Defining Her by Samantha March

Defining Her by Samantha March

Nellie Hawthorne is a woman who has it all. A devoted husband, her own business, a wealthy lifestyle. But the Nellie she is now is much different from her past. A past filled with abuse, addiction, and men. Nellie’s carefully constructed new life is suddenly in jeopardy when a blast from the past emerges in her small town and her overbearing mother-in-law starts pushing for grandchildren and questions start being asked. A budding new friendship presents itself at an opportune time, and a once friendless Nellie finds herself growing closer to Prue Doherty.

Prue Doherty is the quintessential good girl. Always making the right decisions, always playing it safe. Until she meets a man that could change all of that. Still reeling from a devastating breakup and betrayal that had her fleeing from Chicago and settling into suburb life with her mom close by, Prue finds herself in a damaging funk. But everything changes when she befriends Nellie Hawthorne.

Nellie is trying to escape her past. Prue wants that perfect future. While both women strive to change their lives, they continue to cling to the past. But what defines us? Who we were then . . . or who we are trying to be now? Lies, manipulation, and deceit are woven throughout the pages of this edgy women’s fiction novel, with an ending you won’t see coming.


Hey! Here's my review.

Dark, raw, real and twisty.

I've read a few of Samantha's other novels which I class as chick lit, this one is firmly in the women's fiction category. Darker than her other novels, it deals with deeper issues such as infidelity, entitlement, friendship and trust.  The opening scene is quite graphic, but this is definitely not erotica. 

I love the cover. It appears black and white, just like the characters thought they were, but when you look closer, there are many shades of grey. The characters grow and change throughout the novel. I found all the characters compelling and I was intrigued to see what they believed defined them, their past, present or future.


I reviewed a complimentary copy.

★★★★★

  • Where: Chick Lit Plus
  • Format: ebook