Our Beautiful Mess - by Adele Parks (Paperback)

This book started slowly for me as I got to know the characters, but once I did, I was fully invested in the story. Connie is a 50-something mom who just wants perfection in her life and in the photos she takes. Striving for perfection keeps her off-balance sometimes because things just don’t always work that way. She and her husband Luke have three daughters, all with their own quirks and personalities. Connie can’t wait to have a family Christmas reunion until Fran shows up with her boyfriend Zac and has a secret that she cannot hide. Fran is pregnant and Connie is disturbed but not quite sure why. There are layers of secrets that the characters are hiding and stealthy meetings that the reader gets glimpses of. This is a domestic thriller with a slower pace that is perfect for all of the revelations that have to be slowly and brilliantly revealed. I thought the story was a compellingly realistic one, with Connie trying to embrace Fran’s new reality but feeling a full stop when it comes to Zac. Connie has her own secret and Zac may be in the middle of what she is hiding. I loved guessing at what was going to be revealed next and whose secret would be exposed first. This is a complex novel with some jaw-dropping twists, a tight plot and intriguing and deep characterization. With a strong family dynamic and some cleverly written misdirection, this story captivated me from beginning to end. As a stalwart fan of Adele Parks, I firmly believe that this is my favorite book that she has written because of the intensity of the relationships and the deep dive into well-developed subplots. I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.