Therapeutic thriller 2-book series

Ever decide someone has got to go? And it shouldn't be you. Read this National Indie Excellence Awarded therapeutic thriller of nonfiction. Jessica—a caring rehab therapist, yoga instructor and mother of three children—confronts her successful husband who grapples with a consuming secret problem.

Jessica sits on the floor blocking the TV, his glass of merlot between them. "We need to talk. It's about your drinking." Dismissively Josh winced, folded his hands, and fixated on the ceiling. Conveying to an emperor of denial he's not wearing any clothes delivers the same result as a hand grenade with a loose pin…Boom! Now, there’s a SWAT on the lawn.

Admitting she cannot handle a narcissist with his back up alone, Jessica seeks the best at bullshit: New Yorker therapist Dr. Rachel Phoenix, slayer of head games, offers insights as sharp as her high-end shoes. Their therapy sessions "go there" as Jessica navigates the splash zone of alcoholism, deceit, single parenting, and divorce court without a lawyer (that always goes well) while Josh remains unwilling to sign divorce papers. He does not want to give up everything he has worked so hard to achieve. Striving to make things better for herself and her family, Jess overcomes obstacles to stand on her own. Meanwhile, Josh pulls the rug out, then the floor boards.

Riveting, relatable and raw. A good novel can also double as a serendipitous dose of therapy. See why readers claim, "Masterful story telling with grit, compassion and a dose of humor" as well as those who mention “...it helped me own my own journey."

Ex-spouses attempt to live under one roof after a gut-wrenching divorce. His return to make amends is sincere; the sobriety part, meh. Raising three kids without child support was not in the court order. Jess is the only one left to help him get sober and hold a job, but at what cost? Put her life on hold? Ratchet the co-dependency? Play head games for money?

Jess keeps her kind wit, but self-preservation and compassion are in a constant battle. She is thriving as assistant director of rehab—part of a Batman and Robin duo of geriatrics taking on colorful patients such as grumpy Olga (an awarded vignette) and a retired mob-boss rubbed the wrong way by Rex the cowboy; both are in their eighties and losing their memory.

Jessica and her kids each have their way of handling the compounding chaos at home. Getting an ex-spouse to rehab proves to be complicated, comical and risky.

With eyes of steel, ice clinks in his tumbler. "Jess-i-ca, do you really know what you're doing? Think about that."

I don't even turn around. "I'm wondering if you really want to burn your last bridge, Josh."

The worst that could happen is they never change.

Rochelle demonstrates unique mastery of story-telling nonfiction in the psychological thriller genre. Crafted as a suspenseful stand-alone, Beneath Rock Bottom is also the awaited sequel to Rochelle's awarded debut, Shot Glass: One woman's fight to save her kingdom. Each novel covers five years culminating to a "very stellar, yet subtle ending." ~ Book Life Review