Rock Paper Scissors

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Manufacturer: Alice Feeney
Brand: Hardback
Brew: Thriller, Suspense
Steeping Time: 291 pages
Tea Service: Authentic Books Box
Strength:

Synopsis: Things have been wrong with Mr and Mrs Wright for a long time. When Adam and Amelia win a weekend away to Scotland, it might be just what their marriage needs. Self-confessed workaholic and screenwriter Adam Wright has lived with face blindness his whole life. He can’t recognize friends or family, or even his own wife.

Every anniversary the couple exchange traditional gifts–paper, cotton, pottery, tin–and each year Adam’s wife writes him a letter that she never lets him read. Until now. They both know this weekend will make or break their marriage, but they didn’t randomly win this trip. One of them is lying, and someone doesn’t want them to live happily ever after.

Ten years of marriage. Ten years of secrets. And an anniversary they will never forget.

If you’re looking for a page-turner that will keep you up till all hours of the night, look no further.

Rock Paper Scissors takes us on a thrilling and suspenseful ride through the crumblings of a marriage and the lengths a person will go to to save it. Or end it.

Amelia has won a surprise weekend getaway to a remote chapel-turned-rental in the wilds of Scotland, so husband and wife pile into their car with their loyal dog Bob and off into the snow they venture. Upon arrival, it is clear that things are not as they seem. But who is the suspicious party? You’ll be guessing till the end.

Rock Paper Scissors alternates between Amelia’s and Adam’s points of view, so we get detailed yet somehow tantalizingly vague takes from both parties. There are also letters throughout the book that were written on the couple’s anniversary. They are a secret, though, and Adam is never intended to see them. I love being able to read the book from both points of view. I think it’s a really clever way to reveal even more about the characters. When you see how differently they each perceive the same event or comment, it illuminates so much about them both. For as much detail as both characters give us, there is still so much left in the dark, leaving the reader constantly guessing and dying to know more.

From the very start, I was glued to this book.

I wasn’t sure if I was in the mood to read it or not, so I decided to read the first page and make a choice. Ten minutes later, my husband calls from our bedroom asking if I’m coming to bed. My response? “Yes, sorry, I accidentally started reading a book.” Seriously, I could not put it down.

The pace is quick, the chapters are short, and the suspense is off the charts. I was never sure who the villain was or if there was even a villain at all. Were they still in love? Are they getting back together? Is it definitely over? I was questioning everything.

My favorite thing about Rock Paper Scissors is that I didn’t fully figure things out until the characters did.

This is the best kind of book, in my opinion. I had my guesses and assumptions, but I love not knowing until the final reveal. It keeps the tension steady throughout the entire novel, and I was never once bored or thought I knew everything.

Alice Feeney is an incredible writer. Her style is so easy to follow and so very easy to read. I blew through this book, and it was pure bliss. I couldn’t have chosen a better book for my first Authentic Books experience! The candle that came with this book is supposed to burn for 25 hours so that I can enjoy it while reading. In 25 hours, I think I could have read this book 10 times over! (Side note: the candle is pine-scented to go along with the Scottish woodland theme, and it smells delicious. I got the basic box, and it also came with a face mask, bookmark, playlist, and recipe card.)

We learn so much about the characters so quickly, and it’s all thanks to Alice’s phenomenal skills as an author. It never felt like an info dump, but more that I was getting to chat with the characters on a personal level. She is truly talented and I’ll never hesitate to pick up another of her novels.

If you’re looking for a thriller with sky-high suspense that will keep you glued to the pages, look no further than Rock Paper Scissors.

Have you read Rock Paper Scissors? Leave a comment and let me know what you thought about it! Want to read it for yourself? Click here to get a copy of your own.
Cheers,
Lydia