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Cover of The Things We Wish Were True

The Things We Wish Were True

by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️steamy·spoiler
Available on Kindle Unlimited

Why Read This?

You'll be left reflecting on the hidden complexities within everyday communities and the redemptive power of shared truth.

Synopsis

In an idyllic small-town neighborhood, a near tragedy triggers a series of dark revelations. From the outside, Sycamore Glen, North Carolina, might look like the perfect all-American neighborhood. But behind the white picket fences lies a web of secrets that reach from house to house. Up and down the streets, neighbors quietly bear the weight of their own pasts—until an accident at the community pool upsets the delicate equilibrium. And when tragic circumstances compel a woman to return to Sycamore Glen after years of self-imposed banishment, the tangle of the neighbors’ intertwined lives begins to unravel. During the course of a sweltering summer, long-buried secrets are revealed, and the neighbors learn that it’s impossible to really know those closest to us. But is it impossible to love and forgive them?

At a Glance

3.82 ★ Goodreads
Spice Level🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️steamy
Endingspoiler
PairingM/F
Romance Pacingmedium burn
Energylow

Top Tropes

N/A

Mood

suspensefuldramaticemotionalatmosphericthought-provoking

Book Details

Goodreads Rating

3.82 ★

Page Count

288 pages

Published

2016

Primary Genre

Contemporary Romance

Pairing

M/F

POV

Multi-POV

Romance Pacing

Medium Burn

Cliffhanger

spoiler

Audiobook

Available

Yes

Format

Standard

Narrator

Taylor Ann

Narrator Count

Single

Tropes

RomanceMagicActionAngstWorld
Theme Constellation

Mood & Vibe

Mood

Writing Style

conversationalengagingreflective

Story Pacing

medium

Emotional Weight

moderate

Energy Required

low

Vibes

A simmering summer drama where neighborhood secrets unravel like a slow-burning fuse, leaving you questioning how well you truly know the people next door.

Characters

FMC Archetype

former villain / reformed antagonist

Spice Details 🌶️

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Spice Level 4

Spice Style

None

Getting Steamy

None

Bringing the Heat

None
Browse more books by spice level →

World & Setting

World Type

contemporary

Primary Setting

small town / village

Reading Context

Emotional Payoff

Best Time of Year

summer

When & Where to Read

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