THE STRANGER IN THE MIRROR by Liv Constantine is the story of a woman who, after spending years not knowing who she is, decides to start living her life until itβs upended by a man who claims she is his wife and they have a daughter waiting for her at home. I have to say that I think the General Fiction (Adult) tag for this book is much more fitting than Mystery & Thrillers. I didnβt find this book particularly mysterious or thrilling, but I did find it interesting, and I love a good amnesia story! Addison has no idea what happened in her past, despite her best efforts to remember. What she does know is that sheβs plagued by horrific memories, and it has her scared for who she might have been in her previous life.
I thought Addison was so lucky in this new life she lived. She was rescued on the side of the road by a well-meaning trucker, and he brought her home, where he and his wife welcomed her into their home. She became a sort of surrogate daughter to them, after they had lost their own. She also had a wonderful fiance, Gabriel. I liked his family, especially his sister, who adored Addison and brought her right into the fold. His mother frustrated me, though not in a way that made me hate her. She was suspicious of Addison and her past, and as the matriarch of her well-off family, I understood where she was coming from, and even enjoyed it. So while I did find the first part of the story to be very slow-building, it was the strongest portion in my opinion. Once Julian, the claimed husband, came on the scene, things started to fall apart. Addisonβs decisions made no sense at times, and there were scenes between her and Julian that veered into billionaire romance territory. That always makes my skin crawl and gives me terrible reader memories. It all just came together in a very far-fetched way, and I didnβt find the second half nearly as interesting or gripping as the first.
Having said that, I stand by the fact that I found this book interesting in a mad scientist kind of way. But I would be cautious on who I recommend it to. THE STRANGER IN THE MIRROR was the first book by Liv Constantine that I read, but it will not be my last. I'm intrigued by her backlist and whatever she has coming next.Β
A diabolically twisty, psychologically unsettling novel about a woman with no recollection of her past from the authors of the Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick The Last Mrs. Parrish and The Wife Stalker.
“Liv Constantine plants her flag squarely in land staked out by the likes of Lisa Gardner and Karin Slaughter.”—Providence Journal
Addison’s about to get married, but she’s not looking forward to the big day. It’s not her fiancé; he’s a wonderful man. It’s because Addison doesn't know who she really is. A few years ago, a kind driver found her bleeding next to a New Jersey highway and rescued her. While her physical wounds healed, Addison’s memory never returned. She doesn’t know her real name. Or how she ended up injured on the side of a road. Or why she can’t shake the notion that she may have done something very, very bad . . .
In a posh home in the Boston suburbs, Julian tries to figure out what happened to his loving, caring wife, Cassandra, who disappeared without a trace two years ago. She would never have left him and their seven-year-old daughter Valentina of her own free will—or would she?
As these two lives intersect, The Stranger in the Mirror hooks readers with riveting drama, told with Liv Constantine’s hallmark blend of glamour, tense psychological thrills, and jaw-dropping twists.
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