The Outside Child. Tiffany L. Warren. 2018. Dafina Books. 306 pages. [ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.]
The Outside Child follows the courtship and marriage of make-up artist Chenille and NFL star Brayden Carpenter. Chenille is “once bitten, twice shy” when it comes to dating, but Brayden is convinced nearly from the start that he’s destined to spend his life with her. Their relationships has normal ups and downs, but is rocked by trauma that would rattle the foundation of any relationship.
I can say that I enjoyed The Outside Child as a book; it was filled with drama, usually as a result of their inability to find a compromise that allowed Brayden to pursue his career in a way that allowed Chenille the stability to do the same. But the title was a misnomer, if only because of how the plot actually played out. The driving tension that’s presented does not come into play until a point where most books would be leading to a resolution, not introducing a key conflict. As a result, the ending felt rushed and unrealistic given how things took place throughout the rest of the book.
What I do commend is Warren’s ability to write complicated heroines. Chenille was a thorny character and my feelings toward her, her choices, and her approach to relationships vacillated throughout the book. She is incredibly driven but isn’t quick to compromise. She’s emotion-driven, but doesn’t always consider the long-term effects of her words or actions. Put bluntly, she was unlikeable, and even when terrible things happened to her, I often struggled to find sympathy for her. She was borderline villainous and my sympathies laid with Brayden most of the time.
Despite the title not matching up to the title and description, The Outside Child is an interesting story. While the focus is less on infidelity, it gives a close-up view of the ups and downs of a relationship that’s faced with obstacles, from both internal and external causes. It’s an interesting read that I recommend, but I do so with the qualification that the description isn’t as quite a fit for the reality of the book.
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