On the surface, Luke and his girlfriend, Hannah, seem to have a perfect life. He’s an A&R man, she’s an arts correspondent and they are devoted to their newborn son, Samuel. But beneath the gloss Luke has always felt like an outsider. When he finds his birth mother, Alice, the instant connection with her is a little like falling in love.
So when Hannah goes back to work, Luke asks Alice to look after their son. But Alice – deranged with grief when her baby was taken from her 27 years ago – starts to fall in love with Samuel and starts to pretend their child is hers….
Mine by Clare Empson Review
Emotional, Heartbreaking but Truly Magnificent
I have to admit, I found it tough to read this book, given the current climate (- the Covid-19 pandemic) emotions are running high, and reading has become more and more difficult as the weeks have gone on. However, it may have taken longer to read this book that normal for me, but that is absolutely not a reflection of Clare Empson’s writing. That – I am glad to say – is flawless. Her previous novel (Him) had set the bar of expectation high, but Clare vaulted over that one with ease.
Mine is classed as a psychological thriller, but in my opinion, there is much more heart and emotion on the pages than many other psychological thrillers I have read of late.
At different points throughout the book, my heart was torn apart and maybe it’s due to the emotions running high at the moment, but I won’t deny that I shed a tear or two.
The book is cleverly narrated, alternating between Alice’s story in the past and Luke in the current day. We explore the complicated feelings of someone dealing with being adopted, the emotions and tensions faced with adoptive parents and the complicated emotions of a ‘blood’ relative come back into your life.
This is an emotional rollercoaster of a ride, filled with tension, love, heartbreak and even a few sneaky surprises.
Many Thanks to Tracy Fenton at Compulsive Readers and Orion for inviting us on this Blog Tour.
Published by: Orion Publishing
ISBN: 978-140917-775-3
