Behind Closed Doors
Have you ever picked up a book, started to read it and automatically believed that you know what will happen next?
Well, Behind Closed Doors was one such book for me. I truly thought that after the first few pages I would be able to predict the storyline – how wrong was I.
Now, I don’t intend to spoil the story for those of you who have still to read this novel but I do wish to share with you the general idea so that you can decide whether this is the book for you.
The Story Line of Behind Closed Doors
“Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace.
He has the looks and wealth, she has charm and elegance. You
Might not want to like them, but you do.
You’d like to get to know Grace better.
But it’s difficult, because you realise Jack and
Grace are never apart.
Some might call this true love. Others might ask why…” (pg.1)
Which female wouldn’t want to find their perfect man?
When Grace spotted Jack across Regent’s Park one sunny Sunday afternoon she never expected him to notice her. Even when he started to dance with her little sister, Millie, beside the bandstand, she believed that he was just being polite; after all Millie is a special girl, who gains a lot of attention.
“…this perfect gentleman got up from his seat, went over to where Millie was dancing, bowed and held out his hand to her.
Well, Millie was delighted and, as they begun to waltz, everyone started applauding… It was a very, very special moment.
And, of course, I fell immediately in love with Jack…” (pg.13)
With film star good looks, Jack stands out in any crowd, whereas Grace, whilst attractive, is not in the same league, but still there is an attraction between them.
Within months, the successful lawyer is proposing to Grace, asking her to give up the job she loves in order to focus on growing a family. Shell-shocked and in a daze after such a short romance Grace agrees, packs up her flat, starts to plan a wedding and begins to daydream about this perfect life she is about it have. Wonderful home, fantastic husband and the family she has always wished for.
What more could a person wish for?
Jack spends his time finding the perfect home for them to start married life together in, promising Grace that it will be all she hoped for but wants to keep it as a surprise – a wedding present to be unveiled after the honeymoon he has lovingly researched and booked for them.
With the day of the wedding fast approaching some people would be concerned that things are moving too quickly, Grace however, knows that she has made the right decision – Jack is a wonderful, intelligent and loving man – what more could she hope for.
Even on the day of the wedding, when things don’t quite go to plan and Millie is badly hurt just before the nuptials begin, Grace ploughs on, gets married without her sister or parents by her side and tries to enjoy the day.
However, once she has said ‘I do’ things begin to change.
Like most newlyweds, Grace and Jack head off on honeymoon, choosing to relax for a couple of weeks on the coveted beaches of Thailand, or that’s what Grace believes they will be doing. Jack however, it seems has other ideas.
And so, it is at this point, thousands of miles away from home, where Grace realises that the fairytale has officially end, and her nightmare is about to begin.
The honeymoon period has truly ended – in fact it never even begun.
In public they are the perfect couple; loving and happy. Behind closed doors however, a different couple have emerged; a couple who are both bitter and ravaged with hatred. To everyone else, Grace is the luckiest girl alive, if only they could really see what was going on.
If only people would look further, to see past the towering brick walls and the sturdy iron gates, past the perfectly manicured gardens and the dream house and perhaps you will start to see that not all is as it seems. Sometimes, the person that notices is an outsider; someone you are wary of and see as a threat but perhaps that threat will become the one saviour you so desperately need.
Our Thoughts on Behind Closed Doors
Without adding any spoilers, this is a book that lives up to its hype. This is a story about one woman’s desire to be loved and what can happen when it goes horribly wrong. It highlights that you just never know what does go on behind closed doors and that the perfect life you think someone has can actually be completely false.
‘Sometimes the perfect marriage is the perfect lie’ (pg.1)
This is a book where you can’t help but fight for the underdog, even when you know things are not going to end well.
You may think things like this don’t happen in ‘real-life’ but the frightening truth is we just never know, often until it is far too late.
Have you read Behind Closed Doors? Perhaps you have read a book with a similar story line that you feel would be of interest to other readers? We would love to hear your recommendations.
