Review: Crazy intense in the best way!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 28, 2014
This series is quite different from the other books in the Thompson sisters series.  Those were more focused on romance, this series is more action packed, with lots of political intrigue.  But at its heart, it's still about the women of the Thompson family, whom I've totally grown to love.  This book picks up right where the last one left off, and it's edge-of-your-seat the whole way through.Adelina, the family matriarch, is a character that I hated in previous books.  As more of her life gets revealed, I find myself feeling pity for her more than anything else.  She's been a terrible mother, but she acknowledges that, and she's been married to a monster for more than 30 years.Julia and Crank (who provides a few much needed comic moments in this book) have found out quite a few of Richard Thompson's secrets and find themselves totally embroiled in the scandal.  Julia's phone conversation with Harry (from A Song for Julia) was heartbreaking and empowering at the same time.  I love how Julia steps into the big sister/family fixer role.Carrie is still fearing for her daughter's health, still grieving Ray, and trying to find answers about who her father is.  I think I saw some sparks between Carrie and Anthony (the Post reporter).  She so deserves some happiness in her life!Alex is frantic about Dylan (who is finally pulling his head out of his butt in regards to his behavior toward his wife), who is on the run with Andrea.  Alex is also reeling from the bombshells dropped about her father, and she seems kind of torn on who to believe.Sarah isn't in this book too much, but she also provides some comic relief here.  I love her feisty attitude, and am hoping she gets her own book eventually.Jessica is a total mess.  Detoxing from meth, she's on the run with Adelina, trying to get out of the country.  Jessica's moods swing from rage toward her mother, to feeling sorry for her and confused about her father.  I liked seeing the protective side (finally!) from Adelina when it came to Jessica.Andrea is an awesome character.  So confused about her family, wondering why they never wanted her around.  The chapters with her and Dylan were some of the most intense.  And the scene with her at the end was perfect, I can't wait to see what happens next.The political drama, cover ups, backstabbing, it was all pretty riveting to me.  It's scary to think how much power the government holds and how much is kept from the public.This book ends on a major cliffhanger, but I can't complain about getting more books with these characters I love.