Loren meets her husband for a fancy dinner to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary, but something weird happens when she walks into the restaurant. Instead of meeting her husband, she meets his doppelganger—an alternative David who wears fancy suits and drives a fancy car. When he drivers her home, she finds they live in a fancy house, he works for his parents … and their daughter is still alive.
This isn’t a completely original concept in Christian fiction.
I remember reading a Christian novel sometime in the 1990s where the main character was living two different lives concurrently. Not long after, the movie Sliding Doors was released, which had a similar concept.
Between You and Us is similar but different. Loren is only living one life at a time—the story she remembers David #1, and the story she’s been inserted into with David #2.
Science fiction fans might recognise this as the multiverse, popularised by franchises such as Marvel and Star Trek.
(I’m not even sure how the concept of the multiverse fits with Christianity. Do all universes converge at the crucifixion so Jesus dies once for everyone? Or are there infinite versions of Jesus dying in infinite worlds? I think it’s easier to believe in one world, one Jesus, and one crucifixion.)
Between You and Us is classified as magical realism, in that it is set in contemporary Milwaukee but with magical elements added—the switched bodies.
The story is published as Christian fiction, but doesn’t have any noticeable Christian element—there is nothing to suggest the main characters have any kind of faith, and the only time they go to church is for a funeral. But there is also no bad language, or on-the-page sex, or violence.
The plot was woven well, with a nice twist at the very end. The writing was solid and placed the focus of the novel squarely on Loren as the narrator.
Loren had a difficult upbringing. Her mother was a piece of work, and her father found his refuge in alcohol. Life changed when she met David, and we see the story of their meeting, courtship, and marriage. She is a relatable character, with a tendency to show the worst of herself.
David is a more likeable character, as far as we can see him, which is only ever through Loren’s eyes. That has positives and negatives, as Loren doesn’t always think rationally when it comes to David, and David never sees the truth of her relationship with his mother.
I don’t actually know what I think about Between You and Us.
Loren annoyed me at times, but I have to admire her strength in staying true to herself and not allowing herself to be dragged down to Delancy’s level. I found David’s inability to stand up to his parents frustrating but relatable. Even so, I admired his love for his wife and his daughter, and for the fact he hadn’t allowed himself to become a mini-me of his mother.
If you’re looking for a quick, formulaic read, then Between You and Us isn’t going to suit. But if you’re looking for an original debut novel that will keep you on your toes, check it out.
Thanks to WaterBrook and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.
About Kendra Broekhuis
Kendra Broekhuis is an author who lives in the city of Milwaukee. For her day job, she stays home with four of her children and drives them from one place to another in her minivan. She’s written, spoken, and created non-fiction content for over a decade, and now is excited to be publishing two novels with WaterBrook, the first of which debuted in March 2024. You can find most of her sarcastic ramblings and serious encouragement—including the grief of losing a baby at 33 weeks pregnant—in her newsletter and on social media.
Find Kendra Broekhuis online at:
Website | Facebook | Instagram
About Between You and Us
Two possible lives to live. One impossible choice to make.
When Leona Warlon heads across the city to meet her husband, David, for a rare dinner out, she hopes they can share a moment of relief after their year of loss. But Leona quickly realizes this is no ordinary date night. She hasn’t just stepped into an upscale ristorante; she’s stepped into a different version of her life. One in which her marriage is no longer tender, in which her days are pressured by her powerful in-laws, and in which her precious baby girl lived.
Now Leona must weigh the bitter and sweet of both trajectories, facing an unimaginable choice: Stay in a world where tragedy hasn’t struck but where the meaningful life she built with David is gone? Or return to a reality that’s filled with struggle and sorrow but also deep and enduring love?
Find Between You and Us online at:
Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads
