She’s the glamorous philanthropist who just returned to her hometown after a long absence. She’s the new fiancée of the wealthy and charismatic Winston Donovan. She’s Las Vegas royalty, celebrated by the media and pursued by paparazzi at every turn.
And now she’s accused of murder in the first degree. If convicted, she’ll face death row.
Little by little, her life is picked apart and her relationships are torn to shreds. One by one, her lies disintegrate and her darkest secrets are exposed by scandalmongering socialites and bloodthirsty tabloids. Everyone has an opinion about Olivia Taylor and what she’s done.
But the truth is, no one really knows who Olivia Taylor is at all.
This one definitely had me hooked, but not without a few bumps along the way.
There were a handful of inconsistencies that pulled me out of the story at times. Little things, like Winston gifting Olivia a cream-colored cowboy hat only for her to later say she paired it with black boots “to match my new hat.” Or bigger moments, like the prosecuting attorney being warned about cutting off witnesses, only to immediately do it again with zero consequences. And don’t even get me started on the investigation itself. The police seemed determined to lock onto Olivia and never let go, even after she insisted she’d been set up. Yes, that’s something a guilty person might say… but it also would have taken minimal effort to check surrounding camera footage to see if anyone else had come or gone. Not to mention, it’s hard to believe a garage like that wouldn’t have its own surveillance inside not just the comings and goings of people.
That said, where this book really shines is in its portrayal of the media frenzy surrounding Olivia’s arrest and trial. It felt a little too real at times. The way everything spiraled, how quickly truth became tangled up with speculation, and how the public essentially turned her life into entertainment, it was a pretty sharp reminder of how much people love to consume someone else’s downfall. And the way that kind of coverage can quietly shape a jury’s perception, whether they admit it or not. That part felt especially well done.
Now I will also be the first to admit that the pacing wasn’t perfect, there were definitely moments where things slowed down more than they needed to, but overall, this was the kind of story that kept me turning pages. I was constantly trying to piece things together, second-guessing myself, and while I did manage to call a few of the twists, there were others that completely caught me off guard. The kind that make you pause mid-chapter and just… stare at the page for a second.
That being said, if you’re into morally gray characters, layered storytelling, and plots that don’t always go where you expect them to, then this is one I think you’ll enjoy.
DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.
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