Living in Glass Houses By: Zoe McKnight *Guest Post & Review*

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Book Description

Living in Glass Houses is a contemporary story about three friends, all at a crossroads after discovering that even the best laid plans don’t always result in the life you want. It’s about navigating the murky waters of relationships and friendships and having the courage to make those hard, life-altering decisions which mark the difference between existing and living.

Jonathan is a do-gooding college basketball coach in a relationship with a woman whose Park Avenue upbringing is at constant odds with his Main Street way of life. It’s a life he’s conceded to accept until he meets a woman who awakens in him everything he's been missing and is now uncertain he can live without.

Elle is a NYC editor whose type-A personality has afforded her a fulfilling lifestyle in which she rarely doesn’t get what she wants. That’s until a failed relationship causes her walls to come crashing down around her. The man, who everyone agreed was her perfect other half, leaves her confused, insecure and incapable of moving on, even after she meets someone who’s nothing like her, but who completes her in the strangest of ways.

Blair is an optimistic good girl, turned jaded wife. After ten years of a disappointing marriage, she decides to reclaim her happiness and fill the void left by her wealthy, philandering husband. Just when everything she’s ever dreamed of is finally within her grasp, she’s haunted by her past, forcing her to make a decision which will forever change the path of her life.

Guest Post By Author Zoe McKnight

‘Perfect is the enemy of good.’

Writing isn’t always easy. As much as I love it, I have my days, weeks and even months when I just don’t want to flip open my laptop. I’ve come to learn that it’s typically because I’m scared. Scared that what I write won’t be good enough, or that what I’ve written so far is crap. This is why, after publishing Living In Glass Houses, I’ve never re-read it. I’ve heard certain actors say they won’t watch themselves in their own movies and now I understand. I’m my own worst critic, as most people are. But I’ve learned (well actually, I’m still learning) that sometimes you just have to walk away. No book is ever going to be perfect and even if you believe it is, someone else won’t. Writing, like all other art forms, is highly subjective. For the life of me, I can’t fathom how anyone didn’t like Titanic or how could someone not think Halle Berry is beautiful, but those people are out there. So, trying to please all of the people all of the time is an exercise in futility and the earlier you learn this, the better.

When I first share my book (or as Stephen King puts it, ‘opening the door’) to my beta readers, there are paragraphs or lines I can’t wait for them to read. Even as I write them, I’m thinking ‘boy, they are going to love this.’ But sometimes they don’t. Or they simply don’t notice. On the flip side, there are parts of the book that I’m shocked to learn resonate with people. So, you just never know what will ring your reader’s bell. And you can’t spend your days mulling over it. You have to move on to the next sentence, chapter and sometimes even, the next book.

There’s always room for improvement and draft by draft and novel by novel you will improve. It’s inevitable. If your first piece of work is your best, you are in trouble. So, my advice to all of the writers of the world is this: Don’t wait until you think you know it all, because you never will. And don’t wait for inspiration to strike. Just keep tapping away at those keys. Something will come to you, something will work and even if it doesn’t, you’ll learn what not to do. Believe me, it’s never time wasted if it’s something you love.

I’ll admit that a small part of me is terrified that my second novel will be garbage. Deep down, I know it’s unlikely, but self-doubt is natural. And being scared is good. It keeps you on your toes, pushing forward and constantly evolving. And it shows you that you’re alive, invested. If I didn’t care one way or the other then I’d know this wasn’t my passion and what is life without passion?

Review

(Thank you to the Author for providing a Copy to Review)

This was one intense and emotional ride of a story, and I really, really loved it! The story revolves around three friends in and around NYC, and throughout the story, we go back and forth to their individual stories, and I found myself turning the pages as fast as I can, because this was one intriguing story all together with outstanding writing! Each of the characters have deep situations happening in their lives, and in each one there is betrayal, jealousy, love, strength, second chances, and much more. 

What I also loved about this story, were the characters; they were all really believable, realistic, and relatable, and I love that in characters. I felt Jonathan was a really good character, a good guy, that just ultimately finds himself in an empty relationship, but does it take a fling, a new love interest to realize what he had in the first place? With Elle, I think I really liked her the best because she is one strong character that goes for what she wants, and after ending an almost four year relationship, she's already in a new one where she is already engaged, but there is still that 'what if' type situation that lingers in Elle's mind. Should she go back to the guy that did break her heart or go with her new love that really loves her for who she is and is not hesitant to commit? Well, let me just say I loved her story the best, and...thought her story ended just where it was meant to end. Now, with Blair, I felt for her, as she was in a broken marriage, and she does start an affair with a guy that seems to love all of her, but her husband seems to say all the right things and wants a second chance. Well, I'll just say now, that the end of Blair's story was, ok maybe what I expected, but was still a little shocked about what did happen, and I was not sure at first how I felt with how everything went, but a couple pages later, I learned there is going to be a sequel, all about Blair's story, and I was and am really excited, because, yes, I definitely do not see her story not at all done, and now, really look forward to the sequel! :)

My Rating: 4.5/5

I say R-Rated and an Adult Read! 

About The Author

 Zoe McKnight was born and raised in New York City. When she’s not writing she can be found reading or satisfying her reality show fix. Her two favorite things are eggnog lattes and the love of her neurotic ten-year old cocker spaniel. Living in Glass Houses is her first novel. The sequel, ‘Til Our Lies Do Us Part, will be released later this Fall. 

Connect with Zoe!

http://www.zmcknight.com/Home.html

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