the truth, can she protect her family from the consequences of what her sister did?
Ten years ago, Grace made her dying sister a promise—that she would look after Hope’s baby son as her own. Now, the man whose son she is raising has turned up on Grace’s operating table, fighting for his life.
When an accusation of negligence follows, Grace is forced to confront not just the man who abandoned her sister, but also his mother, Norma—who blames Grace for taking everything she loves.
Based on what her sister told her, Grace is sure she did the right thing to keep that promise. But what if Hope didn’t tell her everything? Norma’s vicious attacks push Grace to investigate further and what she finds makes her question everything she thinks she knows, pointing to a very different past—and a devastating betrayal.
As Grace uncovers the truth, can she protect her family from the consequences of what her sister did?
- GenresFiction
299 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 21, 2021
410 people are currently reading
3179 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
March 2, 2021
False Hope by Lynne Lee is a family drama about two sisters, Hope and Grace. Grace is a married surgeon with two young boys. Hope was the younger sister who passed away after battling a brain tumour. Before her death, she made sure that Grace would be the caregiver of her young son, after his father abandoned Hope and the child after learning about her illness. Into the mix are also the mother of Hope and Grace and Hope’s mother-in-law. When Hope’s ex turns up on Grace’s operating table, the story begins to unravel and many secrets come to the surface. This is a tense drama with interesting and troubled characters and the storyline is original and keeps the reader engaged. Highly recommended for readers who enjoy family drama with a difference. Thank you to Amazon Publishing UK, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 19, 2021
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
Ten years ago, Grace made her dying sister a promise that she would look after Hope's baby son as her own. Now, the man whose son she is raising has turned up on Grace's operating table, fighting for his life. But when an accuasion of neglience follows, Grace is forced to confront not just the man who abandoned her sister, bu also his mother, Norma.
There's a good level setting of suspense throughout this book that makes you keep reading. The story is told from Grace's point of view. Things change for Grace when she finds Dillon's biological dad in her operating theatre. There's a few back stories to the characters. The pace is steady and there's plennty of twists but the revelation didn't shock me. I wasn't keen on any of the characters. I would say this is more family drama than a thriller.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #AmazonPublishingUK and the author #LynneLee for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Ten years ago, Grace made her dying sister a promise that she would look after Hope's baby son as her own. Now, the man whose son she is raising has turned up on Grace's operating table, fighting for his life. But when an accuasion of neglience follows, Grace is forced to confront not just the man who abandoned her sister, bu also his mother, Norma.
There's a good level setting of suspense throughout this book that makes you keep reading. The story is told from Grace's point of view. Things change for Grace when she finds Dillon's biological dad in her operating theatre. There's a few back stories to the characters. The pace is steady and there's plennty of twists but the revelation didn't shock me. I wasn't keen on any of the characters. I would say this is more family drama than a thriller.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #AmazonPublishingUK and the author #LynneLee for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 11, 2021
Review coming soon.
February 27, 2021
False Hope could have been a gripping read however for me there were too many themes that could have been better explored.
Grace has the juggling act of a young family, a demanding career as a trauma surgeon and the responsibility of being the only living child of a parent with dementia. She has adopted her late sister Hope's son and completely cut off his father and paternal grandmother. An action she believes is the only way forward for them all.
When Hope's ex-husband turns up on the operating table after a serious accident leaves his life in the balance Grace has to act fast and preforms the operation that she knows will save his life. There is much bad blood between the families and a malpractice claim ensues. This on its own could have created a great story but it never fully evolved.
There were lots of little plot lines running through the story and just when I thought I knew where the story was heading it would change direction.
Grace was selfish, self centred and over possessive and as the story was narrated in first person it seemed that it was all about Grace; how hard she worked, how her mother was a burden, how she never understood her sister. Grace's thoughts and actions certainly didn't endear me to her. I continually questioned her actions and even after the big reveal I still felt her actions were self motivated.
False Hope was an okay read. None of the characters really gelled with me but it certainly held my interest and I was eager to get to the end to see how it would all wrap up.
*I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley
Grace has the juggling act of a young family, a demanding career as a trauma surgeon and the responsibility of being the only living child of a parent with dementia. She has adopted her late sister Hope's son and completely cut off his father and paternal grandmother. An action she believes is the only way forward for them all.
When Hope's ex-husband turns up on the operating table after a serious accident leaves his life in the balance Grace has to act fast and preforms the operation that she knows will save his life. There is much bad blood between the families and a malpractice claim ensues. This on its own could have created a great story but it never fully evolved.
There were lots of little plot lines running through the story and just when I thought I knew where the story was heading it would change direction.
Grace was selfish, self centred and over possessive and as the story was narrated in first person it seemed that it was all about Grace; how hard she worked, how her mother was a burden, how she never understood her sister. Grace's thoughts and actions certainly didn't endear me to her. I continually questioned her actions and even after the big reveal I still felt her actions were self motivated.
False Hope was an okay read. None of the characters really gelled with me but it certainly held my interest and I was eager to get to the end to see how it would all wrap up.
*I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley
February 1, 2021
I have just finished reading False Hope by Author Lynne Lee
The best description of this book to me was – dysfunctional family overload. It was a good book, well written, however I had a really hard time getting behind the characters.
The storyline lagged as the book progressed, but overall a decent read. This is the first book that I have read by the Author
Thank you to Goodreads, Author Lynne Lee, and Amazon Publishing UK
#FalseHope #NetGalley
The best description of this book to me was – dysfunctional family overload. It was a good book, well written, however I had a really hard time getting behind the characters.
The storyline lagged as the book progressed, but overall a decent read. This is the first book that I have read by the Author
Thank you to Goodreads, Author Lynne Lee, and Amazon Publishing UK
#FalseHope #NetGalley
November 11, 2020
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this. Starting off well and grabbed me but then it started to drag for me. There are a lot of stories going on here and they all tie together nicely, but it was just all right.
February 26, 2021
To me, this is a suspenseful story of motherly love…….
A dying mother’s wish for her son to grow up in a loving, safe home.
A mother’s love to protect both her birth son and her adopted son who was formerly her nephew.
A mother’s unconditional love for her troubled son and her need to continue to be a grandmother to his child.
And a mother’s love for her daughters and grandsons, wanting to ensure that her daughter that has died is not forgotten.
The question is, how far would you go to love and protect the ones you love? Whose recollection of the past do you believe to ensure you are making the right choices for their future?
Although I would occasionally become annoyed with the authors use of very long sentences throughout the book, I enjoyed the storyline and characters and felt the past and present were well entwined to make it flow well. It was a page turner as well so that was a nice bonus. I would definitely recommend it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for an electronic copy of this book in return for an honest review.
A dying mother’s wish for her son to grow up in a loving, safe home.
A mother’s love to protect both her birth son and her adopted son who was formerly her nephew.
A mother’s unconditional love for her troubled son and her need to continue to be a grandmother to his child.
And a mother’s love for her daughters and grandsons, wanting to ensure that her daughter that has died is not forgotten.
The question is, how far would you go to love and protect the ones you love? Whose recollection of the past do you believe to ensure you are making the right choices for their future?
Although I would occasionally become annoyed with the authors use of very long sentences throughout the book, I enjoyed the storyline and characters and felt the past and present were well entwined to make it flow well. It was a page turner as well so that was a nice bonus. I would definitely recommend it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for an electronic copy of this book in return for an honest review.
May 31, 2021
The blurb caught my eye, the story too was intriguing, to begin with. The midsection became slightly slow, but it picked up as repercussions and emotions of a surgery.
Tensions heightened slowly in this family drama and kept me hooked to the book.
Overall, a different read
Tensions heightened slowly in this family drama and kept me hooked to the book.
Overall, a different read
February 5, 2021
False hope is centred around Grace and the troubles she encounters after performing an emergency amputation on a trauma patient, who she later discovered is her late sisters ex and the biological father her sisters son Dylan, who Grace and her husband have adopted. After the amputation a complaint is made. Grace starts to look into the past and what her sister Hope had told her about her relationship with Aden questioning what was fact and what was fiction.
The plot of this book sounded quite good and in all honesty it was but its by no means a psychological thriller. I don't know what genre I would put this book in, maybe mystery?
The whole novel is centred around Grace and her on going battle of trying to protect Dylan who she adopted as per her sisters dying wish. It's a very family focused story where we get to examine the dynamics between Grace and her family members. It's interesting and I espically liked the relationship she had with her boys Daniel and Dylan. Also the raw honesty around how she felt originally about adoption.
So the book is called false Hope and once you realise the sister is called Hope it kind of tells you what you need to know. One thing I have to point out is I've never ever read a book with the word hope used so much!
I enjoyed the chapters where we got to learn more about hope and the big reveal, however I think it would of been so much better if that story ran along side the present time, but either way we found out what we needed to. It was believable and it was understandable almost. Not particular shocking which I think could of been the purpose.
I wish the book looked at the situation from rhe other family members points of view aswell because I didn't like Grace as a lead protagonist. Grace as a push over and just a bore if I'm honest. I didn’t jel with her and that may be what let the book down for me. I also felt the story dragged on, even the final chapters and the shocking twist it all fell a bit flat.
All in all I thought this was an average book and I did enjoy the insight of the family but its no psychological thriller. It's an easy read so I would recommend it but go in reading with no genre in mind and I think that will lower you expectations I felt I was constantly waiting for the crazy to occur and it just didn't. The characters of both Grans are interesting and again would of loved their points of view aswell. I am rating 2.5 stars 🌟 rounding up to 3.
Thanks to netgalley the publisher and author for providing me with a digital advanced copy in exchange for my fair and honest review.
The plot of this book sounded quite good and in all honesty it was but its by no means a psychological thriller. I don't know what genre I would put this book in, maybe mystery?
The whole novel is centred around Grace and her on going battle of trying to protect Dylan who she adopted as per her sisters dying wish. It's a very family focused story where we get to examine the dynamics between Grace and her family members. It's interesting and I espically liked the relationship she had with her boys Daniel and Dylan. Also the raw honesty around how she felt originally about adoption.
So the book is called false Hope and once you realise the sister is called Hope it kind of tells you what you need to know. One thing I have to point out is I've never ever read a book with the word hope used so much!
I enjoyed the chapters where we got to learn more about hope and the big reveal, however I think it would of been so much better if that story ran along side the present time, but either way we found out what we needed to. It was believable and it was understandable almost. Not particular shocking which I think could of been the purpose.
I wish the book looked at the situation from rhe other family members points of view aswell because I didn't like Grace as a lead protagonist. Grace as a push over and just a bore if I'm honest. I didn’t jel with her and that may be what let the book down for me. I also felt the story dragged on, even the final chapters and the shocking twist it all fell a bit flat.
All in all I thought this was an average book and I did enjoy the insight of the family but its no psychological thriller. It's an easy read so I would recommend it but go in reading with no genre in mind and I think that will lower you expectations I felt I was constantly waiting for the crazy to occur and it just didn't. The characters of both Grans are interesting and again would of loved their points of view aswell. I am rating 2.5 stars 🌟 rounding up to 3.
Thanks to netgalley the publisher and author for providing me with a digital advanced copy in exchange for my fair and honest review.
November 6, 2020
This is the first book i read provided by NetGalley and i could not be more satisfied with it. I want to thank NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for a digital advance copy of this title in exchange for my honest review
This story evolves around motherhood, work and personal relationships, as well as the importance of family and "never-to-break" promises. It slowly develops itself, providing us with background information and dark secrets this family posseses.
I loved the way the author wrote and how effectively used italics to emphatize words, in their right time and context. I found this reading very centered and mature, as in the topics that are treated in it. How far can a mother's love go to protect their child and how complicated things can get in order to guarantee that. The actions someone can take to prove a point and to have revenge for something a 'stranger" did.
With a perfect vocabulary, precise location description and an incredible form of expressing the characters feelings (i want to highlight this last statement because with this kind of book that makes a very big difference in the way you can percive things), i found this thriller glued to my hand, not being able to stop reading it
This story evolves around motherhood, work and personal relationships, as well as the importance of family and "never-to-break" promises. It slowly develops itself, providing us with background information and dark secrets this family posseses.
I loved the way the author wrote and how effectively used italics to emphatize words, in their right time and context. I found this reading very centered and mature, as in the topics that are treated in it. How far can a mother's love go to protect their child and how complicated things can get in order to guarantee that. The actions someone can take to prove a point and to have revenge for something a 'stranger" did.
With a perfect vocabulary, precise location description and an incredible form of expressing the characters feelings (i want to highlight this last statement because with this kind of book that makes a very big difference in the way you can percive things), i found this thriller glued to my hand, not being able to stop reading it
October 25, 2020
Grace is a surgeon , who has recently moved to be closer to her mother who is suffering from Dementia. She is married to Matt and they have a biological son, Daniel and also care for their nephew, Dillon, since Grace's sister Hope died from a brain tumour..
When Grace is called out in the middle of the night, the patient;s arm is beyond repair and requires amputation. However, she soon realises the patient is Hope's partner and Dillon's dad- Aidan Kennedy.
There are several threads carefully woven throughout the novel.- secrets about Aidan and his mother, Norma are gradually revealed as the story progresses.
I enjoyed this read and felt it was carefully plotted and well written. However, I wanted it to be more gripping and would have liked a bit more of a climax at the end. That said, I would recommend this read and will look out for more books by the author.
Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.
When Grace is called out in the middle of the night, the patient;s arm is beyond repair and requires amputation. However, she soon realises the patient is Hope's partner and Dillon's dad- Aidan Kennedy.
There are several threads carefully woven throughout the novel.- secrets about Aidan and his mother, Norma are gradually revealed as the story progresses.
I enjoyed this read and felt it was carefully plotted and well written. However, I wanted it to be more gripping and would have liked a bit more of a climax at the end. That said, I would recommend this read and will look out for more books by the author.
Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.
October 3, 2020
Thank you Amazon Publishing UK for the eARC.
This story of the reverberations of the past is great, I really enjoyed it.
Grace and her husband adopted Grace's sister's (Hope) baby son when Hope died of a brain tumor, thus adding a new baby brother for their son. This was Hope's dying wish and the family of four is happy, busy and getting used to their move from London to Brighton ten years later.
Everything changes, though, when Grace, in hospital theater, amputates the arm of a severely wounded car accident victim ... who turns out to be the father of their adopted son.
Their lives are upended by the frightening behaviour of the paternal grandmother, as well as the gradual disintegration of Grace's mother's dementia.
I found this to be a sensitive and poignant book and had a hard time putting it down. I really liked Grace as a character and highly recommend this read.
This story of the reverberations of the past is great, I really enjoyed it.
Grace and her husband adopted Grace's sister's (Hope) baby son when Hope died of a brain tumor, thus adding a new baby brother for their son. This was Hope's dying wish and the family of four is happy, busy and getting used to their move from London to Brighton ten years later.
Everything changes, though, when Grace, in hospital theater, amputates the arm of a severely wounded car accident victim ... who turns out to be the father of their adopted son.
Their lives are upended by the frightening behaviour of the paternal grandmother, as well as the gradual disintegration of Grace's mother's dementia.
I found this to be a sensitive and poignant book and had a hard time putting it down. I really liked Grace as a character and highly recommend this read.
October 27, 2020
I just finished this book. It took me 2 days to read it because I couldn't put it down. I so enjoyed it. I didn't even realize initially that it was a thriller since there's a lot of background given on the main character, Grace. I have not previously read anything by Lynne Lee, but I really liked her writing style. There was a lot of twists in this book that were unexpected.
October 12, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this book early. I really enjoyed this book. Grace in an amazing character. I almost felt every emotion while reading this.
January 28, 2021
Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and Amazon UK Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my impartial review.
This book falls under the categories of thriller/family drama. I love the way this book shows relationships. The accurate representation of sisters who love each other dearly but don’t get on is wonderful.
I started off loving this book. However, it started slowing down in pace and I started losing interest. It’s ties everything up nicely and the author keeps the answers secret for most of the book; it just ends up feeling like you’re waiting for something to happen and it doesn’t.
Well-rounded characters and a good plot. I didn’t guess the ending but by the time the ending came around, I’d given up caring a little.
This book falls under the categories of thriller/family drama. I love the way this book shows relationships. The accurate representation of sisters who love each other dearly but don’t get on is wonderful.
I started off loving this book. However, it started slowing down in pace and I started losing interest. It’s ties everything up nicely and the author keeps the answers secret for most of the book; it just ends up feeling like you’re waiting for something to happen and it doesn’t.
Well-rounded characters and a good plot. I didn’t guess the ending but by the time the ending came around, I’d given up caring a little.
January 30, 2021
Ten years ago, Grace made her dying sister a promise—that she would look after Hope’s baby son as her own. Now, the man whose son she is raising has turned up on Grace’s operating table, fighting for his life.
This story from the start was gripping and I was completely intrigued by Grace the main character. This is not so much a thriller but more of a suspenseful family drama. I felt it got a bit slow mid way through but there were plenty of twists and overall it kept me engaged!
This story from the start was gripping and I was completely intrigued by Grace the main character. This is not so much a thriller but more of a suspenseful family drama. I felt it got a bit slow mid way through but there were plenty of twists and overall it kept me engaged!
April 19, 2021
Grandma from hell...
It was a good book but nothing what I thought it would be. I thought it was supposed to be Hope and Aiden as the main characters. They were thrown on the sidelines because granny Norma stole the show. She dominated everything. She was a one woman wrecking crew. She bulldozed her way through the story, wreaking havoc and causing pain. She was one messed up woman.
I am still confused about the letters...one started but not finished, one not read, and why didn't Norma have a letter? (lol)
It was a good book but nothing what I thought it would be. I thought it was supposed to be Hope and Aiden as the main characters. They were thrown on the sidelines because granny Norma stole the show. She dominated everything. She was a one woman wrecking crew. She bulldozed her way through the story, wreaking havoc and causing pain. She was one messed up woman.
I am still confused about the letters...one started but not finished, one not read, and why didn't Norma have a letter? (lol)
November 26, 2020
The beginning of the book is very good, so I trusted it would be really interesting. But trust can bring a lot of false hope...
First of all, what is the theme of the book? It seems that difficult family relationships. How often it turns out that we know very little about our sister or mother? I think very often. They seem more like strangers. Relative strangers. So, up to this moment, it was fine. The main character is Grace. Years ago she promised her dying sister, Hope, that she would look after her little boy. Now, the biological father of the boy has turned up on Grace’s operating table, and with him the nightmares of the past returned. Based on what her sister told her, Grace believed that she had done the right thing to keep that promise. But now she is not so sure anymore. So she starts to investigate to find the truth in too many lies.
The author unnecessarily decided to touch on more than one issue. Also, she presents the stories of Hope, her mother and partner, his mother and his half-brother from one point of view only - the main character, the narrator of the novel. As a result, the pages of the book are filled with conjecturing, which would be more appropriate for some investigating detective. In my opinion, the book is simply "over-salted". Too many complex human problems make the story unreliable. All characters had fallen on extremely hard times that it gets comical, not scary or sad. The only thing missing is... well, there's probably nothing missing. We have deadly disease and severe illness, sexual abuse, lies, betrayal, evil, jealousy, cold mothers and their indifference to the harm of their children, unresolved regrets, murder, and a drug problem. And it's all told by one person. Something didn't work out here.
Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
First of all, what is the theme of the book? It seems that difficult family relationships. How often it turns out that we know very little about our sister or mother? I think very often. They seem more like strangers. Relative strangers. So, up to this moment, it was fine. The main character is Grace. Years ago she promised her dying sister, Hope, that she would look after her little boy. Now, the biological father of the boy has turned up on Grace’s operating table, and with him the nightmares of the past returned. Based on what her sister told her, Grace believed that she had done the right thing to keep that promise. But now she is not so sure anymore. So she starts to investigate to find the truth in too many lies.
The author unnecessarily decided to touch on more than one issue. Also, she presents the stories of Hope, her mother and partner, his mother and his half-brother from one point of view only - the main character, the narrator of the novel. As a result, the pages of the book are filled with conjecturing, which would be more appropriate for some investigating detective. In my opinion, the book is simply "over-salted". Too many complex human problems make the story unreliable. All characters had fallen on extremely hard times that it gets comical, not scary or sad. The only thing missing is... well, there's probably nothing missing. We have deadly disease and severe illness, sexual abuse, lies, betrayal, evil, jealousy, cold mothers and their indifference to the harm of their children, unresolved regrets, murder, and a drug problem. And it's all told by one person. Something didn't work out here.
Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 7, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.
When Grace's younger sister Grace dies, she leaves Grace as Dillon's guardian. Eight years later, Dillon's father turns up on Grace's operating table, losing his arm as a result of a car crash. The accident sets of a chain of events that will upend Grace's life.
I'm not sure how to categorize this book. It isn't a thriller. It isn't suspense. It's not even really a drama. It just sort of plods along. I waited the entire book for a build up, but there never really was any. I can't even call it a slow swell to action, because the build up is barely a blip before what i guess the climax was supposed to be. It's all supposed to be connected to a secret Hope kept, one left on a memory stick, but the revelation isn't even that shocking, so I am not sure why the plot revolves around this one secret. Even then it takes until the last few pages of the book for there to be any real action or conflict, and then it's over.
The characters feel robotic. Grace is our narrator, and her every thought seems rote and without emotion. Even when something terrifying happens, there doesn't seem to be any thrill for the reader because Grace seems almost detached from it all. I wanted her to scream or kick or something to show that she had any feeling at all, but I never got it. By the middle of the book, I wasn't even invested anymore, I just wanted to finish reading it. It's not even that the characters were unlikeable so much as I was completely apathetic to them. There wasn't enough substance there to make me feel anything toward them.
When Grace's younger sister Grace dies, she leaves Grace as Dillon's guardian. Eight years later, Dillon's father turns up on Grace's operating table, losing his arm as a result of a car crash. The accident sets of a chain of events that will upend Grace's life.
I'm not sure how to categorize this book. It isn't a thriller. It isn't suspense. It's not even really a drama. It just sort of plods along. I waited the entire book for a build up, but there never really was any. I can't even call it a slow swell to action, because the build up is barely a blip before what i guess the climax was supposed to be. It's all supposed to be connected to a secret Hope kept, one left on a memory stick, but the revelation isn't even that shocking, so I am not sure why the plot revolves around this one secret. Even then it takes until the last few pages of the book for there to be any real action or conflict, and then it's over.
The characters feel robotic. Grace is our narrator, and her every thought seems rote and without emotion. Even when something terrifying happens, there doesn't seem to be any thrill for the reader because Grace seems almost detached from it all. I wanted her to scream or kick or something to show that she had any feeling at all, but I never got it. By the middle of the book, I wasn't even invested anymore, I just wanted to finish reading it. It's not even that the characters were unlikeable so much as I was completely apathetic to them. There wasn't enough substance there to make me feel anything toward them.
October 23, 2020
Grace a surgeon and her husband Matt, adopt her sister Hope's young son, Dillon when she tragically dies. Along with their son Daniel, the four of them are a happy family living a good life. Until the night Grace is called to surgery. A man has been seriously injured in a car crash, and Grace must amputate his right arm. He is covered in blood and it isn't until she visits his room that she realizes he is Aiden Kennedy, Dillon's biological father.
Soon Grace is facing a charge of negligence, Dillon's grandmother blames her for all her losses, and she begins to question what her sister told her. Add in the fact that Grace's mother is suffering from dementia, and you have a family under attack from every direction. While Grace struggles to understand the truth, can she keep her family safe?
My first read by Lynne Lee and though I thought it lost a little steam in the middle, it was still a good read.
Soon Grace is facing a charge of negligence, Dillon's grandmother blames her for all her losses, and she begins to question what her sister told her. Add in the fact that Grace's mother is suffering from dementia, and you have a family under attack from every direction. While Grace struggles to understand the truth, can she keep her family safe?
My first read by Lynne Lee and though I thought it lost a little steam in the middle, it was still a good read.
September 29, 2020
Thank you to Net Galley and Amazon Publishing UK for a digital advance copy of this title in exchange for my honest review. Hope and Grace. Two sisters living very different lives, when Hope develops a brain tumor. Hope makes it her last wish that her sister welcome her young son into her own family. Things change when Grace, an orthopedic surgeon, finds Dillon's biological father in her operating room. She starts to wonder if she knew the full story of why Dillon's dad wasn't in his life, and she has to wonder how in the world she can protect Dillon from a vindictive grandma. I felt some of the characters weren't as well developed as I'd like to see (read as: I didn't care about them either way), and that's the reason for the 3 stars. I did enjoy the book; however, and I thank the publisher for the copy.
November 12, 2020
Thanks to netgalley and publishers for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
There are lots of tightly woven back stories within this book and I like that, we start with Grace who is a surgeon, she's married with a son she shares with her husband, Matt. She also cares for her nephew, Dillon, who was her late sister's son with an ex partner, who were introduced to when Grace is called out in the middle of the night to a patient who requires amputation after a serious accident.
The novel weaves in and out of secrets between Dillon`s dad, Aidan and his horrible mother, as another contender, Graces mother has dementia, the author does a good job of adding this into the story which is very sensitively told. Though the book is interesting, I wasn't gripped by the book or the characters.
There are lots of tightly woven back stories within this book and I like that, we start with Grace who is a surgeon, she's married with a son she shares with her husband, Matt. She also cares for her nephew, Dillon, who was her late sister's son with an ex partner, who were introduced to when Grace is called out in the middle of the night to a patient who requires amputation after a serious accident.
The novel weaves in and out of secrets between Dillon`s dad, Aidan and his horrible mother, as another contender, Graces mother has dementia, the author does a good job of adding this into the story which is very sensitively told. Though the book is interesting, I wasn't gripped by the book or the characters.
October 22, 2020
I'm afraid this wasn't for me. It's an OK read about an orthopaedic surgeon who, late one night, is called to operate on a man involved in a road traffic accident and who has been drinking and taking drugs. Grace (the surgeon) quickly realises that the man involved is the father of her Sister's little boy - her sister having died and Grace is now raising the child.
What follows is the story of how Grace copes with this news and in particular the vicious paternal grandmother as well as her own mother's slide into dementia.
It's a sensitively told and poignant read.
For me a 2* OK.
What follows is the story of how Grace copes with this news and in particular the vicious paternal grandmother as well as her own mother's slide into dementia.
It's a sensitively told and poignant read.
For me a 2* OK.
December 8, 2020
This had me clutching at my heart, I cannot imagine how Grace would have felt seeing the man she brought up lying on her operating table. Trying to keep her feelings at bay not allowing it to interfere with her work and giving him the best chance at suriving.
Grace is a strong women to take on her sister's baby son but the backlash from Norma must be very hard for Grace to accept, knowing and thinking she has done the best she could.
Thank you Lynne for allowing me to read this ARC and to NetGalley!
Grace is a strong women to take on her sister's baby son but the backlash from Norma must be very hard for Grace to accept, knowing and thinking she has done the best she could.
Thank you Lynne for allowing me to read this ARC and to NetGalley!
April 6, 2021
I thought this was an interesting premise and I enjoyed the first half of the book. It was full of twists and turns but some of them felt a little unbelievable.
There was a good level of suspense throughout which keeps you reading and wanting to find out what happens.
Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon for an ARC of this book for an honest review.
There was a good level of suspense throughout which keeps you reading and wanting to find out what happens.
Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon for an ARC of this book for an honest review.
October 28, 2020
A book with so many twists and turns, you really never see it coming. A real unique read that you won’t but down!
March 25, 2021
The British terms and phrases made reading this story a little more difficult at the beginning, but I got used to the different words. It became easier to read and understand the further I got into the book. The storyline and plot were unique to me. A doctor in the emergency room operates on a person badly mangled in an accident, not realizing it is someone from her past, technically from her sister’s past, until after she has amputated the patient’s arm.
The resulting complications and repercussions from the patient’s family, mainly his mother, make for an interesting story with some twists and turns that certainly kept me turning the pages. I would like to have read more character development on the doctor’s husband and the 2 young boys.
I think the middle of the book got bogged down with repetitious internal thoughts particularly from the main character, the doctor, Grace.
I don’t think I would call it a psychological thriller, but more of a saga of a dysfunctional family, really a few dysfunctional families who became interconnected through marriage. I thought the author did a good job expressing the feelings of the various characters and how their feelings contributed to their overall dysfunctional actions. The “thriller” aspect of the book only seemed to take place in about the last few chapters of the book. The unique storyline and far out, but believable, circumstances are what kept me reading to the end. It isn’t a happily ever-after ending, or one all tied up in a bow, but is a satisfying ending considering the number of complications/awful things that happened throughout the book.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of False Hope in exchange for an honest review.
The resulting complications and repercussions from the patient’s family, mainly his mother, make for an interesting story with some twists and turns that certainly kept me turning the pages. I would like to have read more character development on the doctor’s husband and the 2 young boys.
I think the middle of the book got bogged down with repetitious internal thoughts particularly from the main character, the doctor, Grace.
I don’t think I would call it a psychological thriller, but more of a saga of a dysfunctional family, really a few dysfunctional families who became interconnected through marriage. I thought the author did a good job expressing the feelings of the various characters and how their feelings contributed to their overall dysfunctional actions. The “thriller” aspect of the book only seemed to take place in about the last few chapters of the book. The unique storyline and far out, but believable, circumstances are what kept me reading to the end. It isn’t a happily ever-after ending, or one all tied up in a bow, but is a satisfying ending considering the number of complications/awful things that happened throughout the book.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of False Hope in exchange for an honest review.
October 30, 2021
I had no idea what this book was about when I started it. I thought it was going to be a thriller. It was not. It was a story about family, relationships, points of view, cancer, addiction, and trying to live the best life. It is a snap shot of a few months of Grace's life. It was well written. Just not the story I was looking to read at this time. I did finish it, as I wanted to hear what happened to all of its characters. It was a good story. I was just looking for something light, whimsical, and quick. This was not.
Spoilers: Grace is a surgeon called in to an emergency and determines the best way to save her patient is to amputate his arm. When she comes back to check on him and read his chart, she realizes this is her late sister's ex and the father of her nephew that she has adopted as her own. When his mother, Norma, enters the scene and is ready to sue her for negligence, Grace begins looking back and remembering her sister, her sister's cancer, and Aiden Kennedy. Maybe Hope did know what she was doing in loving this broken man. She pushed him away so that their son would have a good life and stable home with Grace and her family.
Spoilers: Grace is a surgeon called in to an emergency and determines the best way to save her patient is to amputate his arm. When she comes back to check on him and read his chart, she realizes this is her late sister's ex and the father of her nephew that she has adopted as her own. When his mother, Norma, enters the scene and is ready to sue her for negligence, Grace begins looking back and remembering her sister, her sister's cancer, and Aiden Kennedy. Maybe Hope did know what she was doing in loving this broken man. She pushed him away so that their son would have a good life and stable home with Grace and her family.
January 15, 2022
This book captivated me from the very first chapter. The characters were very well developed and realistic. I formed a connecting to the story and characters easily.
Even if I was intrigued and connected to the story, I somehow kind of felt let down in the second half. Maybe it was because I was expecting more of a thriller, but I had to reset my expectations while reading that second half. However, when I didn't expect anything and decided to just go with whatever was coming my way, I really enjoyed it.
It is a gripping story. More of a physiological suspense than a thriller to be, but overall such a good story thats told beautifully.
Like I said, the characters are unlike any other I've came across in books so far, the writing was gripping in it's own way, and the pace of the plot was just right.
I'd say expect nothing from this one. Don't even read the synopsis. Go in blind. You'll enjoy it.
Thank you to the publishers of NetGalley for the ARC of this novel.
Even if I was intrigued and connected to the story, I somehow kind of felt let down in the second half. Maybe it was because I was expecting more of a thriller, but I had to reset my expectations while reading that second half. However, when I didn't expect anything and decided to just go with whatever was coming my way, I really enjoyed it.
It is a gripping story. More of a physiological suspense than a thriller to be, but overall such a good story thats told beautifully.
Like I said, the characters are unlike any other I've came across in books so far, the writing was gripping in it's own way, and the pace of the plot was just right.
I'd say expect nothing from this one. Don't even read the synopsis. Go in blind. You'll enjoy it.
Thank you to the publishers of NetGalley for the ARC of this novel.
March 10, 2021
Ten years ago Grace made a promise to her dying sister Hope that she would adopt her infant son and cut off any contact with his father and paternal grandmother.
Now the father turned up on Grace's operating table fighting for his life. And Grace's life turns into a nightmare.
The book gripped me at the beginning but started to lagged by the middle.
The book can be described more as a suspenseful psychological drama of a very dysfunctional family than a thriller.
Thank you NetGalley for the copy of the book in exchange of an honest review.
Now the father turned up on Grace's operating table fighting for his life. And Grace's life turns into a nightmare.
The book gripped me at the beginning but started to lagged by the middle.
The book can be described more as a suspenseful psychological drama of a very dysfunctional family than a thriller.
Thank you NetGalley for the copy of the book in exchange of an honest review.
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