The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty– 400 pages
Book Blurb:
Sophie Honeywell always wondered if Thomas Gordon was the one she let get away. He was the perfect boyfriend, but on the day he was to propose, she broke his heart. A year later he married his travel agent, while Sophie has been mortifyingly single ever since. Now Thomas is back in her life because Sophie has unexpectedly inherited his aunt Connie’s house on Scribbly Gum Island — home of the famously unsolved Munro Baby mystery. Sophie moves onto the island and begins a new life as part of an unconventional family where it seems everyone has a secret. Grace, a beautiful young mother, is feverishly planning a shocking escape from her perfect life. Margie, a frumpy housewife, has made a pact with a stranger, while dreamy Aunt Rose wonders if maybe it’s about time she started making her own decisions. As Sophie’s life becomes increasingly complicated, she discovers that sometimes you have to stop waiting around — and come up with your own fairy-tale ending.
My Review: 3 stars
In general, I’m a fan of Liane Moriarty and have enjoyed several of her books, What Alice Forgot, The Husband’s Secret and Big Little Lies. Unfortunately, this one fell flat for me. With a similar formula as Big Little Lies had (heavy on characters, small vignettes, mystery and romance), I’d like to imagine this being her practice version. I can see how much richer, smoother and believable her writing has become since 2005, when this book was originally published. Now, it seems she has mastered smart woman’s Chick Lit.
This story seemed somewhat stereotypical and the mystery was, for me at least, simple to figure out. I did like that the characters were kooky and the setting was beautiful. This would be an excellent choice for a beach read.
Quotes I liked:
A marriage is hard work and sometimes it’s a bit of a bore. It’s like housework. It’s never finished. You’ve just got to grit your teeth and keep working away at it, day after day.”
– “Sometimes a girl has to stop waiting around and come up with her own fairytale ending.”
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