I am sick of the recent trend (crutch) of the unreliable narrator, and A Stranger on the Beach took it to new extremes. The book alternates between two narrators, Caroline, a wealthy woman with a beach house, and Aiden, a handsome stranger that she sees out on the beach. Two all too familiar caricatures that never develop any deeper. The reader knows immediately that he/she is being lied to by one or both, and I was spot on with my guess of which. I found Caroline unsympathetic from the beginning, and I didn't feel much of anything for Aiden who never came across as a real person to me. His character development by Campbell actually had me thinking he might have some sort of mental disability, he was that strange and unbelievable.

I give this one a 2.5/3 star rating because it had good bones as a thriller and was eminently readable. Thanks to NetGalley for a digital ARC in return for an honest review.

This was a fast paced book with lots of twists and turns! One moment I thought I had it all figured out only to find out what I thought was right wasn’t. Didn’t see that ending coming either!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read A Stranger on the Beach by Michele Campbell. I was interested in the premise of the story, in which wealthy Caroline has marital problems and meets a local bad boy named Aidan. I'm almost always intrigued by a story of the wealthy in which things fall apart. I didn't make it very far in the book and it just wasn't what I expected. I often have difficulty suspending disbelief, even when I read fiction. It was very difficult for me to do that in order to believe that Caroline's husband would take off with another woman, clean out their bank accounts and she would rapidly fall into bed with Aidan - who is nothing but trouble. I must be honest in saying I didn't finish the book, because it was more lurid than I thought it would be. I'm not a prude by any standards, but this book crossed the line early on for me. Possibly a book for a reader who is able to get past the situations in which Caroline puts herself.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

What a grand thriller this was!! I didn't see where it was going until it was right there in print. It started so innocently, seeing a stranger on the beach.....it is a public beach after all.

When Caroline's life seems to implode around her she is drawn to this handsome stranger. He works at the local bar, he works the catering gig for the lavish party where Caroline and her husband have a loud, nasty fight that everyone hears.

As she is set to lose everything - her money, house, daughter, lifestyle, she takes comfort from Aiden but is this real or is someone being set up? When Caroline's husband goes missing she then finds herself charged with his murder.

A quick page turning read!

Campbell strikes again! Another twisted, tale she’s weaved for her fans. The Stranger on the Beach is yet another page-turner that leaves you guessing. It is told from alternating perspectives from Caroline to Aidan, which was a bit confusing to me at the beginning. Fast paced and thrilling, once I got into it I couldn't put it down !

A decent mystery/thriller ... BUT ... while the story is told in alternating points of view about a shared experience, we later learn that one of the narratives is completely false and made up by the author in an apparent attempt to keep the reader in the dark. The story makes sense by the time it's ended, but I feel the finished product is tainted by a lazy and dishonest approach to story writing.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

I received this book as a pre-publication galley with the understanding that I would read it and provide an unbiased review.

Michelle Campbell's "A Stranger on the Beach" is one of the latest in the hot genre of suspense. Unfortunately, this book is clunky and not as suspenseful as touted. The main characters, Caroline and Aiden, are not likable or complex. Weighing in at 352 pages, it felt like the story was dragged out unnecessarily and left much to be desired. Overall, a 3-star read for me.

Michele Campbell has definitely sealed a spot on my MUST READ book list! I thoroughly enjoyed 2017's "It's Always the Husband," breezed through 2018's "She Was the Quiet One," but 2019's Stranger on the Beach solidified my love for Ms. Campbell's novels. I had a reasonably good feeling that it was going to be amazing, so I waited to dive in until I knew I had the opportunity to be able and just devour the novel, and she DID NOT DISAPPOINT!

If you're looking for a by the seat of your pants, gripping physiological thriller, this is the novel for you. As we've seen in and grown to love in her previous books, they are well written the character development is on point. Stranger on the Beach encompasses everything you want in a fast-paced, suspense-filled gem. Just when I hoped I'd figured out what was happening, she switched it up on me which is something I appreciate in a thriller.

I'm screaming from the rooftops this is a MUST READ for 2019! Add it to your TBR list now, and I assure you, you won't be sorry. I huge thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin's press for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. Pre-Order your copy today or mark your calendars to pick up your copy from your local bookstore on 07/23/19.

Campbell strikes again! Another twisted, tale she’s weaved for her thrill loving fans.

The Stranger on the Beach is yet another page-turner that leaves you guessing! Towards the end, I predicted the ending even with that; I dub it a good read.

Do I dare say it? Yes I’m going there, this book is actually the perfect beach read- just remember stranger=danger. You’ve been warned. 4.5 stars

REVIEW: Stranger on the Beach by Michele Campbell, an ARC from NetGalley
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Summary: When Caroline first saw Aidan outside staring at her beach house, she knew he was trouble. After she finds out her husband is cheating, she seeks out Aidan at his work where he is a bartender. A one night stand turns into trouble for the both of them. From Caroline’s point of view, she just wanted to feel better. For Aidan, this is love. How far will Aidan go to prove his love for Caroline? Would he go so far as to murder her husband?
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Review:
Ok. I have a mixed review for this one.
The Good: The premise of this story is great and I love the alternating narrators. I think the goal was you’re not sure who you can trust. Is Aidan really crazy? Or is Caroline not what she seems. I love the storyline. Lord knows I love a good salacious affair stalker story! (Really, I live for it.)
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The Bad: For me, the book dragged and was really, really slow. I usually read quickly, but this time I just found myself skimming pages just to finish. There were a lot of confusing aspects to the story. There was a lot going on. I will say that there are a lot of twists and turns! It is definitely a thriller and just because it wasn’t my cup of tea, doesn’t mean it won’t be someone else’s!

What's not to love? A beach, a mysterious handsome stranger, a wealthy family, and a murder. Can you solve the case of who did it? I enjoyed this book from start to finish. It was an easy read, but very enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGallery for an ARC of this book for an honest review.

What a twisted tale! Every time I thought that I had figured it out another curve ball! A Stranger on the Beach grabbed my attention from the opening pages, but having said this, I did not really like any of the characters, I.e. I wasn’t cheering for anyone. The plot is good, but gets a little wiggly with the Russian mob scenario, (don’t jump the shark!) I did finish the novel and give it a solid 3 stars.

I really enjoyed this book and I would highly recommend it. It has a great story line, excellent main characters and it is a real page turner. I read this book in one sitting and the hours just flew by!

This book has everything that I love in a story: a picture-perfect couple, complex backstories, a beautiful beach setting, glitz, glamour, mystery, and situations that remind us that nothing is what it seems. It defines what psychological thriller means.

The story is told by Caroline and Aidan and they have totally different perspectives on the same situations. It's so inconsistent that I questioned their sanity. I have never read a book where the two character perspectives are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Everything was dissimilar. What Caroline and Aidan think, feel, see, say, and do reflects completely differing stories which makes them both unreliable narrators. It is refreshing and unique, and I loved it.

My feelings swayed back and forth as Caroline and Aidan narrate the story. I didn't know who to believe. What really happened? Who is being manipulated? I questioned everything, even my own judgement. I had no clue what was really going on. I gave up trying and just went along for the ride. The narration switches away from Caroline and Aidan for the last 20% of the book, and that's when the truth started to reveal itself.

This book is about perspective, manipulation, infidelity, greed, lies, betrayal, revenge, class, marriage, regrets, money, temptation, and family. The differing perspectives just blew me away and gave me so many tidbits to think about. Michele Campbell is an excellent writer that weaves fascinating, magnetic, layered characters around a complex plot that keep readers riveted.

I loved It's Always the Husband and She Was The Quiet One but this book is by far my favorite of the three. This is definitely a standout book for me, and it lingered in my mind for a long time. This story is perfect to read on the beach while sipping a cool drink and listening to the ocean.

This book started off good but lost the plot several chapters in. The characters weren’t as developed as I would have liked, especially Caroline. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book!

This started off okay, but not long into the book it all began to unravel quickly. The writing was absolutely terrible. It's amateurish - repetitive, hard to follow and the story dragged. The characters weren't that great. The whole thing lacked depth. It was all so awful. I couldn't bring myself to finish this one, and I hate not finishing a book.

I loved. Michele Campbell’s previous books and was so excited to get to read the latest thriller! I wasn’t disappointed! Another score for her! You don’t wanna miss this! She writes the best thrillers that keep you wanting reading all night!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book started out promising but it lost me after only a few chapters.
The chapters alternate between Caroline's viewpoint and Aiden's. Each one telling an extremely different version of what's going on. I didn't like either character and I skimmed until the end to find out what was really going on.
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book to review

Thank you Netgalley for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately, I didn’t love this one. I felt that Caroline was a hapless character who grated on my nerves from the beginning. I also found the last sentence of each chapter to be annoying... not every chapter needs to end with a foreshadowing sentence. I did enjoy the plot and found the pacing to be on point. I just never related to the characters and found their actions to often be bewildering. Many will love this one, I just wasnt one of them.

A tense psychological thriller set in the Hamptons. Old vs new, rich vs poor, this book has it all including a murder, a missing body and a ready-made suspect. There is a hurricane brewing and bad things happen when the lights go out.