#bookreview Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty @MichaelJBooks

‘This is a story that begins with a barbecue’

Due to the fact that I have so many books to be read before publication date, this book kept getting moved to one side…..

I recently saw the award it received from Goodreads and immediately decided it was time to give it a heave-ho up my TBR and read it.

Truly Madly Guilty is written by Liane Moriarty and was published July 2016 by Michael Joseph, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

I really enjoyed this book…read on to see why…

Book Blurb: 

What if they just said no?

What if they hadn’t gone? That’s the question Clementine Hart can’t stop asking herself. It was just an ordinary backyard barbecue on a Sunday afternoon. They didn’t know their hosts that well. They were friends of friends. They could so easily have said no.

But she and her husband Sam said yes, and now it’s two months later, it won’t stop raining and they can never change what they did and didn’t do that beautiful winter’s day.

Six responsible adults. Three cute kids.  One yapping dog.  It’s a quiet Sunday afternoon in the suburbs. What could possibly go wrong?

Truly Madly Guilty, Liane Moriarty takes on some of the most fundamental relationships in our lives: marriage, sex, parenthood, and friendship. She shows how guilt can expose the fault lines in the most seemingly strong relationships, how what we don’t say can be more powerful than what we do, and how too often we don’t appreciate how extraordinary our ordinary lives are until it’s too late.

It was just an ordinary Sunday afternoon…

Clementine and Sam are parents of two little girls, Ruby and Holly. Sam works in marketing and Clementine is a cellist looking to make a return to being a professional musician in an orchestra.

Erika and Oliver are a working couple with no kids. Both very driven in their respective occupations. Both very driven in their athleticism. Both from unsettled childhoods.

Vid and Tiffany are parents of Dakota, a young girl of ten who loves to read. Vid has children from a previous relationship. Tiffany is his second wife, beautiful and oozing sensuality with every single move she makes.

Clementine and Erika have a past and have been friends for many years. Tiffany and Erika are neighbours.

The sun is shining. It’s the weekend. Perfect for a barbecue at Vid and Tiffany’s palatial home. All are invited. All say yes…

Clementine and Sam’s relationship has it’s ups and downs but they are a young couple with two small kids. Finding time to be on their own is tough. When an invite to attend a barbecue arises Clementine seizes the opportunity. It would be great for them to have a bit of fun, to relax and to let their hair down. They have only met Vid and Tiffany on one occasion previously but are quite happy to attend. Their original plan was afternoon tea with Erika and Oliver…this sounded much more fun.

Erika and Oliver are a very serious couple. Life has not been too fair on them growing up so now their life together is ordered but still not complete. Erika has long standing issues with her mother. Having known Clementine from a very young age, Clementine’s mother has always remained close to Erika, looking out for her through the years. Erika almost idolizes Clementine’s family, their home was a sanctuary for her growing up.

Vid and Tiffany are the fun ‘Carpe Diem’ couple, always game for anything. Vid is an open book. He has made his money and he is quite comfortable displaying his wealth. He is very much of the mindset ~ ‘If you have it, flaunt it’. He casually bumps into Erika and persuades her, against her better judgement, to come to a spontaneous barbecue at his home and to bring her friends with her. Vid finds Clementine’s company fascinating and is genuinely delighted with her knowledge of cooking and classical music. Tiffany is very content in her relationship with Vid. He loves her, he admires her, he feels very comfortable and happy with this bombshell of a woman. Their’s is a very trusting relationship.

Liane Moriarty has written this novel in the aftermath of an event. The barbecue took place but it is the fallout that is portrayed so so well. There are many characters involved in this story. We are exposed to the inner workings of marriage. Where once there was trust, comfort and faith, now there is doubt, fear and upset.

Truly Madly Guilty is a story that focuses very much on the build up.

Each individual is dealing with their own role in the devastating event and how it affected them going forward. Relationships are tested to the limit as each character remembers the day with differing views. We get an almost voyeuristic look behind the curtains of a marriage and how each partner is adversely affected.

When reading Truly Madly Guilty, there were times when I began to feel quite frustrated as I had no idea where the story was going. What did happen at the barbecue I asked myself on more than one occasion…..but when I did reach the point where things started to be unveiled, I got it.

Liane Moriarty piqued my curiosity no end. I was driven to keep reading to the detriment of all around me. Truly Madly Guilty came everywhere with me!!!

I thoroughly enjoyed Truly Madly Guilty.

It really is an engrossing story about ordinary people and how one twist of fate can affect the lives of so many in such different ways.

Purchase Link : Truly Madly Guilty

About The Author: 

Liane Moriarty’s first novel, Three Wishes, was accepted by the lovely people at Pan Macmillan and went on to be published around the world. (Her latest books are published by the equally lovely people at Amy Einhorn Books in the US and Penguin in the UK).

Since then she has written five more novels for adults, The Last Anniversary, What Alice Forgot, The Hypnotists Love Story, The Husband’s Secret, Big Little Lies and her newest novel Truly Madly Guilty.

Liane is now a full-time author. She has sold over six million copies of her books worldwide and her novels have been translated into thirty-nine languages.

She lives in Sydney with her husband, son and daughter.