Because I Was Lonely by Hayley Mitchell - Blog Tour

I am delighted to be today's stop on the blog tour for Because I Was Lonely by Hayley Mitchell. Because I Was Lonely is being published by RedDoor Publishing on 2 March 2017. Read on for my review...

Because I Was Lonely
By Hayley Mitchell
Published by RedDoor Publishing (2 March 2017)
ISBN: 978-1910453292

Publisher's description

Meet Rachel. She is caught in a spiral of endless crying, dirty nappies, and sleepless nights. She fears for her sanity and the safety of her children.

She's lonely.

Meet Adam. Suffering from the pain and trauma of a terrible accident that he blames himself for, he stays at home, unable to bring himself to leave the house.

He's lonely.

So when Rachel and Adam rekindle their long lost friendship online, what starts as a little harmless flirtation, soon becomes an unhealthy obsession, and slowly the threads of their lives unravel before them.

Four lonely people . Two unhappy marriages . One dangerous, but inevitable climax.

My verdict
Because I Was Lonely reads like a book of two halves.

The first half is an introduction to the characters, with every detail of their lives put under the microscope. The author certainly has a knack for in-depth characterisation. I really felt like I knew each character by the time the story itself began.

Because I Was Lonely highlights post natal depression and the loneliness it can cause, especially if there's a lack of help when it's needed most, and how this can impact on relationships. Rachel, as a new mother, was portrayed very realistically. It was interesting to read her husband David's point of view too. Then there was Adam and Julia's story. Adam, an old friend of Rachel, is suffering with severe mental health issues after a tragic accident and his marriage is also falling apart.

Starting the book off in this way did, I felt, slow down the pace. Yet having seen some great reviews, I knew I had to keep reading to find out where this story was going. And I would urge others to do the same.

Around halfway through the book, the present day story began and the pace picked up. The characters' lives collided when Rachel and Adam found each other on Facebook. And they certainly collided with a huge bang. The narrative was tense and unsettling, as Rachel and Adam began to send messages to one another and their feelings escalated. I was nervous, worrying how this would end.

If you like loose ends tied up in the books you read, you may be a bit frustrated. The book ends on a cliffhanger, with many questions remaining unanswered, and makes me wonder if a sequel is on the way.

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