book review: behind closed doors.

I love to read. I don't remember a time in my life that I wasn't reading. My earliest memory involving books is when I was four, laying in the armchair with my dad, having him read book after book to me and sounding out the words with him. I knew how to read way before I started kindergarten, and reading has always been an escape for me. There is nothing quite like diving into the world of someone else to distract yourself, or to make you feel wonderful feelings of joy and anguish along with the characters while you're simply lying in your bed or couch. Learning about things I never would have had the chance to know about otherwise, enriching my life with knowledge about all sorts of subjects, and experiencing worlds completely different from my own, are privileges that reading has afforded me and I am so grateful for.

I am often reading more than one book at a time - usually a fiction book, a medical book, and some sort of memoir or other nonfiction book. Which book I pick up at any given time depends on which mood I'm in, but when I find a book that really sucks me in, I will read that exclusively until I'm finished. I love finding those gems and those are the ones I like to rave about to other people.

So naturally, I thought it would be a great idea to share those books that I have read recently and loved with you. First up is Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris, an intense thriller that had me riveted from page one.

I have really been into thrillers that focus on intimate relationships lately, and this book was in my Amazon recommendations based on another book I recently read. I was intrigued based on the summary and it certainly didn't disappoint!

Quick Summary: A perfect couple on the outside, Jack and Grace seem to have everything. But once you realize Grace is never allowed to talk on the phone, go out to lunch with her friends, how she can cook huge dinners but stay really skinny, and why the doors shut and the metal blinds come down as soon as anyone leaves the house - you understand their marriage isn't quite so perfect, after all.

One Thing I Loved: The story gets told back and forth between the present and past, and I always enjoy that in books. I like when things aren't told in an obvious manner and when the reader is given bits and pieces and can come to conclusions on their own. I didn't foresee the ending myself, and even though it was revealed halfway through the book, I still didn't necessarily believe it because of the information revealed in the "past" chapters. I loved that surprise element.

One Thing I Didn't Love: This book was somewhat disturbing to read at times. I have read dozens of memoirs about war, books about surgical practices and medical examiners, and a whole variety of things that make other people squirm - none of those bother me. But the manipulation and abuse in this book just gets under your skin in a way that makes you want to look away from the page. Some people may not be able to handle it, so let this serve as your disclaimer!

It Reminded Me Of: The Passenger, Picture Perfect, Before I Go to Sleep

Rating: ★★★★