Lily and Ed's whirlwind romance led to a quick proposal, and now the two are navigating their lives together as newlyweds. Lily, a recently-accredited lawyer, has just bagged her first case, the emotionally-draining appeal of an autistic man sentenced to prison for the murder of his girlfriend years before. Ed, meanwhile, is cripplingly frustrated that his career as an artist hasn't taken off. The two find themselves getting involved with a young neighbor girl when her mother needs a babysitter, and the ever-changing relationships between the three over the next two decades form the basis of the book, especially after Carla moves away with her mother and returns as a young adult to wreck havoc on their lives. There is murder, betrayal, and feelings of debt and vindication throughout this book. It's definitely a twisted, dark psychological thriller that a lot of people could probably get sucked into pretty quickly, but to me, I just couldn't love it.

The plot felt like it dragged. A lot. There was a lot of bad energy. I didn't like the characters at all. I didn't buy into their decisions or actions. There were so many twists and so many different times I thought the book would end and it didn't that I just felt exhausted by the end of my read. It's a very intense read, and a lot of time and energy is devoted to the backstory of the book with very little covering the climax and conclusion.

If you can handle psychological thrillers with a LOT of intensity and bad blood and aren't turned off by a cast full of unlikable characters, this may be a worthy read. I didn't think it was bad, but it certainly wasn't my cup of tea.