Prom Mom
A Novel
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3.9 • 58 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
"Well-plotted, well-written, clear-eyed. I never saw the end coming. There's a hell of a one-two punch waiting for you." —Stephen King
New York Times bestseller Laura Lippman tells the story of Amber Glass, desperately trying to get away from her tabloid past but compulsively drawn back to the city of her youth and the prom date who destroyed everything she was reaching for.
Amber Glass has spent her entire adult life putting as much distance as possible between her and her hometown of Baltimore, where she fears she will forever be known as “Prom Mom”—the girl who allegedly killed her baby on the night of the prom after her date, Joe Simpson, abandoned her to pursue the girl he really liked. But when circumstances bring Amber back to the city, she realizes she can have a second chance—as long as she stays away from Joe, now a successful commercial real estate developer, married to a plastic surgeon, Meredith, to whom he is devoted.
The problem is, Amber can’t stay away from Joe. And Joe finds that it’s increasingly hard for him to ignore Amber, if only because she remembers the boy he was and the man he said he was going to be. Against the surreal backdrop of 2020 and early 2021, the two are slowly drawn to each other and eventually cross the line they’ve been trying not to cross.
And then Joe asks Amber to help him do the unthinkable . . . and she must decide if she is willing to let their toxic and dangerous past repeat itself.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This gripping thriller from Lippman (Dream Girl) centers on the codependent relationships between the charming Joe Simpson and the women trapped in his orbit. Prom night 1997 at Baltimore's Towson High School ends in the shocking death of a newborn baby, found in the girls' restroom near the mother (and Joe's date), a barely conscious Amber Glass. Though she has no recollection of what happened, Amber is arrested and swiftly convicted of manslaughter. While Amber is in prison, Joe meets and marries Meredith, whom he cheats on regularly. After starting her life over in New Orleans post-prison, Amber decides to return to Baltimore for the first time in more than 20 years to open an art gallery—when she does, she and Joe fall back into a relationship. By then, the Covid-19 pandemic is in full swing, dooming Joe's hopes for the local shopping center he recently purchased. With Amber's help, he concocts a scheme to bail himself out before he meets financial ruin, which goes predictably awry. Lippman works up a slow burn, gently teasing out a game of cat and mouse between Joe and Amber that comes into full focus toward the end of the novel. Readers who persevere will reach a devilishly satisfying conclusion.
Customer Reviews
Enjoyed!!!!
My Review:
Enjoyed!!!! I was looking for something different to read and boy this book was it. I have read this author before and she never disappointed so far so I thought why not try this one. Let me start off by saying these characters were something else. At times I really didn’t know what to make of them. They had a past trauma that connected them but also affected them in different ways later on in their life. None of them could really let it go and move on which is totally understandable but maybe they should have. If they did their lives may have been very different and not stuck. Ok next up is the blurb. The plot is always the driving force on why I choose a book. If the plot is not appealing to me I won’t read it or give it a second glance. This book had exactly what I was looking for when I was looking for it. I tend to be a mood reader so that book has to be what I want when I read it. Last but not least the ending. It definitely shocked the heck out of me. I didn’t expect that at all. I thought it was going to go one way but it went in the opposite direction in such a good way. The only criticism I would give this book is that at times I felt it veered off the path it was taking and I found myself saying why did the author add this or why did the author put this here. It was all over the place at times and wasn’t as cohesive as I would have liked it but otherwise I really liked this one. I would definitely recommend it.
In conclusion, the plot, the characters and all the twists in this book made this book an enjoyable read. I would definitely recommend it and happily give it 4 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️
Political bias ruined it
I actually liked the book, the twist was perfect. However, all the political references and the bias against a particular candidate was unnecessary and frankly a huge disappointment
Good until the sloppy ending
This book was a page turner with an interesting plot up until the end. The ending makes no sense and is very convoluted. I thought maybe it was just me, so I read reviews from other readers on Good Reads and I’m not alone. The ending is just plain confusing and nonsensical and kinda ruined the book for me. I gave it 3 stars only because I enjoyed it up until the end.