Told through the voices of three characters: pregnant hospice nurse Eliana Hughes, her doting mother Angela, and the stranger Louise, Apple of My Eye is a delicious tale of loss and motherly love.
Poor Louise who has lost a multitude of babies whilst pregnant is the one who seemingly threatens the happiness, but it was hard not to feel some heartache for her. To miscarry one baby is horrendous enough, and it’s easy to see why she became quite mentally unstable, especially considering she could no longer conceive and the breakdown of her marriage. To the extent that she is prepared to steal a baby to replace the one she lost so late in pregnancy; awful yes, but understandable.
Eliana then seems to have it all: a pregnancy, a job she loves working at a hospice, and a devoted husband and mother. She’s a very likeable character, obviously caring; and so the unravelling of her happy bubble is one that is sure to keep you hooked throughout.
It didn’t matter that I’d worked out the various strands by halfway through for it is really well written, and by this time I was invested in the characters and I wanted to know how events concluded, especially Louise’s marriage which is very much threatened by an unknown person. The relationships are developed and examined in a very interesting way, primarily the one that Louise shares with her mother Angela; the strength of a mother’s love and the consequences of sacrifices made. There are bound to be elements that we can all identify with and for me that’s what makes Apple of My Eye so engaging.
I won’t go any further into the plot for fear of spoiling it, but I do heartily recommend grabbing yourself a copy and snuggling down for a good read.
Apple of My Eye is out now. I thank Avon Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy of the book, in exchange for an HONEST review.
