The Apple of My Eye

by Mary Ellen Bramwell

"Any reader who loves good fiction, mysteries, or even romance would enjoy The Apple of My Eye ." – Readers' Favorite When Brea Cass, a young mother, is awakened in the night by the news that her loving husband, Paul, has been shot during a robbery, she is stunned. When she finally emerges from the fog of her life, it dawns on her that something is amiss in the way her husband died. As Brea searches for answers, she discovers things she never knew... and things she's not sure she wants to know. Delving into unsolved mysteries brings several questions to the forefront of Brea's thoughts, and she must decide if moving forward can erase the heartache and mistakes.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Romance, Chick Lit, Womens Fiction, Thriller, Mystery Thriller

245 pages, Paperback

First published August 28, 2014

About the author

Mary Ellen Bramwell, a bestselling and award-winning author, has been writing stories since she was ten years old. After working in other fields and raising five children as a stay-at-home mom, Mary Ellen returned to her first love, writing. She resides in the Mountain West with her husband of over 35 years and her youngest son.

Reviews

[James Glass · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary Ellen Bramwell has a real knack for storytelling. She pulls the reader into the fold and never lets go. The characters are well-developed and entertaining. Brea Cass is a young woman with brains who meets and falls in love with Paul. When she’s awoken in the middle of the night and learns her husband has been shot and killed during a robbery, she’s shocked. As she begins take in the idea of his death, she realizes that something seems amiss by the way Paul died. As Brea begins to uncover the reality of what happened that dreadful night, she starts to uncover inconsistencies. As the details begin to emerge, she wonders if Paul truly was an innocent man when he died. As the reader turns each page, a new twist unravels and makes you realize all may not be as it seems. Mary Ellen Bramwell will keep you guessing until the last word is read. I really enjoyed this story and can’t wait until her next book.

[Leanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story didn't ring true

The story was kind of interesting, but a lot of the details were pretty cheesy. The dialogue was dated and not very conversational - no one talks like that! The main character wasn't very believable. She couldn't have been more than 25, but acted at least 15 years her age. She married her husband right after her freshman year in college after knowing him less than a year, and her parents were thrilled! Doesn't seem like something that would happen in present day, not in that way, anyway. A lot of little things like that that seemed pretty weird. It just didn't ring true.

[Erica Paré · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only thing stopping me from giving this book 5 stars was that it took a little bit to get going for me. It started out slowly and just when i was about ready to set it aside it picked up. And boy did it ever! There were so many back and forths, twists and turns. We get to follow along as Brea questions everything after her husband is killed. We learn that even though her life seems to be falling apart, she takes the love of friends and family to support her to be strong. In the end, she ends up stronger than she ever imagined. We learn that her husband, although kept some things from her, really wasnt a bad person after all. And some of those things he kept, turn out to be something she needed in the end. Some real heart touching moments in the book.

[Anita · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started out pretty well. I really believed her emotions when she first discovered her husband's fate. But as the story moved along, it became populated by unbelievably NICE characters. Her parents were extremely nice, her friends were nice, the neighbor was nice, even her husband was just too good to be true nice, despite his not so nice side. If ever a book suffered from too much niceness, this is it. I kept thinking maybe one of the characters would turn out to be not so nice but nope, everyone is just boringly NICE. And it all ends tied up in a NICE neat bow. Well, there you go.

[Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took about 70 pages to get to the crux of the story - which was that something was amiss in the main character's husband's death. The story is engaging enough that I wanted to continue. The character group was small enough to sufficiently develop and each was unique enough to the story to make it interesting. It wasn't so much a "who done it?" as "there's some loose ends to tie up about this guy's life." The author did a good job tying up those loose ends, especially using the name of the book itself as a guidepost for character Brea Cass to believe the best about her husband.

Two things that didn't ring true (and for a first time writer, that's really great!) were when one character said they read something in the morning paper that happened at 12:30 a.m. - just a few hours before. Having worked in the journalism and news industry, that story wouldn't have made it in the morning's paper. Newspapers usually only hold the paper for stories like political races and sometimes sports events that end late.

The other thing was that one of the crooks used the word, "perhaps." I don't think that was a good word choice for a creepy thug.

Overall, I think this was a great first novel for this author and I'm interested to read the other novels she has written. I hope she sticks with it. She knows how to pull a reader into a story giving just enough twists to make it believable.

[Patricia Guy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the writing to be very stilted and the reactions of Brea to be unbelievable. SPOILER What took this to a two star rating was Brea was asked by a close friend if she expected her husband to be prefect. Brea is then written to be feeling terrible. Which I found unbelievable because Brea's husband had lied about working the night he was killed, he had lied to his work and taken a leave of absence, he was involved in the robbery of several stores, he had lied about his name, he had lied about the death of his parents (they were alive), he was involved in a larger crime to steal credit card info. He was a lot more then just imperfect. He was a just charming criminal.

[Joyce · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novel had a very interesting beginning but as it went on, I found myself disappointed. In the beginning, a young woman, Brea, is woken up by a phone call summoning her to the hospital because her husband has been shot. It turns out that he was shot during a robbery at an all-night grocery.

Then as Brea begins her own investigation, she finds out that he had not been at his job at the hotel for several weeks. He had told her he had switched to a night shift. She eventually puts more pieces of the puzzle together finding out what had really happened.

Where the story fell apart for me was all the soul searching on Brea's part trying to determine if her husband Paul had really loved her. I didn't have a problem with that desire or need, but in my opinion it was just overdone with too much repetition. At times the plot really lagged. What bothered me the most were conclusions people came to at the end---as if certain bad things he had done really didn't matter at all.

[Sharon Grim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unique!

This is a story unlike any you’ve read before. I loved how the story was told, and the characters so believable. This will stay with me for a long time. Thanks for writing it!

[Liz Whelan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a Fabulous Book. I Smiled, Laughed and Cried. Such a Beautiful Story. Thank You Mary Ellen Bramwell for such a Beautiful Book. I look forward to reading other books of yours.

[Becky Kinkade · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I have read this year. Usually I can figure out what is going on before it is revealed in the book. This time I was kept in the dark until the author revealed all the answers. I love romance but through in mystery and faith based it becomes a perfect book for me. I highly recommend this book.

[Ann Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a quick read, but not a satisfying one. My main objection occurs early on. A young woman named Brea is awakened only to remember that her husband, Paul, was killed during a robbery. What was he doing at the small store in the middle of the night, why was he shot, etc.? She realizes she didn't know him. Of course she didn't. She met him her first year of college and dropped out to marry him knowing very little about him.

What I don't believe is that Brea's parents would welcome this man into their lives without checking him out. If I don't believe that, I don't believe what follows. It's one thing for an eighteen-year-old who is "in love" to get carried away, but her parents? I cannot honestly think of any set of parents I know who wouldn't have an issue with this couple, unless they didn't care a whit about their child's well-being, which is supposedly not the case here. The plot machinations to make this fit with the final outcome are padded with fillers, and a letdown.

Like too many books, this one seems to be going somewhere, but gets derailed as the author boxes herself in. Characters don't necessarily need a formal education to have common sense. But as it is, don't insult the intelligence of your readers.

[John Hazen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked The Apple of My Eye by Mary Ellen Bramwell and would recommend it to others to read. This book delves into the mind of Brea Cass, a woman forced to deal with the sudden, violent death of her husband. Immediately after his murder, he was portrayed as a hero, but when certain things don’t add up Brea comes to realize that perhaps her husband may not have been the man she thought he was. Gradually, surrounded by a second-to-none support network, she does her own detective work as she uncovers clue after clue, peeling away the public face her husband had shown to her and to the world. The book is well-written but I did find it occasionally got bogged down a bit too much in the mundane aspects of everyday life. There were also a couple of points where I found myself questioning the story line and decisions made by Brea, but these very subjective issues do not detract from my recommending this book.

[Jo Stover]

Mary Ellen Bramwell is a fellow Black Rose Writing author and we exchanged books. I rate The Apple of My Eye as a five star well written book about a young married woman with a baby who loses her husband through a tragic killing. She then begins to have doubts about their marriage when she discovers things she had not known about him before and begins to investigate.
Although I usually do not read mystery type book, I had trouble putting Mary's book down. It flows well, has intrigue that keeps you glued to the pages to find out whatever it is the main character, Brea, is going to find.
It is a clean story for those who are not interested in graphic sex, violence, vampires or walking dead. An exceptional read.

[Smitha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brea Cass is a new widow. Her husband, Paul, had just died. Clinging on to her baby son to keep herself sane, Brea decides that she needs to face up to her situation which leads her to figuring out what exactly happened to her husband in the minutes before he was shot during a robbery in a corner store.

She soon realises that she has literally opened a Pandoras box of secrets. Did she even know her husband. Her almost perfect husband, was he hiding something from her.

The story progresses with flashbacks initially to give us an idea of what brought Brea and Paul together and their lives since, leading up to Paul's death. A well written, intriguing book, with some interesting twists, although some were a wee bit predictable. An enjoyable one time read.

[J.L. Rallios · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is an excellent story about a woman who deals with the loss of her husband and the unsettling truths that emerge subsequently around his tragic death. Well told and moving, it is filled with characters that are real-to-life and likeable. It also proves you don't have to use profanity, sex, or violence to tell a good story. The author has remarkable insight, and considerable talent, in describing and, more importantly, in conveying grief. Highly recommended.

[Janice Bjonfald · Rating 1 out of 5]

While the book started out interesting it left a lot

Spoiler alert I can not under stand how Brea got to Paul being part of the robbery. Just because he suggested she cheat on an assignment doesn't mean that would make him turn to robbery. Yes it is both stealing but after that the book lost me as it didn't make sense. I won't be reading any of the author's other books

[Pat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Forgettable and trite. Her husband is shot during a convenience store robbery. She discovers he’s lied about things. Premise: who was her husband really? A good guy or a bad guy? She must investigate but what will she find out? Unfortunately I really didn’t care. She was uninteresting as a character. The writing was overwrought, the story contrived. Don’t bother.

[Ogz · Rating 2 out of 5]

It had a good story line but took too long to get to the point. I feel it could have bee shorter but the author dragged on the story.

There isn't so much to the storyline than that we all make mistakes and those mistakes affect people who love you even when you are gone.

[Chowsa84 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book sucked me in right away. It definitely has some surprises I was not expecting. The love story was irresistible.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story.

Story is told well, lots of twists and turns. Makes you think about how well you know people,and who constitutes family.

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

E-book. Ok

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story pulled me in from the very beginning. Couldn't put it down as I felt I was sharing Brea's journey. Well done.

[Ronda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh.

[Jennifer Lara · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Apple of My Eye by Mary Ellen Bramwell is the story of one woman’s journey through grief and doubt as she wonders if she really knew her husband at all. Brea Cass is awoken late one night by a phone call, notifying her that her husband, Paul Cass, was in an accident and on his way to the hospital. By the time she arrives at the hospital, Paul has died. Brea learns her husband as at a 24-hour grocery store when two masked men came in to rob the story. Paul stepped in front of an elderly customer and was shot. Brea is confused as he should have been at his job at a local hotel on the other side of town. She quickly learns that Paul has been hiding things from her. Now alone with their infant son, Brea begins to doubt everything she knew about Paul. Why did he lie about work? What else has he lied about? Did he truly love her?
The late-night phone call is every person’s worst nightmare. No one calls late at night with good news. The Apple of My Eye was an easy read as the story quickly jumps from Paul’s death to the aftermath and day-to-day learning to live again that Brea must do to survive. I found the characters too good to be true and the plot too farfetched. No one, especially Brea, really went through the stages of grief, especially with a sudden death like Paul’s. It almost read like a Lifetime movie. Brea is met with tragedy, questions her knowledge of who her husband was and starts retracing his moments. Then after a few months, the investigation in his death is complete and her doubts are all erased, everything is good again. The Apple of My Eye was not a bad book, but it wasn’t an amazing “You must read this!” kind of book.

The Apple of My Eye
is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook.

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a pretty good mystery thriller that follows Brea Cass as she has to cope with the sudden loss of her husband in a seemingly random robbery gone wrong and then the nagging doubts that all is not what it seems and there is more to the story and to her husband than she realised. The story weaves and builds bit by bit as Brea uncovers more and more pieces that don't fit the narrative that she's been told and the more she digs the more complex things become. The story itself is quite enjoyable but I did find some aspects of Brea's character a bit outdated and clashing as she was portrayed both as the devoted loving wife willing to follow her husband's opinions but also a smart educated independent woman willing to put herself at risk to uncover the truth. There wasn't really an arc to this going from one to the other, it seemed to switch back and for with no real blending which I found a little odd. But I did find her fairly endearing overall, and she was certainly determined to get to the truth throughout.

[Nicole Cater · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's the little things that can really make or break a book. For people who love mysteries, this is never going to be a great book. But it could have been a good one. The dialogue a 1950's super flowery. The author goes to great pains to make sure we know just how amazingly intelligent our heroine is, except for the whole marrying a 24-25 year old guy you've dated for four months when you're 19. The neighbor character is based on and named after the author's grandmother. I understand wanting to do right by Grandma, but this character comes off as a clairvoyant shaman. During the present day story, in which the heroine is, at most, 23, she waffles between being a naive teenager and a 35 year woman. She also has a degree in computer science, is a programmer, and doesn't know what a burner phone is. The book doesn't so much foreshadow clues as it just slaps you in the face with them. The only character in the entire book that seems realistic is the baby.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well I skipped through this and enjoyed it to an extent but found it quite irritating really. My heart sank when I started it and found that it was American, and sure enough, my instinct that this would be a bad thing in this instance was confirmed. Some of the dialogue was corny and contrived - I kept thinking "do people really talk like that?".

It was all just a bit sickly sweet for my taste.

Edit - I've just read through bits I've highlighted and had to smile at the line when she's considering why her husband was in the shop on the night he died "Was he talking to a woman or a co-worker or just an old buddy? Tampons or a beer would indicate entirely different things." Yeah because no-one EVER buys beer for a woman!!!

Actually, reading through my highlights indicate that I was over generous with my rating - some of the writing is awful! But I've kept it at 3 as that was what I thought when I got to the end.

[Gail Olmsted · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Apple of my Eye by Mary Ellen Bramwell is the story of Brea Cass, a young mother who finds herself in the middle of a nightmare when her husband is killed. In addition to the grief and loss she experiences, questions immediately surface, leaving her wondering just who her late husband really was: a loving father soulmate and selfless hero or a charming, manipulative liar with a dark and mysterious past? Brea has built herself a strong support system including her friends and parents, but she is compelled to find out the truth so that she and her infant son Noah can move on with their lives.
This is the third title I have read from this author and it will not be my last. I received a free copy of this book and this review was written voluntarily.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Apple of My Eye is the story of Brea and her husband, Paul. I like many of the characters but found that much of the story presented Brea as being too naive, especially where her husband is concerned. Many things change in their life such as her husband's work schedule, however, Brea doesn't seem to wonder why. After the worse happens, she seems to take forever to ask questions and eventually, learn the truth of her husband's past, their marriage and the life they had together. Was Paul having an affair, was he really a hero? Just what's going on past and present? Brea goes from falling apart to gaining strength in her search for answers, back to falling apart and so on. It just didn't ring true for me, though parts of the story and characters were likable, I was disappointed.

[Barbara Roufa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did like the twist reveal of a hidden life and family discord--BUT, feel like a lot of that should have been questioned and explored before getting married. Too much of a stretch for me, that after being away from home for the first time ever and knowing this guy for a few months, she and her parents were fine with a wedding!!! What parents of a nineteen year old would be okay with that???
This felt like one of the daily soap operas filled with beautiful people and drama around every corner. I respect that many people enjoy that type of story, and that is a beautiful thing about having so many books to read. We don't all have to like every book we read.