Oh my - Rachel makes one "slip" that sets a course of action that is incomprehensible. The storyline was good, but I couldn't get a sense of who Rachel was "before" in order to process the reaction "after". ( )

Oh, dear! It’s the night before her best friend’s wedding, and Rachel sleeps with the groom, Jack. Oops! I’d say this is a bit more than folly. Sounds like a disaster to me. The usual question arises in Rachel’s mind – Do I tell Elena or not? If I tell Elena, what will happen? If I tell her, it may get back to my husband, Edward, and I’d lose my marriage and my son. Unable to keep it to herself, she tells her brother, Ben. He reacts a little more strongly that she had thought he would. Rachel intentionally places more interest in her work to try to keep her mind busy. Sarah Dishner, a teenage client spurned by the man she loves, becomes the object of Rachel’s attention.

I didn’t expect to be so pulled in to this drama, but the author keeps you interested and keeps you guessing. Rachel sincerely loves Edward. But her drinking that night turned her into someone she didn’t even recognize. When the story first began, I didn’t care for Rachel, but she grew on me and I loved the way she took such an intense interest in helping Sarah.
The story is broken out into three perspectives – Rachel, Ben, and Rachel’s client, Sarah. This is Monica Bruno’s debut novel. The ending was good and I was satisfied with it, but at the same time, it left an opening for a possible sequel. I’d certainly be interested. Rating: 4 out of 5. ( )

Congratulations. You've been selected to receive an Early Reviewers copy of Rachel's Folly by Monica Bruno from the April 2015 batch.

NOT received yet, but if I do receive it I will edit my review.

Rachel is a family counselor who cares deeply for those she is trying to help. She makes a mistake and has sexual intercourse with the future groom of her best friend. The, Rachel is wrought with sorrow and wants to admit her transgression to her friend.

The book is told in three parts, by Rachel, her brother, Ben and Sarah, one of her patients.

There are a number of surprises and it would give them away to discuss plot but still I must say there is good suspense and character build up. ( )

This book had me thinking. I was put off by the affair in the very beginning because I was just introduced to the characters and my first thoughts were Rachel was with her husband/significant other. I was a little confused as to who was who. But, as it played out, the event comes to understanding and the sexual encounter plays a role in the bigger picture. How much would you sacrifice, how much could you lose for a stolen moment, a mistake - something you shouldn't have done but didn't consider the consequences until it was over? Rachel had her own issues from earlier in life that are touched upon - as possible reasons why she did what she did- but why she had the affair was a small part of the bigger mystery - why she would do other things that happened later in the book. I don't want to give away too many details. I enjoyed the story,even though the villain was painted before the end of the book, I felt there was enough mystery and suspicion cast to make me question if there was another culprit waiting to be revealed. It was figuring out the how's and why's that kept me reading.
I was given a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review. ( )