Title- The Story Hour
Rating– 3/5
Genre- Contemporary
POV- First person, present tense
Trope- therapist, psychology, second chances, mental health, relationships
Similar Books/Comps– Passage West, This Close to Okay
My emotions- a bit bored
Characters–
Maggie- An experienced psychologist,
Lakshmi- Cut off from her family in India,
Plot/Blurb-
Maggie carefully maintains emotional distance from her patients. But when she meets Lakshmi, who tried to kill herself, Maggie’s professional detachment disintegrates. Lakshmi is desperately lonely and trapped in a loveless marriage to a domineering man who limits her world to their small restaurant and grocery store.
Moved by her plight, Maggie treats Lakshmi in her home office for free, quickly realizing that the despondent woman doesn’t need a shrink; she needs a friend. Determined to empower Lakshmi as a woman who feels valued in her own right, Maggie abandons protocol, and soon doctor and patient have become close friends.
But while their relationship is deeply affectionate, it is also warped by conflicting expectations. When Maggie and Lakshmi open up and share long-buried secrets, the revelations will jeopardize their close bond, shake their faith in each other, and force them to confront painful choices.
Best part-
The kitchen scene at the “party”
What I’d change-
Add some spice, it felt too “preachy”
Quote-
“We can’t be responsible for other people’s reactions to us, Lakshmi,” she said. “We can only make sure our intentions are good.”
Pacing- a bit slow
Cassie Swindon 