Once in a while, it is a treat to find yourself enjoying an unexpected book. There are books that one knows their reaction to based on any previous books by the author and some (many) times by the cover. When both of those fail to guide the reader in a good way, it is a cause for excitement.
This was one such book for me. I was so invested that I actually found myself looking up ways to get my hands on the next book (given that the first in the series was originally released in 2018). I found the second on KU and read it almost at the heels of the first. But, I am getting ahead of myself. I should first talk about the content of the book. We have Rebecca Marley, who works for a magazine, in an important role. She likes only two people in her workplace in extremely different ways and is in a bad mood when she is introduced and the scene is set. Things spiral to such a point that Rebecca takes a vow of silence. This is not just silence though, it is the lack of actual communication unless it is an emergency (or required updates of her life for the magazine).
The challenge seems simple enough to the reader and to Rebecca herself until the days start to blur. Given the pandemic and lockdowns that many people faced, quite a few without family or very close friends on hand will surely empathize(even if it is just a self-planned challenge in this narrative) with how the mind plays tricks.
Rebecca is not a happy, satisfied individual, she is troubled in mild ways, but the silence makes her question a lot of things. I would not have bought into the explanations of how Rebecca felt during the period if it was all dark or all light and fluffy. The mix of the two, as well as the past and once or twice the future, intrudes to add something to the narrative.
I would not have assumed there would be much to add in the sequel except to draw out a romantic entanglement, but that was a surprise as well.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers and the review is solely based on my reading experience (and maybe the concept of lockdowns).
I found the second book on KU. Although it is enjoyable as an individual book, there is a depth that is only visible to those who have worked with Rebecca as she faced her demons and stayed sane(sort of).
I genuinely did not think a lead protagonist would do any more self-analysis after having tasted success in our first visit. But, there was more! This is not a sign of annoyance on my part. I enjoyed (if I can use that word) the continuing growth arc that Rebecca Marley and her newfound fame take.
Rebecca is now a published writer. She has an agent, a Facebook page and everything that goes with people sometimes identifying her in the road and taking selfies. There is another book due, and she is extremely reluctant to bring up things she has finished already because it does not fit in with her image. What happens next is the complete book. We have new characters to add to the existing lovable ones.
It was an entertaining book that I am glad I took the time out to read ahead of others already pending because I felt like the story was now complete.
Superfluous Reading 