THE TRUTH

A woman's increasingly successful life starts to crumble as secrets from her past are revealed in Kennedy’s debut novel.

Dahlia Frost has had an eventful and difficult life. She was kidnapped as a child by her biological father, Dahmon, and nearly drowned after he drove his car into a lake. Her stepfather, Bob, abused her and her mother, Sylvia. Dahlia later escaped to the U.S. Air Force but was discharged a decade ago after a hypnotherapy session that yielded repressed memories; the stress led to a breakup with her longtime boyfriend, the famous actor Roland Hughes. Sylvia reveals some of Dahlia’s past to her, and the young woman turns the story of her life into a bestselling novel, writing under a pseudonym. She also finds out that she’s an heiress who’s worth millions. Roland unexpectedly turns up at one of her signings, and they rekindle their relationship; she gets pregnant, and they plan to marry. Then her real name is revealed to the public, and days before her wedding, she’s abducted and finds out more startling information about her past. Later, she tries to decide how to deal with those who’ve wronged her. In this first volume in a planned series, Kennedy states in an author’s note that some of the story’s events are based on abuse that she and her mother suffered: “The depth of dysfunction, bad choices, abuse, and heaviness felt lighter as I covered it in a candy-coated romance.” The author skillfully accomplishes her goal of discussing the serious topics in an engaging story of a public relationship between an author and an actor. The story’s villains are offered no redemption, but the most important in Dahlia’s life are developed into complex characters who find forgiveness. Kennedy also makes the protagonist’s struggles with complicated decisions feel realistic and wisely leaves unexplored secrets for future volumes.

An emotional and dramatic novel that achieves the difficult task of blending themes of trauma, healing, and romantic love.