Best Day Ever by Kaira Rouda (A Review by Sarah Wreford)
Rating: 4/5
Paul and Mia Strom are the perfect couple – they are gorgeous, have two lovely children and live in a magnificent home. Paul (the charming and perfect husband) even plans a day for his wife at their lake cottage which he tells Mia will be the “best day ever.” Paul has thought of everything – the perfect playlist of Mia’s favourite songs, a stop at Mia’s beloved bakery, and some alone time away from the kids so that the couple can reconnect.
Unfortunately, all of these well intentioned plans start falling apart and a tension begins forming between the “perfect” couple. Before long it is evident that there are major problems in the relationship as Paul struggles to make sure the couple has their “best day ever.”
The Best Day Ever by Kaira Rouda is a psychological thriller that begins on a Friday at 9:00 a.m. and follows the couple through a sequence of events that end at 12:25 a.m. the next morning. As a reader you become instantly pulled into the world of Paul and Mia and feel as though you are experiencing the day with them. In fact, since the titles of the chapters are different times throughout the day, I felt as though I couldn’t put it down and needed to see how the day ended.
Since there are only two main characters for most of the novel, there can be a little too much character development but at the same time, you feel such a close connection with both Paul and Mia.
To say that I could have predicted the ending would be an absolute lie. While reading I couldn’t help but search for the truth in the events since Paul is a completely unreliable narrator.
If you read this, it may not be your “best day ever” but I’ll promise you it’ll be a good day and you’ll most likely read it in one sitting. Be prepared to be shocked and hopefully you won’t be experiencing the nightmares I had after reading this book.
GBC Choice: Highly recommend especially since there is a great reader’s guide at the end.
Review by Sarah Wreford