CLP Blog Tour: Living in Glass Houses

Welcome to a stop on the CLP Blog Tour for Living in Glass Houses, the debut novel by Zoe McKnight. This is going to be a busy tour for me - I've got the review today, and a guest post and interview coming up in the next few days. Plus, there's a giveaway going on, too! All the details for that awesomeness will be at the end of my review.

Here's the synopsis:

Even good people make bad decisions when it comes to affairs of the heart.  

Living in Glass Houses is a contemporary story of three friends, all at a crossroads after discovering that sometimes even the best laid plans won’t result in the life you want. It’s about navigating the murky waters of relationships and friendships and having the courage to make those hard, life-altering decisions which mark the difference between existing and living.

There was a lot going on in this book. A lot. In fact, I sometimes I felt there was too much happening and that the characters - Blair, Jonathan, and Elle - were competing for my attention. It was sometimes hard to keep track of who knew who and what was happening in each of their lives. There were a few times that I really wish there would have been more detail. For example, one of the characters finds out she was pregnant and then has the baby (with a bit happening in between) but the pregnancy revelation and the birth all happened off the page with nary a mention. It was sort of like, "Surprise! This has happened and we're now moving quickly along to the next plot twist." There was also a surprise engagement with no details on exactly how it got to that point. Would I say others shouldn't read this based on this fact? No, I still think a lot of people would love how much drama was going on.

I also thought their situations were almost all too similar. It wasn't until I rated this book on Goodreads that I really thought about the title and how it reflected the story. You know that old saying, "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones?" That pretty much sums up this book. Everyone is both in a position to judge while also having no ability to because they'd essentially be judging themselves. Pot calling the kettle black, and all that. That part of the story wasn't necessarily a deterrent but it was sometimes hard to read about the many lies and deceptions. It also didn't help that some of the characters needed to grow...er...let's say a backbone and not another part of the anatomy...and make a decision that made them happy, instead of worrying about other people or appearances or money or what might happen. The grass is not always greener (there's another theme for ya), as these characters learned.

OK, so I'm reading over what I've written so far and it's really looking less than complimentary so I feel the need to state that I really did enjoy reading this novel. It was interesting to see that dark side of relationships that no one wants to talk about. That little voice that might be inside your head saying, "Are you sure this is the right choice?" Everyone has those insecurities and I think everyone can identify with at least parts of the novel. As uncomfortable as that may be. This also points to a strength in Zoe's writing - the characters were all very believable. Either you've felt that way yourself or you've heard a friend say or do some of the same things as these characters.

I'm glad I got the chance to read Living in Glass Houses and I'm really looking forward to the sequel, which will focus on Blair. Author Zoe McKnight provided me with quite the rollercoaster ride and I'm interested to see how she continues the story. Remember to stop by in the next few days to read the guest post Zoe was nice enough to write for Books Etc. and to read the interview I did with her. Interesting stuff!

Now, for that giveaway! Zoe is kindly offering a copy of her novel to one of you lucky readers. You can choose a print copy or an ebook. All I ask is that you leave a comment on this post, or any of the upcoming posts, with your email address so I can contact you (use AT and DOT if you wish), and let me know what your favourite thing about fall is. I tried to come up with something that was related to the book but I decided to do something fun and random with this one! Bonus point if you follow the blog and/or the Facebook page. The contest will be open until midnight on Monday October 29 - the last day of Zoe's tour. If you've already commented on the post from the other day, there's no need to comment again to enter (but I welcome responses to this review!).

Happy reading :)