Welcome to another Bookish Friday, in which I share excerpts from books…and connect with other bloggers, who do the same.
Let’s begin the celebration by sharing Book Beginnings, hosted by Rose City Reader; and let’s showcase The Friday 56 with Freda’s Voice.
To join in, just grab a book and share the opening lines…along with any thoughts you wish to give us; then turn to page 56 and excerpt anything on the page.
Then give us the title of the book, so others can add it to their lists!
What a great way to spend a Friday!
Today’s feature is a recent download: The House Swap, by Rebecca Fleet, is the eerie backdrop to a chilling look inside a broken marriage filled with tantalizing secrets.
Beginning: (Away: Caroline, May 2015)
When we turn into the street my first thought is that the houses around here all look the same. Neat whitewashed rectangles with boxy little windows and flatly sloping roofs. They almost all have window boxes, too—lined up along the lower sills and filled uniformly with white and purple pansies, like they’re subject to some sort of dress code.
***
Friday 56: Just before she comes in I get up and look in the mirror that hangs over the mantelpiece. I don’t know who I’m expecting to see inside it. Not this man with the graying puffy skin and the grooves of worry sunk deep into the corners of his eyes, his face familiar yet strange, like a surreal caricature of myself.
***
Synopsis: When Caroline and Francis receive an offer to house swap–from their city apartment to a house in a leafy, upscale London suburb–they jump at the chance for a week away from home, their son, and the tensions that have pushed their marriage to the brink.
As the couple settles in, the old problems that permeate their marriage–his unhealthy behaviors, her indiscretions–start bubbling to the surface. But while they attempt to mend their relationship, their neighbor, an intense young woman, is showing a little too much interest in their activities.
Meanwhile, Caroline slowly begins to uncover some signs of life in the stark house–signs of her life. The flowers in the bathroom or the music might seem innocent to anyone else–but to her they are clues. It seems the person they have swapped with is someone who knows her, someone who knows the secrets she’s desperate to forget. . . .
***
Ooooo….this sounds very good.
I have been seeing this book.
ENJOY!!!!
Thanks for sharing.
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I have been slowing down on my book purchases (a little!), but had to have this one. It sounds like a good one for the weekend. Thanks for visiting, Elizabeth.
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The descriptions are wonderful. Houses “subject to a dress code” is brilliant. Hope you enjoy it.
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Oh, yes, I loved that part, too, Roberta. Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy your pick.
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Looks wonderful. I think I’d enjoy it. I’m reading Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews.
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Thanks, Bev, I think I could sink into this story and lose time. Enjoy your pick.
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Never heard of this book before, but this seems really interesting! I featured Heart of Mist for this week. 😊
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Thanks for visiting, Shealea; I hadn’t either, but when it appeared on my “new this week” e-mail, it drew me in. Enjoy your book.
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This is a good one, hope you’re enjoying.
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Thanks, Jenea, I hope to start it after I finish my current read. Have a great weekend.
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This does sound intriguing. I hope you are enjoying it. This week I am featuring Death and a Pot of Chowder by Cornelia Kidd. Happy reading!
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Thanks for stopping by, Kathy, and the title of yours makes me hungry (the chowder part! LOL).
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I love how both snippets sound!! Happy weekend!
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Thanks, Freda, they grabbed me. Enjoy your weekend, and thanks for hosting…and for stopping by.
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Remind me not to AirBnB or house swap with strangers!
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Oh, yes, this one definitely sounds like a cautionary tale! Thanks for stopping by, Harvee.
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This looks really good. Here is a link to my Friday 56: https://coffeeandcatsblog.wordpress.com/2018/06/08/friday-56-70/comment-page-1/#comment-2104
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I am eager to start reading it, Loreen. Enjoy yours!
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Somehow I completely missed this book but it looks like one I need! I’m so curious and this looks like a good read.
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Thanks for visiting, Katherine, and I’m eager to start reading this one.
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This sounds good! The snippets really grabbed me. Hope you enjoy it! Have an awesome weekend! 🙂
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Thanks, Ashley, I’m looking forward to it. Enjoy your weekend, too.
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I haven’t heard of this one before, but I’m really intrigued by these excerpts. Have a great weekend!
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Thanks, Yvonne, I can’t wait to read it. Enjoy your weekend, too.
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Love that snippet! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Lauren @ Always Me
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Thanks for stopping by, Lauren; I’m eager to read this one.
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Hope you’re enjoying it!
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Thanks for visiting, Nicki; I hope to start reading it today.
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I do hope you like this one, Laurel-Rain. It sounds so good. I can’t imagine doing something like that . . . I hope you have a great weekend.
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Thanks, Wendy, I can’t even imagine having people I know staying in my house when I’m not there! LOL
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Ugh, this one sounds really creepy. Hope it give you plenty of chills!
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Thanks, Alicia, I am so sure that I’ll be creeped out…in a good way. LOL
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