On the surface, Grace and Jack seem to have the perfect marriage and are completely dedicated to each other. Jack is a successful attorney protecting battered women, while Grace is the perfect housewife with the green thumb and culinary skills that rival Gordon Ramsey. But behind closed doors things are not always what they seem. Grace and Jack are suspiciously never apart and it seems that Jack always has his hand on his elbow or on his back, one might see this as a sign of affection, but could it be more? Why does Grace’s friend never see her without Jack? What secrets could this couple be hiding behind closed doors?
I kept seeing this book in stores, on Goodreads, and being recommended by friends in my book club. I finally picked it up and snuggled into bed with the literary cats and devoured this book. Everything else faded away, I barely heard text messages or even the music that was playing. I lost myself in this story that I couldn’t get enough. Everything I read online intrigued me at first and then once I got started, it exceeded my expectations.
I was a little tired reading it because I wasn’t sure if there would be actual abuse, which is something that I have a hard time handling at times, but with all the glowing reviews, I decided to see how dark this book got. I can honestly say that there is no absolute physical abuse, everything is psychological. Jack feeds on the fear and anticipation of what will happen next, and the excitement of trying to escape and pretending to be the perfect husband to the perfect wife knowing what is hidden inside his perfect home.
Paris has the ability to attract readers from the beginning of the story. Paris’s writing is fantastic and there are so many quotes and moments that make the reader laugh a bit even though this is a pretty serious novel, like Millie’s claims that she doesn’t like “Jorj Kooney” (George Clooney) . Here are some samples from Paris. ‘writing from the book:
“We go downstairs and in the hallway, he takes my coat from the closet and holds it open as I slide my arms into it. On the way out, he holds the car door for me and waits until I’m in. He closes it behind. I can’t help but think it’s a shame he’s such a sadistic bastard, because he has wonderful manners. “
“And then as he drank the sound of her fear and breathed in its scent, he wished he could keep her there for eternity.”
Paris has a great way of using her words to describe every emotion, every sense, every interaction, and every detail. She spared nothing with this novel and nothing is filler information. It goes back and forth between the present and the past, but it does not interfere with the continuity of the novel and it is easy to follow and keep up with what is happening and when. I love the intelligence not only of Grace, but also of Millie. I loved seeing a character with a significant disability like Down Syndrome portrayed as very intelligent and capable of many things. I think this is something that we need to see more often to help raise awareness of horrible stereotypes. And the ending, oh my gosh, really makes the book.
So far, this is probably the best book I’ve read this year, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for that great book to read. I can’t wait to get my hands on another of his books.