A Necessary End: A Novel by Holly Brown

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

How far would you go to get what you wanted? The author of Don’t Try to Find Me returns with a taut, riveting novel of psychological suspense—a domestic drama full of secrets and twists—about a woman determined to have a child, her ambivalent husband, and a pregnant teenager with a secret agenda of her own.

“I know now that there was no other way things could have turned out. Tragedies are inevitable, just like the great love stories, like us.”

Thirty-nine-year-old Adrienne is desperate to be a mother. And this time, nothing is going to get in her way.

Sure, her husband, Gabe, is ambivalent about fatherhood. But she knows that once he holds their baby, he’ll come around. He’s just feeling a little threatened, that’s all. Because once upon a time, it was Gabe that Adrienne wanted more than anything; she was willing to do anything. . . . But that was half a lifetime ago. She’s a different person now, and so is Gabe. There are lines she wouldn’t cross, not without extreme provocation.

And sure, she was bitten once before by another birth mother—clear to the bone—and for most people, it’s once bitten, twice shy. But Adrienne isn’t exactly the retiring type.

At nineteen, Leah bears a remarkable resemblance to the young woman Adrienne once was. Which is why Adrienne knows the baby Leah is carrying is meant to be hers. But Leah’s got ideas of her own: Her baby’s going to get a life in California; why shouldn’t she? All she wants is to live in Adrienne’s house for a year after the baby’s born, and get a fresh start.

It seems like a small price for Adrienne to pay to get their baby. And with Gabe suddenly on board, what could possibly go wrong?

my thoughts:

A dark and suspense-filled psychological thriller that will have you staying up til the wee hours of the morning just to get to the end of the story.  I absolutely LOVED Holly Brown's novel, A Necessary End.  And, I would happily recommend it to fans of psychological thrillers and suspense novels - you will most definitely enjoy this book!

Told via alternating chapters, we get the story of married couple Adrienne and Gabe.  Adrienne is obsessed with having a baby - to the point that Gabe is no longer sure he wants a kid.  And then they meet Leah.  She's young and pregnant.  She tells the couple that she wants to start a new life after having her baby.  If they help her get set up, she will give them her kid.  Eager for the baby, Adrienne and Gabe sign papers that stipulate Leah's wishes.  Talk about baby fever blinding a couple!  Why would you agree to someone's wishes and not your own?  How can you even trust them?  Well, Adrienne doesn't trust Leah.  She's convinced that Leah will do a runner once the baby is born - so she will just have to make sure that doesn't happen.  As for Gabe, he likes Leah and wants to make Adrienne happy, so he goes along with everything.  Of course, everyone has hidden agendas and as the story unfolds, little bombshells get revealed.  The kind that make you go, "WTF!" and "OMFG!".  Yep, its that kind of drama - which I LOVE!! The story is terrific with all of twists and turns - made for quite a great read.  As for the characters, as much as I disliked them (they are the epitome of unlikeable), I still wanted to find out what would happen to them.  Brown's writing just make you want to keep reading.  And, that is all I will say.  Just know that you are in for quite a ride with A Necessary End.

Here's the link to the TLC Book Tour schedule for: A Necessary End

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!