Sweet, witty, relatable, and honest. These are all words that people would use to describe the Instagram influencer Emmy Jackson. Also known as @the_mamabear, Emmy has built her career on being the candid "Instamum" that people love. From sharing her misadventures at the grocery store with her infant son to sleepy-time troubles with her toddler, Emmy is always there to bring hope to any mom in need of encouragement. Her imperfect life charms almost everyone, with almost being the key word. Her husband Dan, a one-time novelist, is not fond of Emmy's habit of exaggerating the truth. The toddler unwilling to sleep through the night without Mom by her side? Never happened even when their daughter was a baby. Shopping with mismatched sandals? She did once almost wear her cardigan inside out but immediately fixed it before stepping out the front door. In short, her version of honesty is not always accurate and when another person finds out about her little white lies, they are prepared to do whatever it takes to get close to Emmy and her family.
This fiction book will be probably one of the most memorable of the year for me because of the realistic characters. I adore these characters for both their failures and successes and found myself liking them even when I disagreed with their actions. The author did a wonderful job creating rich, morally gray characters that feel as though they could be based off of real people. The plot was well-crafted but I would definitely read this book again just because of the characters. This thriller included some surprising twists that I did not expect and ended beautifully. I highly recommend this book to people who want an exciting thriller that they won't be able to put down.
~Abigail C.
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