4.5⭐ rounded to 5⭐

Sunday Forrester lives with her sixteen-year-old daughter, Dolly, in the house she grew up in. She does things more carefully than most people but the one thing very much out of her control is Dolly - her clever, headstrong daughter, now on the cusp of leaving home. Into this carefully ordered world step Vita and Rollo, a couple who move in next door. Soon they are in and out of each others' homes, and Sunday feels loved and accepted like never before. But beneath Vita and Rollo's polish lies something else, something darker. For Sunday has precisely what Vita has always wanted for herself: a daughter of her own.

I think this book is so cleverly written - we're in the head of Sunday, who is autistic and in real time, we're watching her unravel the mystery in the time that it takes her to process and work out what's happened and how it's been able to happen, without her realising at the time. Whilst the pace is quite slow, I think the intrigue I had as well as the tension and uneasy feelings I had about some of the characters, kept my interest enough for me to want to know what had happened. I don't think this will be the case for everybody as admittedly, it took me a while into the book for me to truly appreciate how much thought had gone into deliberately putting the pace slow.

I loved the own voices autism representation and how this book shines a light on how autistic people often view the world and their thought process when it comes to figure things out and also trying to fit in a world that is made for neurotypicals. I will be honest, the treatment of the neurodivergent characters was hard to read about, but I think this helps to shine a light on the discrimination that neurodivergent people often face. Whilst I did like Sunday and David as characters - the same cannot be said for any of the other characters. Although, I appreciate that they were shown in that way for a reason and it adds to the uneasiness and tension that you feel throughout the book, once you realise that not all is as it seems. I do think that a lot of the side characters were quite unmemorable.

My only issue with this book is the ending. Whilst the pacing of the rest of the book was slow, the ending felt like someone had put their foot on the accelerator because they were in a rush to wrap everything up and answer all of the remaining questions. There wasn't much time to let the events of the ending sink in because as soon as one event had happened, something else would then happen and the first event lost its moment and impact, which was a shame as the whole book is building up for that moment and it just didn't hit as hard as it could have done.

Thanks to Tinder Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book, in exchange for an honest review.

⚠️ CWs: ableism, cursing, gaslighting, child death, death of parents, emotional abuse, animal death, alcohol use, grief, animal cruelty; mentions physical assault, suicide, kidnapping, cheating ⚠️

This is a beautifully written book about an autistic mother. The main character is well developed. The story is emotional.

Sunday and her daughter, Dolly, lead a quiet life until Vita and her husband Rollo become their summer neighbours. Sunny, living a solitary existence, is captivated by Vita's exuberance, drawing them into her vibrant world.

The book, narrated from an autistic perspective, sheds light on the struggle to fit into a world that often undervalues such efforts. The exploration of this theme is thought-provoking and adds depth to the narrative.

Vita, a compelling character, exudes energy and, despite her apparent selfishness, displays moments of genuine kindness. The nuanced portrayal challenges readers' perceptions. However, the 'child-stealing' trope was less appreciated, though the ending offered some redemption. Overall, a unique narrative with a rich exploration of characters and perspectives.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Sunday lives alone with her daughter, Dolly, Vita and her husband Rollo move next door to them for the summer. Sunny lives a solitary life but becomes fascinated by the exuberant Vita who pulls Sunny and Dolly into her life.

It was interesting to read a book written fully from the perspective of someone with autism. The idea of how much they try to fit into the world and how this is often under appreciated really comes through.

I really liked the character of Vita, though I’m not sure I was supposed to like her that much! She had such energy and thought ultimately a very selfish person she could also show great kindness to others. I didn’t really appreciate the ‘any woman without a child clearly wants to steal a child’ trope but the ending made-up for that a little bit.

I think this will be a book that I think about a lot in the future and especially about Sunday and how she navigates the world around her and the acceptance that she needed.

I enjoyed this book but did think I'd find it more enjoyable than I did. At times it was hard to finish but by the end I was glad I did.

Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I hoped I would. I found it very hard to get through and had to give up less than halfway hough.

I really enjoyed this story, Sunday was a really interesting character, quite complex but well explained in terms of how she interpreted the world I felt. She had some unpleasant and difficult characters to navigate as the tale unfolded. Her inlaws were horrid, her husband and then of course the intriguing Vita next door. Quite a slow read in terms of pace, but with real depth, gives you time to process the interactions. One to savour.

An interesting story about a socially awkward girl who learns from those around her. This is a slow paced read, one to lose yourself in.

This was an interesting story featuring a quirky, socially-awkward woman who relies on crutches she has devised to get through life, Her world is broadened but ultimately threatened by a glamorous couple with move in next door and worm their way into her carefully ordered life.

Sunday has grown up unloved by her parents, constantly criticised and later devastated by family tragedy. She marries rich, handsome Alex (“the King”) but his initial attraction to her fades and he begins to belittle and ridicule her, eventually divorcing her but providing for her and their daughter, Dolly. Sunday is different and struggles to “fit in”- she repeats phrases and makes strange gestures, will only eat white foods and relies on an old ettiquette book to help her navigate social situations. When glamourous, unconventional Vita moves in next door and seems to take ashine to her, Sunday begins to feel understood and loved- but then Vita begins to take an increased interest in the teenaged Dolly, and a darker side to her emerges which will change Sunday’s world for good. This is a lyrical, tender story with a deceptively sharp kick. Sunday is an appealing character and her journey is touching. I hated the way she was treated by her snobbish in-laws, her mother and particularly the rather brattish and entitled Dolly, but felt that she was ultimately the character who was most at peace and content in her life, which I liked. The picture built up of Vita and her indulgent husband Rollo illustrates how a couple who seem so vibrant, exciting and successful can still be unhappy and unfulfilled and destroy the good things they achieve. This story of love, family and wealth lingers in the memory after reading and is a reminder of how the most valuable things cannot be bought.

Possible spoilers

Sunday is an interesting character, I had a lot of sympathy for her.
Dolly is an interesting character, full of life.
So is Vita... throwing them all together like that, works a treat.
I was expecting something more sinister going on the blurb, but this slower pacing works so well, that you hardly know what's happened, until its done.
An enjoyable read that definitely felt better once I read the epilogue, which ties everything up brilliantly.