Just Between Us Review

Synopsis from Macmillan Publishers:

Four suburban mothers conspire to cover up a deadly crime in Just Between Us, a heart-stopping novel of suspense by Rebecca Drake.

Alison, Julie, Sarah, Heather. Four friends living the suburban ideal. Their jobs are steady, their kids are healthy. They’re as beautiful as their houses. But each of them has a dirty little secret, and hidden behind the veneer of their perfect lives is a crime and a mystery that will consume them all.

Everything starts to unravel when Alison spots a nasty bruise on Heather’s wrist. She shares her suspicions with Julie and Sarah, compelling all three to investigate what looks like an increasingly violent marriage. As mysterious injuries and erratic behavior mount, Heather can no longer deny the abuse, but she refuses to leave her husband. Desperate to save her, Alison and the others dread the phone call telling them that she’s been killed. But when that call finally comes, it’s not Heather who’s dead. In a moment they’ll come to regret, the women must decide what lengths they’ll go to in order to help a friend.

Just Between Us is a thrilling glimpse into the underbelly of suburbia, where not all neighbors can be trusted, and even the closest friends keep dangerous secrets. You never really know what goes on in another person’s mind, or in their marriage.

About: Just Between Us is a thriller written by Rebecca Drake. It was recently published on 1/9/18 by St. Martin’s Griffin, an imprint of Macmillan, paperback, 384 pages. The genres are mystery, thriller, fiction, crime, and suspense. According to Macmillan’s website, “The Griffin list features a wide range of contemporary paperbacks, from commercial, literary, and graphic (illustrated) novels to titles of African American and young-adult interest. St. Martin’s Press has a long and respected history of publishing a solid and varied list. We are dedicated to publishing emerging new authors, and offering a fresh perspective on classic genres, while maintaining a diverse and interesting range of books.” Please see below for more information about the author and publisher.

My Experience: I started reading Just Between Us on 1/15/18 and finished it on 1/21/18 at 12:30AM. This book is a great read! The start of this book reminds me of Behind Closed Doors, The Last Mrs. Parrish, and The Wife Between Us because they all portrait domestic abuse. (Follow the link on the titles to see my review of those books). This book separates itself from the other books is the friendship. I like how they support each other despite their different personalities. I think I enjoy this book a bit more as a mom to little kids because I can relate my feelings with them. I like their different professional and personal backgrounds and whether they choose to be a stay-at-home mom or continue working. I like Alison’s drive to succeed and Julie’s trust in everyone. I like how Sarah’s defensive about stay-at-home mom. Heather gives me a lot of doubts and reading throughout the book, I couldn’t take her words for what it is until the end.

This book is told in the first person point of view following four friends: Alison, Julie, Sarah, and Heather. Alison works in IT, Julie works in real estate, and Sarah, an ex-lawyer and Heather, an ex-model are both stay at home moms. Their kids all goes to the same school. Alison is often jealous of Julie and Sarah’s friendship because they met each other first. Sarah is glad that Heather is a stay at home mom too because she is sick of people thinking that she doesn’t do enough work at home. They often meet at the coffee shop to catch up on life and gossip. Their friendship started to change when signs of abuse begins to surface among one of their friends. She’s ashamed of it and asked her three friends to keep it a secret just between them. A secret that could consume them. They all worried that a bruise here and a welt there could lead to an end of their friend’s life, but when a phone call comes one night, their friendship is tested beyond their fears. A smaller secret becomes a larger secret and soon it’s up to them to defend themselves.

This book starts out obvious but it spikes up the intensity and suspense as the story move forward. I like the names of each main character at the beginning of each chapter and at the top of the page with the title because there are four point of views and I often forget who I’m reading about since they all have a husband and two kids. I love their individual secrets and it’s delicious when it’s being revealed. I like the realistic reactions of each of the main characters the author describes in this book especially after each twists and turns. I like the easy way of their friendship where their first instinct was to help and only accuse when there’s hard evidence, but even so, they still stood by each other to help. I felt the adrenaline rush with Sarah’s close call about the phone at the bar and Alison and Julie’s shocking discovery at the rickety apartment. Friends meeting for coffee reminds me of the friends on Sex and the City, but this friendship is on a whole new level and I highly recommend everyone to read this book!

Pro: friendship, cover, suspense, realistic reactions, fast paced, page turner, twists and turns, adrenaline rush

Con: none

I rate it 5 stars!

Buy it here for free shipping: Book Depository or St. Martin’s Press

About the Author:

Rebecca Drake‘s latest novel, Just Between Us, will be released by St. Martin’s Press on January 9th. Publisher’s Weekly calls it a “twisty domestic thriller…tense, bombshell-laden, and action-packed.” Rebecca is also the author of four other thrillers, Only Ever You, The Dead Place, The Next Killing and Don’t Be Afraid. An instructor in Seton Hill University’s Writing Popular Fiction MFA program, Rebecca lives in Pittsburgh, PA with her husband and two kids. Find more at RebeccaDrake.com and connect with her at facebook.com/rebecca.drake.writer and on
Twitter @AuthorRDrake (Photo and info obtained from Macmillan’s website).

More Information about St. Martin’s Press

Website: https://us.macmillan.com/smp | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stmartinspress/ | Twitter: https://twitter.com/StMartinsPress| Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/stmartinspress

***Disclaimer: Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.

xoxo,
Jasmine