Review: Loves Lies Beneath by Ellen Hopkins

I received this book for free from Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Collateral comes a gripping novel about a woman caught in a love affair that could be her salvation...or her undoing.

Tara is gorgeous, affluent, and forty. She lives in an impeccably restored Russian Hill mansion in San Francisco. Once a widow, twice divorced, she’s a woman with a past she prefers keeping to herself.

Enter Cavin Lattimore. He’s handsome, kind, charming, and the surgeon assigned to Tara following a ski accident in Lake Tahoe. In the weeks it takes her to recover, Cavin sweeps her off her feet and their relationship blossoms into something Tara had never imagined possible. But then she begins to notice some strange things: a van parked outside her home at odd times, a break-in, threatening text messages and emails. She also starts to notice cracks in Cavin’s seemingly perfect personality, like the suppressed rage his conniving teenage son brings out in him, and the discovery that Cavin hired a detective to investigate her immediately after they met.

Now on crutches and housebound, Tara finds herself dependent on the new man in her life—perhaps too much so. She’s handling rocky relationships with her sister and best friend, who are envious of her glamour and freedom; her prickly brother-in-law, who is intimidated by her wealth and power; and her estranged mother. However perfect Tara’s life appears, things are beginning to get messy.

Writing in beautiful prose, Ellen Hopkins unveils a new style while evoking her signature poetic form that readers fell in love with in Collateral and Triangles.

The main reason why I wanted to read this book is because I freaking adore Ellen Hopkins. Also, it sounded good. This is not YA, and it’s not your typical Ellen Hopkins book. This one is not written in verse like her others. It does however have some beautiful poetry throughout. It still was a good solid story though, and as always, it was a great read. The characters were great and there was a bit of hidden mystery to them. This book is about learning to love and trust and so much more. It was not intense or super exciting, but a slow story that pulls you along making you need to see where things are going.

Tara is a woman who is well off. She’s been married three times and has made out good. She does not associate with her mother, but is decently close to her sister. She’s a bit promiscuous, but she’s good at playing the game. Then after a ski accident, she actually falls in love. Something she has never experienced. But there are lingering doubts, and a few secrets on both sides. So her question is if love will be enough.

There’s also the complication of Cavin’s almost adult son. He is manipulative, but also smart and charming. Tara can’t quite figure him out. Sometimes it’s like he’s playing a game and trying to get under her skin, and other times he seems genuine and isn’t playing at anything at all.

The romance aspect was pretty good, but there honestly wasn’t a whole lot of focus on it. Mostly, it’s about Tara getting to know herself while falling in love. Watching her sister struggle though a twenty year marriage that has gone stale. Wondering if she can truly be happy in love forever. On top of all that, someone has been sending her tratening texts and emails. There is a mystery aspect lingering in the background of it all.

I really enjoyed this. It was a slow and steady story that was deeper than it first appears. Throughout the book, I was never sure where things were going, but the ending I totally didn’t expect. Looking back now, perhaps I should have, but that makes it even better really. I thought it all tied up in a cool way and it really solidified my love for this author. She always tells an amazing story so true to real life circumstances. Stories that aren’t easy, but are a reality. I think a lot of people will really like this one.

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Amy

I'm no good at this, but I'm a mom of one little girl who really thinks she is a princess. I love reading all sorts of books (horror being a favorite genre of mine), love meeting new people, drinking lots of coffee, and eating chocolate. If you want to know anything else about me, just ask.

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