I am so good at only reading when I have time but this time I stayed up all night, I did not want to put it down, I was captivated from the very beginning and that feeling never went away. Even the ending was as good as the rest of it, and I am convinced that endings are the most difficult part of a book to write.
A lonely wealthy man in Wisconsin advertises for "a reliable wife". His ad in answered, a correspondence ensues and then she finally arrives on the train. But who is she really and what are her intentions? The man has plans and reasons of his own for what he is doing. Both of them are dragging difficult, burdensome pasts around with them and there are some significant lies below the surface. What can grow out of this beginning? You might be surprised. This is not an easy story, it is often tense, ugly, disturbing and sad; but it is an excellent story, beautiful in its way.

I love Dorothy's description of this book as a "psychological thriller/bodice ripper/possible tale of redemption"

Exactly

Oh, my! When I went to journal my thoughts on this, I could not find it on my TBR shelf and realized it had not been journaled when I got it. I humbly beg forgiveness, Olivia.

On to this novel - it is a very disturbing and haunting story. The story is a love triangle between Ralph and Antonio and Catherine. Ralph advertises for a wife and Catherine responds and eventually comes to small town Wisconsin. Antonio may be Ralph's son or at least the boy he raised as his son. There is so much in this story that it is hard to digest it all - it is a story of love and forgiveness and redemption. Very compelling.

Added to Mystery/thriller VBB

Selected from the Mystery/Thriller VBB

Received today. Thank you so much for sharing.