Drowning Woman

“I just live up the street,” she says, looking away, ashamed for me. “Eight thousand square feet, right on the water. But it’s a prison.” “Better than living like this,” I mutter, eyes on my home on wheels. “No,” she says. “It’s not.” Lee is a formerly successful, now disgraced, restauranteur who had to run from her past. Now she lives in her car and works under the table. When she saves Hazel from drowning, they form an unlikely friendship. But who is Hazel, really, and what is she trying to escape? The most interesting aspect of the book was the physcological. The relationship between Hazel and Benjamin is specifically and explicitly BDSM. However, the dynamics between Hazel and Jesse, Lee and Jesse, and even between Hazel and Lee touch on the nuance of the dom-submissive relationship and how it can affect the physcological and emotional health of each person in a non-BDSM way. This power structure goes beyond the sexual. I think the author could have done a lot more with this theme. I did feel like the first two parts were really good and then the other two lost momentum. There was some predictability to it, but I was okay with it since I was enjoying the roller coaster ride. However, the final twist had my eyes rolling. Purely based on how entertained I was, I'm giving this 3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 for the eye-rolling.

The ending dragged on a bit but otherwise very good.

This was my Book Club’s read and it didn’t disappoint! I always love a good thriller and this one kept me on edge the whole time. There were a lot of twists that I didn’t see coming which is always my favorite part. I feel like I’m pretty good at seeing what’s coming and although I had ideas for this one, there was still a lot that surprised me. It’s weird to me reading books that reference events from the last few years so having Lee’s tough times come from COVID aftermath was very odd. That aside, Lee’s story was an interesting one. I liked how we got breadcrumbs to what had happened to her over time instead of the whole story all at once. Hazel on the other hand was somehow not as likable. I don’t know why but she rubbed me the wrong way the whole time but when we finally got more of her perspective and story she at least made more sense to me. The end wasn’t quite my favorite but overall, I truly enjoyed it!

We loved it!

Rated 10 STARS • "The Drowning Woman" is a gripping psychological thriller that delves into the complexities of relationships, secrets, and the consequences of past actions. Great writing and gripping page turners!