Loved it - it wove the views from three different women on what it is to be a mom, and what lengths we will go to for a child. ( )

2.5 stars. I disliked every character. Not sure why I stuck it out! ( )

Predictable, unexciting, unrealistic. I wanted to like it, but I should have known it would not be my cup of tea from the synopsis. I wanted to shake all three of these women (and believe me the men were not one bit better). ( )

A complex story about family, mistakes, adoption, and the ties that bind and tear us apart told from three alternating points-of-view (okay, four, if you count a few chapters told from the man's point-of-view toward the end of the story).

A lot of issues were explored, but I didn't feel satisfied with the summary ending. I really wanted a symbol to tie it all up, something that would resonate long after the book was finished. With something this complex, the reader needs to feel like the struggle will continue and be given a symbol of the strength the characters will need or develop or a hint at their failure. That's the only thing keeping me from giving this book 5 stars. ( )

All stories have a beginning, a MUDDLE (middle) and an end. Randy Susan Meyers creates a huge muddle in her book "The comfort of lies". All four major characters are confronted with their denial of the truth, and their motives for their actions. There are no simple solutions to their problems, and they all end up making major changes in their lives. It is clear that Meyers worked for years in human services and has intimate knowledge of the ways of dysfunctional families. She writes with empathy for each of her characters.

The composition of the book is easy to follow. It is chronological with each chapter focussed on one of the protagonists. This device creates extra tension, because you feel sympathy for each point of view. The reading group guide in the back asks several questions about who the reader sympathizes with the most, and I find it hard to decide. This may also be because the protagonists belong to different segments of society, and that made especially Caroline seem arrogant and indifferent, Juliette a selfish spoiled brat, and Nathan an irresponsible jerk and Tia an promiscuous alcoholic. However, Meyers manages to flesh out her character in such away that the reader understands their stirrings in their souls and can follow their decisionmaking process.

This is an easy entertaining read with a lot of psychological depth. ( )