The Other Side of Him by Alice Rene

It’s the middle of the twentieth century, World War II is finally over, and Claire Wagner is on the brink of an exciting new life. With a well-deserved scholarship in hand, and much to her immigrant mother’s dismay, Claire flees the Chicago tenements for a prestigious graduate school program in California.

At first Claire keeps her nose tucked firmly into her books, but when her brother asks for a favor, she reluctantly agrees to a blind date. Greg turns out to be handsome, successful, and rich—and he’s definitely smitten with Claire. He introduces her to a sophisticated world she thought only existed in the movies, and before she knows it she’s trading her bobby socks and German home cooking for black silk and caviar.

When Greg starts to show signs that he’s not as perfect as he appeared, Claire’s friends urge her to overlook his occasional short temper and controlling behavior. But the warning signs pile up, building to a crisis that will test even Claire’s power to persevere.

Inspired by true events and steeped in the details of the 1950s, when vulnerable women weren’t protected by the law or society, The Other Side of Him is a provocative look at how darkness can lie under the most polished exteriors.

Claire has grown up without her father (and is better off for that considering he was a Nazi) raised by her mother in the Chicago projects. When she graduates school it is expected by her mother that she will immediately go to work and help with bills until she finds a husband, which her mother considers to be a top priority. Claire has other plans for herself more important than finding a man, and after landing a scholarship she sets off to pursue her dream. When she first meets Greg she is overwhelmed with the world he shows her. He is certainly everything her mother seems to want for her. It isn't long before Claire discovers that Greg has a far darker and more dangerous side than he presents to the public.
4 out of 5 stars
I received a complimentary copy for review.


Get a copy

About the author
Alice Rene wrote her award-winning memoir, Becoming Alice, after a grandson interviewed her about her early life when Hitler marched into Vienna, foreshadowing WWII. She followed this work with a historical fiction/ romantic thriller inspired by true events, The Other Side of Him. The working title of her next book at this time is The Lieutenant from Podolia.