Ruth Benziger

Secrets never stay buried…

Growing up abandoned by her father and raised by a single mother, Celeste was determined to create the perfect family but even perfect families have secrets. Celeste’s days are filled with a rewarding career, a devoted husband, and her four-year-old daughter. Only Celeste knows the precarious house of cards her family is built upon until the day her daughter falls critically ill. Celeste’s world quickly spirals out of control as her secret threatens to destroy her marriage, family, reputation, and sanity. She’ll go to any lengths to protect her family—take any risk, break any law—anything except tell the truth.

USA Today bestselling author Lucinda Berry is a former psychologist and leading researcher in childhood trauma. She’s written multiple bestsellers reaching millions of readers worldwide. Some of her bestselling works include The Perfect Child, Saving Noah, When She Returned, The Best of Friends, and Keep Your Friends Close. Her books have been optioned for film and translated into several languages.

If Berry isn’t chasing after her son, you can find her running through Los Angeles, prepping for her next marathon. To hear about her upcoming releases and other author news, visit her on social media (@lucindaberryauthor) or sign up for her newsletter at https://lucindaberry.com.

My Review

Hold your breath…

Celeste lives in Los Angeles with her husband and with friends. The typical life she leads includes work, a house, and creating a family. With her little family, things seem great until her daughter becomes critically ill.

The doctors do all they can to diagnose and treat the little girl. Celeste and her husband do all they can to figure out what is wrong. Celeste and her husband’s bond is critically broken when secrets are revealed.

Life is full of decisions and moments of small choices. Sometimes, a decision completely changes the line of sight in life. Celeste learns this, and she admits to herself that life wasn’t perfect. It was a perfectly manicured life she created for herself.

With the help of a friend, she finds honesty and clarity and finally shares herself with those she was closest to. Her true self. Celeste is able to put the truth out there and move through the decisions she made. It may not be easy, but she knows it’s best.

Berry did a great job with her character development and linking them together. I quite enjoyed her illustration of Celeste’s feelings. I felt as if I was taken on a journey along with her. Especially when there was nausea or when she was out of it. I thought she explained it so well.

I was quite upset about how Celeste was treated when she told her truth. Berry showed how it can be for some people. Not everyone is going to respond how you think they will. There are complicated feelings, I get it, but I always feel protective when someone isn’t validated for telling people about their trauma. While I wanted her husband and friend to react differently, I think Berry illustrated how painful and truthful their reactions were.

I quite respect her past in psychology and how she incorporates her experience in her writing. I’m never disappointed when I read her books.