I've always had a fascination and been terrified of cults at the same time. This story deals with a family trying to handle the mothers return from a cult after many years assumed missing and her backstory about how she became involved with the cult in the first place. Lucinda does a great job covering each of the female family members feelings with sections in each persons own words.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Psychological Thriller

Kate and Scott have been married for a while now. They know each other so well, that sometimes, they know each other better than they know themselves. But Kate is keeping a big secret from Scott. She's unhappy in their current situation. She misses working. Kate loves their daughter, Abbi, but wants to get back to work. Scott wants Kate to love being a stay-at-home mom and can't truly understand why she isn't fulfilled.

Abbi is only five years old when her mom goes missing. Years later, Kate is found clinging to a new baby, wandering from the woods.

What follows is a tale that unravels and boggles the mind. Was Kate kidnapped and held against her will? It sure seems that she has lived through trauma that renders her unable to fully integrate back into society.

Meanwhile, her family is left to help her pick up the pieces and adjust their own lives. Scott has remarried and Abbi, despite not being incredibly grateful for her new family life, Abbi is just trying to catch her own breath.

For me, Scott treated his wife, Meredith, with extreme disdain. I had a very difficult time getting past that. Despite all that has happened in their lives, he was a very poor example of a husband, in my opinion.

This psychological thriller did keep you on your toes. I think that if Scott and Abbi, even Meredith had been stronger characters, I would have enjoyed the book more. But the wishy-washiness of those three characters made me wish for something different.

Triggers: Rape, Child Brides, Cult, Kidnapping, Murder


Shelby – ☆☆☆☆
When She Returned was an interesting, complicated story told from three different points of view.

A family is destroyed when the mother and wife goes missing from a parking lot. Her keys are in the ignition, purse on the floor, groceries in the trunk...

We read this story through Abbi's eyes in the present time. She's the teenage daughter who lost her mother (when she was a toddler) and has lived with her father for 10+ years, both still grieving the loss. Abbi is the character whom I feel has lost the most. She has lived her whole life with not knowing her mother, not remembering anything save what her father relays.

Meredith is the current wife. She's also a widow and met Scott in a grief counseling group. I feel like Meredith is the grounding force in this story. She has enough sense to speak up when necessary, and the grace to bite her tongue when needed.

Kate is the missing person, her story is told in the past tense. She was married to the love of her life, her high school sweetheart, and staying home to raise their precious daughter. She put her journalism career on hold to do this and was excited to start writing again.

I wasn't expecting the story I read, I truly thought I knew what was going on! I liked the dynamic between Scott, Meredith, and Kate. Having said that, I will say that Scott was probably my least favorite character. I think I can empathize with him, but I hated the way he treated Meredith.

This is my first read by Lucinda Berry, but it most certainly won't be my last.


Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
This is a disturbing and sometimes creepy psychological puzzle and I couldn’t put it down. Told from three perspectives – two in the present and one in the past – the book explores a family shattered by a mother’s disappearance and reappearance 11 years later. It’s a difficult and intense read but I loved the way the pieces of this dark puzzle slowly fell into place.

I love that none of the narrators in this story are entirely reliable. The teenage daughter Abbi’s voice is probably the most honest, but she acknowledges that she only knows her mother through her father’s stories. Interestingly, readers only know the father’s story through the voices of the female narrators. Kate’s voice is terribly flawed, and her narrative constantly challenges readers. As readers, we know more about Kate’s experiences during her disappearance than the other two narrators do, but we can’t trust her explanations and I was constantly re-evaluating my reactions and my feelings towards her. The stepmother, Meredith, attempts to come across as a neutral observer, but she’s highly invested in the situation. I’m not sure any of the three adult characters are likeable – but the most disturbing thing for me is that each of them has moments when they feel human and relatable.

It’s difficult to review this type of novel without spoilers. It is a compelling read but there were elements of the story which I struggled to find plausible. I don’t feel like we see enough to understand how the strong journalist we meet in the beginning – a woman who resents giving up her career to stay home with a young child – makes the decisions she does later in the book. There are a few threads left hanging at the end and I’m not sure whether they needed tying up or if it’s better that we’re left wondering if or how the family moves on from such a horrific incident.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆
This book has a punchy start, which sets up the drama, gives us an idea of who Abbi, Scott, and Meredith are, and who Kate was. For me, Meredith was the most likeable adult, and by the end I felt she definitely deserved better!

As we discover how the past played out for Kate, I did not stop thinking about the family left behind, or the life they were living in her absence. It is impossible to overstate how the experience has changed her, and the woman that Scott grew up with and married is gone.

I do enjoy stories such as this, which make you think about how you would cope in such a situation, but I realised that I only do it as the person left behind, not the one that left. I admit that this probably coloured my view of the story, but it was fascinating to realise this!

'When She Returned' by Lucinda Berry was an incredibly intense, powerful, and dark story. This novel was undeniably addictive and engrossing, written exactly the way a good psychological thriller should be, and kept me guessing as to what exactly was going on. With oodles of surprises, I had a difficult time putting it down.

Kate Bennett, married to Scott, is a stay-at-home mum of five year-old Abbi and they live in Northern California. But restless Kate longs to be back in her chosen field of journalism, ready to embark on her career again.

Then Kate vanishes from a car-park, but eleven years later, when she shows up at a Montana petrol station, clutching an infant and screaming for help, investigators believe she may have been abducted by a cult. Kate’s return turns her whole family’s world upside down—her husband has remarried a widow named Meredith, and Abbi, now sixteen, can hardly remember her. Traumatised and anxious, although receiving stress counselling and under the scrutiny of the FBI, Kate refuses to give much information about where she has been.

The narrative moves quickly and the reader is party to three points of view from characters in the past and present. This could have been a little overwhelming, but Lucinda Berry's flawless writing meant the story flowed really well, making complete sense, with each of the characters having a distinctive voice. With its smooth, even pacing, I easily kept up with all of the events and happenings and there was certainly no room for boredom! The characters were all quite complex and I certainly had my favourites, although others were rather irksome.

Lucinda Berry's own expertise as a trauma psychologist affords considerable credibility to this delightful, menacing story. 'When She Returned' is very highly recommended and well deserving of a five-star rating.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my request, from Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read a copy of When She Returned.

This book grabbed me from the beginning and didn't let go. It was refreshing to read a book that was totally not predictable and ordinary.

I went into this book just wanting a good read. I wasn’t going to try to figure anything out. I was just along for the ride. This ended up being a pretty good read. The story is suspenseful and it kept my interest. There were also lulls in some parts and I felt there were way too many “Then” parts. The ending was good but felt rushed. I wanted more. Most of the characters weren’t very likable but they were supposed to be that way. All in all, this is a good read. It’s the first book I’ve read by this author. I enjoyed her writing style and will check out her other books. I give this 3 stars.

What an interesting read I really wanted more at the end but other than that I really enjoyed this book. Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book.

This book had me hooked from the very first page! Such a great thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time!

Truly an excellent novel... I was really intrigued by this storyline and it captured my attention the entire way! Lucinda Berry is a fantatastic author and I am so happy I was able to read one of her novels! I cannot wait for more.

I love when a psychological thriller is actually thrilling like this. For the most part it was realistic, it's just hard to imagine being in Meredith's shoes. Love the crazy and the plot twists!

In my opinion this started off a bit slow.. and then it picked up about 40% the characters were intriguing as well as the story. A few good twists and turns, and a shocking ending that you don’t see coming. I have gotten to like this author recently. The perfect child was excellent but this wasn’t as good. I will continue to keep an eye out for more books by this author in the future.
Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this

Really well written.
Amazing, captivating, a real page turner.
You could really feel that the author knew what she was talking about.
A well developed storyline with strong characters.
I was into it from the start.

I hope to read more by this author soon.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of When She Returned!

Wow, I think I’m a little speechless after finishing this book... this is about a mother, Kate, who suddenly vanished one day at the local Target. Eleven years later she resurfaces with a newborn baby begging for help. Her family, husband Scott and daughter Abbi, are thrilled to have her back. Scott’s new wife, Meredith, is as well, at first... until Meredith catches Kate making late night phone calls and lying. The truth about Kate’s disappearance couldn’t be farther from what Scott and Abbi assumed had happened. It appears she was taken by a cult called Love International and their leader Ray. But was she really???? While the ending was a tad predictable for me I still loved it. Reading this book really makes you wonder if there are other “organizations” like Love International out there and HOW do people end up a part of them!!

I've recently become quite a fan of Lucinda Berry and When She Returned did not disappoint. A great story. My only criticism would be that the ending felt a bit rushed, but it was a thrilling read nonetheless.

I devoured this story in just a few hours. I was immediately taken in by Abbi, Kate and Meredith's stories. Especially the story of Kate being gone. Well written, fast paced. Though I feel like I would have liked more at the end. Did they manage to deprogram Kate? What happened to Shiloh? Did Margo survive? 4.5 stars rounded to 5

When She Returned is the story of a woman who leaves her family to join a cult. Under the sway of the charismatic Ray and his Love International movement Kate Bennett changes from devoted wife and mother to a fanatic devotee of a maniacal messiah, even bearing him a child before escaping into the night, ostensibly to return to the family she left behind.

There is much to like and dislike in this book. It has a compelling narrative. Why did Kate leave? How did she come to believe all the crazy things espoused by this fringe religion? If you have no knowledge or experience with cults and how they operate you may find it hard to believe how subtle and deceptive their methods are, and how rational, normal people get sucked in. The author does a good job of showing how Kate becomes enthralled to the enigmatic Ray, and how extreme some of the cults methods are. Her return to the outside world, fraught with confusion and fear, is also believable. But the constant back and forth of timelines and narrators becomes jarring and bogs down the story. There is no strong overriding voice, or one particular focus. This makes it difficult for the reader to fully identify and sympathize with any of the characters, and instead of a satisfying resolution the book bumps and stutters to a sudden halt.

I, too, once followed a charismatic man to a strange place, expecting love and fellowship. I left behind family and friends to give myself fully to someone. While I was not beaten or starved, I was isolated and denied comfort and at times basic needs. It changed me irrevocably, from a vibrant woman to a broken one. You don't have to join a cult to be victimized by someone with power. I understood Kate's desire to be accepted and loved by someone and something greater, as I understood how hard it was to see those things were dangerous in the wrong hands. It's a fine line between leadership and abuse and trusting the wrong person can shatter your soul. In this story, Kate's disappearance and return ripples out with devastating consequences, and makes the reader question their own vulnerability. That is why I gave the book a higher rating than the technical components warranted. I leave it for other readers to decide if they agree or disagree.

Holy crap!
Gotta say that was highly entertaining!!!
Much love to the crew at NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for my DRC.

Received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

The beginning reminds me somewhat of the tv show Absentia. We follow the POV of Abbi the daughter and Meredith the stepmom in the present, and Kate in the past. I really liked reading about Abbi and Kate connecting again. I found Meredith way too annoying and felt that both Scott (the father) and Meredith treated Abbi like a child even though she was 16 and this was her mom they were talking about. I really liked the book for the most part. But the ending was a real let down. All that build up, making us believe that perhaps Meredith was a bit paranoid and then that ending? I was pissed off. And I really didn’t feel that there were any twists, the story was pretty straight forward but the writing kept me reading

Luckily this is a quick read and easy to follow. A side from the ending I feel it’s worth a read

**3.5** I really enjoyed this book. It was a super quick read and fast paced so it was easy to get through it and it was enjoyable.

Kate Bennett, a former journalist and now full time momma, all of a sudden disappeared in a Target parking lot. Her husband Scott adored her and was heartbroken as was their little girl Abbi. At the beginning you have Kate's return so you know she makes it back from the very start and it goes kind of backwards from there with her story.

There is 3 different POV. Kate's POV is what happened THEN and what she went through. Then you have Abbi's NOW POV going through all the emotions of having her mom return. And then you have Meredith who is Scott's new wife NOW POV who also goes through the motions of what it is like having Kate back.

My biggest intrigue of course was wondering what the hell happened to Kate and the fascination of this new topic I haven't read much about. I don't want to give too much away! Towards 3/4 of the book I started getting the ok-hurry-up-I-get-where-this-is-going jitters but I was surprised with the end and it was a good surprise! I like when books don't give you what you are expecting and this was definitely not something I expected. I was pretty GAH at the end! Not because it wasn't written really well and the ploy was a smart twist and turn, just...because.. :)

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Lucinda Berry for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This shocking and captivating story drew me in and never let me go! Great thrilling read but I don’t want to spoil anything but saying to much about the plot! Definitely recommend it though!

I really enjoyed this mystery thriller but I don‘t want to give too much away. Super short summary is a mother disappears for numerous years to return and find her husband and daughter have a new family. And of course there are lots of secrets involved.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher, Thomas & Mercer, for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.