Honestly, I had an abundance of issues with this book. So much so that as someone who has never written a review before, I felt compelled to pen this today. I simply needed to unburden myself to someone about it.

Ironically, the murder that was supposed to be the focal point of this book isn't even among the numerous problems I had with the story.

I initially loathed this book. I despised Cam with a passion. If he were a real person, I wouldn't hesitate to run him over with a large truck, multiple times, and then set the remaining corpse on fire. (FBI, please don't arrest me, I'm completely sane, I promise).

Privileged, pretty-boy Cameron Macdonald desires to travel the world. However, his globetrotting comes to an abrupt end when his father passes away, leaving him with real-world responsibilities. (Truly, how dare he?).

And so, Cam returns home to become the police chief and the leader of their small Scottish clan. He marries an old classmate who adores him and has a comfortable, loving life.

How sad? (Guys, don't you feel bad for little Cammy? No? Good).

Then enters Mia, a world-worn, travel-hardened girl who has never known love. This girl randomly pops up in town one day, walks into a flower shop, and begins working...

(Signs of lunacy be like). And no explanation was ever given as to how she just appeared.

The owner of the flower shop, Allie, Cam's wife, hires her and even invites her to stay at their place for a few days. Cam, who comes over to the flower shop, sees Mia, and cartoon hearts pop through his eyes. He realizes that Mia is the missing piece of his soul.

(A soul, which, if you ask me, possibly didn't even exist in him).

At this point, I knew how the story would unfold, so I became a rather unreliable narrator as I skipped chunks of the book. Mia and Cameron's relationship disgusted me.

Buying his wife a glass painting that reminded him of Mia's eyes...AS PENANCE..(Say it with me..what the FUCKKK).

Giving Allie a "Happy Valentine's Day, dad" card, and then sleeping with Mia in their house the second Allie left. The way he's so gentle with Mia but tries to practically kill Allie.

Cameron is a whole new way of spelling asshole.

And Allie frustrated me throughout the entire story. (I was practically screaming, "Leave him." from my rooftop. Yes, I pity my neighbors too).

So, when she finally came to her rage and anger, I loved loved loved her villain arc. Her selling all his clothes in a garage sale, shattering that picture, throwing Cam to the couch, and ignoring him. It was such good character growth, and her annoying pushover-ness finally disappeared. Understandably, when she took him back, I nearly tore the book to pieces.

Interwoven with this story is Jamie's (much more interesting) story.

Jamie Macdonald, who killed his wife and brought the body to this town, hoping the laird, Cameron, his cousin, would show him some mercy. Jamie Macdonald, who loved his wife so much that he was willing to kill her to end her pain from terminal cancer.

I loved the snippets of Maggie and Jamie's story. However, for most of the story, it felt like the euthanasia story, the actual story of mercy, was taking a backseat to Cameron's teenage hormonal idiocy.

So, to put it simply, I didn't like this book. At all.

So why two stars? Why even write a review at all?

Because the more I thought about it, I realized I had been looking at this book all wrong.

This wasn't some fairytale book of happy endings. It was based quite loosely on real life. An exaggerated version of couples we know in our own lives.

If you go into this book expecting romance, love, and poems from windowsills, you'll be sorely disappointed. If you expected a criminal mastermind, detective story with good twists and a thrilling court case, again, this would not be what you're looking for. If you wanted a scientific, compelling book on euthanasia, this book would quite frankly disappoint you because it doesn't delve into the issue properly at all.

Instead, this book is about reality. It's about what Jamie tells Allie, that in a relationship, one person will always love more.

"Then you're the one." Allie blinked at him. "The one what?" "The one who loves more."... "You know it's never fifty-fifty in a marriage. It's always seventy-thirty, or sixty-forty. Someone falls in love first. Someone always puts someone else up on a pedestal. Someone works very hard to keep things rolling smoothly; someone else sails along for the ride."

Maggie, Saint Maggie as she is called in one part of the book, didn't love Jamie as much as he loved her. Because, yes, Maggie was in pain, Maggie was suffering, but her decision to get Jamie to kill her, knowing that Jamie, who worshipped the ground she walked on, wouldn't say no if she asked, was quite frankly selfish.

Maggie dies, at home, in the arms of the person she loves, and Jamie is left to deal with the consequences. Jamie is left to contend with the cold reality of court, the possible future of prison, and the label "murderer". Jamie is left alone.

Cameron didn't love Allie as much as she loved him. The ease with which he began a relationship with Mia. The way he snaps at Allie, dismisses her, and blames his problems on the comfortability and regularity of their marriage.

Mia's parents, they loved her but not as much as she loved them. Loved her enough to compliment her garden and watch her work, but forgot her on a walk and left her alone.

So, the recurring pattern in the book is not quite unrequited love, but that love isn't distributed evenly.

And as much as I hate to admit it, this is true in the real world, away from perfect couples and fairies and pots of gold at the end of rainbows.

But, overall, this book disturbed me on so many levels... I think I'm going to be in quite a bit of a reading slump for a while.

2.5 STARS

On Jamie's dying wife Maggie's request, in order to end her suffering, he kills her, which greatly upsets his cousin Cameron, the chief of police. Cam is not happy that his wife Allie is assisting with Jamie's defense. Jamie states that in a marriage, one of the couple loves more. In his marriage, he would do anything Maggie asked. Allie is that dedicated to Cameron, who is only going through the motions.

Sometimes books don't withstand the test of time. At the time of publication, Jodi Picoult could write a scene where a man passionately kisses a woman after she said no. This was regarded by some as romantic, and I'm not blaming Picoult because such behavior was prevalent in books and movies as far back as GONE WITH THE WIND. Now we know that's assault, and I'm certain Picoult would write those scenes differently today.

I didn't like most of the characters in MERCY. Cam was cold and self-centered until he met Mia and fell into instant love. Allie was weak-willed, but she found her strength while helping Jamie. I wanted Allie and Jamie to get together, but he was in mourning and hopelessly committed to Maggie, so it seemed improbable.

I enjoyed MERCY more the first time I read it years ago. It's interesting to see how our perspectives and understandings change over time, and how that affects our perception of a book.

I thought this was an okay read. It was not her best work.

The book centres around a man who kills his wife when she asks him to do so because she is dying of cancer. Somewhere along the way, this gets all mixed up in a side story about a town cop who has an affair with his wife's assistant.

It seems that the main plot of the man and his terminally ill wife could have been explored more deeply. Instead, the addition of the side story about the cop and the assistant somewhat detracts from the overall impact.

There are other works by this author that I liked a lot more than this one. Her previous books had more engaging storylines and better-developed characters.

Perhaps this particular book was a bit of a misstep for her. However, I still look forward to seeing what she comes up with in the future.

I have a great fondness for Jodi Picoult. Her previous works have always managed to captivate me with their deep and engaging storylines, complex characters, and thought-provoking themes. However, I have to admit that this particular book fails to meet the high standards set by her other novels.

It lacks the depth and substance that I have come to expect from her. The plot seems rather simplistic and predictable, as if it was written for an audience with an 8th grade intelligence level. I found myself losing interest quickly and struggled to finish it.

It's a real disappointment, especially considering how much I have enjoyed her other books. I was really looking forward to this one, but unfortunately, it just doesn't hold up. I would not recommend this book to others who are fans of Jodi Picoult or who are looking for a truly engaging and challenging read.

I truly found it extremely difficult to take pleasure in Mercy. The excessive glorification and fetishisation of Scottish Gaelic culture really irked me. Cam was nothing short of an absolute wanker, and Allie was an incredibly frustrating character. Why on earth was she such a pushover all the time?

There were just a few too many unanswered questions that I had, and it simply didn't seem right for a book like Mercy to leave them unresolved. It was never clearly explained why Cam paid the lawyer to represent his cousin. How did Allie manage to discover the affair? Also, it's rather astonishing that no one in the entire book seemed to understand that Maggie scratching her husband as he suffocated her was a reflex response and would have occurred regardless of how badly she desired to die. Not even the coroners or the doctors? It's quite unbelievable.

To be fair, it was an easy enough read, but I could not, in good conscience, recommend this book to anyone. It had too many flaws and unanswered questions that left me feeling dissatisfied.

DNF'D at the 101-page mark.

I was initially going to give it a few more pages before I put it down, but seeing other people's reviews, I realised it probably wasn't going to improve.

It's a real shame as I usually love Jodi Picoult's books. However, this one was just flat for me. There were no likeable characters, and the swap and change between each character's narratives was hard to keep up with.

The story seemed to lack the depth and emotional connection that I have come to expect from Picoult's work.

Perhaps it was just a case of personal preference, but I found myself disengaged and uninterested as I read.

I'm disappointed that this book didn't live up to my expectations, but I will still continue to read Jodi Picoult's other works in the hope that they will recapture the magic that made me fall in love with her writing in the first place.

In this story, there are two main and rather captivating elements - murder and adultery.

Let's first delve into the murder trial. JP is truly in her element here. She has this remarkable ability to bring up a social issue and make us deeply ponder over it. The issue at hand in this instance is assisted suicide. Picture this: if a beloved person wanted to take their own life and asked you for assistance, what would you do? Naturally, the initial response for most would be a resounding no. But what if that loved one was in the final stages of a terminal illness, enduring excruciating pain? If someone were to act in such a situation, should they be convicted of murder? JP presents highly compelling arguments from both perspectives and only discloses the verdict on the very last page, adding an element of suspense.

Now, onto the adultery. Oh my goodness, the three individuals involved - the adulterer, the adulteree, and the clueless spouse - they were简直 like a confederacy of dunces. What a bunch of idiots! I simply couldn't muster any sympathy for any of them. The clueless spouse continuously missed blatant clues, as big as Texas, which made me want to throw my hands up in frustration and shout, "SERIOUSLY?!?!?!"

This is my 9th JP book. I'm giving it 4 stars because I believe I preferred the other JP books I've read. With the exception of "Plain Truth", there's a character in that book who is even more exasperating than the clueless spouse in this one.

The other JP books I have read so far include:
1. Nineteen minutes
2. The Pact
3. Plain Truth
4. The Storyteller
5. Handle with Care
6. Change of Heart
7. Lone Wolf
8. Leaving Time.

I am re-rating this to 3 ⭐️. The initial low star was given from an emotional standpoint. However, my views on Cam, the cheating hero, haven't changed. He is a truly pathetic loser. He believed that his happiness and newfound zest for life with the other woman (OW) were more crucial than his marriage to a wife who always prioritized him over herself.

In the end, I think the power balance was more evenly distributed, which brought a certain sense of satisfaction. Above all, the knowledge that Cam is still trapped in the small town he didn't desire to be in, living his ordinary life with a wife who no longer idolizes him, while the OW gallivants around the world without him is, in itself, a happy ending. It serves as a kind of poetic justice for his actions.

Despite the re-rating, the fact remains that Cam's choices and actions were despicable. He broke the trust and commitment of his marriage for what he thought was a better alternative. But in the end, he seems to have lost more than he gained.

Where do I even begin with this train wreck of a book?

First and foremost, the main plot revolves around a euthanasia killing. Here, a husband decides to take the life of his wife who is suffering from the excruciating pain of cancer. Now, while I firmly believe that a person has the right to choose to end their life when they are in absolute agony and facing a terminal illness, asking your husband to do it is, in my opinion, the most selfish act imaginable. It's just so messed up that I simply couldn't get past this aspect.

Secondly, there is the plot of Cam having an affair with his wife's coworker. I absolutely detest it when people engage in affairs when their partner is a good and decent person. This is one of the storylines that I loathe reading about the most in literature.

When these two elements are combined, they make for an extremely miserable and unenjoyable read. It's a book that fails to engage or satisfy on any level.

I absolutely despised the hero.

He is by far the worst hero I have come across in a very long time.

To be completely honest, I have zero faith in their Happily Ever After (HEA).

The way I see it, he is bound to cheat on her again.

And unfortunately, she will once more play the role of the forgiving doormat.

It seems like a never-ending cycle of disappointment and heartbreak.

The hero's actions are just unacceptable and it's hard to envision a future where they can truly be happy together.

Maybe there is a glimmer of hope somewhere, but as of now, it's very faint.

I just can't help but feel frustrated with this whole situation.

This is not the best book that I have read by Jodi Picoult.

I really didn't like it. Maybe it's because the story didn't capture my attention from the beginning. The characters didn't seem as developed as in some of her other works.

The plot felt a bit flat and predictable. I was hoping for more twists and turns to keep me on the edge of my seat.

However, I know that Jodi Picoult is a talented author, and perhaps this particular book just wasn't for me.

Maybe I will give another one of her books a try in the future and see if it can change my opinion.

Overall, I was disappointed with this read and would not recommend it to others who are looking for a truly engaging and captivating novel.

Jodi Picoult has always been one of my favorite writers.

She often chooses controversial topics as the foundation of her books, and this one is no exception.

The story revolves around the arrest and trial of a loving husband who, at his terminally ill wife's request, takes her life.

Mercy and forgiveness are prominent themes throughout the book.

What's also interesting is the contrast between the male characters.

The husband on trial prioritizes his wife's needs and wishes without considering the consequences for himself.

In contrast, the arresting small town police chief puts his own needs and desires first in his marriage.

Furthermore, the police chief's wife's character undergoes a transformation and gains strength as she assists the lawyer in preparing for the trial.

As a result of her newfound inner strength, she confronts her husband more confidently when she discovers his infidelity, something she might not have been able to do at the beginning of the book.

The complex web of relationships among the characters adds depth and makes this book a truly captivating read.