5 Star
“Happiness at someone else’s expense came at a price. Tia had imagined judgment from the first kiss that she and Nathan shared. All year, she’d waited to be punished for being in love, and in truth, she believed that whatever consequences came her way would be deserved.”
Five years ago, Tia fell into obsessive love with a man she could never have. Married, and the father of two boys, Nathan was unavailable in every way. When she became pregnant, he disappeared, and she gave up her baby for adoption.
Five years ago, Caroline, a dedicated pathologist, reluctantly adopted a baby to please her husband. She prayed her misgivings would disappear; instead, she’s questioning whether she’s cut out for the role of wife and mother.
Five years ago, Juliette considered her life ideal: she had a solid marriage, two beautiful young sons, and a thriving business. Then she discovered Nathan’s affair. He promised he’d never stray again, and she trusted him.
But when Juliette intercepts a letter to her husband from Tia that contains pictures of a child with a deep resemblance to her husband, her world crumbles once more. How could Nathan deny his daughter? And if he’s kept this a secret from her, what else is he hiding? Desperate for the truth, Juliette goes in search of the little girl. And before long, the three women and Nathan are on a collision course with consequences that none of them could have predicted.
Lydia - 5 Star
The Comfort of Lies is an intricately woven novel of love, betrayal and forgiveness and explores the effects of adultery from all parties perspectives - particularly when the unintended outcome is a child. Within the pages of this novel lies an intense discussion of marriage, motherhood, family, and beyond and anyone looking for a character driven read will love this one.
Initially, I found I had difficulty getting into the characters, but this didn't last long as I grew interested in their plight. I think part of the problem was that I didn’t love them at first – or ever really – but over time I could empathize and all their actions and thoughts were clearly outlined and discussed as the story progressed. Also, I initially found the prose a bit wordy for me, but as I got used to it and delved further into the novel, I was overcome with the desire to rewrite my chunks of my latest manuscript.
This is a character driven novel, and although plot moves it along, those who like fast paced rapid fire action may not be as drawn into The Comfort of Lies as much as those who love a great read about people themselves, their motivations, and the ramifications of their behaviour. The psychology major and writer in me loved this aspect of the novel and Meyers does a fantastic job at exploring all the angles and persepectives in this novel.
I felt like a voyeur at times during this one as I peered into the three very different women's lives, and the one man who connected them all. They are all marvelously flawed characters and I thoroughly enjoyed reading their story. The adoption discussion was intriguing although I did find the selfishness of the parties involved grated at me for never seeming to put the child first. I was never certain what would happen and loved how Meyers kept me on my toes.
I will definitely keep my eye out for any future novel Meyers writes and will also seek out The Murderer's Daughters, which debuted in 2009. Pick up The Comfort of Lies today for a complex, intriguing read. You won't be disappointed!
Thank you to Atria Books for our review copy. All opinions are our own.
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Great review! At first the characters felt simply unlikable, but as you said they were "marvelously flawed" and I couldn't put the book down until I found out how it all worked out for each of them.
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