This was a pretty good book for a first novel, but I think it has many flaws. First, the positives: it is an engaging story (on the surface) that would appeal to many people, especially those who love drama and romance. The writing is also pretty good; the plot moves along in a way that draws the reader in. Now, the negatives: I found the plot and backstory to be entirely implausible. I found it hard to believe that someone would leave town for five years because (spoiler alert) she was physically attacked by an acquaintance and had a miscarriage. Especially when she was madly in love with a man she’d been with for eight years. One of the themes of the book is the damage caused by secrets and lack of communication, but it’s hard to take it seriously when the secrets and non-communication are so hard to believe; it’s pretty hard to suspend disbelief. We’re expected to believe that she not only left her family, fiance, and whole life behind for five years while she toiled away on the west coast as a waitress living in a hovel while trying to make it as a writer, publishing two short stories in those five years. Leaving her cognitive-impaired brother behind to have a breakdown and be institutionalized (temporarily), while she stayed in CA. It’s just too much to believe, so as the basic building blocks of the novel, it just doesn’t work. The rest of it is just a soap opera, with drama after drama unfolding.
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