Sometimes it amazes me that an author can have such a way with words that they’re able to deliver a novel that is articulate and totally different from others.
I picked up this book not really realizing what it was going to be like and I have to say that I do suggest that you are in the right place of mind as you dive into the story.
The author does a deep dive into OCD syndrome and shows different variations than what we may be used to hearing about. Through it all we also watch an amazing romance unfold. Continue below for the full review.
How to Hide in Plain Sight by Emma Noyes
Publisher: Berkley (September 10, 2024)
ISBN-13: 978-0593639023
OVERVIEW:
On the day she arrives in Canada for her older brother’s wedding, Eliot Beck hasn’t seen her family in three years. Eliot adores her big, wacky, dysfunctional collection of siblings and in-laws, but there’s a reason she fled to Manhattan and buried herself in her work—and she’s not ready to share it with anyone. Not when speaking it aloud could send her back into the never-ending cycle of the obsessive-compulsive disorder that consumed her for years.
Eliot thinks she’s prepared to survive the four-day-long wedding extravaganza—until she sees her best friend, Manuel, waiting for her at the marina and looking as handsome as ever. He was the person who, when they met as children, felt like finding the missing half of her soul. The person she tried so hard not to fall in love with… but did anyway.
Manuel’s presence at the wedding threatens to undo the walls Eliot has built around herself. The fortress that keeps her okay. If she isn’t careful, by the end of this wedding, the whole castle might come crumbling down.
How to Hide in Plain Sight by Emma Noyes Review
This book did take me by surprise and I have to admit I’m glad I am a strong-minded person because this book tended to be a lot. It’s a lot of mental power to absorb and understand the complexities someone goes through who has OCD.
I have to say I certainly learned a lot and what I love the most is her best friend, Manny, and the honest, true love and support He always gave her. Sadly, she never really understood.
The story has so many complexities to it and I’m not going to try to explain any of it because you truly need to experience the story to understand it completely.
The author crafts the story with a lot of intricacy and detail that is positive and uplifting, but also very heavy at times. It’s almost exhausting to read what’s going through the main character’s mind.
But what I loved the most is her relationship with her best friend and what she had to do to work through that.
What I really missed the most in this book was the ending. We are taken on this journey of growth, healing, complex relationships, and mental warfare. Then the ending is super abrupt and we really don’t get much of a closure. We don’t get that final happiness that the two main characters deserve after they go through it all.
This book truly needs an epilogue and I wish we would’ve gotten that for a better closure for our own part as well as the characters. We need to feel her joy too.
This is a tough one to rate. Tough subject matter but definitely a unique story that is well told and well written. How to Hide in Plain Sight is one to remember!
3.5 STARS!!
Disclaimer: Chris has personally reviewed the product listed above. She has not received any monetary compensation for her review but did receive a free ebook so she could evaluate and use it for this post. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ.
Hi! I’m Chris! Just a Midlife Wife sharing about life’s journey; screaming and kicking through it while supposedly aging gracefully…
Focusing on healthy living, low carb & keto, things I am loving right now, and life in general.