Violet, Finn and their little boy are enjoying a beach vacation when Finn takes their son to their hotel room for a nap--but makes a clean getaway with the little boy instead. This novel turns upon things that almost didn't happen: all those tiny incidences that, when put together, shape a life. The tale also centers on the secrets we keep--and the ones we share--and the ways in which betrayal of those secrets threatens to tear everything apart. The seeming perfection of Violet and Finn's marriage is undone by those secrets--the kind that, the longer you keep them, ensnare you all the more.

I'll start with the positive. ALMOST MISSED YOU is suspenseful and I was very curious to find out why Finn had taken Bear and disappeared. Now let me confess the not-so-positive -- ultimately I was not that satisfied by the book's conclusion. I think there are three reasons. First, the character of Violet is not very well-developed. Apart from her relationship with Gram and her obvious distress over her missing son, I didn't feel as though I knew her very well. Two, the flashbacks were numerous and re-tread ground already covered by other characters. They were at times a slog to get through. Three, I wasn't completely convinced about some of the characters' motivations. Without giving away any spoilers, I'll just say George at the end and Finn overall. Now, all this being said, let me go back to the suspenseful part because I was flipping pages like crazy. And there's something--something really impressive--to be said for that!

A fairly good read told in the perspective of three of the characters, Violet, Finn, and Caitlyn. I didn't find it to be very suspenseful but I did find it to be psychological. What I mean is that the husband, Finn, is a mental case and a few of the others are not too far behind him either. None of them make good choices and then have to face up to the results of those poor choices.

The ending didn't work for me at all. It was unrealistic and tied up in too pretty of a bow to be believable. Why couldn't Violet just be happy as a single mom and leave her strange ex-husband out of the picture?

I liked this book though I didn't love it. At times I found myself rushing through it to try to get to an exciting part. For me there was too much going on from Finns past to really absorb it all and I really didn't like him at all!

Thank you Netgalley for my copy.

Violet and Finn are parents of a three year old boy named Bear. They drive to Florida on their first vacation as a family since Bear was born. One afternoon, Violet enjoys a few hours to herself while her husband volunteers to stay with their son. When she returns to her hotel room, she discovers that her husband and her son are missing. Violet calls the police after discovering that their car and other valuables are also gone. Believing her marriage was secure, she struggles to understand her husband's disappearance.
Finn sets off driving aimlessly without a plan. Needing time to figure out his next steps, he reaches Cincinnati and seeks help from his high school friend Caitlin. He demands that Caitlin hide them at her in-laws vacant cabin for a few days. Finn threatens to go public with embarrassing information that will ruin her family if she doesn't cooperate. Caitlin is torn between protecting her family and helping reunite Violet with her child.
This is a book filled with a combination of twists, suspense, and secrets. It is fast paced and alternates between the past and the present. I enjoyed the journey and the development of each character in the book. This is a debut novel by Jessica Strawser.

I want start by saying I LOVE that cover! That's what drew me to this book several months ago when it popped up on Netgalley. This is Jessica Strawser's debut novel and what a debut it is. I had this novel, along with several other upcoming new releases, on my radar and being the mood reader that I am I decided to read the first few chapters of each and see what hit me most. I was on vacation last week so I NEEDED something to really catch my interest. After reading the first few pages of Almost Missed You I had a winner!

The novel begins with Violet, mom to 3 year old Bear (ok I'll admit his name really bugged me...it's not a nickname) and wife to Finn. She's relaxing by the pool on vacation and enjoying a rare few moments to herself to read and enjoy a drink as Finn has volunteered for nap time. I think all moms can appreciate this set up! Violet is pondering the idea of fate and all the instances life had to add up just right for she and Finn to end up where they are...she loves her life and appreciates how the stars have seemed to align to bring her to this place of happiness. Can you feel the coming of catastrophe??

I was immediately drawn in with the author's writing style in this opening scene. It was engaging and I felt a connection to Violet right away. For me, this connection is a must to get me to continue reading! It really is interesting to think about all the ways life could've turned out differently if just one thing hadn't happened or happened in a different way...and that's where the author really captured my attention from the get go.

Needless to say, when Violet gets up to their hotel room her life effectively implodes and she's left shocked and at a loss to figure out where it all went wrong. Where is her husband and child? It doesn't take long for her to ask herself... how is it she never really knew her husband? More importantly, what is he hiding from his past that has led him to kidnap their child and basically drop a bomb on their happy life??

There is so much to like about this book. The characterization is strong in that I knew I had to find out what led to Violet and Finn's downfall. The secondary characters...Violet's "Gram," their best friends George and Caitlin were also fairly multidimensional. Now, that being said, that doesn't mean I liked all of these characters or really understood a lot of their motivations. In fact, I really only liked Violet and Gram. I thought Caitlin was probably the worst best friend anyone could've asked for and her decision making abilities and complete lack of common sense grated on my nerves. I should probably back up a little and say that the story is narrated from the alternating perspectives of Violet, Finn, and Caitlin...that's how I got to know (and not like) Caitlin and Finn. The narration also flips back and forth between time periods from past (many years ago) to present. I though this method worked very well for this story.

I don't want to discuss any more of the plot because I think you should read this without any hints as to what went wrong or what ends up happening. I will tell you, I stayed up SUPER late reading the first half of this book, the pace was spot on and I just had to KNOW more. The second half, however, began to unravel for me and I found myself skimming to get to dialogue. There was a lot of character introspection and descriptive details of events that I just didn't care about or think added to the plot. Basically, I wanted more dialogue and less introspection. Also, I just expected more when it came to the resolution of "why" Finn did what he did. I know I'm being vague but I don't want to give anything away. In addition, the final scenes seemed somewhat implausible to me and a little too over the top. I honestly don't know how I feel about that ending and would LOVE to discuss it with others after you read this book. For the ending alone, I think this would make a great selection for book clubs. Overall, this is a well-written debut and I will definitely be reading Jessica Strawser's next novel!!

Emotional, captivating and well-paced!

This is a perceptive novel that delves into the complex relationship between a husband and wife and highlights the detrimental effects suppressed guilt can have on the psyche.

The writing is well done. The characters are flawed, deceptive and selfish. And the plot is an intricate web of secrets, lies, manipulation, desperation, heartache, grief, shame, and destiny.

Overall I think this is a well written, enthralling debut from Strawser that ultimately reminds us life is all about choices and good or bad those choices define us.

Thank you to NetGalley, especially St. Martin's Press, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

SO GOOD. I was a little hesitant to pick this up because I'd read several books involving kidnappings lately, and I just wasn't sure I had it in me to read another book where a mother is separated from her child. This book is about so much more than just the disappearance of Violet's husband, Finn, and son, Bear- it's about all the coincidences and mistakes that lead them to that exact moment, and all the things they don't know about each other. It's not a thriller or mystery, it's about the characters and their story. I FLEW through this book, desperate to know more. I'm hesitant these days to read debut authors, because there are just so many authors whose writing I already know I enjoy, but I'm so glad I didn't miss out on Almost Missed You.

I loved the story of how Violet and Finn met on a beach, the fizz of attraction immediate but sadly interrupted by an accident that they are called for by a small boy to help out with. What seemed meant to be was missed out on and these two characters part in a flurry of different actions, her childminder and him racing to find the child’s father; parted by an accident. But Finn was determined to trace Violet and used Craig’s List for a missing person’s reunion. Only he met someone else instead – an opportunity created and missed because Violet didn’t see the online message.
Later they almost meet again when Finn applies for a job at Violet’s place of work. But the appointment for an interview is cancelled by Finn as his plans change and he relocates to Asherville. Now it is two nil on chances of them getting together sadly lost.
Finally they DO meet again and at last it is third time lucky. At least it seems so. They get married; have a son who they name Bear and the perfect couple relate their ‘meeting each other’ story time and time again, their friends enchanted by their romantic love story. Love always finds a way in the end, at least in the story books it does.
Three years later they go off on holiday together as a family and life is so good for Violet. They have just relocated with Violet’s Gram to Asherville and they really deserve this idyllic holiday. The hotel is absolutely wonderful, the beach delightful and everything is going so well, until the afternoon that Finn takes Bear for his afternoon nap. When they do not return to the beach for ages, Violet goes back to their room and discovers both Finn and Bear have completely cleared out their belongings and left for good. All that is left behind belongs to Violet. She is absolutely stunned. It is every parent’s worst nightmare losing their child, but Violet cannot believe Finn would be so cruel and uncaring.
Her friend Caitlin also cannot believe that Finn would kidnap Bear and leave Violet distraught and worried for their safely. Caitlin has known Finn since childhood. Now married to George and with twin boys of her own of a similar age to Bear, she loves Violet like a sister. They were neighbours until their recent move and the boys played happily together. She would have trusted Finn with her life and knew him to be gentle, kind and supportive. It was a mystery she had no answer for. But she knew that something must be very wrong for Finn to have acted so badly. He must be desperate and when he arrives at her house with Bear she learns just how badly things have gone wrong.
‘Almost Missed You’ is Jessica Strawser’s debut novel and I found it very moving indeed. The storytelling was wonderfully descriptive if a little slow moving in the middle part of the story. It held me captive and kept me reading. Three of the main characters share the narrative; Violet, Finn and Caitlin, each telling the story from their own perspective. It’s a powerful story of mother-love, betrayal, grief and the destructive nature of deeply buried secrets. This novel shows great promise and I really liked it. I would like to thank NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for my copy of this novel, sent out to me in return for an honest review. I was not convinced by Finn’s story and I did not see this as a psychological thriller either, but I will be interested to read Jessica’s second novel. There is no doubt that she has talent. It’s a 7/10 from me.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1803196783

I was very keen to read this book, but somehow it lacked a certain je ne sais quois! I'm not even certain what it was that it was missing, but I think I perhaps expected it to be a bit darker or perhaps with a bit more "edge".

That said, I did enjoy reading it - it didn't blow my socks off, but it was an easy read and I was glad to have had the opportunity to do same.

Thanks very much providing me with the ARC! :-)

I think it’s safe for Jessica Strawser to quit her day job. Her debut novel, Almost Missed You, knocks it out of the park.

Everyone says that Violet and Finn were meant to be because fate aligned just right so that they ended up together. No one is more surprised than Violet when Finn disappears with their son while the family is on vacation. Caitlin and Finn have been best friends for years, but when Finn shows up on Caitlin’s doorstep with the son he’s wanted for kidnapping, Caitlin faces an impossible choice. Help her friend? Or risk Finn telling Caitlin’s husband, George the secret that Caitlin carries?

I couldn’t image why Finn would take his son and blackmail his friend?! Even though I hated Finn for taking his child away from his mother and hurting his friend, I understood his reasoning. Finn’s story is honest and real. While I have never experienced what Finn has, I could understand it. But my heart absolutely broke for Violet. As a mother, I couldn’t image not knowing where my child was. And why my own husband had kidnapped him?! Strawser weaves a tale that is believable on all counts.

Almost Missed You wasn’t edge of your seat, cliff hanger stuff, but there was something there that kept me turning the pages. And darn it! I couldn’t turn them fast enough. There were so many secrets that I wanted to scream (that’s a good thing). Everyone had a secret … Finn, Caitlin, George. Even Violet. I was compelled to turn the pages faster and faster to see how it would all end when the truth finally came out.

The book ends with an epilogue that closes all points of the story satisfactorily. I’m a happy reader. What did I learn from reading this book? Honesty is the best policy and maybe fate isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Violet, Finn and their toddler called Bear are having a wonderful vacation by the sea. When Violet returns to their room after having a bit of 'me time', which Finn had encouraged, she finds all traces of Finn and Bear gone from the room. Only her things remain, so where have they gone and why did they leave?

I would call this more of a family drama with a touch of suspense. In the beginning I really disliked Finn, as I thought I knew what way the story was going. Well....you should never assume! It took a completely different direction to what I had thought. The story is told in alternating chapters between Violet, Finn and his best friend Caitlin, past and present. These are very easy to follow as the layers are slowly unfolded.

I sped through this book, I was just so sad about the missed opportunities and things that could have so easily been said but weren't. As Caitlin said in the book 'the wrong people know the wrong secrets' and I thought this summed it up perfectly. In the end I felt for Finn tying to come to terms with the way his life had turned out but on finishing the book this story left me feeling full of hope.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy to read and review.

I know a lot of reviewers absolutely LOVED this book and I wanted to love it too. I truly did. The main plot is interesting and takes you on some twists and turns, but I thought the ending was a bit far-fetched, along with some other things that go on throughout the story. Also, I didn't care for any of the characters. I reached a point where I was almost skimming pages because I just wanted to see how it ended. I had nothing invested in any of the characters.

I do really like Jessica Strawser's style of writing and would love to read more from her in the future. This book just wasn't a hit with me.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

After years of missed connections, Violet and Finn — the couple at the centre of Jessica Strawser's début novel, Almost Missed You — finally find themselves in the right place at the right time, and they soon marry and have a son together. Violet finally feels that she is truly happy and she loves to tell new acquaintances the 'unbelievable' story of how they met. But after Violet decides to spend a few extra minutes reading on the beach on a rare family holiday, she returns to her hotel room to find no sign of either Finn or their son — and, indeed, no sign that they were ever there at all.

As Violet's worst nightmare becomes an even worse reality, she turns to her best friend Caitlin for comfort, but Caitlin was Finn's best friend first and may know more than she is letting on — about both the disappearance of Finn and Bear and the terrible secrets that lie in Finn's past. With alternating chapters told from the perspective of Violet, Caitlin and Finn, Strawser skilfully guides the reader towards the novel's dramatic climax, asking the question of how well we can ever really know another person — even someone we love deeply.

Strawser's narrative is very gripping, with the back-story being fleshed out with flashbacks to Violet and Finn's first meeting — also on a beach, as a result of a big coincidence, before fate intervened, tearing them apart before they could exchange details — and their various encounters, near misses and attempts to find each other over the following years. I've always been a sucker for tales of near-misses and coincidences (see also Serendipity) and Strawser does a great job of making the reader root for past-tense Violet and Finn.

The characterisation was a little spottier — although we come to comprehend the pain and loneliness in their pasts as the story progresses, Violet often seems rather wet (if sympathetic), while Finn is incredibly unlikable for much of the novel, his actions hard to accept even when we begin to understand the motivation for his actions. Caitlin is, in many ways, a more interesting and complex character, whose friendship with both Violet and Finn puts her in an impossible position, particularly when her own past actions may come back to haunt not just her but her friends and family too.

The ending didn't fully satisfy me, but I enjoyed the journey and read the book in a single sitting. There are plenty of twists too — some of which I guessed, although others still surprised me — and I think Almost Missed You would make a great holiday read.

This is a story of a family who has too many painful secrets and is torn apart by selfishness and too many misunderstandings. I had to stop half way because I really did not like the way the story was going. I put the book aside for a few months and picked it up again two days ago. I am glad I did. The story got better and became more interesting. Lots of my questions were answered and the conclusion was appropriate for the story. I just think that the title does not go with the story.

“Fate, people liked to call it. But Violet pictured it as dominoes. Somehow, they’d been positioned perfectly. And at the end of the line was Finn.”

Thanks go to Net Galley and St Martin’s Press for the DRC for this intricately crafted novel, which I received free in exchange for an honest review. Unique and tightly woven, it’s sure to arrest your attention until the last page is turned. This book goes up for sale March 28, 2017.

Violet meets Finn while on vacation in Miami, and wild coincidences draw them together. They went to the same obscure, short-lived summer camp, and they’re both from Cincinnati. How crazy is that? And so when they come together again, it feels like something out of a fairy tale. They marry and have an adorable son they call Bear. Later they return to Miami as a little family.

Then Violet returns, warm and fulfilled, to the hotel room…and both Finn and Bear are gone, along with their luggage.

This is a story that speaks to every mother’s worst nightmare, the abduction of her child. Her baby! And Strawser plots it cleverly, so that the obvious answers are no longer feasible. Of course the police are called, but since there was no divorce, no restraining order, there’s only so much they can do. They have other cases as well. Meanwhile, Violet is both frantic and bewildered. She had thought they were so happy together; what on Earth happened here?

Our main characters are these two parents as well as their closest friends, Caitlin and George. George is a ruling class scion, and at the start of the book it seems as if this is overemphasized. At one point I enter it in my digital notes: put the trowel away already, we get it! But here I am mistaken, because the frequent references are here for a reason; that’s all I will say about that lest I ruin the end for you.

An endearing side character is Gram, the woman that raised Violet after her parents died. Older women tend to be stereotyped in novels; they are either background characters that emerge with cookies or chicken soup and then depart again to make way for the real characters, or they are the cause of all that is bad---shrews, harpies, abusers, enablers, nags. Gram has shrewd advice and insights. She’s not just a cardboard cutout.

The inner narratives, which alternate and in doing so build suspense, are where the strongest voices are found. The dialogue is nicely done, but not as effective as the narratives. And more than anything I have read recently, this book is driven by the plot. The ending is a humdinger.

Ordinarily I would call this a strong beach read, but mothers of tiny children might want to read it somewhere else. It's a fine debut novel, and Strawser will be an author to watch in the future. Recommended to those that like strong fiction.

Violet thinks she is living the perfect life. After an intriguing start to their relationship, she and her husband, Finn, have crafted a wonderful life together. They have a young son, Bear, whom they both adore. The couple decides to take Bear on vacation to the same beach where they had first met years earlier. While there, Finn thoughtfully gives Violet some time on the beach to herself. Most mothers of young children would relish an opportunity like that, and Violet indeed enjoys a relaxing hour alone with a good book and a tropical drink. But when Violet returns to their hotel room, she discovers Finn has packed up his belongings and disappeared with Bear, and her entire world is turned upside down. Violet is forced to call into question everything she thought she knew about her husband. She becomes the subject of intense police scrutiny, isolates herself, and spirals into deep depression. As she tries to pick up the pieces of her life, she is left with a series of never ending questions. What would compel Finn to do this? How could she have been so blindsided? Where is Bear, and will she ever see him again?

Days later and hundreds of miles away, Finn and Bear show up at the home of longtime friend, Caitlin. Caitlin is living a fairy tale life with her socially influential husband and their twin sons who are Bear’s age. But Caitlin is harboring a secret from her husband, and Finn knows what it is. Finn uses that information to blackmail Caitlin into hiding him and Bear. Caitlin has just returned from spending time with Violet and knows firsthand the depths of Violet’s despair. She reluctantly agrees to help Finn but is quietly planning a way to reunite Bear with his mother. Will an error in judgment prove to be costly for Caitlin?

This is a debut novel for author Jessica Strawser, and it is beautifully written. I devoured this book rather quickly despite being smack-dab in the midst of an unusually hectic personal schedule. Once I started it, I found it difficult to set aside, and that’s the mark of a captivating, engaging book. However, the ending left me confused and frankly irritated. Perhaps those feelings can be attributed to the “mama-bear” in me, but I just didn’t think that ending made any sense. With that sole exception, “Almost Missed You” is a wonderful read, and I heartily recommend it to anyone who enjoys women’s fiction.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Violet and Finn were one of those couples that everyone though were meant to be. Crossing paths several times in their lives the two finally came together and had gotten married. Now on vacation with their young son the unthinkable happens to Violet. Finn had taken their son for a nap while Violet stayed on the beach to relax. When Violet returned to the hotel room all trace of her husband and son was completely gone.

In the days following Violet is living her worst nightmare when police find no trace of her husband and son. Violet now begins to question did she ever know the man she was married to? Little does Violet know one person in her life knows where Finn is. Caitlin had been friends with Finn long before his marriage to Violet and is now using her secrets against her to help him along.

Almost Missed You to me was somewhat of a dramatic thriller type of read. With Finn’s disappearance right at the start of the story it certainly pulls a reader into it to find out what exactly could have happened to what was thought to be this perfectly happy couple. As the story unfolds it turns in more of a family drama with secrets galore being held by everyone involved.

For the most part of this book I was completely hooked on the drama unfolding and couldn’t wait to see how this one would end. However, I’m not too sure I was completely impressed with the overall ending to this one, it just felt a little off when getting there after being engrossed up to that point so that brought my rating down a tad bit but otherwise I’d recommend this to anyone who loves a twisty journey unraveling family secrets and dramatic suspense.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

A chance meeting on the beach. So starts this great read. Finn thinks he has found his soul mate. After he places a connectionsmall ad on Craigslist list, he is happy to receive a response. However, it is not the woman he had met before. But, giving this encounter a shot they both find that there is a definite connection. They become engaged and start planning their wedding.
Is it possible to have more than one soul mate? Is a future possible after a horrible accident takes the one person that is the live of their life. How does a person recover from such a traumatic experience. Can life go on.
How much can keeping secrets hurt a loving relationship.
This is a phenomenal read.
5 Stars