I've read every book written by Eliza Maxwell, even though she writes the type of stories that I usually don't read that often. However, I have become a fan of her writing and her great story-telling abilities. She really knows how to grab and put me on the edge of my seat. Her stories are suspenseful, mysterious and dark. They are unpredictable and you'll always get hit by a twist that you don't see coming. So when I started reading The Shadow Writer, I was expecting to feel the same way I did with Eliza's previous books. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. The book started really interesting and I couldn't wait to figure out what was going on. Graye Templeton came across as very timid and awkward, but I like that in my characters. Laura was the opposite, and I liked that she warmed up to Graye right away.

However, I didn't really feel a connection with either characters. The story didn't feel complete, and it kind of jumped from scene to scene without it feeling finished. What I mean by this is that it felt like we only got to see part of the story. I just needed more to connect to the characters and to feel a certain way about them. My disconnect to them, resulted in not really caring what would happen to them. But I was still interested in seeing how the story would develop. It was mysterious and I wanted to figure out what was going to happen. However, when the secrets were uncovered it didn't hit me as hard as I would've wanted to. I really enjoyed the plot but I just didn't feel like it was executed to its full potential. Regardless of not loving this book, I still look forward to Eliza's next book.

I was really disappointed in this one because I actually liked the author's other book, The Unremembered Girl. The characters just fell flat which is a shame because there was a pretty decent backstory for Graye. As the story progressed I cared less and less about each person. It's like the book had the basic elements of what should be an interesting story but lacked any meat and therefore came across as lackluster.

Graye Templeton has tried to move on from her horrific childhood and aspires to be a writer. She takes a job working for Laura West, a fairly well-known book blogger and wife to a novelist who has had his own fair share of success. As Graye and Laura becoming closer and closer, they might discover a secret or two the other one has been hiding.

My first feeling of uneasiness came when the story shifted to Texas and Graye started working for Laura. The transition just felt disjointed and that feeling popped up multiple times throughout the course of the book. The bare bones of a good story were here and there were some good plot twists but the book could use some polishing up. Both the plot and the characters need to be well-developed in order to make a book a compelling read and that just didn't happen here. So basically in summary, it had potential but the execution fell short.

Thank you to the Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I read and loved all Eliza Maxwell's previous novels, so I was excited to read her new book, and it even exceeded my expectations.

This was a dense, dark, and multilayered book with lots of food for thought especially regarding questions about who we really are? how much past and present experiences shape us? The plot takes us into this mysterious and mind blowing journey with the enigmatic main character.

There is nothing predictable about this book from start to finish, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a thought provoking psychological thriller.

A very enjoyable read! I was very interested in getting my hands on this one after I read the blurb and I am pleased to say that I was not let down.

The story is written very well and the characters are interesting and jump off the page. I would recommend this read!

“We are all products of our environment; every person we meet, every new experience or adventure, every book we read, touches and changes us, making us the unique being we are.”. ― C.J. Heck. The Shadow Writer meets every component of Heck's quote while taking the reader on a tumultuous ride chapter by chapter, page by page, never allowing you to take a deep breath and relax. Just as you think, you have the book figured out, everything changes once again. Graye Templeton, a sad young woman trying to escape her childhood memories, is an enigma from start to finish. Is she woman trying to escape her past? Is she just an aspiring writer with a case of hero worship who finds herself enmeshed in the ugliness of a crumbling marriage? These are only a few of the questions that kept me reading long after I should have turned out the lights.as I had to find out who Graye was.

Very suspenseful with twists and turns throughout the book. Graye Templeton (Used to be Gracie Thatcher) gets offered the job of her lifetime being a personal assistant to editor Laura Grey. Graye hopes to learn a lot from Laura and to one day run her novel by Laura without letting Laura know she is the author. Things go well until Laura and Graye plan a "Murder mystery dinner" and party and the next morning Laura's husband is found dead, murdered. Graye is found with blood all over her but can't remember what happened. Did Graye kill Laura's husband? Was it an accident? What was in Graye's past that she wants to forget? Why does Graye call a retired nun named Margaret? You will race through the book to see what happens and be very surprised by some of the things revealed in Graye's past and Graye's character.

Aspiring author Graye Templeton will do anything to escape the horrific childhood crime that haunts her. After a life lived in shadows, she’s accepted a new job as protégé to Laura West, influential book blogger and wife of an acclaimed novelist. Laura’s connections could make Graye’s publishing dreams a reality. But there’s more to Laura than meets the eye.

As the two women form a bond that seems meant to be, long-buried secrets claw their way into the present, and the line between friendship and obsession begins to blur, forcing each to decide where her loyalties lie. Running from the past is a dangerous game, and the loser could end up dead.

When they say not everything is what it seems they were talking about this book! It was a fast paced, dark, and cynical read. It didn't not disappoint, I look forward to more stories from this author.

Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC of #TheShadowWriter
Pub Date: 01 May 2019

I received an advanced readers cubby in exchange for an honest review. This was really dark and there were times that I don’t think I fully took in all of the layers, but it was enjoyable and they kept me reading just to see what would happen next. The characters are all very anti-heroic and yet likable. Kept me turning pages. 3.5 rounded up

Graye Templeton is thrilled when she lands a job with blogger Laura West, a woman whose following is almost as large as that of her novelist husband. Graye is hoping that Laura can help her break into the world of publishing, but she doesn’t realize that Laura’s life is nothing but a carefully constructed facade. Her husband is an alcoholic and he’s dragging his wife with him on his downward spiral. Now that she has dependable Graye on her side, Laura believes she can trust her new friend to do anything she needs. This is a carefully constructed puzzle of who is using who as Maxwell spins readers into a deceitful web of obsession