Between You and Me - Carol Mason

Reading Challenge Category: Free ARC from NetGalley

Official Blurb:

Is her new husband really who she thinks he is?
When young doctor Lauren Matheson meets Joe, an older divorced businessman, at a glittering poolside in California, it’s a chance encounter that seems life-changing for them both. Back home in London, their feelings only strengthen. But Lauren soon discovers that building a happy future with Joe is going to be an uphill struggle…
She’s determined to be a good stepmother to his children, four-year-old Toby and complicated teen Grace. But under the watchful eye of Meredith, Joe’s intimidating ex-wife, Lauren can’t seem to do a thing right. Why won’t Joe ever take her side against Grace? And what really happened between him and Meredith?
As her husband retreats into a cold, secretive version of the dashing man she met in California, Lauren starts to wonder if she’s made a costly mistake. Was Joe ever the man she thought she married?

My Thoughts:

This was such a captivating storey. I wasn’t sure what genre it was going to be based on the premise. It sounded quite psych thrillery, but it wasn’t. It had a few heart in your mouth moments, but it was just a heartbreaking story of a woman finding love but it not being quite right.
Lauren meets her new husband one day in Santa Monica and falls for him immediately. He is the perfect guy except for one thing; he comes with a ready-made family. He has two kids and an ex-wife that is still very much present in his life. Lauren has to decide whether this is something she wants to take on. Is Joe worth it?
There were so many frustrating moments throughout the story where I just wanted to bang both Joe and Meredith’s heads together. The way they treat Lauren, I wouldn’t have put up with that for as long as she did and would have told them where to go.
There are lots of ups and downs, and you have no idea what direction the book is going to go in or how any of the situations can be resolved. I was happy with Lauren’s choice at the end, I think it was the right one, but that last sentence left me a little confused!
I hadn’t read a Carol Mason book in a while, and I’d forgotten how amazing they are. They really capture all the feels; they are brilliantly written and have wonderful well-developed characters. I didn’t want this book to end, but at the same time, I devoured it to find out what would happen, and I’ve not been able to stop thinking about it since, so much so, I’ve not started a new book yet. A superb five-star read!

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