Not My Boy
Not My Boy by Kelly Simmons
304 pages
Published January 5, 2021 by Sourcebooks Landmark
Who will you cross to protect your own?
When Hannah packs up her past and moves to the cottage next-door to her sister, she hopes the luxe neighborhood and close family ties will be the perfect escape for her son and the shadows that trail them. But when a young girl goes missing days after they unload their final boxes and her son is quickly thrown under suspicion, Hannah must do whatever it takes to protect her child.
Even if that means pointing the blame her sister's way instead.
With investigators swarming and neighborhood scrutiny closing in, the divide between two sisters grows. As one fiercely defends her husband, the other shields her boy from the crime, keeping quiet the secrets that might unravel it all.
And all the while, one young girl has vanished, and someone is to blame.
My thoughts about Not My Boy ~~
(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)
First line—"As the moving and storage truck pulled away from the curb, Hannah Sawyer waved as if friends were leaving, instead of her, a stranger, leaving."
I have to admit that I struggled with this book a bit. The story seemed to ramble for me and be somewhat disconnected. That's good in a mystery/suspense novel because the reader knows that eventually everything will be tied up and it will make sense. I'm not sure all of the information we got was necessary. And some of the characters were hard to like, which again isn't always a bad thing.
The family dynamics were interesting though. Two sisters, their families, and their mother—that's a lot of dysfunction right there. Each mother is trying to protect her own children and throws suspicion in any direction they can, including their own loved ones.
Not My Boy will take you on a ride until the very end. The journey to get there is full of curves and pit stops but it will all be worth it when you get there.
I received an ARC of Not My Boy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
About the author
My sixth novel Not My Boy arrives January 5, 2020, and will also be available in audiobook and who knows, maybe a Netflix series is next? It was compared to Big Little Lies by Booklist in a starred review, and NYTimes Bestseller phenom Julie Clark, author of Last Flight, called it "propulsive and impossible to put down."
All of my books have been applauded by bestselling authors like Megan Abbott, Caroline Leavitt, and Sarah Pekkanen. They've been hailed as "great titles for book groups who love strong female characters" by the Library Journal. Publishers Weekly called my first novel, Standing Still "An electrifying debut" in its starred review. Even Kirkus likes me! Maybe you'd enjoy discovering a new-to-you author?
I've visited hundreds and hundreds of book clubs via Zoom, FaceTie, Google Hangouts or in person. I'd love to meet with yours.
For book signing events or more information, see my website kellysimmonsbooks.com. Or friend me on Facebook (kellyatbubble) or follow me on Insta (kellyasimmons) or twitter (kellysimmons) for more giveaways and fun! ~ Amazon
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