HarperCollins | September 2017 | 352 pgs
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
Unfolding over the course of 24 hours, Best Day Ever is a domestic thriller that tells a pair of couple's marital woes and their psychological tug of war which led to a twisty conclusion.
Paul and Mia Strom seem to be a perfect couple in everyone's eyes. Paul works in an advertising firm holding a managerial position and Mia is a beautiful, stay-at-home housewife. They have two perfectly healthy young boys and a big house in a wealthy suburb. Mia used to work as a copywriter but quit her job after marrying Paul. Paul ensures that the family is well fed and that Mia could concentrate on her role as a housewife. Being a perfect husband he is, he plans a weekend getaway at their lake house just the two of them; and it would be the best day ever for them.
However, tension arises before they get to their lake house. To complicate matters, Paul doesn't see eye to eye with their lake house's neighbour, Buck. He even wonders if Buck and Mia are having a secret affair. But that's not all, Paul seems to have anger issue and is unfaithful to Mia on several occasions. Mia finally decides that enough is enough and that she should take matters into her own hands and take back the freedom she's always craves; after all Paul is nothing as compared to her parents' financial status. On top of that, Mia's father despises Paul and didn't approve of their marriage in the first place.
Best Day Ever is a page-turner and will question the reader how well you really know the person whom you are closest to. To begin with, Paul is a narcissist, a womaniser and a male chauvinist who loves control over everything else. A few chapters in, he sent off a bad vibe to the reader through his dark ugly thoughts and bad behaviours. Paul may be an unlikeable narrator, but being the focal point his role is what set the pace of this story and like watching a train wreck the reader knew something bad would happen yet it's hard not to see the other way and read what's going to happen next. Mia, on the other hand, is a character whom the reader could not underestimate. She may be meek in the beginning, but one could never tell if she has a hidden agenda.
As this is told over a course of 24 hours, there is a strong sense of urgency and intensity when deceptions and doubts begin to set in both Paul's and Mia's mind. While there was closure towards the end I couldn't help feeling a bit raw over everything happened in the book. This is another domestic suspense novel you have to read if you are a fan of this genre.
© 2017 Melody's Reading Corner (https://mel-reading-corner.blogspot.sg/), All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.
Posts
I must admit I'm intrigued. I love the idea of it taking place in 24 hrs.
I've never been drawn to books like this where the psychological drama revolves around a married couple. I don't know why; maybe because I'm not married. :D But I'm glad you liked it!
Jenny - It was an intense read. Hope you'll enjoy it when you get to it.
Lark - Domestic psychological thriller seems to be the trend now; there're some really good ones and of course there're just some which are OK with a few similar themes. It always makes me sad to read about married couples doing all kinds of awful things to each other. I can only hope that all those horrific and dramatic things only happen in fiction and not in reality!
Paul sounds like a terrible person! This does sound really interesting though and intense! I love the cover.
Wendy - He is, Wendy. I can't imagine some of the things he did, and his thoughts! That cover is eye-catching, isn't it?
Whew! There are so many books now about destructive marriages! I guess it is a reflection of a narcissistic age, but it gets depressing to see so many soulless characters. I'm reading a new Barbara Copperthwaite novel--fascinating, but an emotionally difficult look at a family in the process of self-destruction.
Jenclair - Yes, there are a lot of books about destructive marriages, aren't they? They can be so depressing to read; and I guess you're right about the narcissistic age.
I'm not familiar with Barbara Copperthwaite's books so I'll have to check them out.
I like the sound of Best Day Ever, I like this genre. Great review.
Naida - I hope you'll enjoy this book when you get to it, Naida.
Now this premise, or the characters at least, remind me of Gone Girl! Seems like they are both unreliable and a lot of great tension. I want to read this one!
Iliana - Yes, it does seems like another Gone Girl but this one was quite clear cut from the beginning. It has that foreboding feeling from the start and I was waiting for the spark to ignite! ;P