Saturday, January 20, 2018

Angies' review of THE PROMISE BETWEEN US by Barbara Claypole White



















Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing (January 16, 2018)


From the bestselling author of The Perfect Son comes a hopeful tale of redemption, renewal, and the promise of love.
Metal artist Katie Mack is living a lie. Nine years ago she ran away from her family in Raleigh, North Carolina, consumed by the irrational fear that she would harm Maisie, her newborn daughter. Over time she’s come to grips with the mental illness that nearly destroyed her, and now funnels her pain into her art. Despite longing for Maisie, Katie honors an agreement with the husband she left behind—to change her name and never return.
But when she and Maisie accidentally reunite, Katie can’t ignore the familiarity of her child’s compulsive behavior. Worse, Maisie worries obsessively about bad things happening to her pregnant stepmom. Katie has the power to help, but can she reconnect with the family she abandoned?
To protect Maisie, Katie must face the fears that drove her from home, accept the possibility of love, and risk exposing her heart-wrenching secret.
PURCHASE:

This is the first Barbara Claypole White book that I have read. I was intrigued by the subject matter due to the fact I had no notion that OCD could affect an individual's brain like it does to a couple of the prominent characters. Nevertheless, the book might not have been perfect yet the favorable along with the adverse combined to produce a captivating middle of the road novel. Such as, repetitive amounts of “what if” throughout the book was driving me a bit batty. For example:

What if, just by being around me, she’s at risk? What if I was wrong to bring her here? She’s too close to the chop saw. What if I put her hand underneath, lowered the blade, and...An image. A bloody image.  

Another issue I did not at all agree with was Callum and Lilah pressuring Maisie into calling Lilah mom when she was not ready. Nevertheless, I do not want to give too many spoilers away. Katie to me was a superhero. She tried to overcome everything negative that was propelled at her. As a parent, shouldn't she have oodles of more access to her child? Unquestionably, there is more I would like to write about, but I have already given away enough spoilers.

I control fire; I am strong  
~Katie

*Please forgive such a weird review. I had surgery and am not recovering as fast as expected.

Bestselling author Barbara Claypole White creates hopeful family drama with a healthy dose of mental illness. Originally from England, she writes and gardens in the forests of North Carolina where she lives with her beloved OCD family. Her novels include The Unfinished Garden, The In-Between Hour, The Perfect Son, and Echoes of Family. The Promise Between Us, a story of redemption, sacrifice, and OCD, has a publication date of January 16th, 2018. She is also an OCD Advocate for the A2A Alliance, a nonprofit group that promotes advocacy over adversity. To connect with Barbara, please visit www.barbaraclaypolewhite.com, or follow her on Facebook. She’s always on Facebook.


3 comments:

  1. Thanks for taking the time to read and review, despite surgery. I hope your recovery improves. Yes, the 'what ifs' are torture for the OCD mind. That's what OCD does, asks you what if, what if, what if like a stuck record until it gets to your darkest fear, your worst case scenario. You and I get to walk away and say, "Jeez, that's annoying." The person with OCD doesn't--he or she is locked into an endless round of 'what if." A sad reality of this chronic disease.

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    1. I completely understand what you are saying about the what if and I understand that they cannot shut it off. I just wanted to be completely honest about how I felt regarding your book without giving too much of the story away.

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  2. I'm glad you enjoyed this book overall! Thanks for being a part of the tour!

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