Author: Mary O Paddock
Published By: Dreaming Big Publications, 2017
Reviewed By: Corinthia
About the Book
Hannah Whitfield is tired of living a lie. She's been so caught up in hiding her affair from her husband, Jeff, and her three children that she cannot remember the last time she was honest with anyone, including her lover, Clint. Telling Jeff the truth is the hardest thing she's ever done, but she expects Clint to understand when she ends the affair. After all, he's the one who said "When it's over, it's over." Instead, he spends months stalking and intimidating Hannah. At last, Hannah believes she has finally convinced him to give up, and she and Jeff go camping. But Clint follows, and his actions alter the course of Hannah's destiny forever.
Review, Rating 4/5
Bright was an interesting surprise. When I first started reading it I assumed that it was going to be a tale of marital forgiveness and spiritual healing. I could have not have been more wrong! Around 40+ pages in the story it took a far darker turn than my initial assumption and nearly gave me whiplash from its change in direction. Balancing delicately on the line of spirituality and the horrific Bright challenged me to look at it with a different set of glasses and put aside any of my previous assumptions before it whisked off and entangled me in its pages.
With a mash-up of what I would think would be opposing genres Mary Paddock takes on the challenge and delivers a rare gem for the thriller and spiritual reader. Despite its dark overtone Bright highlights the spiritual weight of past sins and how the only thing keeping us from forgiveness can be us not forgiving ourselves.
Overall, I can say that I relatively enjoyed Bright. It was a surprising read and an interesting combination of genre. However, for readers who struggle reading longer books Bright does have areas where the scenes drag and slow down to almost unbearable speeds. Another flaw would be some of its characters, although some are well fleshed some come off as flat and ‘cookie-cutter.’ Despite this Bright is still an enjoyable read for those who want a little bit of spiritual intervention with their thriller.
About the Author
Mary Paddock lives with her family in the Missouri Ozarks. To date, she's written four books, and numerous short stories. Her short work has been published in a variety of venues. Mary's an avid gardener, loves long walks, and good books. In her spare time, she rescues strays, flea market china, and abandoned ideas.