There are books marked as Psychological thrillers and then there are the ACTUAL Psychological thrillers!!!! Holy Cow!

Omg this book was amazing. I will read just about anything that Michelle Campbell writes. I liked how it went back and forth between both Adian and Caroline. I was second guessing the whole book. I thought I had it figured out and then bam something would happen and I would be like no maybe this is what's going on.

I have read books that have been a roller coaster before but A Stranger on The Beach tops all!
Caroline meets Aidan on a beach and has a one night stand with him/ or is it a relationship , right after she discovers her husband is having an affair ( or is he? ) so many scenarios ,told from different points of view, I didn’t know who was telling the truth and who was lying.
I swear , I thought I had it figured out several times , and I find out I knew nothing !
A fantastic read that had me thinking long after I closed the book !

My initial reaction is as follows: WHAT IN THE ACTUAL F**K?!???!??

Ok, so there are books marketed as psychological thrillers and then there are those that are ACTUAL psychological thrillers.  A Stranger on the Beach definitely falls in the latter.

Caroline appears to have it all - good looks, a lavish lifestyle, handsome husband, and a brand new multi-million dollar beach house.  So what do you do when you seemingly have it all and someone/thing threatens to take it away from you?  You manipulate a local man with a troubled past.

In Campbell's A Stranger on the Beach , you see the story unfold through both Aidan and Caroline's eyes.  With the two POVs you see some events and situations interpreted in completely different ways.  Which was a great touch.  You ask yourself, is one viewing the events through rose-colored glasses?  Who is manipulating who?  Who can be trusted?  And when someone winds up dead, who is really to blame?  And is anyone really innocent?

I felt there were a few twists which kept the action moving at just the right pace.  It was a quick read, riddled with WTF moments.  If you're in the mood for a psychological thriller, I'd recommend giving this one a read.

I enjoyed this book just fine. The plot was well-paced, the characters mostly mediocre, and the ending fairly predictable. I liked the beach setting and I finished the book quickly so that's always a good sign. I would read another from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reading copy.

Another amazing thriller by Michele Campbell. The main character is complex yet naive and slightly mysterious. She is incredibly manipulative towards Aiden, the small town bartender who she frames for her husbands murder. incredibly well thought out and executed Caroline almost gets away with it, if not for a nosey neighbor and Aiden's friend who runs a catering company that catered Caroline's party at her beach house.

A wonderful story of manipulation and smoke and mirrors.

Sometimes when I'm reading a book and there are little things that annoy me I find it hard to really get in to the book and enjoy it. Unfortunately, that's what happened with this book. I found the characters not only unlikable, but also their conversations were really cheesy and I kept thinking - do people really talk like that?

This book is told from alternating points-of-view - Caroline Stark, the wife, mother, and socialite; and Aiden, the handsome townie. Right from the beginning we know someone is lying since both Caroline and Aiden see things differently. I didn't like either of them and the things they both did seemed really crazy and stupid, especially by the end I couldn't stop rolling my eyes and thinking "really?"

I would definitely read another book by Michele Campbell since I enjoyed her other books, but this one I didn't like as much.

This book is a thrilling roller coaster ride with twists and tunnels where hidden clues are there for the very astute reader. What a wonderful book! The story of Caroline, the wealthy socialite with a million dollar mansion at the beach, and Aiden, a bartender with a crush on Caroline and her house, is told from both points of view so that at times the story seemed confusing, that is until the very satisfying and explanatory ending. Caroline doesn’t seem happy in her marriage, since her husband showed up at her housewarming party with another woman. It was inevitable that she seek out Aiden’s companionship and bared her heart and soul and deepest secrets to him. She needs his help and isn’t afraid to ask for it. In helping Caroline, Aiden risks everything, including his freedom. Just when you think that the ride is about to end in a certain way, another twist is brought in and you are again left guessing about what is really happening. The false trails that the author uses were wild but extremely compelling and original. Fans of psychological thrillers and suspense will definitely want to read this latest book by Michele Campbell and will definitely not be disappointed!

I was so excited to receive an early copy of this book for review. I throughly enjoyed it. I read consistently for several days at night, which I can’t always do when books are too slow. It kept me interested and have several twists and turns. Loved it. Can’t wait for her next one.

Thank you for the ARC of this book. My reviews can be read on my GoodReads page at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1335387-kelly.

The synopsis for this one immediately pulled me in, and I couldn't put it down for the quarter or so! So, with that said, I really WANTED to like this book. But then it just got a bit confusing honestly- I usually love alternating/unreliable narrators because it keeps me reading fast. But in this case the unreliable narrator approach was a bit different, because for the first half the book, two characters are telling THEIR side of the story- and clearly one is not true. Why it was confusing and kind of weird, is because THEN... the second half the book is told in third person in a straightforward manner. It's just weird because the ones persons entire narrative is actually just lies then... to me, I just didn't love the overall cohesiveness of the book. It was also a farfetched storyline in general, and some of the conversations had me rolling my eyes. It also dragged on at points, and I feel like it could have been a good 50 pages shorter. For some good aspects, it was still a quick read overall and was an intriguing concept.

Thank you for the Advanced Readers Copy; I wish I could give a more positive review.

The perfect patsy for the perfect crime...
I began this book and midway through I thought I had the story completely figured out...or did I?
This story has so many twists and tangles, it was crazy and yet, so satisfying.
A bartender, Aiden falls for a woman hard and fast, she's separated from her husband after believing he'd been cheating on her, Aiden pursues Caroline and wants to show his dedication to her and her daughter, but just how far he'll go remains to he seen...
A definite must read and will be a perfect summer read! 
Thanks so very much to St Martins Press, NetGalley and Michele Campbell for the advanced readers copy, I thoroughly enjoyed this one!
Comes out a day after my birthday, July 23, so treat yourself for my birthday and grab this beach read!

A great, twisty, edge-of-your-seat thriller! Told from two points of view - Caroline, a married woman who's husband is lying cheat, and Aiden, a young bartender who has been admiring Caroline's house and life. Aiden bartends a party where Caroline and her husband have a public fight, and eventually Caroline seeks comfort and revenge in the arms of young Aiden. While Caroline sees the fling as a just a little fun, Aiden becomes obsessed. Caroline's life soon turns into a nightmare when her husband goes missing and she becomes the main suspect in his disappearance.
I stayed up waaayyyyy past my bedtime to finish this one! I enjoyed the pace and the story-telling!
Thanks to Michele Cambell, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this great book!

WOW!! I can honestly say that I was absolutely blown away! I was not expecting this at all. The perfect vacation read. I couldn’t put it down!

Caroline and her husband are building their dream home on the beach. It's really Caroline's dream as her husband isn't around much due to his work schedule. After her husband comes to their housewarming party with his new girlfriend, Caroline has an affair with Aiden. And that is when things get interesting! Aiden becomes OBSESSED with Caroline! The twists and turns are many and the twist at the end was crazy! I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

I finished the book the Stranger on the Beach last night. I was completely enthralled with this book. Each chapter giving the point of view of first the rich beach home owner and then going to the hot local bartender. The chapters go back and forth between the two leaving you wondering which one you can trust. I enjoyed the writing and it kept me guessing until the very end. It was so good! So grateful for the chance to read it early! Thanks NetGalley! This is a good one!!

This book is a delicious he said, she said thriller that will keep you hooked until the very end. This thriller tells the story of a murder from two very different points of view. Caroline lives in a beautiful home on the beach and seems to have it all, including a cheating husband who chooses to humiliate her by bringing his mistress to her housewarming party. When Caroline has a one night stand with an an unhinged local bartender to ease her pain she gets way more than she bargained for. Excellent, twisted psychological thriller.

This is definitely a psychological thriller but unrealistic. Caroline comes across a loving wife that had been duped by her husband but is she really? Jason, her husband was missing for most of the book so he was more off a mystery character. Aiden was annoyingly juvenile in his behavior and was quite unbelievable. This story is basically about money, the root of all evil. Readers will enjoy the twists. Good summer read.

Summary:
Caroline was a wealthy woman who was happily married and putting the finishing touches on their new and expensive beach house. Caroline notices a stranger outside her house one night and on the very first page, we learn that she wishes she never saw this man because it made her whole life change.
Aiden, the stranger, ends up as the bartender at Caroline's party at the new beach house to celebrate her new home. At this same party, Caroline and her husband get into a fight in front of the entire party and nothing is the same after this night. Caroline realizes her husband is lying and caught him in his lies.
Caroline's life begins to fall apart and she spends a regretful night with Aiden.
Aiden becomes obsessed with Caroline...........or does he??
The narrators shift from Aiden to Caroline and the reader learns that perspective is the key.


My Thoughts:
If you've ever seen the HBO Series The Affair, you will know what to expect in this book. Aiden and Caroline have differing perspectives regarding the events following the party where the two of them meet. Who is telling the truth? Is Aiden really as obsessed with Caroline as she perceives? What is going on with Caroline's husband?
This book is an obsessive read that I read on a recent beach trip. I really couldn't put it down and couldn't figure out what was the truth was! Michele Campbell is definitely one of my "go-to" authors for a great thriller!


Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of The Stranger on the Beach that I received.
 


www.hockeysticksgripsandtrips.com

This was an awesome read. This story had me mesmerized. A page turner. I was doubting my own theories as to what truly happened between Aiden & Caroline. Thank you Netgalley, I think I found a new author to look for.