Now that we’re back in Virginia, I’ve gotten to rejoin my Teacher Book Club (which I’ve missed terribly…and not just for the margaritas).
The latest selection(s) for the summer was actually a “paired text” (and yes, this is an English teacher practice. We practice what we teach, ya feel me?)
The books included The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy, which was my selection from the Book of the Month club a couple of months ago, and The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena.
In my opinion, these are perfect to read back to back to compare and contrast, for a few reasons:
-they both explore the stress and postpartum depression that can come with motherhood.
-the storylines circulate around the abduction of a newborn baby.
-the mother of each baby is made to feel ashamed for being less-than impeccable as they navigate and balance being moms with having a life outside of motherhood, thus resulting in the disappearance of their babies
Though this review is about The Couple Next Door, you can find my review of The Perfect Mother through my Goodreads page, located here.
Anne and Marco Conti appear to be the perfect married couple; he’s a young, successful entrepreneur and she’s the perfect stay-at-home mom to a new born baby girl, Cora. They live in pristine suburbs, in an upscale and safe neighborhood, sharing their block with other hoity-toity up-and-comers, vying for success and notoriety.
They are asked to join their next-door-neighbor’s birthday dinner by Cynthia, a shameless vixen, inviting Anne and Marco under the pretense that they will be helping celebrate her husband Graham. The only stipulation? No babies aloud. Unfortunately, the Contis’ babysitter cancels on them last minute, so they decide to monitor her by doing periodic check-ins and palming their baby monitor just in case.
From there comes too much alcohol, inebriated flirtations and unchecked jealously, which inevitably ends their night. When they finally get home, they realize to their horror…Cora has disappeared.
There are so many twists to this book, that I can’t possibly go into more detail without giving you all the juicy particulars.
Me, at the end of this book like…
My takeaways/life lessons? Never leave your baby to have a good time (kidding) and don’t bother with fake friends (yas, yas, yassss!)
If you’re looking for a good, spine-tingling thriller, definitely pick this up!
You can purchase yours from here:
And if you’re looking for the paired text (highly recommend!), you can find it here:
Let me know how you like them!
Happy & healthy reading!
Alexis
