BOOK REVIEW: The Woman I Was Before by Kerry Fisher @KerryFSwayne @Bookouture #blogtour #blogblitz #bookblog #bookreview #thewomaniwasbefore

Gripping, emotional, and heart-warming!!!

I’m beyond thrilled to help kick off this blog tour! My first experience reading Kerry Fisher made me so happy—I could barely put down her latest novel The Woman I was Before! I found this books to be a mix of thought-provoking, feel-good, and suspenseful. Basically, my perfect type of book to pick up and get lost in after a long day!

About the Book

A new home can be a happy ending. Or a fresh start. Or a hiding place…

Of all the emotions single mother Kate Jones feels as she walks into her brand new house on Parkview Road, hope is the most unexpected. She has changed her name and her daughter’s, and moved across the country to escape the single mistake that destroyed their lives.

Kate isn’t the only woman on the street starting afresh. Warm, whirlwind Gisela with her busy life and confident children, and sharp, composed Sally, with her spontaneous marriage and high-flying career, are the first new friends Kate has allowed herself in years. While she can’t help but envy their seemingly perfect lives, their friendship might help her leave her guilt behind.

Until one day, everything changes. Kate is called to the scene of a devastating car accident, the consequences of which will test everything the women thought they knew about each other, and themselves.

Can Kate stop her own secrets from unravelling, or was her hope for a new life in vain?

From the bestselling author of The Silent Wife, The Woman I Was Before is a book about the things we hide from those closest to us – and the terrible consequences that keeping those secrets can have. Perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult, Liane Moriarty and Diane Chamberlain.

Reflection

Kate, Sally, and Grisela all seem to have enviable lives from the outside, but this is truly a book about the contrast between the life we present to the world on social media or even through our stories, and the life we truly live. Each of these women have messy, imperfect lives, filled with ups and downs, smiles and heartaches.

But what they allow others to see is quite a different story! Kate seems strong and able to handle anything with ease. Grisela has a perfect family and is the ultimate hostess. And Sally lives a glamorous life, jet-setting around for work and coming home to her gorgeous husband.

But of course, the others don’t see the cracks. The worries that she’ll never have a baby. The difficulty accepting her son’s life choices. The dark secret that she ran away from…

I’d put this in the domestic drama category, right alongside many of my favorite authors such as Sally Hepworth, Liane Moriarty, and Sarah Pekkanen. My blogging friend Carrie calls these types of books “popcorn books” because she feels like she is sitting back eating popcorn and watching the drama unfold. I sometimes call them neighborhood noir because they make me think about how little we truly know about what goes on behind closed doors!

I loved the way Fisher wrote this novel. The stories of these women instantly drew me in, and I loved the juxtaposition of their real lives with the social media posts Fisher would punctuate each chapter with. It felt so timely and authentic. How much do we let ourselves be effected by the need to compete with others? Who can’t point to a friend on social media who seems to have the perfect life, captured through photos and witty captions?

I don’t want to spoil any of the stories, so I’ll say how surprising and powerful I found the conclusions of these three intertwined narratives to be. I wouldn’t have guessed many of the twists if you’d given me 100 guesses, but that’s life, right? We can’t always tell what will come our way. Suspenseful, emotional, and utterly addictive—I’m so excited for readers to experience this one!

Thank you to the awesome team at Bookouture for my spot on the blog tour! Check out these other stops this weekend:

Don’t forget to order your copy of this book:

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About Kerry Fisher

Kerry Fisher is the bestselling author of five novels, including The Silent Wife and The Secret Child. She was born in Peterborough, studied French and Italian at the University of Bath and spent several years living in Spain, Italy and Corsica. After returning to England to work as a journalist, she eventually abandoned real life stories for the secrets of fictional families. She now lives in Surrey with her husband, two teenage children and a naughty Lab/Schnauzer called Poppy.

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