Jane Harris is living the perfect life with the perfect family in the perfect neighbourhood.
From the outside looking in, the Harris' have a gorgeous home in an elite gated community. From the inside, the family is marred by grief. A year ago, a tragic accident took the life of Jane and David's oldest daughter, Mary. Jane has been consumed by grief, anti-depressants, and alcohol, she is unable to function.
That's about to change—it is time for Jane to reclaim her life and family. As she is resuming her daily life, Jane quickly realizes that things have changed while she's been checked out. Her husband is working longer-than-normal hours and her daughter, Betsy, incredibly distant. Mary was such a good girl, devoted to her friends and family, excelling at school, and beautiful. But there is someone that knows more about what really happened that fateful day that Mary died.
Just how far is too far for someone to go to keep their family together?
Rouda is back and embracing another narcissistic, unreliable narrator in Jane Harris. I had the pleasure of reviewing Best Day Ever last year and enjoyed the palpable tension she created between the married couple. Her writing is sharp and engaging.
In The Favorite Daughter (or Favourite if you are in Canada), Jane as a character has more depth than Paul from Best Day Ever because of the added layer of tragedy. As a mother, I can't think of anything more horrific than the loss of a child.
The pace of the narrative is manic and plays right into Jane's personality. The only thing I was unsure of was the writing style—it was rather choppy at times with Rouda using several short sentences in succession that could've been synthesized or compounded for easier reading. Perhaps this was done on purpose since the reader is in Jane's head, but I found at times this to be exhausting. Interestingly she also breaks the fourth wall on several occasions with Jane directly address the reader. I thought this was rather clever and definitely something a narcissist would do.
Secrets, lies, guilt, and consequences. This novel packs a punch right up until the very ending.
KAIRA ROUDA is a USA Today bestselling, multiple award-winning author of contemporary fiction exploring what goes on behind closed doors of seemingly perfect lives. Her novels include Best Day Ever, All the Difference, Here, Home, Hope, In the Mirror, and The Goodbye Year. Her modern romance novels are set on beaches, including the Indigo Island series and the Laguna Beach series, also its own Kindle World.
She lives in Southern California with her family.
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