The Things We Wish Were True by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen + Giveaway
Author: Marybeth Mayhew Whalen
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Release Date: September 1, 2016
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

In an idyllic small-town neighborhood, a near tragedy triggers a series of dark revelations.
From the outside, Sycamore Glen, North Carolina, might look like the perfect all-American neighborhood. But behind the white picket fences lies a web of secrets that reach from house to house.
Up and down the streets, neighbors quietly bear the weight of their own pasts—until an accident at the community pool upsets the delicate equilibrium. And when tragic circumstances compel a woman to return to Sycamore Glen after years of self-imposed banishment, the tangle of the neighbors’ intertwined lives begins to unravel.
During the course of a sweltering summer, long-buried secrets are revealed, and the neighbors learn that it’s impossible to really know those closest to us. But is it impossible to love and forgive them?
From the outside, Sycamore Glen, North Carolina, might look like the perfect all-American neighborhood. But behind the white picket fences lies a web of secrets that reach from house to house.
Up and down the streets, neighbors quietly bear the weight of their own pasts—until an accident at the community pool upsets the delicate equilibrium. And when tragic circumstances compel a woman to return to Sycamore Glen after years of self-imposed banishment, the tangle of the neighbors’ intertwined lives begins to unravel.
During the course of a sweltering summer, long-buried secrets are revealed, and the neighbors learn that it’s impossible to really know those closest to us. But is it impossible to love and forgive them?

Somewhat melodramatic with definitely a "gossipy" feel to it, there's quite a number of characters to take in, and remember, not everyone is who or what they seem. With a sense of foreboding and a sense of drama in a soap opera sense, The Things We Wish Were True may be what the title suggests, we wish for it to be true. We wish for a storyline that draws you in and captivates you. Though I believe there are great merits and potential to many subplots, this one just doesn't hold my interest or create a strong opinion on it. I'm not particularly fond of any of the characters, but there were some surprises, redeeming some of my disappointments. In all, it's a light summer read that you will breeze through within hours, if you can skim through the draggy parts. If you are looking for light romance with some drama and slight suspense, go for it.
"Jencey understood, there were the things she wished were true, and there was what was actually true. She was learning that there was usually a great distance between the two."
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Marybeth Mayhew Whalen is the author of five previous novels and speaks to women’s groups around the United States. She is the cofounder of the popular women’s fiction site She Reads and is active in a local writers’ group. Marybeth and her husband, Curt, have been married for twenty-four years and are the parents of six children, ranging from young adult to elementary age. The family lives in North Carolina. Marybeth spends most of her time in the grocery store but occasionally escapes long enough to scribble some words. She is always at work on her next novel.







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