Sadly this was not for me, I could not get into the story and didn't like the style of writing so I won't be giving proper feedback. 2 stars as unfinished

When I began reading this book, I thought I was about to be assaulted by Stupid Character Syndrome. You know…when your characters are doing things that are just too bone-headed to believe? Yep. Not only did our main character seem to suffer from it, but supporting ones did as well. However, the book was entertaining and I kept reading.

Well, I should have had a little faith! The author took all my assumptions, turned them upside down, and gave reasons for everything!

At times, I still had a little trouble with suspension of disbelief (I mean…there still was some stupid), but the plot was far more devious than I expected and the characters far more interesting.

This is simply one of those entertaining beach reads and I really enjoyed it!

*ARC Provided via Net Galley.

A sheltered upbringing in a cult environment, a planned escape, and a new life with a crush on her rescuer. Then shockingly becomes a victim of a crime and races to try and get justice.

I was super fascinated with the permise of this book because I love books revolving around cults. I felt like this was an average thriller for me I want thrillers to be shocking and on my toes. There were a couple parts in the book that dragged and I really wanted more from the cult aspect. So for me this was an okay book.

Whoo-whee! That was a fun ride to go on! You definitely didn't know who you were catching until the end. A twisted tail of who are you really.

I enjoy all of Catherine McKenzie's book. This one was unusual in that it dealt with identity theft and had a cult backstory. However, the book is so much more. These are only backdrops to which an intriguing story blossoms. It is funny, fast-paced, and has plenty of twists to keep the reader interested.

I received an ARC from Lake Union Publishing through NetGalley. This in so way affects my opinion or rating of this book. I am voluntarily submitting this book and am under no obligation to do so.

Phew! This book was quite the ride! I was hooked from the first page and could not put it down. This was an intense and enjoyable read.

I did not enjoy this one sadly. It did not hold my attention. I may just not have been in the right place at the time to properly read and enjoy this book.

2020 has been a hell of a year, hasn't it? As some of you may know, I also write reviews for Niagara Life, a magazine put out by my local newspaper. Usually there are four issues a year and I write reviews for three (or sometimes four) books for each issue. This year we lost the summer issue because of COVID. The fall issue was pushed back and one of my reviews wasn't able to make it into the issue. That review was of Catherine McKenzie's latest novel, You Can't Catch Me. I read the book way back in February 2020 as it was originally supposed to be published earlier than the August pub date. So, instead of reinventing the wheel and trying to add to a review of a book I read before COVID was a Thing in North America, below you'll find the review as I wrote it for the magazine. I hope you check out this book by one of my favourite Canadian authors!

Jessica Williams has had a rough few weeks. She’s been fired from her job as a journalist and now her identity has been stolen. What else could go wrong? Everything, as it turns out in Catherine McKenzie’s latest novel, You Can’t Catch Me.

After Jessica is fired for plagiarism, she takes herself on a trip to Mexico. While in the airport bar, she meets another Jessica Williams (now known as Jessica Two). Knowing Jessica will be out of the country, Jessica Two wipes out her bank account. Jessica vows to get revenge.

But who is Jessica really? The unreliable female narrator trope has gotten pretty tired over the last couple of years but McKenzie manages to do something that feels completely fresh. Without giving too much away, there are a number of explosive revelations that leave the reader wondering exactly who to trust. And just when you think you have it figured out? You find out you don’t. Not at all.

There are many threads to this novel with layers of information that are revealed slowly over the course of the novel. Jessica’s background holds more than a few surprises and the mystery of who Jessica Two is will consume thriller fans.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Thank you Lake Union for letting me me You Can't Catch Me for an honest review.

This one started out great, cults and con men are two of my favourite subjects for thrillers so I couldn't wait to read this one. However, I found there were a couple of storylines too many and the ending felt rushed and not connecting enough to merit having both of the cult and the con together. The main romance in the book never felt necessary to me either, I wish the plot lines were better weaved together in the end.

I was really happy to receive an advance copy of this book, as I love this author. Happily, I was not disappointed. It was everything you could want for a night under the blanket with a glass of wine.

Cult? Check
Grifters - Check
Suspense - Check
Fun - check

Thank you to the author, the publisher and Net Galley for the advance copy to read. This did not impact my review.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I have always been a huge Catherine McKenzie fan. Her reads always leave you hanging on to every word and this book was no different. You second guess your theories and are seldom correct on how the ending will turn out. Well done!

this was really suspenseful read, the characters were great and I really enjoyed reading this book. I look forward to more from the author.

Anything Catherine McKenzie pens is fabulous. A master at cat and mouse games, Catharine introduces us to Jessica Williams, a religious cult, deception, grifter, escape and more Jessica Williams's with same birthdays. Coincidence? I don't think so.

You Can't Catch Me has a completely unique premise - a young woman named Jessica Williams, who spent her childhood in a cult, is a victim of identity theft/grifting by a woman with the same exact name. Catherine McKenzie weaves together the two narratives of Jessica's lives expertly (both her cult past and her present hunt for the woman who stole her money), and I found the pacing near-perfect. I'm a sucker for thrillers, and this book was no exception - I absolutely loved the twist at the end. JAW DROPPING. I really did not see it coming. The only reason I took off one star is that I didn't love love the protagonist or her relationship with Liam, which I struggled to get a grasp on sometimes. Overall, I was impressed by the book and would definitely recommend it!

I love everything Catherine Mackenzie, I have been fortunate enough to be an early reviewer for most of her books, (although my review for this one is a tad bit late)

She brought her talent into full force with YOU CAN'T CATCH ME. I was blown away by this book, and how much I loved it. I feel like each one of her books just gets better and better. The plot in this was was great and it was executed beautifully. I feel like I get lost in time when I pick up her books, because I do not want to put them down!

Who is Jessica Williams and how many Jessica Williams are there in the world? And how many of them have the same birthday? This is what Jessica one is trying to figure out. As our story begins she makes some huge mistakes and her life has crashed down around her. She meets a woman at the airport with the same name and date of birth, has a few drinks with her and then looses all of her money. Jessica can't stop searching until she's found other women with the same name who also were taken in by Jessica two (the name she calls the woman from the airport) Having escaped from a cult as a teenager she is strong willed and won't stop until she figures out how to make things right. I enjoyed Jessica's personality, even in the midst of her crazy life, she still remains funny and she's quite sharp a after dealing with so many things in her life. This was a fun, fast paced read!

This book had me super interested until about 50% in and then I was over it. What was the point of having the cult storyline? This makes it feel like two books put together, and neither story is fully developed. By the middle, I just really didn't care because the story seemed way too farfetched.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

I really liked this book. The cult aspect was super fascinating. And the con artist angle was really well done. The main character was good and all the Jessicas were very different.