Book Review: One of the Good Guys by Araminta Hall

Title: One of the Good Guys

Author: Araminta Hall

Pages: 304

Published Date: Jan. 9, 2024

Source: Edelweiss

GoodReads Description: If most men claim to be good, why are most women still afraid to walk home alone at night?

Desperate to escape the ghosts of his failed marriage, Cole upends his life. He leaves London behind for a remote stretch of coast, relishing the respite from the noise, drama, and relentless careerism that curdled his relationship and mental health. Leonora has made the same move for similar reasons. She’s living a short walk from Cole’s seaside cottage, preparing for her latest art exhibition. Although Cole still can’t figure out what went wrong with his marriage, and Leonora is having trouble acclimating to the hostile landscape, the pair forges a connection on the eroding bluff they call home.

Then two young female activists raising awareness about gendered violence disappear while passing through. Cole and Leonora suddenly find themselves in the middle of a police investigation--and the resulting media firestorm when the world learns of what happened. And as the tension escalates alongside the search for the missing women, they quickly realize that they don’t know each other that well after all.

My Review:

I am so torn on what to write in this review.  In some ways, I loved this book.  I loved the mixed media feel.  The comments on some of the "posts" literally would turn my blood to ice.  I loved both Mel's and Cole's perspectives.  You start out by believing that Cole is a nice guy, but even toward the end of his POV, you begin to get clues that maybe he isn't all that he seems.  Tiny little red flags. In Mel's POV, you really get a vision of how much he gaslights and controls her.  Does he even realize? I'm not sure.  Which I think is actually more terrifying than if he knew what he was doing to her.

I wanted Cole to be just a regular guy, though, with all these misogynistic ideals ingrained to show that so many regular guys actually have these ideals ingrained! Without even realizing it.  So I was kind of disappointed at the turn it took.  (Trying to say what I want to say without spoilers! So excuse my in-eloquence).

I also was disappointed in that the female characters in the book were so unlikeable.  Couldn't we have balanced it out with someone more level-headed? I felt like the beginning of the book was really nuanced and hinted at what was happening, giving us just a little bit at a time.  Maybe even most of the book was like that, but then the end was a completely different voice that I didn't like as much.

This book was frustrating and in the end, all of the characters were deeply unlikeable.  But it also was meant to be that way. It was thought-provoking and a quick read that kept me interested.