This was a fun road trip involving siblings and a mysterious past. However, the ending was left WAY too open for my liking.

I must say that I was cruising along, reading this book and really loving it, so much so that I was very seriously considering 5 stars for it ...

And then the ending happened.

I feel a little gypped. So much so that I reread some of the last few pages to see if I had missed something. Nope. I hadn't.

Nevertheless, I still recommend this one. This story is compelling and engaging and of course one hell of a road trip. I can't wait to see the hype about it and to talk about it with people after publication. I can't help wondering if it were to be made into a movie or a TV series if the ending would be slightly changed??

Read it for yourself. You'll have opinions.

Nevertheless, I'm a fan of Samantha Downing. If you enjoyed My Lovely Wife, you'll probably like this one too. She writes horrible stories about horrible people, and I love practically every moment.

Thanks, Netgalley, for this arc.

After finishing this wild story my reaction is to sit here alternating between chuckling and letting my mouth hang open in amazement. I’m sitting here dumbfounded by this whole story. Very well done, Ms. Downing. I started typing my review immediately after reading the last sentence because I don’t want to forget how I feel right now and my mind is running ahead of my fingers so much that I keep having to fill in words I skipped. 😂
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Guys, there was bombshell after bombshell and twist after twist in this book and the suspense was through the roof. People say this all the time but I wholeheartedly mean it when I say that I couldn’t put this book down. The main character narrates the story and it was written in a way that at some points she’s talking directly to the reader, which made it more creepy and hard to decide whether or not to trust her. I also never knew if I could trust any other character in this book. The writing style and the untrustworthy characters were probably my favorite things about this book. I’m gonna be thinking about this freaking crazy story for a while! This book is the definition of a thriller and I highly recommend it!

*I received an eARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.*

I remember reading Ms. Downing's other book My Lovely Wife and really not being sure how I felt about it. He Started It, however; did not leave me with any doubts about the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed it. I started and finished it in one day because I just couldn't put it down.

Beth and her siblings are going on a road trip to spread her grandfather's ashes. None of them are doing this out of the goodness of their hearts though-- there's inheritance money involved. They have to make it through the trip together without getting into any trouble-- but none of them are there for the right reasons.

Honestly, none of the characters were good people. That just made the book even more interesting to me though, because you wanted to get into their minds and figure out what their motives were for the things they were doing. The ending definitely made the book as well-- I didn't see it coming and that's new for me. I would definitely recommend this book over her first one!

I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would! Slow to start, but picks up and quickly grabs you after about 15%. While this is definitely a thriller, it is also largely a family drama. The siblings are all hiding secrets from each other and Downing does a good job of setting the scene and making us doubt each character's intentions and stories. Some of the characters were so whiny, but that is the only part I really disliked. Just when I thought I was starting to piece together some pieces, she threw another surprise in and kept me on my toes, which is a trait of all good thrillers!. SO MUCH happens in the final 10%, most of which I hadn't figured out and my head is still spinning. Well done!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this digital advance reader copy to me in exchange for an honest opinion. Downing’s second book was an excellent thriller. If you’ve ever wondered what extremes a messed up family would take to get an inheritance, this is the book for you. The story twists and turns as many times as these travelers twist and turn their way through the US. I love a book that keeps me guessing and this one sure did. I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending, but not all books can end happily with a neat and clean solution. 4 stars for He Started It.

This book is a wild road trip. This story is about three estranged siblings, hoping to cash in on their grandpa's inheritance.⁣⁣
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I read He started it in one sitting. It does have a slow start, so you will have to power through it, because the ending is worth it. That’s why I rated it a 4 in the star rating. The story jumps between time periods, which I enjoy in a read. This is my first Samantha Downing book, I definitely plan to read more of her books in the future. I 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐲 recommend reading He started it, as a buddy read or with your book club.
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Why you should read this book : The secrets this family holds, is worth your time to read. So many twists, and turns that leaves you unsettled. Also, the last twist at the end is amazing. 🔥

I really thought I'd like this book but it was a little to yucky for me. The premise of a road trip by siblings to collect their inheritance sounded fun but this story is purely about evil. It was hard to even finish the story and I didn't like the ending. I couldn't connect with the characters, maybe I was just in a bad mood and it didn't catch my interest. Sorry. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this advance copy of "He Started It" All I can say is WOW! This book keeps leading you on and just when you think you figured something out, the story takes a HARD turn, thus blowing up the entire plot. If you liked Samantha Downing's "My Lovely Wife", then add this to the top of your To Read pile, it won't disappoint.

Samantha Downing has done it again! I jumped into this one immediately, knowing that after reading My Lovely Wife, I was in for another treat.

I love the idea of a road trip thriller! Add in a super messed up family and the motive to do anything it takes in order to collect a boatload of inheritance money? Genius!

The characters were SO fun to hate. At first you feel for them all - marital problems, childhood issues, all the drama.... but you slowly start to hate them one by one, and start to wonder if any of them deserve the money! But it is SO fun to find out who sticks it out til the end without bailing and going home, who survives the trip, and who ends up getting the cash!

This is the epitome of a dysfunctional family. All the narrators are pretty unreliable and it is a wild story to say the least! Twists come in from every angle and all the directions. So many, that it's hard to see the next one coming on this road trip from hell, all set up by a seriously sick and twisted Grandpa.

Samantha Downing maps out a trunkload of fun with a license for crazy, taking you on a wild ride that spins you in every direction with nary a stop sign in sight! Hit the brakes and grab this one cause it does not disappoint!

Thank you to netgalley , Berkley and Samantha Downing for this copy. WOW!!! what an ending . I did not see it coming. Which is a good thing. This is my second book of this Author and wow she does not disappoint. Book shocked me several times. Fell asleep reading it and woke up and jump right in. This is a MUST READ!!! Look for your copy July 28 You will not be disappointed, I repeat You will not be disappointed.

Dysfunctional family at its finest! Beth narrates the story of the road trip her siblings take at her grandfather's request to scatter his ashes in a place they all knew well. This road trip request was meant to mirror the trip her grandfather took the siblings on when they were younger. On the first road trip, the children realized exactly what kind of twisted person their grandfather was, and the readers realizes there is something slightly "off" with each of the kids. As the current road trip progresses (this time with two spouses included), irritations rise and the siblings are revealed to be calculating and devious in their quests to finish the road trip and cash in on the inheritance.

As in her debut novel, "My Lovely Wife," Downing once again delivers on a psychological thriller that sneaks up on you. At the start, the characters seem normal and you are wondering where the creepiness of a good thriller is. Then, small threads start worming their way into the story line....the abusive grandfather, Eddie's secret life, the oldest sister no one talks about, and what Portia really remembers from the first road trip....until the reader is warily turning the page for the "gotcha moment," Also like "My Lovely Wife," I was unable to predict the ending this book, which is unusual for me.

Psychological thrillers are not usually my genre, but there is something about Downing's books that keep drawing me in. She's on my list of authors to watch for future new releases.

I need up really enjoying the writing style and loving the short chapters which made this book a quick read for me and I ended up reading over 175 pages just today. However I’m not giving this book 5 stars because I did find parts of it slow especially in the first half I felt like there was a lot of setting the scene and background information that seem to drag a bit and this to me and made the ending feel a little bit rushed. Overall though I didn’t joy this book and it’s a solid thriller that I would recommend especially if you love road trips books it was super fun reading about different places across the country. I think the author did a really good job creating a story with minimal characters.
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This was a wickedly fun read!

Estranged siblings are due to inherit a whole lot of money, under one condition: They need to repeat a road trip they took together twenty years ago with no changes or short cuts. If that doesn't get your brain fired up, how about the fact that they don't know why they need to repeat this trip...(or do they?)

Going to end this on that note. Read this-you won't be disappointed!
This is a fresh take on family dysfunction at it's best, or should I say worst?

ARC provided by NetGalley

I devoured this book. The writing is great and I found it to be fast-paced. I really enjoyed the surprises revealed along the way and was happy to not have predicted them (as is usually the case for me). The ending, however, was a major letdown. Loved the book, hated the ending. That being said I have and will continue to read more from this author.

I loved My Lovely Wife, so I was excited about this title. And then I read it.
I liked the idea of it. And I stuck with the book and read it in like 2 days, so it's not a bad book - it's just a bit...unrealistic. There were so many loose ends in the original trip and in the second trip. This book is a train wreck that I could not turn away from watching - I just kept flipping pages. And, to be honest, it took me about two days to figure out how I really felt about this.
I still love the author, and I loved the idea of this book in theory. The ending is brilliant even though it was unbelievable.
STILL...this book will be easy to recommend. It's a great escape and the travel across the country is a fun idea that, especially right now (during COVID-19 ) was a nice way to see the country.
Actual Stars...3.75

Have you ever just kept watching a film or finished a book even though you know something bad is going to happen? Reading this book is like watching a wreck occur in slow motion. You know it is coming, but you are not sure exactly how or to whom or if anyone will survive. Which is why you can't stop watching/reading. He Started It brings back together three siblings - Eddie, Beth, and Portia along with Krista and Felix the spouses of Eddie and Beth - on the recreation of a road trip they took with their Grandfather twenty years ago. The reason for this trip, to get hold of their dead Grandfather's money as outlined in the will. But spending time with family can be bad, while spending two weeks in the same car can be worse. Everyone has secrets, there is a body in the trunk, people may be following them and ghosts of the previous trip keep cropping up. Plus, you really, really cannot trust the narrator, Beth. So the trip ends in tears, pain , and plenty of interesting twists.

Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to read this title.

A dysfunctional family goes on a road trip, what could go wrong?

I enjoyed all the secrets the siblings had and all the head games they played with each other. The biggest let down for me was the ending. Beth does some things during the campsite scene and that, and everything after that seemed convenient, unoriginal. If you read this book you know what I’m talking about and I feel like this particular thing is boring, especially when done multiple times in a short period. It just didn’t feel right for the ending.

Overall I would recommend this book and read more by this author ( I haven’t read My Lovely Wife but plan to).

A road trip...making your way from state to state with your family while creating memories along the way. Who wouldn’t want to go on such a quintessential American experience? Except, I’d rather be quarantined for the whole summer than go on a road trip with the Morgan family.

Downing has done it again! She takes something so ordinary, a suburban family or a road trip, and puts her own original spin on it. I don’t think I’ve read anything quite like this before and I loved it. He Started It had me questioning everyone and everything; I was picking up hints and making mental notes because I could just tell—something bigger was coming. This story is a slow burn and then it explodes! By the time I finished the last page my jaw was hanging open. He did, indeed, start it!

Thank you Berkley for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 stars

Three siblings are going on a road trip they've gone through before with their grandfather when he was alive. But now he's dead, and this trip is what they need to do to get his inheritance. But Eddie, Portia and Beth haven't seen each other in a long time and the last time they went on this trip, things got a little out of hand and no one wants to talk about it. But two weeks in a car filled with the tension of sibling rivalry and secrets, some things are bound to slip out. Beth is the only one who remembers every single detail about the last trip. It was supposed to be fun, so what went wrong?

Well this was quite a novel and I think it's the perfect one to read at a time where everyone is stuck at home. It definitely made me feel like I was on this road trip with them, even though I didn't want to be.

There's so much to be said about this story, but let's start with the characters. The Morgan siblings are not the kind of friends you would want to be with. Each and every one of them is more despicable and detestable than the other. They each have their fair share of secrets and are manipulatively skilled liars. The story is narrated in Beth's point of view and since she remembers everything about the previous trip, the story is told in the present as well as the past. Through this, we get to see the siblings when they were young children and how they are now. I can honestly say that I have never hated a group of characters more than the Morgan siblings. I liked Beth the most, not negating that she was quite horrible as well, but she was MUCH better than the other two siblings.

Downing's plots just get more and more creative. Just like My Lovely Wife, this novel was crazy and wild. So much sibling rivalry, so much hatred, secrets, lies, deception. What more could you want from a thriller? And most of all, we have the famous unreliable character who is just as skilled at lying as her siblings. I love how Downing is able to stretch such a small storyline and create this explosive novel out of it. And the places they visit (all factual by the way) are wildly connected to the siblings' childhood and I loved the way the two timelines are intertwined so effortlessly, that it's so easy to follow along with them.

The strongest part of the story would 100% have to be the characters and their dynamics. Sure, we have the Morgan siblings who have a wild wild dynamic, but on the second trip we also have Krista and Felix, Eddie and Beth's spouses. More tension and more secrets. It's interesting to see what people would do for money. I love stories that explore the relationships between the husband and wife as well as siblings, it makes for a fun-packed tension-filled novel.

Overall, this is a wonderfully constructed novel full of shocking twists and turns until the very last page that will leave you reeling. I recommend that you join the Morgan siblings on this crazy road trip and see what they're up to. You won't be disappointed at all.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkely Pub for providing me with an advanced galley of this novel in exchange for my honest review.