Published: July 22, 2021

Emerald O’Brien

I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Emerald O’Brien was born and raised just east of Toronto, Ontario. She graduated from her Television Broadcasting and Communications Media program at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario.

“Maybe no one ever fully trusts their partner… if they’re smart.”

Hayden and Sid have a marriage in desperate need of repair. Secrets are haunting their past and impacting their future. When Hayden starts getting a feeling in her gut that Sid is keeping things from her, she starts to obsess over what it could be. After an argument, Hayden walks out of their home and into a nightmare. Now Hayden has to figure out if her husband is a man she wants to have and to hold or a man she wants to run from. Is marriage for better or for worse- till death do they part- right?

The imagery in this novel is stunning. The use of color and artistry and nature are so clever. The serene peace and calm of a lakeside cabin in the woods should be a dream, but shadows hide the dangers lurking in the night.

Hayden was a complex and multi-demential character. She was far from perfect, and her flaws weren’t subtle. The way Hayden was written is so authentic and so captivating; her complexities make you doubt her intentions.

Hayden is a mix of strong and fragile, bold and brave. Her insecurities fester and make her question everything, and her anxiety is genuinely palpable—her terror leaps from the pages.

Sid is secretive and manipulative almost immediately. As a recovering addict, his character was written so realistically that you will feel the rage boiling in your gut.

Emerald has such a talent for capturing emotion and bringing it to vivid attention with her words. As this tale unwinds and pieces start falling into place, you don’t know who to trust. When deception is so well played and deceit so well laid, the truth is sure to be somewhere in the middle.

An intense ride from start to finish, I couldn’t put this one down. This book will make you question everything- and everyone- you think you know.