Meh! The blurb sounds so much better than the actual story. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I wish I had better things to say, but I just couldn't get into this story.

I really did not like the characters in this book. The premise of the book was interesting but it was having a hard time holding my attention.

I didn't love it though. And I would probably only give it 3 stars. I just wasn't rooting for the characters.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book which offered a lot of options for you so you are second guessing so much and then there is always a curveball

I was given an early copy of Raven Lane in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so strange (IMO). In some ways that made it a interesting read and in some ways it made this book not great for me.

It is more of a domestic thriller based around an awful car accident resulting in the death of a neighbor, causing all the neighbors/friends to re-evaluate their lives and circumstances.

Good premise - not good people at all,
No character was anyone I liked in the least bit. Especially the main couple the story revolves around. One was having an affair with another (gay) neighbor and the other was having an affair with another neighbor’s teenage daughter (who is the same age as and went to school with his own daughter). 🤮🤢

This book was not my thing at all -
But others may really like it. It COULD have been great. It just wasn’t deep enough and the explanations for everyone’s behavior were not good enough to keep me wanting to read more.

I finished it but it hadn’t been in exchange for a review via NetGalley, I may not have.

Three ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ ‘S from me and that’s rounding up. I still do think this book will have a lot of appeal for some. Just not me! Always grateful to all involved for the chance to read advanced copies of books!

All opinions are my own. Thanks!

An ex-movie starlet who never got her place to shine married to a former drug addict was lucky enough to buy a house and get accepted into the cul-de-sac, Raven Lane. This was a neighborhood made up of an eclectic group of creative types who have completely different views of the world. And even though they truly live in their own little world, all the secrets Raven Lane had certainly didn’t go unnoticed.

It wasn’t until Raven Lane’s newest couple moved into the neighborhood, Torn and Aaron. Torn was a famous writer while his husband was a doctor working overseas. Raven Lane welcomed them with open arms with one person in particular who took a liking to Torn. The world-famous author was in search of his next novel and he couldn’t possibly have known that the story he was seeking was staring him right in the face. A tragic death happened which brought the community together and at the same time was ripping their close-knit friends apart. Esme’s husband is arrested and soon about to be on trial for second-degree murder. How in the world does this happen? Well, readers, you’ll have to pick up a copy to find out the rest.

I really enjoyed this story, although it was very slow in the beginning. It took a minute for me to warm up to the story line, but once I realized where this story was headed, I couldn’t get enough of it. What I found so interesting about it is how different the story is. It’s not something you read every day and I enjoy taking in a story that has a different voice and vibe. Unfortunately, I’ve read some terrible reviews for this novel, but I think that’s because readers didn’t give it a chance. And trust and believe, I get it. Sometimes stories make me want to give up too, but because I’m writer, I just find that I have to give that respect to the author because sometimes you end up finding a rare jewel, and Raven Lane was that such story. It was pretty damn good once you get past the very beginning. Man, oh man, I couldn’t wait to get a break so I could find out what Esme and Benedict were getting ready to get into.

Overall, this was a really good story. There were so many characters to get into and they were all different and interesting. I highly suggest that you try this book out. Give the author a little time to take you on this journey. Once you venture down the pages a bit, you’re going to soon find out what made Raven Lane such an enjoyable read!

Amber Cowie has constructed a superb thriller with Raven Lane. Definitely worth the read and will keep you engrossed until the final page

An interesting plot about best friends gone wrong, but did not stand out in a world of MANY books like this. It is a quick read however, and maintained some interest.

I actually really enjoyed Raven Lane. It is fast Paced and kept me interested the entire time. I will be reading this book again. The only thing that really bothered me was how the police assumed that the main character's husband had a motive for the killing almost as soon as it happened.

This cover is amazing! The story line and plot for good but there was just something I think I was missing. I felt like it was just missing something. I had heard several mixed reviews and wanted to see for myself but in the end It just fell at 3 stars for me. Still not bad but I think I expected so much more. I think I had my expectations up too high.

ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to netgalley the publishers and the author for this ARC in exchanged for an unbiased review

This book hooked me from the start and i love love love the cover but it did tend to ebb off at the end still a really good read.

Raven Lane is the second domestic suspense by author, Amber Cowie. I loved her first standalone, Rapid Falls and couldn't wait for her next novel. Raven Lane did not disappoint!

Esme and Benedict Werner could live on any upscale cul-de-sac. Their neighbours, seemingly all with secrets of their own, could be my neighbours. Or yours. When what seems like an unfortunate accident kills one of them, slowly but menacingly, the layers of their respective onions, are peeled away.

I loved that this story harkens back to an earlier time but the author never does an info dump; seamlessly, she weaves the past into the current-day, contemporary tale. Just when I thought I had it figured out, a twist came along that turned everything on its head. I also found this author's second book to be more complex and multi-layered. The beautiful writing is often more powerful by its subtlety.

While it doesn't necessarily end happily-ever-after (depending on your point of view), I found it to be a realistic and satisfying ending. I highly recommend this book!

I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the author, Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Sex, lies and secrets are at the root of this novel. It's not a thriller per se, but a closer look at suburban attitudes. Unenjoyable on a whole with terrible story arcs that left me angry.

1 out of 5 stars. Do not recommend.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley. This book had me from the very beginning. I love that it kept me engaged the entire time. I couldn't wait to see how it ended. I would highly recommend to all my fellow readers. Thank you for the chance to review this book!

This is a complexly plotted novel with some multi faceted characters who are, at ties, quite difficult to like and empathise with. This makes the novel hard to progress with as it is difficult to be keen on the idea of a positive outcome for some of these people!

I wasn't really a fan of this book. I thought I would've liked it more as it was supposed to be a thriller. But I guess I'm just not a crazy fan of the more domestic type thrillers.

I am afraid I did not like this book at all. There were times when I wanted to just stop reading it and get on with something more enjoyable. However, in fairness to Netgalley, I soldiered on, but it was a struggle.
I felt that the characters were all horrible and well deserving all they got. It had a nasty edge to it and as for living in Raven Lane, no thank you.

Sorry, but not my type of book.

It’s always been my dream to live in the perfect neighborhood. You know the one where all the neighbors are friends, have communal dinners, kids are all buddies. The kind of neighbors you can count on under any circumstances. Well, I had that dream until reading Raven Lane.

Raven Lane takes us to one such neighborhood, a cul de sac with a group of people that are similarly minded and good friends. People that have each other’s backs. Weekly dinners and monthly parties and barbecues. All of that good stuff. Until one night when an accident occurs, throwing their happy little homes into turmoil. The kind that people simply don’t always recovery from.

Esme and Benedict are the focal couple of this story, and it’s told from Esme’s point of view. Esme was once an up and coming actress. Benedict once a celebrated fashion model. Until things get turned upside down for Esme in the film business, and Benedict is dropped because of his drug and alcohol habits. They start over by moving to Raven Lane, getting married and having a daughter. Esme opens a restaurant and Benedict a modeling agency. One night when they are celebrating one of Benedict’s clients, he accidentally hits his neighbor Torn, a famous author, with his bike, knocking him headlong into the street. With all these famous people involved in what should have been a quiet, but tragic, accident, it makes the news. And turns everyone on Raven Lane’s lives upside down.

I could not put this book down. Raven Lane appears to be such an idyllic place to live, but when the stuff hits the fan, it’s amazing how everything breaks down. Tragic, compelling and page turning, Amber Cowie has written a book with a little bit of romance and mystery. She shows us the dark side that everyone has, we are just all fairly good at keeping them hidden. This is a good one.

After hearing so much about the author’s first novel, I was excited about the chance at reading Raven Lane. Much to my surprise, I had a really hard time getting into it. It just didn’t hold my interest so I would read a little and set it down. Because of this, it took me forever to finish it. I’m not saying it’s a bad book, maybe I’m just in a reading slump or maybe it just wasn’t the right book for me. It centered around a group of people who live on a cul-de-sac and hung together as friends like they were the only people on the planet. Never was it mentioned that they really socialized with any outsiders. It was all based on marital infidelities. Maybe that was what deterred me from liking it more but I really don’t think so. It just didn’t hold my interest and I was glad when I finished reading it.

I could never live on Raven Lane - all that forced togetherness. And sadly it leads to tragedy, when our MC's husband accidentally backs up and hits one of those neighbors, killing him. Or was it an accident? Esme is pretty sure it is, but there are enough questions about her past life that might bias her judgement. The ending twist is the best part of this book, taking me by surprise even though I suspected that there was more to what happened than we knew.

eARC provided by publisher.

“Desperate Houswives” on steroids. That is what this book reminded me of and I enjoyed reading it. It was entertaining and kept me interested.
Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion