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Almost Missed You  By  cover art

Almost Missed You

By: Jessica Strawser
Narrated by: Thérèse Plummer
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Publisher's summary

"Almost Missed You is a skillful, insightful debut: a deft exploration of the mysteries of marriage, the price we pay for our secrets, and just how easy it is to make the worst choices imaginable." —Chris Bohjalian, New York Times bestselling author of The Sandcastle Girls and Midwives

"Almost Missed You is an emotional powerhouse of a novel." —Garth Stein, New York Times bestselling author of A Sudden Light and The Art of Racing in the Rain

"This is a rich read which will keep you turning pages long into the night. Glorious!" —Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of All the Stars in the Heavens

"Jessica Strawser writes from the heart." —New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline

"Almost Missed You is compelling fiction from a brave new voice." —Bestselling author Sophie Littlefield

Violet and Finn were “meant to be,” said everyone, always. They ended up together by the hands of fate aligning things just so. Three years into their marriage, they have a wonderful little boy, and as the three of them embark on their first vacation as a family, Violet can’t help thinking that she can’t believe her luck. Life is good.

So no one is more surprised than she when Finn leaves her at the beach—just packs up the hotel room and disappears. And takes their son with him. Violet is suddenly in her own worst nightmare, and faced with the knowledge that the man she’s shared her life with, she never really knew at all.

Caitlin and Finn have been best friends since way back when, but when Finn shows up on Caitlin’s doorstep with the son he’s wanted for kidnapping, demands that she hide them from the authorities, and threatens to reveal a secret that could destroy her own family if she doesn’t, Caitlin faces an impossible choice.

Told through alternating viewpoints of Violet, Finn and Caitlin, Jessica Strawser's Almost Missed You is a powerful story of a mother’s love, a husband’s betrayal, connections that maybe should have been missed, secrets that perhaps shouldn’t have been kept, and spaces between what’s meant to be and what might have been.

©2017 Jessica Strawser (P)2017 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"Once in a great while, along comes a novel that defies the odds, a true mystery that bars no holds and plays no tricks, leaving the reader both deeply moved and thoroughly astonished. Almost Missed You is just such a book, a debut that asks if we can ever really know another human being, by a writer’s writer with talent to spare. You may not have heard of Jessica Strawser today, but by tomorrow, everyone’s going to be talking about her and about this story." — Jacquelyn Mitchard, New York Times bestselling author of The Deep End of the Ocean

"A thought-provoking debut about the true cost of emotional stress fractures and the jolts that finally crack them open. Strawser’s novel is layered with secrets, and will stay with you long after you finish reading." — Therese Walsh, author of The Moon Sisters

"In ALMOST MISSED YOU, debut author Jessica Strawser meticulously weaves together a kidnapped child, friends in turmoil, and a Craigslist ad into a tangled web of secrets, lies, and unexpected alliances. This heart-breaking page-turner will make you question how well you really know everyone you hold dear." — Amy Sue Nathan, author of The Glass Wives

What listeners say about Almost Missed You

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

AMAZING!

Original story.
Amazing narration
I connected with all the characters!
Absolutely loved this book!
Absolutely!

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Different kind of love story

I wasn't sure where this book was leading but I enjoyed the trip. I liked how it was quite a different plot and it kept you guessing. I felt the build up didn't quite match the reveal - would have liked more intensity. Overall, well narrated and interesting enough to keep me listening.

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Violet and Finn's past come back to haunt them

This book was definitely a page turner. I had no idea what to expect and I listened to the entire audiobook in one sitting. At the center of this book was a missing three-year-old boy and his frantic mother desperately looking answers to help her find him.

Violet and her husband Finn took their three-year-old son Bear to Florida for their first big family vacation. Finn takes Bear out so Violet can catch some sleep but when she wakes up, Finn and Bear have vanished. The question became, why would Finn take Bear and disappear.

I knew something wasn’t right after I heard how perfect Violet and Finn were. Those kinds of comments foreshadow some unfortunate revelation that the only insiders would be privy to know. Then there was Caitlin, Finn’s best friend but also a close friend to Violet who was caught in the middle.

The author weaved this tale using the viewpoints of Violet, Finn and Caitlin both using the past as well as the current situation. I was able to follow the audio without getting lost because each person has different voice and different motive. As the secrets began unraveling, the true fear and driving force behind each character’s actions were exposed.

This story reminds me that communication is the foundation of any lasting relationship. These characters didn’t divulge some seriously important facets of their pasts and those secrets came to threaten their shallowly built future. It was well written and completely absorbed in the story.

I was desperately trying to figure out what the mystery at the heart of the abduction of a little boy. The author did a job of creating sympathy for Finn, Violet, Caitlin and George. They were all flawed but were redeemable. This book was quite intriguing and it had a lot more depth than I was anticipating. The ending was satisfying and I would recommend this book to those who love suspense thrillers.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

A lot of nothing

I didn't particularly like it. Though I did want to know happened at the end. There was chapters and chapters of, what if I, what if you, what if they, and I should HAVE. Instead of just telling us what happened.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Entertaining but frustrating

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes because the story was entertaining but the fact that the husband separated his son from his mother when she was a perfectly good wife and mother was unforgivable.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

It held my interest because I kept thinking something would explain his behavior besides selfishness and I wanted to find out what it was

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I think I did have an extreme reaction because the father had no redeeming qualities that justified his behavior.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Don't Miss!

What made the experience of listening to Almost Missed You the most enjoyable?

listening to Therese Plummer reading this book and doing an excellent job with the voices really made this book alive.

Which character – as performed by Therese Plummer – was your favorite?

I love the voice of Bear, their son.

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this book and the author did a good job unfolding the events from present and the past and evolving the characters.

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3 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Better as a short story

By half way in I started to fast forward, the narrator is excellent but the story is far too long.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Good narration but storyline was frustrating

Typical characters who make you so mad for not doing the right thing. It wasn't bad enough to stop listening, narrator did well but it just never was compelling enough for me.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Good book for the genre

This book explores the depths of emotion both started and unstated and their impact on the lives around them. It's a good book for the genre. Interesting how the author works thru the issues.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Predictable and wordy

I was pleased the book had a pleasant outcome as the whole story was gloomy and somewhat depressing. In addition, character development was lacking, it was predictable in many ways, and too wordy for me.

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