I Found You by Lisa Jewell Published by Simon and Schuster on April 25th 2017
Genres: Contemporary Women, Family Life, Fiction, General
Pages: 352
Format: eARC
Alice is a single mom, living alone with her children in a small British seaside town. One day, she notices a man sitting on the beach outside her home. He remains there for hours, even after a storm-front comes cross, pelting him with rain. Resisting all common sense, she invites him into her home.
Young Lily Monrose has only been married for three weeks. New to the country, she's completely alone when he heads out to work. Yet he dotes on her so intensely, it makes up for all feelings of loneliness and unfamiliarity. One day, he fails to come home from work. Attempts to reach him go unanswered. When she files a report with the police, they inform her that her husband never existed.
Two decades ago, Gray and Kirsty are on their annual summer holiday to a summer seaside town with their parents. Gray is protective of his younger sister, especially when a young man catches her attention. He seems interested in Kirsty...far too interested.
Transcending time, all three stories are connected: man with no memory, a husband with a fake identity, and the horrific acts following one innocent summer party. Only in connecting the stories will the painful secrets come undone, allowing a sense of healing and recover for those who survived.
I’m quite a fan of twisty storylines based on dark old secrets. This title is certainly rich with twists and turns. They were so captivating that it allowed to me overlook the fact that I couldn’t find any of the main characters to be likeable or endearing. I don’t have issues with character flaws in general, yet something about each character felt like we weren’t getting the full picture, even when all was revealed.
The overpowering sense of lack of trust in general is a key theme to this title, exuding from the pages into the reader’s experience. I consider myself quite good at figuring out a “whodunit” but this one had me stumped. I mean, the premise leads you to one direction, but what is actually revealed couldn’t be furthest than the truth.
Yes, this title is riddled with implausible details and revelations. A reader’s ability to suspend disbelief is a requirement to get the full impact of this read. It’s not mindblowing or life-altering, but would certainly be an engaging, suspenseful vacation read. Recommended.
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