This book could be a lifetime movie. It's definitely suspenseful and makes you wonder about a lot of things in Kate's life. I love the characters and the way the author pulls you in and leaves you hanging for a brutal and twisty ending. Great book.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Worth a read if you want a twisty mystery. This book revolves around the return of a missing woman, Kate, 10 years after she originally goes missing. It is told from the point of view of her daughter Abbi, the new wife of her then husband, Meredith, and Kate herself. However, Kates point of view takes place in the past exposing the events that took place while she was missing and gradually moves forward in time until we reach the present day. Both Abbi and Merediths POV are told in present day throughout.
It’s an interesting concept and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Would recommend for someone looking for a holiday read or some general messed up family mystery.
I did have some problems however. Without giving spoilers, all I can say is we’re not given a proper background on Kate’s decisions throughout. I didn’t find the reasoning compelling enough for her to stay in the situation that she did. We as the reader were only shown the bad events over the years, which makes you question why constantly. I think to make this more believable there should have been more insights into the good stuff that would give reasoning to the motive of this main character.
Also, the new wife Meredith is unbelievably calm and okay with the return of her husbands old wife which he constantly says he adored and pined for when he thought she was dead/missing. Wish that there’d been more tension written in from her characters POV cause, let’s face it, the return of your husbands first wife that was presumed dead would be pretty life shattering occurrence.

WOW WOW WOW!!!!

Okay so page one I’m immediately sucked into the woods with a woman carrying a baby and running from someone terrifying. When we clear the woods I’m out of breath. I barely put the put the book down from that point on.

Kate Bennett disappeared eleven years ago and her family has declared her dead and finally moved on. When she suddenly returns nothing will ever be the same for anyone. Why did she leave? Why has she returned? Who is she running from? Can she be trusted?

This was a fantastic read. I couldn’t put the darn thing down. I did see the climax twist coming long before its reveal but OMG that surprise final twist was brutal! Almost cruel. I can’t explain why because I’d have to give too much a way. Let me just say that some criminals are only such because they are victims. Not saying they shouldn’t be punished but I think purposely hurting them just because you can might be over the top. However... for the reader it’s a jaw dropping reveal you didn’t even know you needed.

Miss Berry’s writing is superb. All her characters were easy to connect with and I ached for each of them. Well, not Ray. In fact I’d like to read a book entirely dedicated to the details of his hideous death.

I loved this book!!! I can’t wait to read more by Miss Berry!

Don’t miss out on this gripping read!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me the privilege of early access.

This is a poignant story with powerful characters. The shifting from one perspective to another enhanced this read.

I did not like some of the characters, yet really felt their points of view.

Voluntarily joining a cult when you have a husband and child is a bit of a far out concept, yet a charismatic leader (such as Ray) can be quite persuasive. Abbi, Kate's daughter, was a bit too forgiving upon Kate's return. Kate's "former" husband was extremely unfeeling to his current wife, Meredith. Kate should probably never have returned to their home. The chaos she brought because she needed to leave the cult had negative effects. Her return affected too many lives. Of course, she needed to leave the cult - but was obviously either too traumatized or not aware of how long she had been gone.

A great story with a back and forth dialogue that fits. Superb!

Many Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for a great read!

Moral of this story? Don’t join a cult people! While the writing in this novel was decent, the storyline felt more like a treatise on cults.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43706717

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for an advanced read in exchange for this review.

Kate disappeared 8 years ago. She suddenly shows up at a gas station with an infant in tow.  She is reunited with her now 13 year old daughter, Abbi, and her husband, Scott (who is now married to Meredith).  Investigators believe she was abducted by a cult. Told from the perspectives of Kate, Meredith, and Abbi, and alternating between then and now, stories begin to unravel as new information comes to light.  What really happened to Kate?Quick moving thriller that is a little bit predictable, but still an enjoyable read.  Definitely noticed the author's psychology background.

This was the first book I'd read by this author and certainly won't be the last. It was gripping from start to finish. There were parts that, as a mom and just a human, were quite difficult to read but it held back just enough that kept me coming back for more. There were a few instances in the book that I wish they would have brought full circle or spent a bit more time on, but I suppose we were meant to draw our own conclusions about what may have happened. Fast paced nail biter that's perfect for one last day trip to the beach or long plane ride.

Let me start by saying I have no idea how I feel about this book! It was definitely a different read than I thought it would be. Reading about cults is not something I read about often and this was eye opening for me . Other than I just wasn’t invested in the characters or the plot. It wasn’t bad it just was kind of boring. Not sure if I would recommend. Thank you netgalley for letting me give an honest review of this book.

This was a strange book. And I've read alot of strange books so that's saying alot. I didn't care for how the POV kept switching back and forth between people and between here and before. And I just didn't like the way she wrote. I felt like it needed more depth. The writing style was too superficial for my tastes.

What a superb thriller! I love how the narrative alternates between Kate, the abducted wife, and Meredith, Scott's new wife, as well as Abbi, Kate and Scott's daughter. Such nuanced and believably developed characters are rarely found in commercial fiction, but I guess that's because not many are written by a trauma psychologist. Tense, tight, believable and compassionate. Brava!

Abbi hates that she doesn't remember her mother, Kate, but was too young, when she disappeared over a decade ago, to recall the turmoil she and her dad were caught up in. When she is discovered, dishevelled and terrified Abbi is delighted to realise they have a second chance to be a family again especially as Kate had her half sister in her arms.

Abbi's dad, Scott and new wife, Meredith, find themselves thrust into a living nightmare when the authorities expect them to house Kate while they try and get to the bottom of what happened. Life hurtles along without any control, their house is full of strangers, and none of them know what will happen next.

This excellent story is told from three points of view; Abbi and Meredith in the present and Kate in the past. It tells a story heard many times before but is no less chilling because of this. Ray runs a cult, except to him and his followers it is no such thing, called Love International and Kate's viewpoint tells of her time with them while Abbi and Meredith show the differing emotions felt by everyone on her return.

The story is very well constructed, the past peppers the present with insight and secrets as well as the subtleties of living in a confined community and environment. Some of what happens is signposted but the consequences of everyone's actions are shocking and scary. I was hooked from the start and surprised at the end, a wonderful combination.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good psychological thriller with sympathetic characters and a strong, believable storyline. I will definitely be on the lookout for this author's next novel which I have no doubt will be of a similar high standard.

This was a really good mystery, I thoroughly enjoyed reading It from start to finish. It was great reading about a missing person coming back, some of my favorite scenes was how different everyone was.

This book.... I don't even know where to begin. I loved the story overall. Although, I didn't like how it jumped around, back and forth between past and current. Also, I hated how it ended. It felt incomplete. I felt like there should have been another chapter or two. I felt a little let down by the ending, especially with that huge hook right there at the end.

The dialogue was stifled, the villain was trite, the whole scenario was overwhelmingly troupey, but it wasn't a bad time, so that's something.

Loved this book. Unusual plot with twists and turns that kept me breathless. Fabulous believable characters and a unique ending, one I didn't see coming. Enjoyed everything about this book, and highly recommend

Lucinda Berry writes some of the darkest, creepiest thrillers of them all. This is my fourth Berry novel and I was expecting another brutally realistic story - and i got a believable extreme one! A woman, kidnapped a dozen years ago, suddenly reappears and the world she left is upturned on her return. Plunged into her new world she and I were trapped all over again. Excellent, excellent, excellent.

A highly enjoyable novel. Enjoyed it very much. Excellent narrative and wonderful depiction of the characters. Highly recommended!

Three Stars.

I want to start by saying this is my third novel by Dr. Lucinda Berry and I absolutely LOOOVED The Perfect Child and Saving Noah. I have recommended both over and over to my friends in mental health and child welfare. When She Returned, was not on the same level as the two previous novels mentioned. This never grabbed me and was rather predictable.

I didn't feel any emotional connection or pull towards any of the situations in the book. I know this will be a delicious book for some people. I think I was expecting something more sinister.

I plan on reading anything Lucinda Berry writes next and will not even bother to read the back cover.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Mercer for an eARC of, When She Returned, in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book so much! It is my first book by this author, but now I am searching for more. I am so intrigued by the power cults and cult leaders have over people, and this book dove deep into that subject.

Abby’s mother vanished 11 years ago while on a shopping trip. There was no signs of a struggle, nothing missing from her abandoned car, and absolutely zero clues to her whereabouts.

Flash forward 11 years when “mom” shows up with a newborn baby, states away, begging for help. As the family tries to welcome her back in, she is having a hard time fitting back into a new world with her daughter, husband (and husband’s new wife). Everything seems a little “off” but what can be expected from someone who has been kidnapped for 11 years? Will they be able to live as a normal family again or will the long lasting effects of the trauma be too much to overcome?

I love, and have read all of Lucinda's books. i love how she tells a story, and she isn't shy about writing about anything dark.

This book was no exception. I was engrossed from the beginning.

The book is about Kate and Scott, married with a little girl named Abbi. Kate was a stay at home Mom, and began to feel restless, and wanted to return to work as Abbi was now 5. She was ready to embark on her career again, as a journalist, when she suddenly vanishes from a Target parking lot.
Scott of course was devastated, and was an excellent father to Abbi, but while attending a support group he meets Meredith and they end up getting married and all seems well. Until..... Kate suddenly returns 11 yrs after her disappearance. She is found at a gas station, in a horrible state with an infant. It is then, that their lives are turned upside down, and many secrets are revealed.
The book is told in multiple POV, from then to now. It was a thrilling read!!!
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