I reviewed book 1 of the Perceptions of Glass series last week and now it is time to share my review of book 2 along with some blog tour goodies!
Thank you to Digital Reads Blog Tours, Shalini and Jay for including in this blog tour and supplying me with a copy of the book.
Title: Hiding Cracked Glass
Author: James J. Cudney
Genre: Mystery
Age Classification: Adult
Publisher: Next Chapter
Release: October 8, 2020
Available Format(s): Paperback – Hardcover – Ebook
Olivia Glass has lost her husband and a son in a short space of time while also holding onto a secret her husband left behind. Now someone is using a hidden secret to blackmail the Glass family for money, but Olivia isn’t the only one with a secret.
Olivia, her sister Diane, and her four surviving sons, Teddy, Matt, Caleb and Zach, are together to celebrate Olivia’s birthday. Olivia and Diane have just returned home from Italy (certainly where I would go to recover from such a great loss… or just an average week to be honest! When the pandemic is over, can someone take me to Italy?) but the return is not a smooth one. No sooner is Olivia back in the family home she finds the note and, after noticing the original letter from her late husband containing the secret is missing, believes she is the target.
After a string of tiny incidents and decisions, the note ends up in the pile of Olivia’s birthday cards, which are read out by her children as tradition. Once the blackmailing is known to the family, they all panic thinking they are the intended recipient of the threat.
Having learned from the events in the previous book, each member of the family reveals their secret and why they feel the blackmail is targeted at them. I really liked this element of the book because it showed that not only had they grown as individuals, they had grown as a family.
While I won’t share thier secrets (no spoilers here) I will comment on each Glass son like I did in my review of Watching Glass Shatter:
- Teddy begins the novel in a very dark place, but his character development through the novel sees him become an admirable man.
- Matt is still struggling with the desire to provide for his wife and four daughters, but his past decisions make that another challenge he must face in his recovery.
- Caleb has a wonderful life and, after reconnecting with his family, he just wants to ensure everyone is happy, safe and together.
- Zach sets himself up for heartbreak, but he does everything he can to both follow his dreams and protect his daughter.
The Glass family isn’t the only ones keeping secrets. Emma, Ethan’s widow and a character I loved in the first book, has been swallowed up by grief and feels rather alone and abandoned when she doesn’t get the response she desires from her family or the Glass family. I was so disappointed to see how she spiralled and that she couldn’t see past her own grief before making some pretty big choices.
As with the first book in this series, the story was so intriguing and beautifully written. It didn’t flow in the same way the previous novel did as we had more flashbacks inserted into the story to better understand the secrets each character shared, as well as give us insight into the blackmailer’s motive. The POV changes worked well and the chapters headings made sure we knew which character was the focus. The mystery elements were revealed gradually again, though at times it felt as if certain points could have been revealed earlier without changing the impact of the storyline rather that have it all come out at once. The characters were just as unique, realistic and well written, and I found that I got to see another side to these characters thought I already knew so well.
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars, but I had to choose a side and I rounded down. Although the book was great and I 100% recommend, I just didn’t love it quite as much as the first and felt my ratings should reflect that.
For those that have read this far, thank you! As a reward, I will now share with you the giveaway link! Lots of prizes to be won, including both ebook (international) and physical (US only) copies of both Perceptions of Glass books, as well as a $25 Amazon gift card! If you want a chance to win one of the prizes, click here to enter!
What kind of secret would you be blackmailed for?
If you’re brave enough to share, let me know in the comments!
Until next time bibliophiles!
Amy x
Zany Bibliophile 
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