*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
Title: The Queen of Hearts
Author: Kimmery Martin
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: February 13, 2018
ISBN: 9780399585050
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Zadie Anson and Emma Colley have been best friends since their early twenties, when they first began navigating serious romantic relationships amid the intensity of medical school. Now they’re happily married wives and mothers with successful careers–Zadie as a pediatric cardiologist and Emma as a trauma surgeon. Their lives in Charlotte, North Carolina are chaotic but fulfilling, until the return of a former colleague unearths a secret one of them has been harboring for years. As chief resident, Nick Xenokostas was the center of Zadie’s life–both professionally and personally–throughout a tragic chain of events in her third year of medical school that she has long since put behind her. Nick’s unexpected reappearance during a time of new professional crisis shocks both women into a deeper look at the difficult choices they made at the beginning of their careers. As it becomes evident that Emma must have known more than she revealed about circumstances that nearly derailed both their lives, Zadie starts to question everything she thought she knew about her closest friend.
I love finding a new book that you absolutely CANNOT put down. This was one of those wild, exhilarating reads for me. The Queen of Hearts is a story of lifelong friendship between women, what sustains it and supports it, and ultimately, what it can overcome. Zadie and Emma have been friends since meeting just before medical school. They experience the rush and intensity of learning the ropes at the hospital together during their rotation. They experience the beauty and whirlwind of first love together, and they experience the absolutely devastation of loss together. Theirs is a friendship that has survive and endured all the ups and downs of life, work, motherhood, romance, and so much more–until things start to come apart at the seams.
I totally devoured this book. It did take me a few days to get through because of some time constraints, but in between blocks of reading, I was obsessing over finishing this book and getting back to the story. The characters, Zadie especially, are so alive and so genuine. Although they are both successful doctors–not an experience that I completely relate too–they are both just women who are mothers, lovers, friend, and neighbours. They and their husbands have witty and hilarious banter (perhaps a tad unrealistic that all of them are this happy-go-lucky, supportive, and witty, but I’m willing to give the author this one because it was so entertaining), and the story itself is intense and fully of hooks and cliff-hangers to pull you forward onto the next chapter. Martin masterfully grabs hold of your attention, keeping you riveted so that you have no choice but to turn to the next page to find out what happens next.
To top everything off, it’s got one of the most visually appealing and striking covers of any book I’ve seen in a while. This is definitely one I know I’d pull off the shelves at the bookstore–I’m a sucker for a beautiful cover.
This novel had it all. I laughed and I cried. I was on the edge of my seat, needing to know more. I related to the characters in a way that had me ruminating on my own close friendships with my girls, imagining what our lives together look like in the future (hopefully with a little less drama than Zadie and Emma! :P). It’s such a good read. I highly recommend it. The only extra thing that this book could have used was a comfy beachside chair and a nice cold drink–I settled for reading this one while curled up under a quilt on my couch which isn’t a bad alternative at all. 🙂
Worn Pages and Ink 