Synopsis: (from KoreanDrama.org)
This drama is about a married couple whose betrayal of one another leads to a whirlwind of revenge.
Ji Sun Woo (Kim Hee Ae) is a family medicine doctor. She is married to Lee Tae Oh (Park Hae Joon) and they have a son. She seems to have everything, including a successful career and a happy family, but she is betrayed by her husband and others. Meanwhile, Lee Tae Oh dreams of becoming a famous movie director. He runs an entertainment business with the support of his wife Ji Sun Woo. Even though he loves his wife, Lee Tae Oh falls into a dangerous relationship.
My thoughts:
This drama was actually based on BBC's drama series Doctor Foster and has received the highest viewership and ratings in Korean cable television history to-date. Since I didn't watch Doctor Foster, I couldn't compare the two but I've to say watching The World of Married Couple was as exciting as reading a domestic thriller; the only difference is your dislike for the characters intensify since we are seeing all the actions on screen rather than using our imaginations; and not to mention it easily evokes our emotions, too.
To begin with, I've to say the first half of the story was very good. It'd me at the edge of my seat (and gritting my teeth) most of the time. Sun Woo didn't seem to be a woman who's unreasonable or one who would act rashly; after all she gave Tae Oh a chance to admit his infidelity but the latter denied and lied. After she'd found further proof of his infidelity, Tae Oh didn't seem to be remorseful and even retorted that there's no wrong in loving and that he loves her and his mistress at the same time. (Well, you can't have your cake and eat it too, right?) To protect her son and her career, Sun Woo decided that divorcing him and gaining the custody of her son are the options, but alas Tae Oh decided to return to their hometown even after he'd married his mistress and has a young daughter. You'd think that he must have gotten over his ex-wife at this stage but unfortunately that wasn't the case. And this is when things start to get heated up and the start of their revenge.
It was easy to feel empathy towards Sun Woo despite everything, afterall she was the victim and actress Kim Hee Ae has portrayed her role wonderfully through her superb acting skills. Likewise to Park Hae Joon who played Tae Oh; a selfish, despicable man who has no bounds when his own benefits are concerned. And above all, my heart went out to their poor teenage son, who felt like he was a pawn between them, or a "tool" to get to the other.
As much as this story was centred around the complex (obsessive?) relationship between Sun Woo and Tae Oh, there was also a subplot about another couple (who's their friends and neighbours) with trust issue. Overall, this story depicts the complicated relationship between Sun Woo and Tae Oh, the challenges of a single working mother and at the same time allows the viewers some discussions about the aspect of marriage and how divorce are being looked upon depending on one's culture and the society. I enjoyed the drama, but it could be dramatic at times and again, I loathed Tae Oh for all his doings yet I couldn't help but to pity him towards the end. And speaking of the ending, I was deeply disappointed and it left me feeling baffled. That said, it was still an intense and an entertaining drama with a good acting cast.
© 2020 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.
G.P. Putnam's Sons | June 2019 | 320 pgs
Source: Library
Lana Stone and her partner, Tyler, have been trying for a baby for a while but no such luck. The IVF treatments aren't successful either so the last option is to go through an agency for an egg donor. Getting an egg donor isn't easy, and Lana's wish is to find a Bulgarian so that they could share the same roots. And as much as Tyler is supporting in every sense, the stress of getting pregnant has finally taken its toll on their relationship as Lana's mind and conversations are all about the baby. Tyler decides to leave Lana at this stage despite she's in the middle of the donor egg cycle, claiming that both of them need some break. Needless to say, Lana is mortified but that feeling is quickly replaced by exhilaration as she soon learned that she is pregnant.
Lana should've informed Tyler at that time but she didn't, thinking he must've found someone. It is also at this moment that she's interested to know more about the egg donor, though she understand the implications it'd cause if she's not careful and reveal her identity. Lana didn't expect she'd find her easily, but Katya Dimitrova seemed to have found her way to Lana as the latter recognised her face from the agency's record. Not willing to lose her, Lana decides to watch her from a distance but a circumstances bring them together and an unexpected friendship is born.
As Lana gets to know Katya without revealing her identity, she finds that Katya is a free spirited girl who lives life at the edge. She loves attention from men and she's not shy at voicing her thoughts. Lana may not agree to her lifestyle, but she's still fascinated by this college girl who has brought out her fun self she's left a decade ago. Just when Lana gets to know her a little better, Katya disappears and it seems she might be the last person to see her before she went missing. With no clues from the police, Lana decides to do some investigations on her own but she isn't prepared for the secrets she's unearthed.
I'd say this novel is a light domestic thriller as it focused much on the character developments more than the suspense itself. The sense of foreboding is still present, but this is more of Katya's story as the story progresses. The narrations of Lana's present and Katya's past are both intriguing to read (and Tyler's too, although his leaving Lana both annoyed and perplexed me) and ironically, the reader gets to learn more about Katya right after she disappears while Lana's presence seems more like a supporting role. There are some red herrings as well as a few men surrounding Katya become suspects, but Katya's characteristics seems to portray she may be the cause of her own fate. So who's the perpetrator here? I think not all readers will take the ending as it is, but personally I think it is well executed which explain everything.
© 2019 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.
St. Martin's Press | April 2019 | 352 pgs
Source: Library
We've all heard enough stories about the complexity relationship between daughter- and mother-in-laws but I've rarely come across a domestic thriller that features on these two characters. I dived into this book with anticipation and had a pleasant surprise as it wasn't what I'd first expected.
When Lucy first met Diana, she has the impression that Diana isn't a person who's easily warmed up with. She also knew Diana has earned lots of respect from the community for her voluntary works for the women refugees and helping them to find shelters and so forth, and this makes her wonder Diana's cool attitude towards her. Even after getting married to Oliver and have children, Lucy still finds herself keeping at arm's length no matter how hard she tries to get in her good books.
Their lukewarm relationship continues until one day the police arrives at their house to inform that Diana has been found dead, leaving a suicide note. Diana had only told them about her cancer until later and they didn't think Diana was the suicidal type, after all she and Lucy's father-in-law were so loving to each other. The autopsy later reveals there is no poison running in her blood although they found a bottle of drug near her body, but they did find signs of bruises and evidence of suffocation so the police thinks it may be a homicide case. But who will want to murder Diana? As the story progresses, the reader will soon learn that everyone in the family has something to hide, including Diana herself.
This story was narrated between Lucy and Diana and in the past and present. I think I enjoyed reading Diana's flashbacks the most as it shows the other interesting side of her. The present timeline was interesting too, but the complicated relationship gets a bit tiresome at some point although it portrays the differences between Lucy and Diana in terms of their thinking and the generation gap (e.g. the interpretation of one's words/actions are often misunderstood by the other and vice versa). I've to admit I didn't like any of the characters here, but it's fine since I was more interested in reading about the family dynamics and finding out who killed Diana and why. I think the author has done a good job in the characterisation department, whether if it's the two lead characters or the other supporting characters. All in all it was an engrossing read, although the ending left me feeling just sad.
© 2019 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.
HarperCollins Publishers | April 2019 | 336 pgs
Source: Library
The Better Sister, at its core, tells a story about sisterhood, family dynamics and what would one do to protect their loved ones.
Since young, Chloe is a girl who does her work well and dreams big. This competitive streak in her enables her to strive her way up to adulthood. Now a successful editor at Eve magazine, she's also well-known for her feminist movements which has taken the social media by storm. Her older sister, Nicky, is the polar opposite of Chloe. Restless and reckless, Nicky's attention is always fleeting no matter if it's men or jobs. However, she did find someone eventually and got married to him. Unfortunately, their marriage didn't last and it seemed after she gave birth to Ethan, she's back to living her carefree life. Adam, her ex-husband, had been tolerant until Ethan's near death (Nicky's negligence, as everyone assumes) sent him to an edge. With Adam having custody over Ethan, Chloe offered to help looking after young Ethan (this is years before when she becomes an editor) and little do they know they ended up married. Chloe's relationship with Nicky has never been close and with this complicated situation and physical distance it's no wonder they're estranged.
For a while it seems life is peaceful until Adam is found dead at their East Hampton beach house. The police suspects Ethan (now seventeen) given his timeline during his father's death is vague. Under this circumstances, Chloe knew she has to let Nicky back into their lives since she's Ethan biological mother. Plus, Ethan needs help and no matter how much Chloe despise Nicky she is forced to reunite with her; but then are they able to set aside their mistrust and old resentments from their past?
I've enjoyed Alafair Burke's previous novel, The Wife, and I've to say both her prose and the execution are very engaging. There's something about her writing that sucks you in; and she really know her stuff when it comes to legal related matters (click here for more detailed information of her profession). Although this is classified as a domestic thriller and with the mystery surrounding Adam's death, it is actually about the dynamic and the complexity relationship between two estranged sisters. As the story unfolds, you'll begin to compare and question who is the better sister once the family secrets unveil. This book is a slow burn but it is character-driven and intriguing enough to hold my attention till the end.
© 2019 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.
MIRA Books | August 2018 | 496 pgs
Source: Library
Seventeen-year-old Mindy Wright is a skier and has a promising aspect in competing in the Olympics until a skiing accident crashes not just her racing career but her life. During the surgery, the surgeon found out that she is suffering from leukemia and that a stem cell transplant has to be conducted so as to save her life. However, this is only the beginning of the nightmare for the Wrights as not only Mindy's life is threatened but no one in the family has the match for Mindy's stem cell transplant. In other words, Mindy's parents aren't her biological parents.
With the clock ticking to find Mindy's biological parents, the reader got to learn that there are secrets and deceptions surrounding Mindy's adoptive mother, Lauren Wright, and how Lauren's younger sister, Juliet, who works as a DNA Analyst with the CBI, will go to any lengths to search for Mindy's biological parents, even if it means bypassing some protocols.
This story was split into three parts and was a multi-layered suspense built upon layers of secrets and mysteries, both in the present and flashbacks. While the reader was intrigued by Mindy's biological parents and why Lauren didn't want Mindy's secrets to expose to the world, there are also parts about a few letter exchanges in 1993 between two women, Liesel and Vivian, when both of them were in University Hospital for some diagnosis treatment, thus adding more intrigue to the story and make readers wonder if there's a connection to Mindy's and/or Lauren's story.
This story was well structured from the beginning till the end, however it was also a slow-burn kind of suspense as the author took her time in developing the characters and setting up the intrigue bit by bit as the story progresses. Personally, I felt the book would've been much better if some parts aren't draggy but the writing style and the execution won me over eventually.
© 2018 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.
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