Susan Lewis is the bestselling author of over forty novels based on family drama, thriller, suspense and crime genres. “Home Truths” is her latest publication and is a powerfully emotive family drama, focusing on how far you would go to keep your family safe.
Angie’s happy life is shattered when her son Liam falls in with the wrong crowd and leads to her husband’s murder. It is left to her to hold what’s left of the family together. With her son missing and her daughter looking for help in dangerous places, Angie is barely able to keep a roof over their heads. But when the world is falling apart, a mother will do anything to protect her children....
I had never read a Susan Lewis novel before but I knew she was a well respected author who writes very powerful women’s fiction. I did feel an instant connection with the story when I started reading and found it initially to be quite brutal. Angie is portrayed as a strong character even though she infuriated me as she continued to bury her head in the sand, instead of seeking help from debt consolidators. Her daughter Grace, in my opinion, was the steal of the show and I liked how together with her friend she was adamant to try and help her mother with the financial difficulties.
Sadly as the story developed I did feel that the plot started to lose its way and focus more on the plight of the homeless and those in poverty. Although a huge amount of research has obviously been carried out by the author, I personally felt she surpassed what was needed to convey her feelings and emotions regarding those impoverished, to the reader and it soon became rather tedious reading. I was also starting to no longer be invested in what happened with Angie and where she was going to live. Without belittling the subject of the homeless, the story lacked depth and I wasn’t too impressed with the instantly predictable outcome and the sickly sweet, happy ever after, fairy tale ending. There was some emotional content during the closing chapters that I did experience, though I was saddened the author chose this route for the character involved. However, I appreciate she was trying to keep the story realistic to true life and through her research with the homeless she must have discovered these things sadly occur and wanted to tell their stories and do them justice.
Saying all this, I did want to see the story through to the end and I may still be tempted to read more by Susan again, subject depending. If women’s fiction, featuring poignant family drama is to your liking you should enjoy this book and I wish the author every success with another suspected bestseller.
3 stars
Angie’s happy life is shattered when her son Liam falls in with the wrong crowd and leads to her husband’s murder. It is left to her to hold what’s left of the family together. With her son missing and her daughter looking for help in dangerous places, Angie is barely able to keep a roof over their heads. But when the world is falling apart, a mother will do anything to protect her children....
I had never read a Susan Lewis novel before but I knew she was a well respected author who writes very powerful women’s fiction. I did feel an instant connection with the story when I started reading and found it initially to be quite brutal. Angie is portrayed as a strong character even though she infuriated me as she continued to bury her head in the sand, instead of seeking help from debt consolidators. Her daughter Grace, in my opinion, was the steal of the show and I liked how together with her friend she was adamant to try and help her mother with the financial difficulties.
Sadly as the story developed I did feel that the plot started to lose its way and focus more on the plight of the homeless and those in poverty. Although a huge amount of research has obviously been carried out by the author, I personally felt she surpassed what was needed to convey her feelings and emotions regarding those impoverished, to the reader and it soon became rather tedious reading. I was also starting to no longer be invested in what happened with Angie and where she was going to live. Without belittling the subject of the homeless, the story lacked depth and I wasn’t too impressed with the instantly predictable outcome and the sickly sweet, happy ever after, fairy tale ending. There was some emotional content during the closing chapters that I did experience, though I was saddened the author chose this route for the character involved. However, I appreciate she was trying to keep the story realistic to true life and through her research with the homeless she must have discovered these things sadly occur and wanted to tell their stories and do them justice.
Saying all this, I did want to see the story through to the end and I may still be tempted to read more by Susan again, subject depending. If women’s fiction, featuring poignant family drama is to your liking you should enjoy this book and I wish the author every success with another suspected bestseller.
3 stars