Date of Publication: July 26, 2022
Type: Literary Fiction, Mental Health, Female Friendship and Empowerment
Links: Goodreads / Bookshop / Libro.fm
Content Warnings: Abortion, Addiction, Emotional Abuse, Infidelity, Gaslighting, Body shaming, Mental Health
This is a brave and emotional story of three women finding their footing after being hurt by the same man. As each of the main characters struggle with their personal demons, they find unexpected solace in each other and their shared experience. This book takes an unapologetic look at toxic relationships and mental health, but manages to tactfully weave in a lot of humor as well. If you like books with messy characters trying to overcome past and present hurt, this is definitely a book for you.
At first, Peter is every woman’s dream. He is a famous rockstar that knows all the right things to say to make you feel like you are the only other person in the world that matters. Except it’s all fake. Dani, Red, and Sasha have each loved and had their hearts crushed by Peter and his dishonest ways. Once the focus of each others’ hate and envy, the three women are surprised to discover a kinship born from their shared experience. Together, they begin to pick up the pieces and move forward and discover a way to help women like them do the same.
I love how realistically messy the characters are in this book. The story manages to show how toxic and abusive relationships can develop without being forgiving. The characters are particularly compelling because they are people you wouldn’t expect to fall into a toxic relationship at first glance. They each are in positions where they give guidance to others, yet still fall prey to Peter as he takes advantage of their personal insecurities. A lot of the emotional fallout Dani, Red, and Sasha experience is just as much the personal demons they tried to bury through their relationship with Peter as it is the relationship itself. As the women move forward, they must still contend with these personal challenges and do so in ways that aren’t alway healthy or successful. I appreciate this level of realism and it made me root for these characters all the more.
Scattered throughout the book are Dani’s blog posts in which she kills off a fake version of Peter in various methods. These started as a part of Dani’s therapy but quickly evolved into a beast of their own. Though they are an important part to this story and I love the use of this concept, the entries themselves are not terribly interesting after the first couple. Dani herself admits that she is not a talented writer, so it feels realistic that the writing in these sections is less compelling. However, I don’t feel like I need so many examples to get the idea of what they are and how they evolve over time.
Though I enjoy that the characters’ journey is anything but clear cut, this might bother readers who like more clean and noticeable growth in their characters. I also feel like this book leans a little into the drama. Though there is nothing out-of-line, some of the more destructive thoughts and behaviors displayed by the women are slightly overdone and repetitive. It didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment, but there are definitely times where “less is more” would definitely ring true.
Special thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC!
Rowan Hill 