Secret Lives by Diane Chamberlain

Although, Secret Lives by Diane Chamberlain didn't captivate me from page one, by the end of the book I was completely enthralled. Secret Lives tells the story of A-list actress Eden Riley's decision to learn more about her mother in an effort to write a film about her life. This quest forces her confront her past and explore the secret life her mother lived that she knew nothing about. By reading the diary her mother kept from the age of thirteen, Eden learns about the hardship and tragedy that her mother endured throughout her short life. 

Although I predicted the plot twist early on, that didn't stop me from enjoying the book immensely. Chamberlain's prose never fails to captivate me and draw me in eagerly to the lives of her characters. I always hate completing one of her novels because the characters become so real that it's almost like losing a friend. (That's how you know I'm a huge nerd who gets way into books).

The Escape Artist by Diane Chamberlain

So sometimes I tell myself that I should read other authors, and then I read another Diane Chamberlain novel and I remember why I just want to read every book she's ever written!

The Escape Artist is one of Chamberlain's earlier novels, written in 1998 and tells the story of Susanna Miller, a mother who loses legal custody of her eleven-month-old son. Like any mother, she refuses to let anyone take her baby away from her. Susanna ignores the court order dictating she give up her son to his father and his new wife and instead changes her name, changes her appearance, and runs away to give both her and her a son a new start. The hardest part about leaving her old life behind is not having the chance to tell Linc, her lifelong friend and lover, about her plans to leave. 

I could not put this book down. I found myself instantly immersed into the lives of Susanna (who changes her name to Kimberly) and sympathizing with her plight. Chamberlain's beautiful prose never seems to fail to create compelling characters and moving stories. I can't wait to read even more of her work. 

The Shadow Wife by Diane Chamberlain

NOBODY HAS EVER TOLD ME HOW MUCH I HAVE BEEN MISSING BY NOT READING DIANE CHAMBERLAIN! SHE IS THE BEST!

With that said, I just finished reading The Shadow Wife (also known as Cypress Point) by Diane Chamberlain and I have so much love to express for this amazing author!

The Shadow Wife begins in 1937 on a hippie commune in Big Sur when a doctor, Caralynn Shire saves the life of a newborn baby girl. 

Thirty years later, that baby, Joelle, is now a grown social worker dealing with the fact that her best friend, Mara, is living in a nursing home after suffering from brain damage. Joelle also finds herself pregnant with Mara's husband, Liam's, baby.

The current lives of both Caralynn and Joelle are told simultaneously until they reunited 30 years later. 

Chamberlain uses beautiful prose to tell emotional stories filled with likeable characters! I absolutely loved this book and can't wait to read more!

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens

Chevy Stevens' Still Missing is a mystery/thriller that tells of the abduction of 32 year old relator, Annie O'Sullivan. The horrifying and disturbing twist that becomes exposed at the end of the novel is a haunting one that will leave your mouth agape.

The story is told to the reader through a series of therapy sessions, letting the reader know immediately that Annie escapes captivity. Throughout the sessions we discover the horrible conditions that O'Sullivan was forced to live in with her captor who she refers to as, "The Freak". 

Still Missing accurately addresses the fact that everything does not simply go "back to normal" after someone returns from such a horrific situation. The final twist comes when Annie finds out who it was that wanted her abducted and their reasoning behind it.

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica

I loved The Good Girl by Mary Kubica! It tells the story of Mia Dennett, the daughter of an incredibly wealthy judge and the black sheep of her family, who is kidnapped one night by the man she went home with from a bar. 

The Good Girl wasn't as fast paced as many other thrillers of its kind, however I still found it to be a compelling page turner. I really enjoyed that the story was told out of order and through the point of view of three different characters. It kept me interested whereas otherwise I may have been bored with the fact that the plot wasn't progressing as quickly as I am accustomed to.

Although I don't think this book should have been marketing as, "the next Gone Girl," I did enjoy it and would recommend it to fans of psychological thrillers!