Two couples. Four sides of the story. A hundred ways to break their families apart 💔
Every Tuesday night, two couples see the same therapist for marriage counselling. At 8pm, as Liv and Jay are leaving their session, they see Maya and Hugo waiting to go in.
When their young boys start at the same school, things are initially awkward, but as the women get to know one another, they become friends, sharing the fractures in their respective marriages. Soon, they are confiding their deepest secrets.
Then Liv and Jay’s son comes home from school upset, saying that Maya and Hugo’s son is bullying him. There’s no choice but to confront the issue, but what should be a civil conversation between grown-ups soon takes a turn. As the delicate threads holding their relationships together start to unravel, they are all left to question the foundations that both their marriages and friendships have been built on.
About The Author
My Review
This book is about the quiet unraveling of two marriages and the unexpected bond that forms when secrets begin to surface. This is a subtle yet gripping exploration of friendship, fidelity, and the stories couples tell themselves to survive.
The novel opens with an awkward meeting in a therapist’s waiting room, where Liv and Maya slowly develop a connection that feels tentative but deeply real. As they share the cracks in their respective marriages, their conversations become the emotional heart of the story—raw, intimate, and uncomfortably honest. Finnerty excels at showing the contrast between outwardly polished lives and the private disappointments simmering beneath.
Tension escalates when a conflict between their sons at school forces long-suppressed issues into the open. What should be straightforward quickly turns messy, exposing blurred boundaries, simmering resentments, and fragile trust. The author handles these moments with empathy, never tipping into melodrama, but allowing the emotional consequences to land naturally.
What truly stands out is the lack of judgment. Every character feels flawed, human, and believable. With shifting perspectives and moral ambiguity, the novel keeps you questioning loyalties until the end.
Thought-provoking and emotionally rich, this is a compelling, quietly powerful read about how easily certainties can fall apart.
My Rating
Link To Purchase
My Sanctuary 