Author: Kiersten Modglin
Genre: Domestic Thriller, Suspense
Length: 2 Hours and 50 minute read
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
Backstory
Hi Friends. I'm back with another hot take on the latest books I've read. Honey. Clench those butt cheeks together babes, because this story was something else. It was a mess, Chile. A whole mess. These Greenburgs...I cannot.
Okay so let me back up.
This was my first ARC from Kiersten Modglin. For those of you who aren't familiar with book world lingo, ARC means Advanced Reading Copy which means, the book was sent to me before release date in the hopes that I would provide an honest review of it once I had finished reading. So, of course I jumped at the chance to read this book. I was more than happy to generate buzz and convince others to read this book as well. This is me buzzing. Buzz Buzz. This series is what got me hooked on Kiersten Modglin's work in the first place. I gobbled down this book in less than a day and I am now here to gush about it. But before I do that, let me just mention how excited I am to be getting my first advance reading copy of anything. I feel famous. One day, this will be common place. I am speaking it into existence now. So yeah, anyway, back to the story. Secure the wigs, children. This book was wild. Let's get into it.
Synopsis
Excerpt from Amazon
Ainsley Greenburg has always been a fixer.
But her latest attempt to repair her marriage left it more damaged than ever before.
Now, trapped in a vicious game of cat and mouse with the man she thought she knew, Ainsley must do what it takes to put out the fire their arrangement ignited.
But it won't be that simple.
As Peter closes in on her, Ainsley finds herself driven down a path of paranoia and fear.
Her only hope lies in her ability to trust her instincts, but they've let her down before.
This time, there's so much more at stake, and the secrets waiting to be revealed will change everything.
Whom can she trust when her world is up in flames?
One wrong decision could cost her everything she has left—her family, her home, and her life.
And, with a final showdown looming, Ainsley must decide what she's willing to let burn in order to survive.
As the blaze continues to heat up, it's only a matter of time before someone must atone for their sins.
DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNNN! (cue dramatic music)
My Thoughts
I truly did not think there was anything left for these two wackos to do to surprise me, but of course I was wrong. There wouldn't have been a whole third book if that was the case. I spent most of my time shaking my head while reading this book. Similar to the GIF I added to this part. Me and Steve shared the same confusion because what in the world? Peter out here behaving like a whole cockroach that refuses to die. He irritated my spirit this entire story. His delusions were upsetting. Can you not see that she don't want you? Sheesh. The fact that your wife left you to die in the house as it burned wasn't an indicator? PETER! Wake up and smell the smoke, my dear. You cannot be this dense. I refuse to believe it. Denial is an ugly color on you. If I was in this story, I would have tried to slap him around a little bit. Well no, that's a lie. Peter would probably trap me in his murder room. I would probably steer completely clear of him and his antics. Let's just be honest. All of his foolishness aside, let's talk about what I liked and didn't like about this book.
What I Liked About The Atonement
The originality of this series is one of my favorites. Like I said, The Arrangement and The Amendment are the two books that got me hooked on Kiersten Modglin and sent me tumbling down the KMod rabbit hole. This book was no different. I am glad she decided to add a third one because the way the second one ended left too much unanswered. This book definitely had the "this is the finale" feel to it.
I enjoyed the fact that I thought I knew what was up, but in true KMod fashion, she flipped the script on me and took it in a whole other direction. Without giving anything away, there was so much betrayal in this book I started to feel a little bad for the innocent parties involved. Like the kids. I mean come on guys. Can you even afford the therapy that all three of those babies will need whenever they find out that both of their parents have killed people? Again this entire series makes me so grateful for my murder free marriage. You'd think that would go without saying, but some people clearly need to add that to their list of the perfect spouse.
Black hair.
Beard.
Not A Murderer.
What I Didn't Like About The Atonement
Peter and his delusions burned my biscuit. I think I mentioned that before, but it warrants another mention. A certain level of delusion is probably necessary in order to slice and dice folks but still sleep peacefully at night. If it were me, I probably would have given up after I narrowly managed to escape the burning house. But that's just me. I also don't kill people. So there's that.
In terms of story and sentence structure, no complaints from me. There hasn't been a KMod book that I haven't enjoyed yet. This was no different. The Atonement wrapped up a story of the worst possible marriage in history and frankly, I am pretty satisfied with the way it ended. All in all, I enjoyed this book. Even if the Greenburg's did piss me off for most of it.
Recommend or Nah?
If you've been paying attention in class at all thus far, you would know that The Atonement is 100% Booky Babe Approved! But I'll say it again in case it didn't land like it was supposed to. Buy this book. Run. Do not walk. It isn't officially released until July 1st so you have two weeks to catch up on The Arrangement and The Amendment in time to snatch this butt clenching story when it comes out. You can always preorder it so it'll be at your doorstep or in your Kindle Library on book release day. Do it so we can shake our heads in unison at these two and their antics. Whew. A pure mess. Anyway, if you want to add it to your list (trust me, you do) of books to read in the near future, you can snatch it by clicking the amazon button here:
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So there you have it friends. A quick first hand look at the final chapter of this series. Make sure your wig glue is fresh and keeps that lace secure before picking this one up. If you decide to read it, come on back here and tell me what you think. Was Peter as irritating to you as he was to me? What would you do in this situation? I can't wait to know your thoughts, but until then..
Happy Reading Babes! ❤