Blog tour ~ book review: What We Did by Natalie Chandler

3⭐
Publication date ~ May 11, 2023
Page count ~ 365
Audio length ~ 10 hours
POV ~ dual 3rd person
Featuring ~ boarding school, se*ual assault (child & adult), self harm, drug use, excessive alcohol use, off page suicide reference, infidelity, dual timeline ~ now and 25 years ago

I am delighted to be on this blog tour ~ thanks to Headline for asking me to take part

See what my fellow bloggers thought of this one

My review:

The story follows Jenna & Drew who went to boarding school together 25 years ago, along with Ava, Olivia & Seb. Now he is her son’s swimming coach and the beloved head at an exclusive public school. She has been having nightmares and is finally coming forward about the abuse she faced while at school.

As the story moves along between the dual timelines the abuse and ‘what they did’ is slowly revealed. I can’t say I was surprised about what they did, but I was surprised~ish about what we learned in the last bit. I was not a fan of a 14 year old using drugs as a coping mechanism or a 39 year old using alcohol as a coping mechanism. None of the characters were particularly likable either. Jenna was not the most attentive mother, which made me feel bad for 13 year old, Lando. And due to the lack of attention he came across as a brat. Husband, Zach, was actually okay. He seemed loving and supportive.

Overall, while this one did not fully grip me I liked it well enough. I was invested enough to want to see how it would all play out.

*Thanks to the author and Headline for the ARC and asking me to be on the blog tour. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*

Add to your never ending TBR  ~ goodreads

I’d love to hear your thoughts if you’ve read it.

Book blurb:

ONE SMALL SCRATCH AND THE SECRETS WILL COME POURING OUT . . .

Jenna has spent the last twenty-five years trying to forget what happened to her as a teenager. Trying to forget what they did.

But it has always been there – the mistake the four friends made.

Now it has taken another life, Jenna has the opportunity to make amends. But if she comes forward now, the truth could shatter her marriage, her family and the friendships she’s held onto all these years.

And what if she’s about to make the biggest mistake of all?

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