I enjoyed the first quarter or so, as Grace’s mental health deteriorated and she tried to figure out what was real and what wasn’t. I felt her fear and instability, along with her suspicions that things weren’t as they seemed.

Then the plot took a turn, and the further we got into the story, the more implausible it all became. Soon we were in ridiculous territory.

I couldn’t buy into any of it. I almost gave up halfway through, but I kept reading with the hope that it all would make sense in the end. I should’ve given up.

There is a troubling core of truth in this book. Who decides who can and cannot be believed? When is one person’s truth more valid than another’s? Add to these philosophical considerations a cracker of a plot and some amazing characters, and this book is a winner, it is worth taking the time to absorb the many side characters even as you want to flick ahead to find out what happens.

This book was very creative. However, I do not feel the author did a great job making it believable. NO children or mother would be so naïve to believe that the behaviors happening in this home were acceptable. I was extremely frustrated with the main character throughout the whole book. The premise of the story is intriguing however I feel like the idea that the main character would have never had any idea of what was happening to her was to far fetched.

3-4 stars. This was a well written, chilling, thriller, but it didn’t grab me like a 5 star read would. It had some good thrills, chills, twists and turns, and shocks, but something was lacking for me. I found myself switching to another book frequently when reading this book, so I know it didn’t have me completely captivated. I don’t know exactly what was lacking, or if it was just my mood, but for some reason I just didn’t love this one. Would recommend, as I do think it’s a good book and can easily be finished, but don’t know if anyone would be mind blown!

Saving Grace
By D.M. Barr

3 Stars

Grace Pierrepoint Rendell, the only child of an ailing billionaire, has been treated for paranoia since childhood. But is she really as psychotic as her family and doctor believe. When she secretly quits her meds, she begins to suspect that once her father passes, her husband will murder her for her inheritance.

This murder mystery takes the reader on a journey as they question Grace’s sanity and whether someone is out to get her. The who and why remain allusive as the body count around her mounts.

The premises of the storyline is good, but the story is a little slow and dry in places. The book is worth reading if and when you move beyond the slow build.


This title has been reviewed by www.books-reviewed.weebly.com

This title was provided by Netgalley and the publisher in return for an open and honest review.

#SavingGrace #NetGalley

Grace has lived most of her life receiving care and taking medication for her mental health issues. She went from her father’s house to getting married and having children, always feeling like she is living underwater. She finally has had enough and stops taking her pills. She doesn’t tell anyone, but oddly enough, she doesn’t feel worse, she feels better. Knowing that no one will believe her, she remains silent about her revelation.

Could her extremely wealthy father or her husband have something to gain from keeping Grace off balance and compliant? Grace starts to believe that her husband is only with her for her inheritance. Once her elderly father dies, the only thing between him and her money will be Grace, and how hard would it be to kill her and make it look like she harmed herself.

Grace comes up with a plan. She will write a fiction book, but it will contain all her suspicions in case something happens to her. She will still be dead, but at least her husband will not get away with murder. Strange things start to happen, and it remains to be seen if Grace is mentally sound or psychotic.

A very intriguing story about gaslighting, or the workings of an ill mind. Even though I was rooting for Grace, the alternative was horrifying, I almost hoped she was wrong about those around her. My first book by DM Barr and I would definitely like to do it again.

Keeps the action pulsing with enough intrigue to make it hard to turn the virtual pages fast enough. Thoroughly fleshed-out characters you tend to either like or dislike with enthusiasm. A great bedtime read that'll keep you engaged till the very end. Highly recommended!

*This book was provided free of charge in exchange for my honest review. My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to participate in this program.*

<i>Saving Grace</i> is an excellent psychological thriller that moves fast and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Grace has been under psychiatric care for 40 years and she is still strong enough to question herself and those around her. <i>Saving Grace</i>, is the third novel written by sales and marketing specialist D. M. Barr.

Grace comes from a wealthy background, but is placed in psychiatric care by her father at a very young age. Forty years later she has a husband and 2 children who don’t trust anything she says or does and often rely on her doctor to deal with her “episodes”. Grace has no recollection of what she is being accused of doing and she decides to secretly go off her meds to try to recapture some of her lost memories. She starts to become aware of whispered conversations and begins to feel paranoid. She decides that her husband is plotting to kill her and take her money. Although she is not sure of whether or not what she perceives is real or not, she comes up with a creative way to combatting the apparent threat.

Barr does an excellent job of developing the main characters. Grace is a very strong character and takes the reader along with her as she tries to resolve the mysteries in her life. Andrea, her friend, is also a very strong character who decides to help Grace. Beyond these two the other characters are not as interesting and could be developed more. I find her husband, Eliot, is particularly weak and feel he should be more central.

The plot is very fast moving with a great twist at the end. As well, the writing is free flowing and clear. These are the primary reasons everyone should read this book.

I recommend this book everyone likes a good fast-paced psychological thriller. I give it a 4 on 5. I want to thank NetGalley and Black Rose Writing for providing me with a digital copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

For 40 years, Grace has been under the care of a therapist for her mental health problems, which started when she was a young child.

Being on medications constantly, she's gone on to get married and have two children ... and she's had enough of feeling the way she does. Secretly weaning herself off her meds, she finds that she really isn't psychotic .. is she?

Being the only child of a billionaire, she thinks her husband is waiting for her father to pass and then he will kill Grace once she inherits her father's estate. Is this more a symptom of her illness .... or is actually seeing the truth?

Who will ever believe a woman who's been under a psychiatrist's care of 40 years? She comes up with a creative way to let the world know what has happened to her .. but the only person who can help her is murdered.

Did Grace kill her friend and she just doesn't remember? Should she be strapped into a straitjacket? Locked away before she can hurt anyone else?

This is an emotional story of a woman who is fighting for her life .. a 'normal' life that she's been cheated out of ..so she thinks. She so yearns to have someone listen to her ... really hear what she's saying ... and then believe her.

This is a page turner from start to finish with twists and turns at every corner and with characters that will remain with the reader long after the book is finished.

Many thanks to the author / Black Rose Writing / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Clever and imaginative! Great, multi-faceted characters. Very interesting plot. Vivid descriptions. Kept me intrigued from the first page to the last. Simply a GREAT read!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so