Book Review: Misery Loves Company by Rene Gutteridge
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Synopsis of the book:
Filled with grief, Juliet Belleno rarely leaves the house since her husband’s death while on duty as a police officer. Other than the reviews Jules writes on her blog, she has little contact with the outside world.
But one day when she ventures out to the local grocery story, Jules bumps into a fellow customer… then recognizes him as her favorite author, Patrick Reagan.
And that’s the last thing she remembers — until she wakes up in a strange room with a splitting headache. Jules realizes she’s been kidnapped… but what she discovers about her abductor will change everything she believed about her husband’s death, her career, and her faith.
My review:
Suspenseful, creepy, and page turning. From the start I was drawn into this suspenseful story. Just the creepiness of Jules’ abductor for most of the story kept me on my toes. What did he want from her? Would he kill her?
I had difficulty connecting to Jules. I understood her grief over her husband’s death, but her obsession with Patrick Reagan, especially after she gets to know him, just didn’t work for me. I also had trouble reconciling Patrick at the end of the story to the Patrick I met at the beginning.
The viewpoint of her late husband’s partner served well to fill in the blanks of story line that couldn’t be gotten from Jules’ perspective so I liked that and I did like his character.
This book is categorized as a Christian Suspense. None of the main characters are Christian so the inspirational thread stems from the memories of Jules’ husband (who was Christian), what he told them about his faith, and how he lived it out. I found this to be a little distracting and not very strong.
What I enjoyed most about this book:
The mystery around her husband’s passing and how that played into Jules’ abduction was the best part of the story for me.
What I didn’t like about this book:
Jules and Patrick. I had trouble relating to their strange interactions.
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Would I recommend this book to others? Maybe. The issues I had with the characters are subjective so I could see others liking them. If you want a strong inspirational thread, this would not be it. The suspense is definitely page turning though.
Note: I received this book complimentary in a giveaway. I was not required to give a review. All of the opinions I have expressed here are my own.
Where can I learn more about this author and their books?
Rene Gutteridge, author website
-Loraine Nunley
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2 Comments
Jasmine A.
I think this was the first book that I really picked up based on the title alone. It just really caught my eye. It’s been several years since I read and reviewed it but I do remember that I did enjoy it… and that it was extra chilling giving the heroine’s occupation….
Loraine
Thanks for commenting Jasmine. 🙂