by Linda Holmes

“To some of the people who had watched him grow up, I think he was…a unicorn.” “He didn’t want bigger things?” “No, he did.” “Then why come back?” Evvie shrugged. “Because anywhere else, he’d just be a nice-looking horse.”

I listened to this on Audio. Overall I was disappointed in this book. I found the heroine and hero uninteresting, and the heroine borderline unlikable. The journey of their love story and their personal growth lacked drama and tension. Evvie’s problem was that her husband was mean to her despite being beloved by the community and a truly great doctor. The guy, even though he didn’t intentionally hurt her physically, was really horrible. I would even call him a psychopath. The fact that she never revealed her pain to anyone, even her best friend, during her unhappy marriage or after he was killed in a car accident, is the crux of her story. And that she finally had gotten the gumption to leave him the night of his death. She feels bad about this to the point that despite her bad financial situation she has not cashed in her insurance money. I really really did not understand this. She was also abandoned by her mother as a young girl. Really sad and damaging, of course, but it seemed unrelated to her main problems caused by her marriage and how she dealt with it. I really did not get her at all so I was unmoved by the mental anguish that her basically lying to everyone caused.

**spoiler**

I found it unbelievable that her husband did not betray his mental problems with any of his friends, his workplace, or his parents. I was waiting for his mother, or someone, to come to Evvie in a key scene with understanding and validation. After all, he had a meltdown in high school witnessed by many when a scholarship went to someone else. Had there been a big reveal of some sort where his true nature was somehow made known, I think it would have added a lot to the book. Even her beloved Dad remained in the dark. There was a semi showdown with her mother, but it was over the phone and lame. **end spoiler**

The book was well written with some really nice passages. The premise was good, as was with Dean’s problem and journey, but she didn’t make the most of the opportunities. I hate to give it 2 stars, but in the end, it was “just okay.” 

November 5, 2019