Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this great book.
Violet and Finn​ meet by chance, or was it fate? With instant chemistry, their initial meeting leaves a lasting impact on them both. ​So eventually, when they find each other again, get married, and start a family, we assume they'll live happily ever, right?

Not so. There are secrets from Finn's past, things Violet only gets fed bit by bit after Finn disappears with their young son. And Finn's not the only one keeping secrets. Their mutual friend has a doozy of her own, which holds her back from helping Violet.

Along with secrets comes guilt. Can Violet and Finn come to terms with the past? And, will they think the struggle to do so is worth it?

A great read, reminding us that everyone has a past. And some ​will go to great lengths to keep it hidden. ( )

Almost Missed You is the kind of book that has a great intriguing start and then when the answers start to come slowly loses some of its appeals. I loved the mystery of why Finn kidnapped his own son when he is apparently in a happy marriage to Bear's mother Violet. It was such a great start, wondering why Finn would do a thing like that. However, the answer to that question made me dislike Finn quite badly. To be totally honest did I want to bitch slap him a couple of times through the book. His decision, his secrets, well it annoyed the crap out of me. Thankfully Violet and Caitlin made the book bearable. Both women are in my opinion victims in this story. Violet who is left with no explanations to why her husband has left her and taken their son with them and Caitlin who is being blackmailed into helping Finn.

Almost Missed You did not turn out to be as good as I thought it would be when I started reading it. I liked the writing, but I did not like Finn's actions and that made the book a bit hard to read. For one thing, I just couldn't understand why Finn never told Violet about certain aspects of his past? Come clean about what happened those two years that it took for them to meet again after the first meeting. That Caitlin and her husband George didn't insist that Finn should tell Violet felt also a bit weird. There are a lot of other things that bothered me, but I don't want to spoil the story, but there are a lot of secrets in this book and those secrets are dragged into the light.

Almost Missed You may not have made my day. However, it was not all bad, I did like the writing and I wouldn't mind reading more from Jessica Strawser. I also have to admit, despite my dislike of Finn did when I read the ending hope that there would be a bright future for the characters.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review! ( )

Amazing for the Wrong Reason

Some who have read even cursorily into a small shelf of beach books, romantic mysteries, gothic potboilers, and the like, have probably encountered their fair share of head-shaking plots and self-flagellating characters. Even they, however, will find Jessica Strawser’s novel worthy of a gasp or three. And that’s not meant in a good way.

This novel, a suspense of sorts, revolves entirely around the plot. A happily married young woman, married to whom she thought was a dream man, returns from the beach to check in on her husband and young son. She finds them both missing and embarks on a frantic search to no avail. Turns out the dream husband has absconded with their child without nary a word of explanation or whiff of a clue. She returns home to have her grandmother try to help her face the situation. The FBI enters the case. Nothing can lift her from her funk and everything reminds her of her son, even the silence; self torment goes on for pages.

Her name is Violet. Her husband is Finn. She met him on a beach while on vacation, their sole connection that they had in their youth attended the same summer camp. Years pass before they hook up again and it is then that they marry and have their son Bear. They renew their relationship in Cincinnati. Through Finn, they have friends, Caitlin and George. These two are fabulously wealthy, not only by virtue of George’s family’s wealth and political connections, but also by George’s own business acumen. Finn and Caitlin have known each other for years and years. They share a bond that Caitlin’s husband respects, seemingly. When Caitlin, who has had a terrible time conceiving, issues twins, and Violet births Bear, Caitlin and Violet bond like hydrogen and oxogen. But, and this is the super big plot propulsion that drives the novel and probably why many have and will find it appealing: each harbors a profound secret chilling enough to transform their elemental bond of friendship in a block of ice between them. Enough said about the plot or your experience, if you decide to read the book, will be spoiled. Suffice it to say the whole thing will strike some of you as preposterous.

Now, we’ve all read the unbelievable and ridiculous when it comes to suspense and mystery novels. Usually, though, we can overlook this shortcoming because the author writes so well. Crisp dialogue. Enticing descriptions. Characters with substance. Situations that, within the context of the absurd, carry enough veracity to keep us going. Think Patricia Highsmith and others like her. Unfortunately, Almost Missed You possesses none of these saving graces. What that leaves you with is something guaranteed to try your patience. Dents in walls are made by books like this. ( )

Amazing for the Wrong Reason

Some who have read even cursorily into a small shelf of beach books, romantic mysteries, gothic potboilers, and the like, have probably encountered their fair share of head-shaking plots and self-flagellating characters. Even they, however, will find Jessica Strawser’s novel worthy of a gasp or three. And that’s not meant in a good way.

This novel, a suspense of sorts, revolves entirely around the plot. A happily married young woman, married to whom she thought was a dream man, returns from the beach to check in on her husband and young son. She finds them both missing and embarks on a frantic search to no avail. Turns out the dream husband has absconded with their child without nary a word of explanation or whiff of a clue. She returns home to have her grandmother try to help her face the situation. The FBI enters the case. Nothing can lift her from her funk and everything reminds her of her son, even the silence; self torment goes on for pages.

Her name is Violet. Her husband is Finn. She met him on a beach while on vacation, their sole connection that they had in their youth attended the same summer camp. Years pass before they hook up again and it is then that they marry and have their son Bear. They renew their relationship in Cincinnati. Through Finn, they have friends, Caitlin and George. These two are fabulously wealthy, not only by virtue of George’s family’s wealth and political connections, but also by George’s own business acumen. Finn and Caitlin have known each other for years and years. They share a bond that Caitlin’s husband respects, seemingly. When Caitlin, who has had a terrible time conceiving, issues twins, and Violet births Bear, Caitlin and Violet bond like hydrogen and oxogen. But, and this is the super big plot propulsion that drives the novel and probably why many have and will find it appealing: each harbors a profound secret chilling enough to transform their elemental bond of friendship in a block of ice between them. Enough said about the plot or your experience, if you decide to read the book, will be spoiled. Suffice it to say the whole thing will strike some of you as preposterous.

Now, we’ve all read the unbelievable and ridiculous when it comes to suspense and mystery novels. Usually, though, we can overlook this shortcoming because the author writes so well. Crisp dialogue. Enticing descriptions. Characters with substance. Situations that, within the context of the absurd, carry enough veracity to keep us going. Think Patricia Highsmith and others like her. Unfortunately, Almost Missed You possesses none of these saving graces. What that leaves you with is something guaranteed to try your patience. Dents in walls are made by books like this. ( )

Suspense and dual timelines frame this novel which is centered around the disappearance of a father and son while on vacation. As one might expect, there were plenty of plot twists, right up to the conclusion and lots of characters with complex motivations. Overall, I enjoyed this novel but I never really fully immersed myself in the story. I imagine if you're the kind of reader who enjoys mysteries and suspense, this would be the kind of book for you. ( )