Cover Image: Whisper Me This

Whisper Me This

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This quick read might contain triggers for some as it focuses on domestic violence in many different forms. You will fall in love with the strong women in this novel (and maybe even some of the men). There is a lot happening here and some of it seems to be happening at a whirlwind, "not quite believable" pace (especially the developing romance), but this is still a solid read that will keep you turning pages and will likely bring on a tear or two. Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishers for providing a digital ARC of this book for review.

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I really enjoyed the way the author wove the story of dealing with coming to the realization that her perception of her parents; and who she thought they were - are not necessarily true. I enjoyed the relationship she has with her father. The author did a good job of revealing the information at a good pace. Also - with coming to terms with the responsibility of dealing with aging parents and decisions that come along with that.

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This book was just not the book for me unfortunately. I really liked the premise, but I could not connect with the characters. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity for review.

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Just before I read Whisper Me This, I read a book called Women Who Love Too Much, so Whisper me This was like textbook, how to write about the kind of woman and relationships that are analyzed in Women Who Love Too Much.

Maisey herself is not from a damaged home, but her mother was, which meant that she controlled her daughter and her husband and their lives. Maisey has been uncertain and unsure about everything in her life, but one thing she knew, that she did not want to marry her boyfriend, when she found out she was pregnant.

When she has to go back to her parents, to her hometown, she has to make decisions about her parents life and almost first time in her life she wakes up and stands up to other people, who want to push her to do things she does not want to do. Sometimes it seems that her twelve years old daughter is more mature than Maisey is.

Together, Maisey and Elle, with some help from Tony, local fireman, they stand against Elle’s father pressure to hand everything over to him. And finally Maisey uncovers all the secrets that her family has had and she meets her twin sister Marley and their father.

This story is not happy or positive, its emotional and difficult. It’s a story about broken people who meet other broken people and together they will find the ways to heal.

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I'm trying to read more mystery books this year, and I'm so happy that I had the chance to read this book!

I really loved the story but just a fair warning, it talked about domestic violence/abusive relationships.

The story revolved on Maisey; her personal struggles with the father of her child, the death of her mother, and an investigation against her father who's showing early signs of dementia.

I admired how this book shown such strong female characters. I loved how Maisey and Leah did everything that they could to survive an abusive relationship and protect their child. Even Maisey's daughter, Elle, who's just a 12-year old girl seemed wise beyond her years.

Aside from these amazing characters, I got hooked with the story as well. Lots of family secrets were revealed as you go through the chapters which made this unputdownable! This was an intense and emotional read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

“But I am not brave, and I have never been strong enough to carry the weight of my mother’s ambitions and expectations, to bear the brunt of her obsessive love.”

“I keep waiting for some great life purpose to rise up in front of me and declare itself, but I don’t seem to be wired for greatness.”

“His anger is not my fault. I am not responsible for his behavior, then or now.”

"I hear forgiveness in all these things, and love, and I'm able to let go of this moment and take a step toward the rest of my life."

Soundtrack: Pieces (Hushed) by Andrew Belle

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Amazing book. Loved it from beginning to end.
Well written which kept me captivated throughout.
I will definitely be reading other books by this author

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Maisey always felt as though something was missing. With her imaginary friend as a child, she could do anything. But having an imaginary friend upset her mother, so she put that behind her. As an adult, Maisey is still doing everything wrong. Her ex-boyfriend always explains things to her as though she were a child, and yet their daughter is strong and mature beyond her years.
When tragedy strikes at home, Maisey is forced to confront not only the past mistakes she has made but the secret past that no one was ever supposed to know about. Her mother kept everything locked up tight, not allowing Maisey or her father to ever know the secrets of her past. Until her mother's death, everything was normal. But her world was turned upside down.

Some secrets are better left to themselves...

Whisper Me This was amazing! I was captivated from the first page, and could not put it down! This book is not for the weak of heart, however! Mystery, secrets, past scandals and so much more lurk between the lines of this book!

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I received an ARC of this from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I initially picked this book because I liked the title and the cover but this was such a great surprise! This novel is packed with layers, and the pace at which these layers are exposed made this book impossible to put down.

This is a novel about a long time family secret that is only gradually exposed after the death of Maisey's mother. A shocking history of struggle and abuse is revealed through a series of diary entries from Leah, her mother in a lovely letter style format to Walter, her husband.

As a result, Maisey's life is completely turned upside down and when her and her daughter return to Maisey's home town to deal with her family, a secret is exposed that causes Maisey to confront her own past. There's a full cast of amazing characters, each with their own interesting, and often heart breaking story. This novel was a rollercoaster ride of emotions but in the end, it couldn't have ended better.

I loved it, I would highly recommend it, and now I need to get my hands on my novels by this author.

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This book is everything a psychological thriller/mystery should be! The author created characters that are well developed and a plot that moves along quickly! I found myself completely immersed in this one! Highly recommend!

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I'm kind of on the fence about whether this is a 3 star or 3.5 star read, but since it held my interest I will round up. Main Character Maisey receives news that her mom is in a coma and her kind and gentle father may be charged with abuse and neglect. She races to her childhood home in Washington with her daughter in tow and tries to figure out what has happened and why her father was destroying family records. As Maisey digs for answers she discovers she has a long lost sister.

Like I mentioned earlier, this book held my interest but I can't say it was a satisfying read. The author did attempt to tackle a serious subject but I think the execution was slightly off. The first half of the book worked better than the second half because you are curious about what secrets Maisey's mother is hiding. By the time everything is revealed it almost feels underwhelming. There were parts of the story I thought were underdeveloped at the end. I thought the introduction of Tony and his family didn't fit the rest of the book, but at least there was an interesting backstory.

I think the best way to describe this book is it feels like a Lifetime movie. The plot is interesting enough to watch over the course of an afternoon, but it isn't really anything we haven't seen before. I think some people will connect more with this book than others given the subject matter.

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Thank you to Netgalley & Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read an e-book arc of this novel in exchange for an honest opinion. “Whisper Me This” came out in August 2018 and is available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon and more if you’d like to pick it up. I would 100 % pick up another novel by this author again.

Let me start off by stating that this book has one of the most beautiful covers that I have ever seen, and that’s speaking based off of an ebook! Seeing this in person or in a bookstore it would likely capture your attention even more! That being said, if I’m being honest, I’m not really sure what these gorgeous butterflies have to do with the story— the only time that I remember butterflies being mentioned was that Maisey had butterflies in her stomach at the ending. Also, I don’t understand why the title
“ Whisper Me This” was chosen to represent the entire book either...this was a game that was briefly mentioned twice and really didn’t have much to do with the entire storyline. 1 truth, 1 lie? I didn’t take that away as being the message of the book...so again not really sure.

This book tells the tale of Maisey and her immediate family: her 12 year old daughter Elle , her mother Leah, her father Walter , her ex-husband Greg, and a girl by the name of Marley that could either be a figment of Maisey’s imagination, invented early in childhood, OR she could really exist and be her long-lost twin sister. But where did she go?

We begin as Maisey gets a phone call relaying truly horrifying information about both her mother and father, and she doesn’t know what to do; who to believe. Her mother lay dying in her bed, not able to control her bowels, not mentally aware and with a contusion to the back of her head. Her father explains that she wanted to die this way and pleads with the medical examiners to leave her be, but they can’t seem to find her advance directive to answer extremely important questions about which measures they should or should not take to help Leah. The responsibility falls on a Maisey, as her father is not currently of sound mind.

We meet Tony , a local firefighter, and his younger sister Mia who lend a helping hand to the family when tragedy strikes, They have past secrets as well that they have yet to conquer.

This story is told via two perspectives , in the present as Leah navigates a world of confusion, abuse, and grief and also from her mother, Leah’s , journal also written in the present but contains PAST information. The diary slowly fills you in every couple of chapters by giving you just a little bit more background information to play with your mind, while Leah continues to try to flush out the truth from her father.

I absolutely love how Kerry Anne King writes and how her words flow so effortlessly into one another. Maisey speaks in such a creative tongue.! Instead of saying her whole body hurts, she states
, “ Everything hurts from, from the roots of my hair to the tip of my baby toenail.” Instantly I feel a pain in my toe. Instead of making a simple statement that the nurse was shocked by her questioning, she uses the metaphor, “ my questions hit the nurse right between the shoulder blades.” The writing is so vivid that I can picture in my mind the words hitting the nurse like bullets one right after the other. Maisey says “ I’ve got no more stuffing .” I picture her tired body flopping over like an old used and abused teddy bear. She definitely has a way with words. I can’t wait to read more from her.

I flew through this book and would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves a unique story, it’s not your typical mystery book. However, it also isn’t very “ mysterious.” I kept waiting for the crazy plot twist or something shocking to happen but neither of those ever came. The story was very predictable, but like I said still enjoyable and fast-paced. I just wish it didn’t leave me wanting so much more. I feel that the ending was kind of abrupt like maybe it was rushed or possibly the author didn’t know where to go with it.

Spoilers below> Be aware.

My major complaints with this book and why it got 3 stars and not 5 :

There were a lot of questions left unanswered such as what really happened to Leah’s head? Did she cause the injury herself? Also, I find it hard to believe that Leah wouldn’t have tried harder to get her child back and instead walked away from her. I know that she was scared, but she definitely could have done much more. I also don’t think that Marley would have forgiven all of them so easily after that many years of resentment— I expected to see much more hostility in her like the first time that they met. I think the story could have done without Tony and Mia as well. I think he was thrown in the story to add a bit of romance ( very minimal) and protection, but I don’t really see what these two characters brought to the table.

3 ⭐️ Thank you again for letting me review this book.🙏🏻

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This is an emotional story of domestic abuse which I found very upsetting in places but still worth reading

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I really enjoyed this author's writing. This is not an overly suspenseful book, but it is a great read. From the very beginning, you are delved into a story with a background bigger than expected. After Maisey's mother becomes fatally ill, she visits her father and her family home in search of the documents and proof that will deem her father innocent, as he faces charges of neglect and abuse. However, in search of these documents and her mother's advance directive, she finds the secrets her mother kept until her last breath.
All the while, Maisey has to deal with taking care of her father Edward, as he experiences shock and a confused state of mind following his wife's death, and her feisty and independent daughter Elle, who is much too wise beyond her years.

Parts of the book are written from the entries of Leah's, Maisey's mother, journal. The truth that Maisey is searching for are brought forth in the alternating chapters that speak Leah's story in her own words.

The reason I only gave this book 3 stars:
Elle is a great addition of a character, she reveals Maisey's truest intentions as a mother and as the ex of Elle's father. However, often times Elle comes off as a child with too much of an opinion in matters and situations that are much more serious than her age should allow.

Tony, Maisey's love interest, also has a very interesting back story. But it felt like his part in the plot was thrown in sporadically until the revelation of his past in the final chapters. It would be nicer to have some more consistency in the telling of Tony's story or involvement, but it seems to come and go in this particular read.

The plot had a pleasant ending, but it felt like it kind of just ended abruptly. Maisey's on a mission, she finds out a secret, she looks into the secret, a story is told, and Maisey's mission is accomplished. It all felt like there was this intense build up into the truth of it all, only to end with a slightly disappointing tone.

In any case, this book did keep me hooked until the very end and it was ultimately enjoyable.

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WHISPER ME THIS by Anne King is a great suspense novel. This is the first novel of Kings novels that I have read and I can't wait to read more.

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Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I thought that this was a well written, emotional family drama that had me laughing and crying.
I highly recommend this book to everyone.

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Heavy subject matter centered around domestic abuse and family violence. There were times when I wished Maisey would have had some more spine, and more than one coincidental event. But overall it really held my interest.

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What a heartbreaking yet intriguing story. When family secrets are unearthed you'll find a story about family, love, loss, and the resilience of the human spirit. Author Kerry Anne King did a good job of pulling in the reader from the very beginning while shining a spotlight on the atrocities within many households. Although some of the characters faced unspeakable acts, their spirits weren’t broken.

Maisy and her daughter (and sometimes best friend) Elle returned to the small town Maisy grew up in after her Mom is taken to the hospital and falls into a coma. While many in the small town believe Maisy's father is to blame for the injuries, Maisey and Elle do not. Secrets are unearthed and many things aren't what they seem. You’ll fall in love with Maisy and her daughter Elle.

I received an advanced review copy (ARC) of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Maisey is a single mother of 12 year old Elle. She gets a call that her mother is in a coma and she returns home to help care for her and face her abusive past. This story is about domestic violence, the scars that it leaves and finding the resilience to rise above it to create a new path in life.
I enjoyed this book although it was heartbreaking at times. I really liked how Leah's journal entries were intertwined throughout the book as it revealed her story and what she had to go through. I definitely recommend it although it just may give you a book hangover like it did me!
Thank you to Kerry Anne King, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of this wonderful book.

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I want to start out by noting that if domestic violence isn't for you than put this book down. We are introduce to a thoroughly put together set of characters as the story develops.

This novel provides a strong female lead who travels back home because her mother is in a coma. We are thrown in for a ride with uncovers family secrets and betrayals. True to the genre category this book held up on it's own and we get to see a different personal take to a all to similar plot.

Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for this E-ARC!

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Thanks for the early review copy!

I recommend this novel to fans of mystery novels. It was well-written and interesting novel.

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