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alexisgarcia's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
in other reviews, some people have had some very valid critiques. however, i absolutely ate this book up. i started and finished it in one setting and it ended in a way that i enjoyed. ms. feeney has done it again
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
lorraine19's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Some mixed feelings on this one. The beginning was fairly slow and contained so much pointless filler. The worst filler was weird, uncomfortable smut scenes that completely side tracked the story and didn't contribute anything to the plot. I almost dropped the book because of that. I'm happy I didn't because the second half of the book was so good. Lots of suspense and lots of small details being pulled together in a clever way. The use of oxymorons was also interesting. If the beginning was as good as the ending it would have been an easy 5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Grief, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, Confinement, and Domestic abuse
camillerad's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Grief
law_8290's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I give this more than 5 stars. This may be my favorite thriller I have read to date now. This was my first Feeney book but it won't be my last. I am very curious to read her backlist now. The twists in this book, IMO, were NOT predictable. As soon as I thought I had things figured out, she took me on a whole different path which then veered off into yet another. There was even a twist you had to go back through to find. Brilliant đ. The atmosphere in this book made it even better and fit the plot perfectly and gavebit major spooky vibes. My favorite book of 2025 so far.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction and Alcohol
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
kristin_lee's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
If you like books with main characters you love to hate - this book is for you. It's a frustrating, slow, winding mystery. The last two chapters do make the slog worth it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexual content, and Grief
lost_between_the_pages's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
5 â
First, let me say thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sending me an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are mine and mine only.
>>QUOTES<<
I am absolutely a quote collector so I will add in some of my favorite quotes from the book. I don't believe they give anything away but show how beautifully this story is written.
"Wives think their husbands will change but they donât.
Husbands think their wives wonât change but they do."
"No man is an island,
But a woman can be if she wants."
"We have built a society that places far too much importance on a phony idea of beauty and perfection. The world is full of people behaving like clones, all trying to look, sound, and be the same. Too busy constantly comparing themselves to each other on tiny screens to see the bigger picture."
"People rarely know what they have until they lose it. They spend their lives searching for a better one, wanting more, needing more, blind to the fact that they already had it all. I think sometimes itâs only when something gets taken from a person that they appreciate what they had."
"My books have always been a place to hide myself inside myself when the real world gets too loud."
"Marriage is made of a million beautiful and ugly moments stitched together into a shared tapestry of memories, all of which are viewed and remembered slightly differently, like two people staring at the same painting from opposite ends of a room."
"Life is beautiful and life is ugly and we have to learn to live with both sides of the same coinand see the light in the darkness. The world is Beautiful ugly, relationships are Beautiful ugly, and life is Beautiful ugly."
>>REVIEW<<
I'm going to be honest -- I wasn't a fan of the audiobook... For some reason I just didn't connect with the male narrator, especially when he did Sandy's voice or the other female voices which meant I didn't finish it... But I've read Alice Feeney before and I knew I was going to love this story so the very day that it came out, I drove an hour away just to pick up the book and I am SO GLAD I DID!!
As someone who reads primarily in the thriller and horror genre -- I will say that the first part of the book (which I listened to on audio) does kind of go slow but it's important! Once I got to the PLOT TWISTS I had to go back and reread chapters because I was SO SHOOK!!! And I don't even use that word as a 37 year old woman but it's literally how I felt! I 110% recommend giving this book a try but I want everyone to remember that this is a FICTIONAL BOOK - it's NOT a true story .. so if you go into thinking that anything is possible... You will absolutely enjoy it! The details and atmosphere around the Island of Amberly is so creepy and foreboding that you can't help but sit in dread wondering how everything is going to come together.
There is a huge character development from one of the main characters and I was so here for it! I felt really connected to the wife and the amount of tabs I have in my book is insane... I think that is why I loved it so much because it felt so personal to me. I'm currently in the same situation she is after being in a relationship for 10 years and you start to feel invisible and ignored (this is NOT how a relationship, a good one anyways, should make you feel). I also rate on how the book made me FEEL. I don't get so technical as to worry about plot holes because again, it's fictional -- it's not true anyways!
Below I am going to go into spoiler territory so please look away (I highly suggest you do if you want to read this book) and go in blind! Just strap in and enjoy the ride and try not to think about everything that others say is wrong but focus on the way the story makes you feel! I think that plays a huge part in why I loved this so much, and I hope you do too! Unfortunately, I can't recommend the audiobook but 110% can recommend the physical or ebook so you can pay better attention to little red herrings thrown throughout the story.
>>Possible spoilers ahead<<
** I understand why people may not like this book and rate it low. I think that's because some people can't relate to the story in the way I, and others did, so they don't understand the why of some of the plot and character developments.
** I did have an issue with one of the plots and that was the WHY of what Grady did... I wasn't really sold on it but if you think about who Grady is as a writer, his stories were literally EVERYTHING to him, and that's why everything started in the first place.
** People are upset that the author lied to you about one of the plots and they hold issue to that... I don't because I think that was the entire point of Alice Feeney doing it. Everyone in this book is 110% UNRELIABLE and LIARS. Every single character in this book lied the entire story and so instead of tricking us, she just flat out lied too! And as someone who is used to most people in my life lying to me at some point or another, I understand it's a part of being human -- the BEAUTIFUL UGLY part of being a human. Also, I can't say this enough -- it's a FICTIONAL STORY. It's not true so I'm not sure why everyone gets so hung up on things that don't always make sense -- nothing makes sense in this world anymore so it's pretty on point to the reality of today.
** In case you missed the little Easter egg on page 302 like I did... Go back and read the first word of every chapter like Grady says. It's pretty genius she included it in the story as if this was his actual book.
First, let me say thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sending me an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are mine and mine only.
>>QUOTES<<
I am absolutely a quote collector so I will add in some of my favorite quotes from the book. I don't believe they give anything away but show how beautifully this story is written.
"Wives think their husbands will change but they donât.
Husbands think their wives wonât change but they do."
"No man is an island,
But a woman can be if she wants."
"We have built a society that places far too much importance on a phony idea of beauty and perfection. The world is full of people behaving like clones, all trying to look, sound, and be the same. Too busy constantly comparing themselves to each other on tiny screens to see the bigger picture."
"People rarely know what they have until they lose it. They spend their lives searching for a better one, wanting more, needing more, blind to the fact that they already had it all. I think sometimes itâs only when something gets taken from a person that they appreciate what they had."
"My books have always been a place to hide myself inside myself when the real world gets too loud."
"Marriage is made of a million beautiful and ugly moments stitched together into a shared tapestry of memories, all of which are viewed and remembered slightly differently, like two people staring at the same painting from opposite ends of a room."
"Life is beautiful and life is ugly and we have to learn to live with both sides of the same coinand see the light in the darkness. The world is Beautiful ugly, relationships are Beautiful ugly, and life is Beautiful ugly."
>>REVIEW<<
I'm going to be honest -- I wasn't a fan of the audiobook... For some reason I just didn't connect with the male narrator, especially when he did Sandy's voice or the other female voices which meant I didn't finish it... But I've read Alice Feeney before and I knew I was going to love this story so the very day that it came out, I drove an hour away just to pick up the book and I am SO GLAD I DID!!
As someone who reads primarily in the thriller and horror genre -- I will say that the first part of the book (which I listened to on audio) does kind of go slow but it's important! Once I got to the PLOT TWISTS I had to go back and reread chapters because I was SO SHOOK!!! And I don't even use that word as a 37 year old woman but it's literally how I felt! I 110% recommend giving this book a try but I want everyone to remember that this is a FICTIONAL BOOK - it's NOT a true story .. so if you go into thinking that anything is possible... You will absolutely enjoy it! The details and atmosphere around the Island of Amberly is so creepy and foreboding that you can't help but sit in dread wondering how everything is going to come together.
There is a huge character development from one of the main characters and I was so here for it! I felt really connected to the wife and the amount of tabs I have in my book is insane... I think that is why I loved it so much because it felt so personal to me. I'm currently in the same situation she is after being in a relationship for 10 years and you start to feel invisible and ignored (this is NOT how a relationship, a good one anyways, should make you feel). I also rate on how the book made me FEEL. I don't get so technical as to worry about plot holes because again, it's fictional -- it's not true anyways!
Below I am going to go into spoiler territory so please look away (I highly suggest you do if you want to read this book) and go in blind! Just strap in and enjoy the ride and try not to think about everything that others say is wrong but focus on the way the story makes you feel! I think that plays a huge part in why I loved this so much, and I hope you do too! Unfortunately, I can't recommend the audiobook but 110% can recommend the physical or ebook so you can pay better attention to little red herrings thrown throughout the story.
>>Possible spoilers ahead<<
** I understand why people may not like this book and rate it low. I think that's because some people can't relate to the story in the way I, and others did, so they don't understand the why of some of the plot and character developments.
** I did have an issue with one of the plots and that was the WHY of what Grady did... I wasn't really sold on it but if you think about who Grady is as a writer, his stories were literally EVERYTHING to him, and that's why everything started in the first place.
** People are upset that the author lied to you about one of the plots and they hold issue to that... I don't because I think that was the entire point of Alice Feeney doing it. Everyone in this book is 110% UNRELIABLE and LIARS. Every single character in this book lied the entire story and so instead of tricking us, she just flat out lied too! And as someone who is used to most people in my life lying to me at some point or another, I understand it's a part of being human -- the BEAUTIFUL UGLY part of being a human. Also, I can't say this enough -- it's a FICTIONAL STORY. It's not true so I'm not sure why everyone gets so hung up on things that don't always make sense -- nothing makes sense in this world anymore so it's pretty on point to the reality of today.
** In case you missed the little Easter egg on page 302 like I did... Go back and read the first word of every chapter like Grady says. It's pretty genius she included it in the story as if this was his actual book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
disguisedposer's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child death, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Alcohol
tamara_joy's review
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
Minor: Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
jhansell's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Mental illness, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Stalking, and Alcohol
trisha_meseck's review
dark
emotional
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
4.0
She had me at small island with dark secrets. An author with a missing wife needing to write a new book to get himself back on his feet. The way the story progresses with so many twists and turns had me hooked. That ending! I feel like I canât write anything without giving any spoilers. Just read it! You will not be disappointed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, and Murder