Jessica Strawser | FORGET YOU KNOW ME

Plot (via Goodreads):

Molly and Liza have always been enviably close. Even after Molly married Daniel, the couple considered Liza an honorary family member. But after Liza moved away, things grew more strained than anyone wanted to admit—in the friendship and the marriage.

When Daniel goes away on business, Molly and Liza plan to reconnect with a nice long video chat after the kids are in bed. But then Molly leaves the room to check on a crying child.

What Liza sees next will change everything.

Only one thing is certain: Molly needs her. Liza drives all night to be at Molly’s side—but when she arrives, the reception is icy, leaving Liza baffled and hurt. She knows there’s no denying what she saw.

Or is there?

In disbelief that their friendship could really be over, Liza is unaware she’s about to have a near miss of her own.

And Molly, refusing to deal with what’s happened, won’t turn to Daniel, either.

But none of them can go on pretending. Not after this.

Review:

What an unbelievably well-crafted story! I kind of tricked myself last year when I read Not That I Could Tell by Jessica Strawser and tried to read it as a thriller compared to the story that it really was, which is a tale of friendship with a hint of suspense blanketing the novel. Luckily thanks to my friend Katie Bassel, I was reminded that this is also a tale of light suspense that is more about relationships than it is a mystery/thriller. This is my advice when reading this one - pick this book for the characters, not for the opening mystery.

Once I got to the meat of the story after the well-executed and rather creepy opening, I was a little confused and excited to see where the story went after that. There were some things that happened and a couple of interactions between our two main characters that left me wanting even more information and before I knew it, I was flying through the pages reveling in the drama. Molly and Liza were written so well that at some points I had forgotten how this novel started and had  to remind myself to watch out for red herrings and the unusual suspects. I loved not only the dynamic in their friendship (which was emotional and realistic), but their relationships with other characters.

I will say this novel is slower paced and definitely something I would consider as a fictional drama that is more focused on relationships than a whodunit or a fast paced thriller. However, the pacing within the drama is spot on and I will say the big reveal at the end did surprise me but also made me love the previous 300+ pages even more. I will say, Jessica Strawser is the perfect author to check out when you want to take a step outside of thrillers and read something more dramatic or vice versa, if you want to check out some light suspense as a stepping stone for thrillers. Either way, fans of Emily Giffin will love the characters and pacing of this plot. I cannot wait for what is to come!

Special thanks to St. Martins Press for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 4/5