REVIEW: Sunburn by Laura Lippman

Published February 20, 2018 by HarperLuxe

 

The cover of “Sunburn” caught my eye right away. And after reading the book description, I was really looking forward to getting my hands on this new novel from Laura Lippman.

The novel opens in Belleville, Delaware in 1995.

When Polly and Adam meet at the High-Ho restaurant in Belleville, they’re both just passing through. Polly, a redhead with a two-day-old sunburn catches Adam’s eye. They aren’t sure what to make of each other. It isn’t love at first sight but there is a definite attraction.

Polly has a past but she’s planning for a brighter future. She has no intention of changing those plans or letting anyone stand in her way. But sometimes people with the best intentions have the worst luck.

It’s not long before Adam and Polly are completely wrapped up in each other. Somehow these two strangers who are supposed to just be passing through end up staying in Belleville that summer.

They both know it won’t last. It can’t last….could it?

Although Adam knows some of Polly’s past he realizes there’s so much more that he doesn’t know.

“But no one knows her whole story. She plans to keep it that way”

He’s been warned about Polly. He’s been told that she’s only out for herself.

“Whatever you do, don’t turn your back on her. Even face to face, you might not be safe with that one.”

But Adam can’t reconcile these warnings with the woman he’s getting to know. But he does wonder where she goes on those days that she borrows his truck.

Polly also wonders if she can trust Adam. Is it really just a coincidence that they ended up in the same small town, at the same time? Polly’s track record with men…well, it’s muddy, to say the least. But for some reason, she feels safe with Adam, like she can finally be herself. But her past continues to haunt her, and not everyone is happy for Polly and Adam.

Though they both have some reservations, Polly and Adam start to make plans for the future. But then something happens that throws a wrench into those plans. Will what they have together survive what comes next?

I really enjoyed this novel. It was a bit of a slow burn at first, but the pace picked up and it wasn’t long before I was caught up in the story. Polly and Adam were both very complex characters, with secrets that left me unsure of who I should trust. Polly especially intrigued me. I wanted to know the reasons for some of her actions.

There were quite a few points of view, though the majority of the story was told from Polly and Adam’s perspective.

“Sunburn” was an entertaining psychological suspense novel with an intriguing storyline that kept me flipping pages well past my bedtime. However, it was worth it as I loved how everything came together in an unexpected but extremely satisfying way.

Thank you to William Morrow for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.