Title:Almost Missed You
Author:Jessica Strawser
Narrator:Therese Plummer
Published:March 2017, Macmillan Audio
Length:9 hours 56 minutes
Source:Personal copy via Audible
Violet and Finn were
“meant to be,” said everyone, always. They ended up together by the
hands of fate aligning things just so. Three years into their marriage,
they have a wonderful little boy, and as the three of them embark on
their first vacation as a family, Violet can’t help thinking that she
can’t believe her luck. Life is good.So no one is more surprised
than she when Finn leaves her at the beach—just packs up the hotel room
and disappears. And takes their son with him. Violet is suddenly in her
own worst nightmare, and faced with the knowledge that the man she’s
shared her life with, she never really knew at all.Caitlin and
Finn have been best friends since way back when, but when Finn shows up
on Caitlin’s doorstep with the son he’s wanted for kidnapping, demands
that she hide them from the authorities, and threatens to reveal a
secret that could destroy her own family if she doesn’t, Caitlin faces
an impossible choice.Told through alternating viewpoints of Violet, Finn and Caitlin, Almost Missed You
is a powerful story of a mother’s love, a husband’s betrayal,
connections that maybe should have been missed, secrets that perhaps
shouldn’t have been kept, and spaces between what’s meant to be and what
might have been.
My thoughts:This debut novel is such a compelling read…one that I am so glad that gals at She Reads picked as a Spring Book Club selection. It’s one that I had on my radar but would probably not have gotten to as soon as I did had it not been for the book club.
This book kept me captivated from start to finish. At the center is the story of a missing little boy, but it’s so much deeper than that. It’s about secrets and the wrong people knowing the wrong secrets. It’s also about connections and how we sometimes romanticize the past a bit more than it really was.
I loved the way the story is told – from multiple view points as well as going back and forth in time. It really gives the story that multi-dimensional feel. As the story moves around from character to character and from the present to the past, you begin to find out each person’s motive and as the secrets are slowly revealed, we find the true motivation and driving force behind each character.
This book was certainly not what I expected. I was kept on my toes the entire time, desperately trying to guess what the mystery was behind the abduction and ultimately where everything would end up. This domestic fiction is one that I will not be forgetting anytime soon. And this author is one that will I will be keeping on my radar – for a debut novel, she knocked it out of the park!
Audio thoughts:This was such a great audio to listen to and Therese Plummer did an outstanding job with the narration. She gave each character their own unique voice and I never once felt lost as to who was talking. She really brought this book to life with her performance.
Almost Missed You by Jessica Strawser is one of the She Reads “Books of Spring” reading selection picks.
Head over to the She Reads website to read reviews and related posts of this book, as well as
posts related to the other “Books of Spring” selections.
I listened to this one on audio too and thought the narrator did an excellent job. That being said, I was so frustrated with many of the characters that it did take away from my enjoyment. However, I'll definitely be looking for this author's next book. Lots of secrets here and a warning about what happens when you try to hide too many things – especially from your near and dear. 😉
Sounds good, I'm so intrigued as to why he took his son and did that!
I read this and like you was wondering till the end the mystery behind the disappearance. I would not like to be in Caitlin's shoes either.
I agree for a debut novel it was pretty amazing, and talk about the wrong people knowing the wrong things!