Well, boo. This was not at all the story I thought I was signing up to read.

Looking at the blurb, it'd have you thinking this was some sort of romantic suspense. Here comes newlyweds Sam and Annie, moving to the suburbs, where Sam opens his own therapy practice with an almost exclusively female clientele. When one such patient turns out to want more than just doctor/patient privileges, that's when things start to go awry.

I'm all for a fun and sexy time, so I settled in and got ready to sink my teeth into this titillating tale. And initially, it was exactly what I wanted. Sam and Annie were both dynamic characters who leaped off the pages, and there were even some femme fatale vibes that added to the whole delicious atmosphere.

But then we reach a turning point early in the story, and it kind of went downhill from there. Without giving anything away, I'll say what started as one story quickly morphed into something completely different, and that different was exactly the sort of thing I don't enjoy. All the fun and all the sexy were sucked out of the story, and all that was left was the uncomfortable.

I pick up thrillers because I want to have a good time. Yes, I know there is murder and mayhem within, but I want to be entertained while reading whatever crazy shenanigans is going on. But if the story chooses to focus too much on the gore or the grit or the trauma, then it can become too unpleasant to still be enjoyable. And that's what happened here.

My other big issue is that all the reveals happened fairly early on. Then we are forced to sit through the entire latter half the book while it spells out in long form essentially what is already obvious to the reader. By that point, the story can only go one way, and I read through the last 150 pages just to be sure that indeed, it went that way.

Those two things put together made the second half of the book a complete snoozefest for me. My attention kept wandering, partly because I know nothing interesting will happen and partly because what's on the pages was just unpleasant to read.

I feel like this was such a bait and switch. I was promised fun and sexy, and instead I cringed my way through so much of it. I'm puzzled by all the love for this book, but it just goes to show that two readers can read the exact same thing and come away with completely different experiences. So don't let me dissuade you from giving it a try.

Readaroo Rating: 2 stars

My first Freida McFadden! And while I wasn't as enamored with The Housemaid as most readers were, I did find it decently entertaining.

To start, I can totally see why people talk about this book as being bingeworthy. It has all the hallmarks of a one-sit read, with short chapters, lots of dialogue, and dramatic developments one after another so you can't look away. There's this perpetual feeling that you can read just one more page, and before you know it, you've read the whole book.

But that isn't to say this is the most original story ever. There were definitely moments as I was reading this that I had the strongest sense of déjà vu, as if I've read the same exact thing somewhere else before. The book cheerfully employs several common thriller elements, and while there is nothing wrong with that, it does make it feel like the story had no real surprises, especially if you've read a lot of thrillers like I have.

One thing I found interesting—and I'm not sure if this was done on purpose—was the humor. On the one hand, the story seemed extremely earnest throughout, with every character and every point of view being serious in the way that thrillers always are. But on the other hand, there were moments when everything was so over the top that it felt like the author must be leaning into it, having a bit of fun at the reader and the story, all in one go.

A lot of reviews mention the bad writing, and I feel like that's a little bit unfair. It isn't that the writing here is bad so much as it is very simplistic. Let me put it this way—my two-year-old was curious about what mama was reading, so I obliged by reading a random passage to him. And he was riveted. He wouldn't let me stop. He even chose this book as his bedtime story three nights in a row! His favorite parts were the discussions about things being clean/dirty, the stormy weather, and the scene with the garbage truck. So there you go, if my toddler can follow along just fine, I think that tells you something.

Was this story entertaining? Yes. But it also left me feeling vaguely unsatisfied, having fulfilled none of my reading cravings. It's the sort of story I was into while reading it, but as soon as I put it down, I had no real desire to pick it back up again. I didn't really care about the characters, I could see where the story was going from a mile away, and reading through it felt like spelling out in long form something I already knew.

The thing is, there is a marked difference between a book keeping your attention because you just happen to have it open versus one you would actively seek out to read. And unfortunately for me, this was too much the former and not enough of the latter.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

I don't think I've read a domestic thriller this fun since Gone Girl. And I'll tell you why.

Domestic thrillers are hard to write. Usually, there's only two relevant characters, the guy and the gal. One of them did it (whatever "it" is). Is it him? Is it her? Or is it some crazy combination of them both? And once you've read a few, you kind of have the genre figured out and it starts to feel rather repetitive. So it's rare for a story that utilizes this technique to grab me. And this one did.

We have the gal, Rosie, who is desperate to find her soulmate, so desperate in fact that she's coming across as a little bit unhinged. When her bum heart is replaced by the heart of a dead woman, she sees the opportunity to make all her dreams come true. Now enters the guy. For wouldn't it just be fate if she could capture the love of the man whose dead wife's heart now beats in her chest? It sure would, as long as he is the dream man she thinks he is.

I was sucked in from the very first page. Every moment felt essential and interesting, there to entertain me and keep me guessing. Just when I think I've got it figured out, another revelation had me gasping and reconfiguring the puzzle pieces in my head.

But this is a book of two halves, for what starts out as a domestic thriller doesn't remain that way. About halfway through, it morphs into the most interesting of mysteries. Not only did the twist there take me by surprise, but so did the slight genre shift. It feels like a gutsy move, to start a book as one kind of thriller and end it on a different one.

None of the characters were truly likable, yet they were all intriguing. I cared about them and I wanted to know more even though they were all shades of crazy. You know, there's a fine line between kooky characters you want more of versus those you just don't care about. And this book got it exactly right.

I mean, could the events in this book actually happen in real life? Um, I sure hope not. Do you need to suspend all disbelief to read this? Yeah, absolutely. But if you can, I guarantee you'll be in for a very good time.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

I get it now. After reading this book, I finally understand the appeal of the unreliable narrator.

Up till now, for more than a decade, I did not understand. In fact, I've been so befuddled by it all, I've had to engage in deceit in order not to broadcast my lack of understanding. Because you see, during all this time, whenever anyone professed their love for domestic thrillers and the ubiquitous unreliable narrator, I've smiled and nodded along as if I also love those things. But in actuality, I had no idea what they were going on about.

The unreliable narrators I've come across thus far had me under the mistaken impression that they must be of a very specific mold—always female, imbibing to the point of incoherence, acting unfathomably loony and paranoid, and going on and on about how no one believes them. In other words, a most unpleasant character there to frustrate the heck out of the reader and cause maximum eye-rolling and hair-tearing. You can see how I did not understand why anyone would love that.

So to read Gone Girl feels like both a Eureka moment and a recognition—oh there you are, you compelling unreliable narrator, I've finally found you!

What made this story work for me when so many others have failed? Well, the unreliable narrators here are smart, cunning, and sober, in other words the complete opposite of what I'm used to. No dumb, drunk, paranoid lush here, thank you very much.

But it's more than that. The way the story unfolds is pretty brilliant too. You think you know what's going on, then the rug is pulled out from under you and everything you thought you knew changes. Both of the two main characters are unlikable but undeniably fascinating, and you want to keep turning the pages to see what they'd do next.

And the writing is so sharp and precise, there to match perfectly to each situation and every version of the characters. There are so many insightful observations thrown in, about our culture and its ups and downs, about people and their hopes and dreams, and most of all, about marriage. At its heart, what made this story so disturbing is that there is a lot of truth written into this dark tale beneath all the exaggerations.

Was this the perfect book? No, at least not for me. I did find the beginning rather slow and (what turned out to be justifiably) pretentious, the characters and the plot a tad over the top, and the ending somewhat lackluster after all that buildup. But honestly, that's just because domestic thrillers are never going to be my favorite thing.

Still, it was a lot of fun to read the book that kicked off the craze. With how popular this book is and how much it influenced all that came after, it just wasn't possible to go into this completely blind. I went in already knowing about unreliable narrators and also having an inkling of what to expect. (Many years ago, I made the regrettable decision to read the synopsis of the movie in a moment of weakness.) And yet, even with all that, this still managed to surprise and entertain me.

And most importantly, now I finally understand what everyone's talking about.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

Let me ask you a hypothetical question. Say your husband is missing and you're trying to find him. You reach out to someone you think has a connection to your husband. When they say, "I can explain," do you:

1. Calmly engage this person in conversation so you can learn what you need to know.

Or

2. Run out of there screaming like a lunatic.

If you picked 2, then congratulations. You are a shoo-in for a character in a domestic thriller, where everyone acts as crazy as possible, especially when the answer is right there.

Why do I let the hype get to me, especially when it comes to thrillers? They hardly ever live up to expectations, and most of them are so silly as to be ridiculous. In fact, if I had a dollar for every time I rolled my eyes while reading a thriller, I'd be a millionaire right now. But alas, all I have to show are bruised eyeballs.

What is there to say about this book that I haven't said a thousand times already? The premise is certainly captivating, and the start is strong. Then, slowly but surely, it devolves into nonsensical silliness, along with a heaping serving of the main female character acting ever more paranoid. And on top of that, there aren't even any good twists or surprises in here. The story unfolded pretty much as expected, which is the complete opposite of what a thriller should be.

Sorry if I sound bitter. I really had high hopes for this one, but obviously it didn't work out. On the plus side, I can safely put my copy in the donation pile and free up one precious spot on my bookshelf.

Readaroo Rating: 2 stars

Just as I'm getting jaded, here comes a thriller the likes of which I haven't seen before.

Jen is up one night waiting for her 18-year-old son to come home. She sees him out the window, but before he can reach their door, a stranger crosses his path and he commits an unthinkable crime right in front of her. She is shocked. How could her beloved child do this? When she wakes up the next day, an even bigger shock awaits her. It's not tomorrow, but yesterday. Is this her chance to figure out what's going on and to stop it from happening in the first place?

First, let's take a moment to admire that premise. It's such a fun take on the mystery/thriller genre and time loops. We follow Jen as she tries to figure out how to save her son, but instead of seeing the investigation unfold in order, we see it in reverse. As she goes backwards in time, we're right there with her as she discovers each clue bit and bit. It's all quite fascinating.

I'm a big fan of time loops (or any sci-fi element really), so I can't resist when they show up. But to set expectations correctly, it's important to note that this story isn't science fiction. The time loop is merely a device to set up the premise and enable the story to be told in a different way. And it totally works. The explanation provided was quick and clever, and it allowed the focus to remain on the mystery where it should be.

There were so many twists and turns in here, it made for a most exciting time. I don't want to talk them up though, since whether or not you'll be surprised will depend on what you've seen before. As for me, I guessed a few things beforehand, but there were still plenty that surprised me and kept me on my toes.

I will say though, I didn't love everything. For one, I found the writing style to be a bit odd, especially in the beginning. There was an excess of punctuation everywhere, particularly commas. This isn't the sort of thing I usually notice, but it was really flagrant.

And, right then, it had felt, suddenly, like spring, even though it began to rain again only minutes later.

If you're wondering how this got through editing, you and me both.

Also, there was a lot of telling and no showing when it came to setting up the main characters. Supposedly Kelly is really witty, and Jen and Kelly banter a lot. We know this because we're told many times, usually right after the characters say something mundane and awkward. Between this and the punctuations, I found it all really distracting. But once the action got going, I was able to block it out and just concentrate on the mystery.

If it weren't for the writing hiccups, this could've easily been 5 stars for me. The more I read, the more impressed I became. This is such a layered and complex story, with lots of clues and parts that all funnel towards one cohesive explanation. I bet now that I know the ending, if I go back and reread it again, I would catch so many things I missed the first time around.

It's not often I come across a book that adds something new to the thriller/mystery genre, and this one sure does. For that alone, it is worth a read.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

Gotta love a thriller that delivers on the surprises!

Nine-year-old Avery Wooler is missing. Her parents are frantic and want her found. But in this small neighborhood, secrets abound, and not everyone is willing to share theirs in order to help find Avery. And is so often the case, the biggest secrets tend to lie closest to home.

Shari Lapena writes stories across the gamut of the mystery/thriller genre. Some of her stories are more of mysteries, with clues galore where you can suss out the culprit. Not this one. I would categorize this as more of a neighborhood thriller. There are no real clues to follow, but there are plenty of surprises. Just when you think you've got a grip on what's going on, the story changes on you and you have to start again. It's great fun.

I always enjoy Lapena's writing style. It's sparse and action-driven, without a lot of emotional or psychological fluff that is common to the genre. Instead, there's an ease and energy to the writing that keeps you wanting to read just one more page. And before you know you it, you've reached the end.

And what an end it was. It's quite coy, winking at the reader and implying a certain conclusion. Usually I don't mind using my own imagination to fill in the blanks, but in this case, I wanted that certainty. I wish there had been one more chapter to spell it all out so I could get the satisfaction of seeing the villain get what they deserve. But that's a pretty small quibble overall.

Shari Lapena has definitely become a must-read author for me. While I didn't love this one quite as much as Someone We Know and Not a Happy Family (both more of a mystery with clues and red herrings), I did have a lot of fun with it. It hit the perfect spot for an unputdownable thriller.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

My heartfelt thanks for the copy that was provided for my honest and unbiased review.

How crazy can a story on infidelity be? Hmm, crazier than I expected, that's for sure.

Lillian leads a rather pedestrian life as a wife and a mother, until one day she meets a handsome stranger at a coffee shop. What follows is an affair filled with lies and deceit (aren't they all? But this one's got more than your usual), and Lillian's life slowly spins out of control. Suddenly, nothing is quite as it seems.

I always find Alessandra Torre's writing to be eminently readable and here's another demonstration of that. Lillian's story sucked me in, and I was drawn into her tale of infidelity and deception. There were many surprises along the way, and it all made for great fun.

However, the characters and their actions were quite over-the-top, which made the whole thing feel rather loony and unreal. Obviously, domestic thrillers aren't meant to resemble real life (hopefully), but this story feels even more out there than usual. And its heavy focus on love and infidelity made it at times more drama than thriller.

Still, it was an enjoyable way to pass the time, and I always look forward to more from Torre. If you've never read her though, I'd recommend starting with Every Last Secret or The Good Lie instead of this one.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

My heartfelt thanks for the copy that was provided for my honest and unbiased review.

When it comes to dark and compelling psychological thrillers, The Patient's Secret hits all the right notes.

Lily Bradley has what seems to be an enviable life, living in affluent Story Cove with her loving husband Tom and two wonderfully unruly children. But she's been on edge lately, feeling like she's being followed and her husband is keeping secrets from her. When a newcomer is found dead at the base of the cliffs and Tom is the one who finds her, Lily realizes the careful life she's cultivated may just be an illusion.

This was an atmospheric read, and I found it to be riveting. Once I started, I couldn't put it down. While it's a much-trodden genre, there were elements in here I've never seen before, which made the whole thing feel fresh and unusual. I wasn't exactly sure where it was going, and there were plenty of twists and turns to sustain my interests throughout.

For me, this struck a really good balance between the psychological and the thriller. Normally, my complaint with this genre is that we spend too much time in the character's head with their fears and paranoia, and it all turns silly after a while. And while we do have some of that here, it wasn't overdone. And to counterbalance it, we get to follow the investigation as it unfolds and secrets are revealed, which was plenty satisfying.

I first started reading Loreth Anne White with her book In the Dark, and I find her offerings to be entertaining and gripping. She takes an oversaturated genre and adds something new to it. I'll definitely continue to seek her out.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

My heartfelt thanks for the advance copy that was provided for my honest and unbiased review.

Alessandra Torre, I applaud you ma'am for coming up with this crazy and twisty story.

The Bloody Heart Killer has taken six victims already. When his seventh victim escapes and points the finger at a local teacher as the serial killer, the police are satisfied. But Robert Kavin, the father of a deceased victim, doesn't believe it. So he asks Dr. Gwen Moore, a psychiatrist who specializes in treating killers, to step in and help. But the more she digs, the more questions she has. Because it seems everyone involved is hiding secrets. So what is the real truth?

What a compulsive read this turned out to be! At first, I was slightly confused by the book blurb. There seemed to be a lot of people and things going on, and I was worried it wouldn't grab me. But I didn't need to worry at all because I was hooked from the first page. And once I started, I couldn't put it down.

This is one of those stories that starts out with many threads, but they all slowly converge into a cohesive tale. I particularly enjoyed that this thriller is a little different from others I've read. The plot is unique and fresh, with interesting elements combining in ways I haven't seen before. And of course, the twists in the end felt surprising and thoroughly satisfying.

This is the second book I've read by Torre, and I've found both to be fun and unputdownable. At this point, there is no need to be coy anymore. I'm just going to go ahead and dump the rest of Torre's books onto my TBR stack posthaste.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

The Night She Disappeared starts off as a slow burn with a chilling atmosphere and multiple points of view, which soon all converge into a gripping and unputdownable story.

Young parents Tallulah and Zach are thrilled to have the chance to enjoy a rare night out on the town. But when the couple still hasn't returned by the next morning, Tallulah's mother Kim is rightfully worried. But with no clues, the cases goes cold, and a year goes by. When Sophie, a mystery writer, moves in nearby, and clues start to surface, it seems like Kim will finally get the answers she's been searching for.

This story starts slowly, partly because of the three points of view which take place across different timelines. I generally don't prefer more than two in one story, so it speaks to Jewell's ability as an author to keep me engaged. She keeps the chapters short and they always end on a tantalizing point, so I feel compelled to read just a little bit more.

One of the hallmarks of Lisa Jewell is her characters. They always seem solid and fully-fleshed out, which automatically makes the story feel more real. There's plenty of time taken to get to know and understand them. As a result, I end up caring for them and becoming emotionally invested in the story.

Then, once everything starts to come together and we get hit with twist after twist, I just can't look away. I read a lot of books in this genre, so it's pretty hard to surprise me. And the way the twists are laid out, you do see them coming from a few chapters before. But there was one twist in there that got me good, and it was a delightful surprise.

Reading Lisa Jewell always feels like a treat. She takes a fairly well-trodden genre and adds a depth of character and storytelling that takes it to another level. Throw in her fun twists and turns, and I'm riveted every time.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

My heartfelt thanks for the copy that was provided for my honest and unbiased review.

Good news, everybody. It turns out I'm not broken and can indeed enjoy domestic thrillers. I was just waiting for a good one to cross my path, and one finally did.

Cat has what every woman in town wants: money, beauty, and social standing. She also has a successful and handsome husband who is devoted to her. Or at least that's what she thought, until a new neighbor moves in next door and starts working for William. Neena wants everything Cat has, and she'll do whatever it takes to get it all.

Talk about riveting. It took me all of ten pages before I was completely hooked. I couldn't put this book down. There was something so compelling about the story here, with these two women pretending to be friendly while scheming and backstabbing to get William's attention. You know what they say: keep your friends close but your enemies closer.

The level of insanity in here built up slowly, ratcheting up until I was good and ensnared in its fun. While what the two women did was rather wack, the reason this story worked for me is that the emotions behind their actions rang true. Torre deftly captures all the nuanced aspects of infidelity and temptation in a relationship, including the urge to stray for the person doing the cheating as well as the feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness for the spouse left in the wake of the destruction.

I did have one small quibble. The epilogue came across as a little odd to me. After everything was wrapped up and I thought the story had ended, it then continued some more. But the version of the people we got in the epilogue didn't really match emotionally with the people we'd come to know throughout the entire rest of the book. So that threw me off a bit. But I'm willing to overlook it for what was otherwise a thoroughly entertaining book.

This is everything I was hoping for when I cracked open the pages: a riotously good time with nasty characters doing questionable things, yet I was still sympathetic to them and happily cheered them on. After such a rare win for me with a domestic thriller, now I'm all excited to read more of the genre... or maybe not.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars