Review of 'Looking Out' by Fiona McCallum
Release date: April 3rd, 2024
Publisher: Harlequin Australia
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REVIEW
This is my first read of this author’s books, so, I was not sure what to find between the covers of Looking Out by Fiona McCallum. But once I got into the story, it was an intriguing tale. Quite quickly it was clear to see this is a story about relationships. The good glue, the repellent and less sticky that keeps people together or apart.
What happens when life gets so busy, important things begin to slip? I kept thinking, what caused this once happy couple to become so disengaged in the marital sense? Life happens, yes. And although the assurance of love is still present, the physical activities are not. This is how Natasha finds herself prey to Jesse, an attractive tradie shady individual: one who comes across as ‘too good to be true’ and manages to push all her desire buttons. She is lavished with attention, made to feel special, and she begins to wander in her thoughts. What would it be like to have an unpredictable romantic interlude?
Mitchell is the husband with the quiet voice. Quiet because he has fallen into some ground swallowing habits and does not want Natasha to know what he has been up to. It is obvious he is a man who cares about his family and wife and his adorable dog (who is a great judge of character!). To keep Natasha’s eyes off his folly, he agrees to an unimaginable experiment. Natasha gets the attention she needs from another man, while he tries to work his way out of the hole he has placed them in. It all becomes quite uncomfortable and we get the sense it is going to end badly (and it does). But when the truth for each character comes out, the responses are quite unexpected. Fear has kept Mitchell bound but when he accepts help from a friend, things start looking up.
This novel covers a lot of heavy issues such as blackmail, gambling, alcoholism, depression, contemplation of suicide and how these things can affect meaningful relationships. But it is not all doom and gloom. There are positives, too. It shows us how communication can diffuse the fear of the unknown, unload the accumulating burdens and set the wounded soul free from a load of guilt. Even alleviate the ache of loneliness from isolation. There are a few wonderful friends in this novel to help light the way. So, friendship is another important theme. I also love how a family pet warms his master’s heart, offers comfort and joy to the children and warns Natasha of a scam artist. Dogs are pretty good at sniffing out bad characters and Angel is exceptional!
I found Natasha’s and Mitchell’s journey hard to watch at times. When she loses her head for a while, I wanted Mitchell to speak up, not be so compliant. But we find out the emotions and reasons behind that. The ending was quite wonderful and her understanding of his mistakes, endearing. Of course, she had a fair number of her own blemishes to cover. Justice is served (not without some tense and suspenseful moments!) but true healing comes to this family and that’s the best ending for this story! 4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to Harlequin Australia and Netgalley for a review copy.
