E-arc provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

This book bored the heck out of me. I kept going solely because I did want to have a clear and concise opinion about the book. The book got mildly interesting towards the end which was already too late to make up for the rest of the book, unfortunately.

I was hooked from the blurb- ‘Pretty Little Liars meets Riverdale’ since I love both shows and I love Amateur sleuths! When I requested this, I didn’t realize this was the second book, I assumed it was a standalone but it could be read without reading the first.

I’ll admit I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would. I’ve read A LOT of amateur sleuth books in my lifetime so it needs to be phenomenal for me to really love it. That being said, I did find this riveting, suspenseful and unpredictable. All great elements in a YA mystery novel. I would look forward to more books from this author!

Don't Say a Word is Book 2 in the Hometown Antihero series. Book 1, Dare you to Lie drew me in on the very first page. I love strong female characters and this series does not disappoint.
Amber Lynn Natusch is now on my favorite author shelf and I am so excited to get my hands on more of her books.
If you have not read this author you are truly missing out.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of Don't Say a Word by Amber Lynn Natusch. Kylene Danner tries to prove her father's innocence after he is put in jail. She becomes involved in an investigation of missing girls in the process. Great mystery with no shortage of suspects or twists.

*Received an ARC through NetGalley for a honest review*

Holy cow!!! What a great sequel!!! It was worth the wait!!! First of all, I loved the first book so much and I’ve been DYING to get my hands on this... so it was built up in my mind and it was perfect!!! I just love these characters and their stories.

Right away, in chapter one I am reminded why I LOVE Garrett and Ky’s friendship! It’s soooo refreshing and realistic and it’s one of my favorite parts of this book. Amber does such an AMAZING job at writing these emotional moments but slipping in sarcasm or humor and it works sooooo well.

I wasn’t quite sure where the story was going to go because the previous book started a few storylines and I really loved the flow and pacing of this book. We get to see hottie mc hotshot Dawson a lot and I absolutely love him! I’m gonna put this out there... AJ is great and all but I’m totally a Dawson girl. ☺️ I love the strength and confidence he supplies for Ky and I just love getting to know more about him.

Tabby is as always THE BEST. I love our Canadian 😀! Such a good friend and a perfect part of “the gang.”

I don’t want to say too much about the story itself as to not spoil anything but every chapter is packed and full of humor, action and emotions. There was never a dull moment in the book and I just kept wanting to read it all. It was an PERFECT sequel and now I’m dying for the next book 😭🤣

Kylene Danners is back, and this time, she is going full steam ahead as not only is her father still in prison for a murder he didn't commit and for being a dirty FBI agent, her best friend Garrett is recuperating in hospital after almost being killed. With so many of her friends being injured, she doesn't want to see anyone else hurt which means getting some help from an undercover FBI agent- Agent Dawson who is posing at her school as her boyfriend. Seems like the mysterious person now has a name and has taken a leaf out of the Pretty Little Liars series by calling himself "AD"and nope, I'm not convinced that it stands for Agent Dawson as he does have this "nice guy" feel about him and it would totally suck if he were manipulating everyone. Don't Say a Word's plot focuses on taking down a prostitution ring that is hiring girls from Kylene's school and neighborhood and if the girls don't comply, they turn up dead and beyond recognizable. Can Kylene help save the girls and in doing so uncover and come one step further into saving her dad and finding out who is pulling the strings of the high and mighty and the dark and seedy in their small town of Jasperville. Find out in another excellent book by Amber Lynn Natusch. Fans of Veronica Mars and Nancy Drew will love the character of Kylene Danners.

Where do I even start with this epic novel. Amber excels at writing strong female characters, clever witty dialogue, and highly driven plot stories with crazy twists, turns and things you never see coming. From the first page you’re sucked in, completely gripped and desperate to find out all the things.
I thought book one was great! Well paced, highly entertaining dialogue and hidden little plot points waiting to be worked out. Book two was a million times better!
Every single aspect of this story was on point, beyond on point. I pride myself on working things out before others, but DSAW had me so confused, so riveted and turned about I had no idea who to trust. I was literally on my toes the whole time reading this. There were moments when I thought I worked it out, but then Amber would drop another bomb and I’d be questioning everything, questioning everyone.
I’m so in love with this series and desperate for the third book! I need all the answers damn it! Amber is incredible, one of the best authors I’ve ever read.
This is a must read!

Thank you to the author, Amber, for sending me a copy through Netgalley for review. She asked that I review on GR for now and my blog closer to release date. So look for my review there sometime in late August.

It's so hard to review a mystery book without giving away any clues. I will do my best to keep this spoiler free. However, there are spoilers for book one (Dare You To Lie). If you haven't read that, then don't read this review and just know I gave both books 5 stars.

Don't Say A Word starts off right where Dare You To Lie ends. Garrett is still in the hospital, but Kylene has to go back to school. Instead of being praised for taking down a drug scandal, she is attacked because now the football team won't make it to state. The students tend to ignore that Donovan tried to kill her and Garrett. The coach is one of the worst to her.

Luckily Ky will has Tabby. Now that she knows AJ didn't take and release the photos, Kylene is attempting to be friends with him again. It's tough because she often times has feelings for him, just by remembering their past. But Agent Dawson is under cover in the school as Ky's ex that she might be getting back together with. The FBI wants to know who the AD is and how many people he has blackmailed to work for him/her. Right now, the focus is on uncovering who is running a prostitution ring with girls from the high school. One girl stuck in it, "Jane", contacts Kylene because she thinks she is the only one that can help. She tells her about how one girl was recently killed and that she might be next. Also, she tells Kylene to start looking into all the missing girls from the area. The "throwaways" that people either don't report missing or don't even notice them gone. Kylene and Agent Dawson starts working on this together. Dawson isn't thrilled, but Jane will only speak to Ky.


Garret finally gets released and starts hanging out with Ky, Tabby, and AJ again. Things get complicated with Ky and AJ since he hasn't ever stopped loving her. AJ and Dawson have a lot of tension between them that doesn't help. Even though Kylene and Dawson argue all the time, she also starts feeling something more for him. This makes things even more tense and stressful for her.

Dawson and Ky start trying to figure out who is linked to every missing girl that fits the profile. It becomes hard to eliminate too many of them until after they find a body that has DNA under her fingers. It's still hard for Ky to see adults she trusts on the list. Ky starts getting notes at school left on her car. It becomes clear that she is now a target and she will have to fight to stay alive (again).

She is also still working on her dad's case. Gramps is still amazing, but not home very much. There is a lot of mystery in Don't Say A Word. I found it even harder to put down than Dare You To Lie. I loved the relationships with everyone, the banter with Ky and Dawson, Ky's sarcasm, the AJ, Ky, Dawson sort of triangle, Tabby's fun personality, and Garrett's sweetness. The mysteries weave together well and while I did have a feeling on one thing, there were other things that surprised me.

I know I shouldn't hope for a relationship between Ky and Dawson because of the age difference. But I'm older and this was totally normal when I was in school. Plus, Ky turns 18 and there has been no sex. So I'm very much hoping to see them together. AJ is sweet, but it's almost too easy with him. He's comfortable for Ky. Dawson challenges her and they definitely have some tension and chemistry.

I loved this book and already have it pre-ordered. Now I'm just sad (and a bit frustrated) that I have to wait so long for book three.

Don't Say a Word picks up almost immediately after the end of Dare You to Lie. I absolutely loved being able to pick up right after things ended in book one.

I enjoyed Don't Say a Word so much more than Dare You to Lie, which really surprised me. Mystery/suspense isn't my usual genre, but there's something about these books that just grabs me and makes me never want to put the book down.

Book two has all the characters from book one, but with a whole new case to solve. So suspenseful and full of action!

Of you loved the first one you'll definitely love this one. I absolutely love every character in this book! I've been waiting a year for this & I was not disappointed. Can't wait for the next one.