The joy of a library notification about a long-awaited book on hold…it’s like getting a gift in my email. I was thrilled when He Started It showed up on my Kindle. The title and cover are so fun!

Unfortunately, this one was a bust for me.

The biggest reason for my dislike of the story was the unfinished business. I don’t mind having to figure something out in a book, but I want to be validated at the end. It’s important for me to have closure that X Y or Z happened, and that I guessed it correctly. Maybe that’s a personality flaw or some deep seated insecurity, but that’s how I roll. He Started It leaves much open to the reader’s interpretation, which makes me feel dissatisfied. Some readers might love that, though!

I think this is going to be one of those books people either love or hate. This road trip with siblings was a window into a seriously dysfunctional family. I was tired of them by the end of the trip, just as I would be with anyone on a cross country trip. I didn’t read any reviews or even the blurb before putting it on hold at the library — it was an instant click because SAMANTHA DOWNING. My Lovely Wife shocked me in such a way that SD will always be an automatic read for me. Unfortunately, He Started It didn’t equally amaze me, but that’s okay. I’ll still read her next book!