A Beautiful, Terrible Thing cover art

A Beautiful, Terrible Thing

A Memoir of Marriage and Betrayal

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A Beautiful, Terrible Thing

By: Jen Waite
Narrated by: Jen Waite
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About this listen

A woman discovers her marriage is built on an illusion in this harrowing and ultimately inspiring memoir.

“Be forewarned: You won’t sleep until you finish the last page.—Caroline Leavitt, author of Cruel Beautiful World


One night. One email. Two realities...

Before: Jen Waite has met the partner of her dreams. A handsome, loving man who becomes part of her family, evolving into her husband, her best friend, and the father of her infant daughter.

After: A disturbing email sparks suspicion, leading to an investigation of who this man really is and what was really happening in their marriage.

In alternating Before and After chapters, Waite obsessively analyzes her relationship, trying to find a single moment form the past five years that isn't part of the long con of lies and manipulation. Instead, she finds more lies, infidelity, and betrayal than she could have imagined. With the pacing and twists of a psychological thriller, A Beautiful, Terrible Thing looks at how a fairy tale can become a nightmare and what happens when “it could never happen to me” actually does.
Divorce & Separation Mental Health Personality Disorders Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Relationships Marriage Memoir Health Fiction Divorce Memoir
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This book got my interest from the get go. It was painful to hear what Jen had to go through but so very interesting what she discovered about her husband. And I do love a good ending!

Beautifully written & narrated

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I loved this book- Such a complex situation told with the right amount of detail.

The narration was great, i felt the mood shift between the chapters, and the story was truly interesting.

A complex story told beautifully

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This book was incredibly therapeutic for me and would be for anyone who has been the victim of narcissistic abuse, gaslighting, or the trauma that occurs as a result of engaging with a sociopath. It helps you revisit your past experiences and heal your trauma through an objective lense, psycho-analysing the manipulation Jen experienced and cross-referencing it with your own. It is raw, vulnerable and insightful; her story deserves to be heard!

A must-read for victims of sociopaths

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For anyone who has ever been through deceit, an affair, their husband leaving them at the most vulnerable of times - this book will resonate. Jen beautifully verbalises the unexplainable emotions and demystifies the “feeling crazy” factor ..... you know when you know someone is lying to you but you have no proof and end up walking away feeling like maybe you are just going crazy.... but you know you aren’t crazy.

I strong recommend for anyone who has been through/is going through a divorce where your partners behaviour just doesn’t seem to add up.

It resonates beautifully

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Wow! This is the first book I have not been able to put down. I finished it in less than 2 days. The way Jen writes and tells her story is very intriguing. (By the way she has an amazing memory). Down to the last detail. The way the story goes back and forth you’ll not be able to stop listening either.

Incredible. Could not put it down.

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