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dontmissythesereads's review against another edition
4.25
Book #67 read in 2024
Ariel gets a text from Drew asking her to meet him and tell no one. That is suspicious enough, but worse, Drew has been dead for five years. This begins a story of suspense and deceit that continues until the end. I was captivated by the story and couldn't put this down. I needed to know how it was going to end. One of the final plot points was a bit of a letdown, so I dropped the rating. But I can not wait to read more thrillers by this author (if she writes more 🤞🏻)!
Thank you to Harper Perennial for the complimentary ebook.
Ariel gets a text from Drew asking her to meet him and tell no one. That is suspicious enough, but worse, Drew has been dead for five years. This begins a story of suspense and deceit that continues until the end. I was captivated by the story and couldn't put this down. I needed to know how it was going to end. One of the final plot points was a bit of a letdown, so I dropped the rating. But I can not wait to read more thrillers by this author (if she writes more 🤞🏻)!
Thank you to Harper Perennial for the complimentary ebook.
mattburnham85's review
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
readwellreviews's review
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
kwellboot's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
nadiamasood's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book is more of a romantic suspense than a domestic thriller.
Set against the backdrop of Portland, Maine, this novel intertwines elements of romantic suspense with tech-driven intrigue. It’s a story surrounding corporate espionage, cybersecurity threats, and police corruption.
Although the plot felt somewhat slow and predictable to me, the concept of a tech-centric suspense was both innovative and frighteningly realistic. However, the characters’ actions especially toward the end felt a bit over-the-top.
The highlight of the book for me was the portrayal of Ariel’s relationship with her son. The author captures Ariel’s commitment to being a good mother and her frantic efforts to keep her son safe as the stakes rise. Yet, the lack of genuine danger to Ariel’s safety kept the book from being a true thriller in my opinion.
If you're a fan of romantic suspense with a tech twist and prefer violence that isn't too graphic, this novel is a good choice.
Set against the backdrop of Portland, Maine, this novel intertwines elements of romantic suspense with tech-driven intrigue. It’s a story surrounding corporate espionage, cybersecurity threats, and police corruption.
Although the plot felt somewhat slow and predictable to me, the concept of a tech-centric suspense was both innovative and frighteningly realistic. However, the characters’ actions especially toward the end felt a bit over-the-top.
The highlight of the book for me was the portrayal of Ariel’s relationship with her son. The author captures Ariel’s commitment to being a good mother and her frantic efforts to keep her son safe as the stakes rise. Yet, the lack of genuine danger to Ariel’s safety kept the book from being a true thriller in my opinion.
If you're a fan of romantic suspense with a tech twist and prefer violence that isn't too graphic, this novel is a good choice.
Content Warnings
Minor: Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Sexual harassment, Stalking, and Suicide
courtthebookgirl's review
4.5
This was a really excellent mystery that kept me interested on audiobook these past few weeks on my drives to and from work!
The story centers around a video doorbell company (a la Ring) where the CEO has somewhat recently died of an overdose and his daughter Ariel (our main character) is also reeling from her boyfriend Drew leaving mysteriously and then also dying unexpectedly. But when a mysterious text message arrives on Ariel’s phone, it upends everything she thought she knew. This leads to an adventure where we stumble across privacy violations, drug dealers, and more mayhem than you can shake a stick at.
I really enjoyed listening to this story and seeing how it unfolded. I really loved Ariel and her son Buzz, and I also enjoyed hearing what happened five years ago when she met Drew (and right around the time he went missing). I felt that the story was pretty plausible (and a little Big Brother-esque: you never know who is watching) and there were moments that gave me cold chills.
I also think Bowen nailed what it’s like to parent a 4 year old. Her bus trip with Buzz (I’ll leave it vague) felt very authentic to me and I even cried at one part in that scene. It all felt very real.
I quibble a teensy tiny bit with one plot point that felt a little too “easy,” but in the end, it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment. I found this book really engaging and interesting and I definitely wanted to know where it was going.
I also loved the ancillary characters - so many of them gave the story a little kick in the pants.
I see Bowen typically writes romance, so I hope this isn’t her last thriller! I’d definitely read another. 4.5 stars.
The story centers around a video doorbell company (a la Ring) where the CEO has somewhat recently died of an overdose and his daughter Ariel (our main character) is also reeling from her boyfriend Drew leaving mysteriously and then also dying unexpectedly. But when a mysterious text message arrives on Ariel’s phone, it upends everything she thought she knew. This leads to an adventure where we stumble across privacy violations, drug dealers, and more mayhem than you can shake a stick at.
I really enjoyed listening to this story and seeing how it unfolded. I really loved Ariel and her son Buzz, and I also enjoyed hearing what happened five years ago when she met Drew (and right around the time he went missing). I felt that the story was pretty plausible (and a little Big Brother-esque: you never know who is watching) and there were moments that gave me cold chills.
I also think Bowen nailed what it’s like to parent a 4 year old. Her bus trip with Buzz (I’ll leave it vague) felt very authentic to me and I even cried at one part in that scene. It all felt very real.
I quibble a teensy tiny bit with one plot point that felt a little too “easy,” but in the end, it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment. I found this book really engaging and interesting and I definitely wanted to know where it was going.
I also loved the ancillary characters - so many of them gave the story a little kick in the pants.
I see Bowen typically writes romance, so I hope this isn’t her last thriller! I’d definitely read another. 4.5 stars.
greatestheights's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Sexism
Moderate: Murder
janinetrimble's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
bookishlychar's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I have read Sarina Bowen's romances, but this is her first foray into suspense thrillers. It was an average Monday morning when Ariel received a text message from the only man she ever loved, asking to meet her. The problem is, that Drew vanished and it has been several years since she learned he died. When he doesn't show, it takes her on a journey to uncover what was happening when he vanished. She is unsure who is lying to her and she will do anything to keep herself and her son safe.
This book kept me on my toes and I was unsure who to trust. Sarina Bowen pulled me in with the characters and the need to figure out what happened. What I loved about this, is that the author nabbed my attention with the mystery, but kept me going with the story of Ariel and Drew's romance. My heart broke for her and her son, and I started to feel some of the panic and worry she was feeling.
This book had my attention the full way through, and I kept turning the pages as we unravelled everything that was happening. If you like a great story with mystery and intrigue, this is it!
This book kept me on my toes and I was unsure who to trust. Sarina Bowen pulled me in with the characters and the need to figure out what happened. What I loved about this, is that the author nabbed my attention with the mystery, but kept me going with the story of Ariel and Drew's romance. My heart broke for her and her son, and I started to feel some of the panic and worry she was feeling.
This book had my attention the full way through, and I kept turning the pages as we unravelled everything that was happening. If you like a great story with mystery and intrigue, this is it!
catbooklover's review
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25