I really wanted to give this book 4 stars. There were so many things in this book that I really liked. At the end of the day, however, this book is just not a 4-star book for me. It is the second book I've read by Liane Moriarty and I will read more, but I prefer Big Little Lies to this book, hands down.

What I liked:

1. Writing style. Liane Moriarty has a way of crafting a story that is slow-paced yet still gripping. I wouldn't classify her books (at least not the two I've read) as thrillers; they are more like domestic mysteries that revolve around families and their secrets. That isn't to say that there isn't a build up of real tension, because there is. But the build up is very gradual.

2. Characters. Moriarty writes flawed characters very well. I love the witty, dry humor found in the inner monologues of many of her characters. These are not very likable people. Even when I empathized with their respective situations, I still didn't really like them. I wouldn't be friends with any of them in real life. But I still cared about what was going to happen with them.

3. Quirky narration. There are several times throughout the book where the narrator tells us what could've happened to these characters if they'd made different decisions. The epilogue is entirely comprised of secrets different characters were hiding and how one decision could've resulted in many drastic differences. I found it interesting and quirky, but also bittersweet.

What I didn't like:

1. Pacing/repetition. I know I said that I don't mind the slow-paced writing style, and I don't. That being said, this book did feel like it dragged on longer than necessary. I kept having to remind myself that it was taking place over the course of one week because it was so drawn out. There was also a very repetitive nature to some of the inner monologues, to the point that I didn't really care anymore about their stress and trauma, which I doubt was the author's goal. These are really awful situations these women are in, but pretty much every day is full of them rehashing the same thoughts and arguments in their own heads.

2.The ending. I did like the epilogue, but the actual ending to the book felt very anti-climactic.

No one ends up happy. Tess takes back the husband who had an emotional (if not physical) affair with her own cousin; Cecilia stays with John-Paul, even though she says she hates him for what he did; and Rachel just decides to let the man she thinks murdered her daughter (even though it wasn't really his fault) live his life after trying to kill another man who she falsely accused. Also, I felt really bad for Connor. Not only did he struggle for years with the guilt of Janie's death, but then he has to deal with the guilt of Polly's accident as well. Also, he deserved better than wishy-washy Tara. I'm glad the epilogue lets us know that eventually he gets a happily ever after.

3. Tara. I honestly don't feel like she was a necessary part of the story. Connor could've been introduced in some other way, but Tara's integration with the main narrative is shaky at best. She has one or two scenes with Cecilia and one with Rachel. Her whole story is completely separate from theirs and I honestly didn't feel that bad for her.

Yes, it was shitty of her husband and cousin to start a relationship with each other (that supposedly never got to actually sleeping together, but it doesn't matter. Still cheating.) but as we learn more about her dysfunctional relationship with her cousin it totally made sense that something like that could happen. The fact that she admits that she liked having Felicity around because it made her feel slender and beautiful made me pretty angry. She's kind of a terrible person. Not that Matt was any great prize either. They kind of deserve each other after all is said and done. They're both shitty people. And then to find out in the epilogue that her second child is possibly Connor's but they just ignore it made me even more angry. So she just didn't tell Connor that it's possible she's pregnant with his kid? She's a real piece of work.

At the end of the day, I liked this book, but I didn't love it. I felt like it could've been 50 pages shorter and cut out Tara's story entirely and it would've been a stronger novel for it.