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energyrae's review against another edition
4.0
Told in 3 alternating viewpoints, Convince Me tells the story after the death of Justin Childs, a man adored and followed by everyone he met. But he was a man with secrets, and we follow the three most important people in his life in the wake of his death. His wife, Annie, is learning some of his secrets after the fact. As is his best friend and partner, Will. His mother, Carol, knows some of those secrets but is putting on a good front.
This feels more mystery than thriller to me as I didn’t get that heart-pounding, edge of your seat feeling that I get with thrillers. There were a few situations that seemed forced, and I write about those after my review.
I enjoyed the way this slowly came together. It’s a bit of a slow-burn in that aspect because you aren’t sure how we’ve arrived at Justin’s death, but you want to know how we got there so you keep reading. The plot is cleverly thought out with a lot of misdirection, and once the secrets started spilling out, they didn’t stop. It made for an enjoyable read. Thank you, Ballantine Books, for sending this along.
I’m going to post what some might think is a bit of a spoiler in the next paragraph that explains why I’m giving this 4 stars instead of 5, so if you don’t want to read that, you can finish reading the review here.
Let’s talk about Hayley’s brother, Hugh. Your sister was chasing after a married man who was stringing her along, and you’re mad at the wife who knew nothing about it because of that? Yes, it’s irrational. We get that way when we’re grieving, but it feels forced. What Hugh did later because of those feelings didn’t move the plot forward, and reads like an afterthought to an already forced scenario. I didn’t love it. Also, the scene in which Will and Annie were in the restaurant doesn’t seem like that would be in the budget, so it was a bit farfetched.
This feels more mystery than thriller to me as I didn’t get that heart-pounding, edge of your seat feeling that I get with thrillers. There were a few situations that seemed forced, and I write about those after my review.
I enjoyed the way this slowly came together. It’s a bit of a slow-burn in that aspect because you aren’t sure how we’ve arrived at Justin’s death, but you want to know how we got there so you keep reading. The plot is cleverly thought out with a lot of misdirection, and once the secrets started spilling out, they didn’t stop. It made for an enjoyable read. Thank you, Ballantine Books, for sending this along.
I’m going to post what some might think is a bit of a spoiler in the next paragraph that explains why I’m giving this 4 stars instead of 5, so if you don’t want to read that, you can finish reading the review here.
Let’s talk about Hayley’s brother, Hugh. Your sister was chasing after a married man who was stringing her along, and you’re mad at the wife who knew nothing about it because of that? Yes, it’s irrational. We get that way when we’re grieving, but it feels forced. What Hugh did later because of those feelings didn’t move the plot forward, and reads like an afterthought to an already forced scenario. I didn’t love it. Also, the scene in which Will and Annie were in the restaurant doesn’t seem like that would be in the budget, so it was a bit farfetched.
gingerspice's review
4.0
This was a slow burn at first but kept your turning to know what was happening. Told through 3 POV’s a who done it story. I loved the backstories and the different POVs! The second half of the book I flew though and the ending was not at all what I expected.
mehva's review against another edition
4.0
I liked the author's writing style quite a bit, easy to read and direct. it was told in various people voices as his wife/best friend slowly start finding out the thruth about him and the web they find themselves in. the ending was a bit of a surprise in some ways but in other ways it made perfect sense
naomistrange's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
5.0
kimberlyp's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
gingerspice's review against another edition
4.0
This was a slow burn at first but kept your turning to know what was happening. Told through 3 POV’s a who done it story. I loved the backstories and the different POVs! The second half of the book I flew though and the ending was not at all what I expected.
shelleyann01's review against another edition
4.0
What do you do when everything you thought you knew is a lie?
Convince Me is one of the better suspense/mystery novels I've read. The story starts out simple - Justin Childs has died in a car accident and his wife, mother and business partner try to get on with their lives...But everything slowly becomes more complicated and intertwined as the story goes on and what follows is a page turner with twists and turns that keep the reader reading well into the night. Nina Sadowsky has written a gripping read.
We are told via three points of view what Justin meant to his wife, mother and friend. Justin may not be the person they remember. Each one of these points of view builds into the story subtly and expertly and it makes the book very compelling - much more so than for a mystery alone.
This story was intricate with details that kept me following even at times when the extra explanations were logical and possibly unnecessary. I read this story swiftly and I was definitely amazed with the characters. The author left no stone unturned. All of the questions I could have asked were finally answered in the end. A solid mystery that is a very suspenseful read and does not disappoint. Recommend!
Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine Books and Nina Sadowsky for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own.
#ConvinceMe #NetGalley
Convince Me is one of the better suspense/mystery novels I've read. The story starts out simple - Justin Childs has died in a car accident and his wife, mother and business partner try to get on with their lives...But everything slowly becomes more complicated and intertwined as the story goes on and what follows is a page turner with twists and turns that keep the reader reading well into the night. Nina Sadowsky has written a gripping read.
We are told via three points of view what Justin meant to his wife, mother and friend. Justin may not be the person they remember. Each one of these points of view builds into the story subtly and expertly and it makes the book very compelling - much more so than for a mystery alone.
This story was intricate with details that kept me following even at times when the extra explanations were logical and possibly unnecessary. I read this story swiftly and I was definitely amazed with the characters. The author left no stone unturned. All of the questions I could have asked were finally answered in the end. A solid mystery that is a very suspenseful read and does not disappoint. Recommend!
Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine Books and Nina Sadowsky for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own.
#ConvinceMe #NetGalley
veereads_'s review against another edition
4.0
Convince Me was a bold read right from the dedication page. I enjoyed it as a fast paced thriller and finished it within one sitting!
Sadowsky is an exceptional writer when it comes to using different POV's to paint together a story of lies, deceit, and twists. I especially enjoyed the concept of the lies and manipulations that took place and definitely could have read 100 more pages of it as the end came quite abruptly.
The characters don't develop much but we get the fun of unmasking the plot and I was satisfied with the conclusion. I would recommend this read if you are looking for something deliciously sinful but won't be mad if you didn't get all your questions answered.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me a gifted copy in exchange for my honest review!
Sadowsky is an exceptional writer when it comes to using different POV's to paint together a story of lies, deceit, and twists. I especially enjoyed the concept of the lies and manipulations that took place and definitely could have read 100 more pages of it as the end came quite abruptly.
The characters don't develop much but we get the fun of unmasking the plot and I was satisfied with the conclusion. I would recommend this read if you are looking for something deliciously sinful but won't be mad if you didn't get all your questions answered.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me a gifted copy in exchange for my honest review!