When one mistake is just the start…

Synopsis

One mistake could change their lives forever… 

My life is a mess. My marriage is falling apart, and I’d hoped the arrival of our baby girl would bring us closer together. Yet, as she grows, I see less of a resemblance to my husband, stirring unsettling questions. 

I was hoping a visit from my friend, Victoria would bring some stability. With her seemingly perfect life in Spain, she embodies hope for a brighter future. 

But our reunion has taken an unexpected turn. And when a shock diagnosis shakes our family further, Victoria doesn’t know it yet, but she might just hold the key to saving our family. 

But if I want her to help, a big secret has to come out. Revealing the truth risks everything – my marriage, our friendship, our families. Can we weather this storm, or will it shatter us beyond repair? 

An emotional and powerful novel of motherhood, friendship and what family means to us all. Perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult and Susan Lewis.

My review

Nicole made a mistake a few years ago, a mistake that almost cost her her marriage. But when her little girl Grace is for sure bringing the family lots of joy, the fact that Grace doesn’t resemble her father Andy at all, is not making things easier for the struggling family. With the lockdown having made friendships more difficult, Nicole can always rely on her friend she met in Spain, Victoria. But while online Victoria seems to be living in paradise, she is struggling with the direction her marriage is taking. And being the mother of twins can for sure be tiring. However, no matter how difficult life may seem for these women and their families, the real nightmare has to start yet, with the shocking diagnosis as a catalyst that may jeopardize just everything for everyone involved…

There are stories that right from the start make you fearful. Not that you are reading a thriller and that you are afraid of a murderer, a ghost or I don’t know what. But you are afraid of what will happen to the characters as you can sense the doom lurking around the corner, ready to strike and cause a devastating avalanche.

And it has to be said, the story already doesn’t start with a ray of sunshine. Because we see Nicole and her husband trying to come to terms with the mistake that Nicole made a few years ago. While I for sure condemn her choice at the moment, in a way I could understand what has brought her to that moment, to that choice.

But it also needs to be said, even if things are still a bit restrained between her and her husband Andy, they are still very much in love, it is for sure admirable that they are ready to fight for their marriage, they both want it to give it their all. Because is one mistake, one lapse of judgement enough to throw years of happiness away?

I truly found that admirable, because not many people would be that forgiving as Andy. This is also seen in the reaction of how friendships have become strained what Nicole involves. Nicole knows she made a terrible mistake, but she is prepared to pay for her ‘sins’.

Despite their struggles, it warmed my heart seeing how a close unit this family of four was. Nicole and Andy for sure love the children Ben and Grace, even if there may be some doubts about Grace’s parentage…

I was curious to know how on earth Nicole and Victoria met, as Victoria is living in Spain with her husband Mark and their twins Leo and Sophia. And I found it sweet in a way to read how a holiday in Spain would link these two women forever.

In Victoria’s case, it’s clearly a fact that what you see isn’t always reality. Because despite all the happy picture and videos on their social media, Victoria is truly struggling. Not only did she have post – natal depression after having the twins, but Victoria also feels that she is the only one looking after the children as Mark is more away than anything else.

It saddened me to see how hard Victoria has fought to get where she is now, to only be on er own, and not having the much needed help and support from Mark.

I have to say, I never truly warmed towards Mark, because he never makes the effort, and his behaviour for sure made me cringe more than just once. He doesn’t seem to understand Victoria at all, or just how family works. As Victoria comes ‘from the system’, she has her own unique family, and obnoxious Mark doesn’t seem to understand that family isn’t just made out of blood. The contrast with Andy couldn’t be any bigger…

I think that if possible, my heart would literally break reading about the tragedy that struck Nicole’s family… That diagnosis is a terrible one, especially when a child is involved with it. It’s just unfair that the weakest, more innocent people have to face the most terrible fight of their lives, and that at such a young age…

It didn’t came as a real shock to me to read about that great revelation. But it made me wonder how things could ever work out for everyone. I cannot even try to attempt to image how I would react in such a situation. It would truly crush my world and I would honestly go crazy.

The more the news of the revelation spreads, the more we see different kind of reactions. While the largest bits react in an admirable way, there are also some reactions that left me flabbergasted, over the selfishness of those characters.

But seeing how people put the right perspective, the right priorities, truly warmed my heart.

This isn’t an easy story to read, as it for sure pulled the strings of my poor heart. It shows us how unfair life can be, how ugly people can get. But it also shows us the strength of family, created by blood or not. It shows us the lengths parents will go for their children. It shows us the power of love, as it won’t let one mistake of the pas break up everything.

Emma-Claire Wilson wrote a gripping story how life can throw you curveballs, attempting to break you. But the resilience we have, should never be underestimated. While it broke my heart, reading this story, I also found it impossible to just put it away, to in the end realize how strong and full of fight this book in fact is…