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amyjoneswrites's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
captwinghead's review against another edition
5.0
** Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review **
I adored this book!
I regret that it took me so long to get into it but it’s really a phenomenal story.
This novel follows Emma Fern, a shopkeep that’s in love with the works of successful crime novelist, Beatrice Johnson Greene. One day, Beatrice walks into Emma’s shop and befriends her with the intent of using her for her latest novel. Beatrice is burned out from writing crime novels, her last two weren’t very good, and she’s written a manuscript for a literary fiction novel. After her last attempt at switching genres bombed, she came up with a scheme to use someone as her decoy to sell the book and she thinks Emma is the perfect person.
I don’t know where to begin!
This book was such a pleasant surprise for me. I haven’t read a ton of crime fiction novels but I’ve seen quite a few movies so pretty much no plot can surprise me at this point. This is your typical jealous/rage murder plot with the adoring fan as the culprit. The gradual transition from shy, eager to please Emma to delusional, jealous, and paranoid Emma was beautifully done. It was paced perfectly and at no point did I feel like she’d simply flipped a switch into crazy town.
I knew what kind of demanding, parasitic person Beatrice was from the get go. (I love that the presumptuous demand of a fan’s time is called back later with Emma and Nicole, by the way). We’ve all seen this character before and it was still amazing to me that Emma couldn’t see it. The description of Emma’s tension and nerves around Beatrice meeting Jim was really well done, as well!
Jim. Ugh, I hated Jim. I wanted to feel some measure of sympathy for him in the end but I just couldn’t. He was a terrible husband and that was made more annoying by the fact that he seemed utterly realistic. You wanted to believe Beatrice’s remarks about him just being jealous of Emma’s success was part of Beatrice trying to worm her way into Emma’s life but I really don’t think they were. Jim was just a bad person. The fact that he used Emma’s money all the while knowing he was planning to divorce her was just despicable.
The only minor complaint I had was the obvious foreshadowing of the fated piece of carpet above the stairs. There was a little too much emphasis placed on it so it was obvious what would come later. Compared to the scene where Emma and Hannah switched shoes, it’s especially noticeable. I had no clue how the shoe size thing would come back and I found that call back to be very clever.
I just really loved this book! I can’t recommend it enough!
5 stars!
“Surely murder is a lot like having children, or getting a pet: it’s the first one that changes your life. After that, well, it’s just incremental.”
I adored this book!
I regret that it took me so long to get into it but it’s really a phenomenal story.
This novel follows Emma Fern, a shopkeep that’s in love with the works of successful crime novelist, Beatrice Johnson Greene. One day, Beatrice walks into Emma’s shop and befriends her with the intent of using her for her latest novel. Beatrice is burned out from writing crime novels, her last two weren’t very good, and she’s written a manuscript for a literary fiction novel. After her last attempt at switching genres bombed, she came up with a scheme to use someone as her decoy to sell the book and she thinks Emma is the perfect person.
I don’t know where to begin!
This book was such a pleasant surprise for me. I haven’t read a ton of crime fiction novels but I’ve seen quite a few movies so pretty much no plot can surprise me at this point. This is your typical jealous/rage murder plot with the adoring fan as the culprit. The gradual transition from shy, eager to please Emma to delusional, jealous, and paranoid Emma was beautifully done. It was paced perfectly and at no point did I feel like she’d simply flipped a switch into crazy town.
I knew what kind of demanding, parasitic person Beatrice was from the get go. (I love that the presumptuous demand of a fan’s time is called back later with Emma and Nicole, by the way). We’ve all seen this character before and it was still amazing to me that Emma couldn’t see it. The description of Emma’s tension and nerves around Beatrice meeting Jim was really well done, as well!
Jim. Ugh, I hated Jim. I wanted to feel some measure of sympathy for him in the end but I just couldn’t. He was a terrible husband and that was made more annoying by the fact that he seemed utterly realistic. You wanted to believe Beatrice’s remarks about him just being jealous of Emma’s success was part of Beatrice trying to worm her way into Emma’s life but I really don’t think they were. Jim was just a bad person. The fact that he used Emma’s money all the while knowing he was planning to divorce her was just despicable.
The only minor complaint I had was the obvious foreshadowing of the fated piece of carpet above the stairs. There was a little too much emphasis placed on it so it was obvious what would come later. Compared to the scene where Emma and Hannah switched shoes, it’s especially noticeable. I had no clue how the shoe size thing would come back and I found that call back to be very clever.
I just really loved this book! I can’t recommend it enough!
5 stars!
ameserole's review against another edition
4.0
OMG!
This book was so good!! I honestly cannot wait to read the next book for October!! Yes, I will actually try to hold myself from reading another book until tomorrow. Wish me good luck!
Now Until I Met Her will grab your attention from the first page. And then when you reach the last page you're already wanting more. I love the character Emma throughout the book and let me tell you why. I love crazy ass character. Omg if you've read "You" by Caroline Kepnes, you know what type of crazy I'm talking about. AND Emma isn't the only crazy character!! Let's not forget Beatrice!! I honestly have no idea who wins the title, "I'm more crazy than her."
I have no idea what else I'm supposed to type to get you to read this book, but let me tell you: It's free on Kindle Unlimited. That alone should motivate you to get the book and read it!!
This book was so good!! I honestly cannot wait to read the next book for October!! Yes, I will actually try to hold myself from reading another book until tomorrow. Wish me good luck!
Now Until I Met Her will grab your attention from the first page. And then when you reach the last page you're already wanting more. I love the character Emma throughout the book and let me tell you why. I love crazy ass character. Omg if you've read "You" by Caroline Kepnes, you know what type of crazy I'm talking about. AND Emma isn't the only crazy character!! Let's not forget Beatrice!! I honestly have no idea who wins the title, "I'm more crazy than her."
I have no idea what else I'm supposed to type to get you to read this book, but let me tell you: It's free on Kindle Unlimited. That alone should motivate you to get the book and read it!!
fernandame's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.0
marilynw's review against another edition
4.0
Until I Met Her (Emma Fern #1)
by Natalie Barelli, Kate Rudd (Narrator)
Fern seems so nice. Very humble and snarky, but mostly in her head, because she's a nice person. She tries to be the best wife she can be for her husband since he's so brilliant and smart and above her in almost every way and he needs a good little wife to take care of things on the home front. He doesn't expect his wife to meet his brilliance, after all, how could she?
But things are changing. Fern had wanted to write a book once and now she has her chance, sort of. Now she's actually able to put a real book out there, kind of. And it's all because she has met her favorite author, Beatrice Johnson-Greene, and Beatrice actually likes Fern. She wants to be Fern's mentor and she wants to spend time with Fern. She also wants Fern's help.
Things do go all cattywampus at some point but as anxious and off her rocker as Fern may get at times, she's up to the task of fixing what needs fixing. Just you watch her! It's a mistake to underestimate Fern and just about everyone has done so.
Pub June 16, 2016
This was a Kindle Unlimited audiobook.
by Natalie Barelli, Kate Rudd (Narrator)
Fern seems so nice. Very humble and snarky, but mostly in her head, because she's a nice person. She tries to be the best wife she can be for her husband since he's so brilliant and smart and above her in almost every way and he needs a good little wife to take care of things on the home front. He doesn't expect his wife to meet his brilliance, after all, how could she?
But things are changing. Fern had wanted to write a book once and now she has her chance, sort of. Now she's actually able to put a real book out there, kind of. And it's all because she has met her favorite author, Beatrice Johnson-Greene, and Beatrice actually likes Fern. She wants to be Fern's mentor and she wants to spend time with Fern. She also wants Fern's help.
Things do go all cattywampus at some point but as anxious and off her rocker as Fern may get at times, she's up to the task of fixing what needs fixing. Just you watch her! It's a mistake to underestimate Fern and just about everyone has done so.
Pub June 16, 2016
This was a Kindle Unlimited audiobook.
areclusereader's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
routergirl's review against another edition
4.0
While I loathed the main character (so entitled! So clueless and yet...so devious!), I loved this book. Thanks for the rec, Josie!