Thursday, August 3, 2017

Book Review ~ Best Day Ever by Kaira Rouda



Best Day Ever
by Kaira Rouda


“I glance at my wife as she climbs into the passenger seat, and I am bursting with confidence. Today will be everything I’ve promised her…and more…”

Paul Strom has the perfect life: a glittering career as an advertising executive, a beautiful wife, two healthy boys and a big house in a wealthy suburb. And he’s the perfect husband: breadwinner, protector, provider. That’s why he’s planned a romantic weekend for his wife, Mia, at their lake house, just the two of them. And he's promised today will be the best day ever.

But as Paul and Mia drive out of the city and toward the countryside, a spike of tension begins to wedge itself between them and doubts start to arise. How much do they trust each other? And how perfect is their marriage, or any marriage, really?

Forcing us to ask ourselves just how well we know those who are closest to us, Best Day Ever crackles with dark energy, spinning ever tighter toward its shocking conclusion. In the bestselling, page-turning vein of The Couple Next Door and The Dinner, Kaira Rouda weaves a gripping, tautly suspenseful tale of deception and betrayal dark enough to destroy a marriage…or a life.

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Paul Strom has it all…..perfect children, a perfect wife (who just happens to have the perfect bank account), the perfect career, a perfect life.  He is totally blessed with high intelligence, good looks and the ability to charm just about anyone.  Paul loves women and women love him.  Paul is misunderstood by just about everyone he meets, and he just can’t seem to grasp why he isn’t loved by all.

God Bless his egotistical, narcissistic, delusional, manipulative heart. 

What Paul believes about himself is just sad.   Paul is a psychotic jerk and is about to get a reality check handed to him all tied up in a nice pretty bow. Well, maybe not so much because he is so out of touch reality, none of what happened is his fault.

Yes, this is Paul’s story and the reader gets up close and personal with his thoughts, desires and how he was wronged in so many different situations.  Nothing is ever Paul’s fault….you know, because he is perfect.

But anyway….as you can tell from the title, this book is about the BEST DAY EVER.  Paul and his lovely wife, Mia, are taking a weekend trip to their beach cottage.  Their two boys are being cared for by a babysitter and Paul and Mia are going to have a carefree weekend alone.  It’s going to be a perfect day with his perfect wife at his perfect cottage. Nothing will get in the way of the Best Day Ever.  Or so he thinks.  I won’t give anything away, but Paul’s plans get ruined and the sweet smell of revenge is in the air.  It is the best day ever…..just not for Paul.

The day is told from Paul’s perspective and the reader learns a lot about his marriage, his job, his lovers and everything in between.  For about five seconds, I kind of liked Paul.  He seemed to be the devoted and loving husband every girl dreams of having. But as the story progressed, it didn’t take long before I started to despise this man and everything about him.  And this is how it is supposed to be.  At the end of this story, you will despise Paul as well.  Paul is an evil, asinine jerk.

For the most part, I liked this book.  Getting inside Paul’s head seem to draw out a little longer than I would have liked, but to get to the heart of the story, I understand why the author did this.

The Best Day Ever is well-written and although the story was slow going for me, the journey to the end was well worth the effort.  It’s a dark, gripping psychological thriller that will keep you turning each page determined to know how this twisted story will end.

3 ½  stars



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Kaira Rouda is a USA TODAY bestselling, multiple award-winning author of contemporary fiction exploring what goes on behind closed doors of seemingly perfect lives. Her next novel, BEST DAY EVER, is out September 19th.

She lives in Southern California with her family and is at work on her next novel. 

If you'd like to host Kaira at your book club, in person or via Skype/Facetime, please reach out through her website KairaRouda.com



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