Olivia is a young woman with a traumatic past that she’s worked her whole life to escape and overcome. One evening, she wakes up next to a dead body. She has no recollection of the events of the evening and she has large pieces of her past that she can’t remember. Everyone around her becomes a suspect while she seeks the truth of that night- and her true past.

This was my first Megan Miranda book and I wish I had started with a different one. While there were definitely thrilling moments, it felt really slow for a large portion of the book. I kept wanting to get through sections to seek out the action. When the thrills were present, they were gripping! Those moments were just too few and far between for my taste in a thriller. I also felt like there were some storylines that had loose ends as the book closed.

Even though this was not a 5 star read for me, it did make me really interested in reading Megan Miranda’s other books and see how they compare!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

I enjoyed this book, however it just felt a little far fetched for me. The plot was a good idea, but again, a bit of a stretch. I’d still recommend it to a friend, but it wasn’t a favorite.

Oh, how I wanted to love this. I am a huge fan of the author, but this story just didn’t work for me. I think it may have been the pacing; the first few pages sucked me in, and then I felt like nothing really happened until the 25% mark. From there, chapters are either jam packed or, for lack of a better word, useless. I think some of the tropes are overdone (i.e. unreliable narrator with a bad memory), and the mystery just wasn’t fresh. I look forward to her next book.

Megan Miranda does it again! What can I say? I love all the books she has written and this one is no exception. Not only did this book have a great twist that I was not expecting, it also kept the pace going throughout the book. If you are a fan of mysteries and thrillers, don't pass up this book. I did not stop reading until I finished the book! Thank you Netgalley for an advance copy of a book I was anxiously waiting for:)

What I Loved:
This is my first book by Megan Miranda and it WILL NOT be my last! I was blown away by her writing and story-telling. I found myself unable to put this book down!

How I Felt:
Olivia tries to keep her past a secret from everyone around her. As a young child, she was Arden Maynor. She suffered from sleepwalking and was swept away during a rainstorm and trapped for three days in a storm drain. Those three days are locked away in her brain and she cannot remember any of it. The media storm that followed her disappearance and eventual discovery and recovery followed her for years. Finally, she chose to move away and change her name.

Olivia is now an adult. She owns a home, a bit out of the way, but has a friendly neighbor that keeps her company. She’s happy until she receives a box filled with her mother’s belongings and the information that her mother has died. The sleepwalking returns and Olivia wakes one night to find a dead body at her feet.

I really enjoyed the overall plot of this story. I wasn’t sure where the book was headed at first, but once she wakes up with that body under her feet, I was ready to strap in and enjoy the ride!

Olivia’s character was one that I really enjoy in a thriller. I love it when the main character isn’t just hiding in a corner with a woe-is-me attitude. She’s up and moving, trying to protect herself and figure out what is going on. I liked her character and enjoyed her story.

The writing was so good. Even in the beginning when I wasn’t sure what the story was going to be about, I was still so intrigued. I liked the backstory and the pace set by the writing.

Overall, I found this to be an excellent thriller with a strong story, and I cannot wait to get my hands on more Megan Miranda writing!

Content Warnings:
This book discusses child harm, child abuse, sleepwalking, murder, addiction, prescription addiction and abuse, and stalking.

To Read or Not To Read:
I would recommend The Girl from Widow Hills for readers that enjoy a psychological thriller with a lot of secrets to uncover!

I was provided an advanced reader's copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Another fun read from Megan Miranda. Her books keep me up all night and take my “real” fears away. Much needed entertainment for the distracted mind.

While I liked the premise of this book. A young woman who survived a childhood trauma and now the past was catching up with her, I felt that this was drawn out and nothing really happened until the last few chapters. I liked Miranda’s other books but was a bit disappointed in this follow up.

I’m a fan of Megan Miranda and while I wouldn’t say this is my favorite of her books, I definitely enjoyed it! The story is told mostly from the main character Olivia’s POV, but I enjoyed the quick inserts of mixed media dating back to the time of her initial disappearance. I had a bit of a hard time getting into the story at the start, but after the initial hump it picked up and was a quick read. I didn’t guess the twist, which is always a plus when you read a lot of psychological thrillers. Overall I would recommend this book, especially for those who are fans of the genre. Thanks to Simon & Schuster, Megan Miranda and NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

After one of those events where a child falls down a well, or gets kidnapped, or is lost in a forest and survives, one of those 24/7 update sagas that everyone follows, it's natural to wonder what ever happened to that child. Years later, how have they adjusted? And many people do feel a sense of ownership over that former child's current personhood: are they a good person now? did they "deserve" all the caring you did? Arden is one such child, and twenty years after her "found in a sewer" moment she's made a life for herself, one that hasn't quite dealt with the trauma but is still stable. Of course you know that's not going to last.

There were moments of "seriously? what are you thinking? just trust someone!" but for the most part it was a good thriller. Even the twist was good, something I rarely say

eARC provided by publisher.

The Girl from Widow Hills is another page turner from Megan Miranda! We follow Olivia following a murder at her home, which, soon enough, seems to have some connection to a tragedy that happened to her as a child. I definitely found this book highly readable and despite some solid foreshadowing, there were definitely some surprises in the last third of the book. In some ways, I think there were some characters that were superfluous and I would have enjoyed a better look at some of the more key characters, as well as a more fulsome ending. In some ways, it seemed like the ending was a bit rushed; not that the book was too short but I would have really enjoyed closing the loop on some of the characters a little more fully. I did really enjoy this book and look forward to more from Megan Miranda! Thanks to Netgallery and the publisher for the ARC; this is my honest review.

Enjoyed the book and would give it 3.5 stars. Olivia's ordeal when she was six reminded me of baby Jessica stuck in the well, but so much worse. So many twists and turns. The ending was not what I expected. I would never have guessed who was behind everything. There really are no words to describe how horrible the person who did all this to Olivia really is. Sick, crazy, psychopath, beyond help are just a few. I didn't really connect with any of the characters. Olivia still seemed like a mystery. Like there was more to her. She called Elyse and Bennett her friends but I didn't get that from her. She hardly knew Elyse. I just didn't get the connection she had with Bennett. They seemed like just coworkers, not possible love interests. Wouldn't Rick or Olivia been taken to the police station for questioning and statements after a dead man was found between their houses? (I watch too many murder shows.) Best part of the book was when Olivia finally learns what happened to her all those years ago, after having no memory. I'm not sure how she could have gotten in the drain. I would have liked a better explanation how it was possible. Wouldn't someone have noticed??

Definitely recommend the book. It's a great thriller/mystery. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Simon & Schuster through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Girl from Widow Hill by Megan Miranda Reviewed May 1, 2020 (Not a solid 4, 3.7 so rounded up)

This is my sixth novel by[author, Meghan Miranda although I didn’t love the last novel, most I gave 4 stars Yep, I am a fan!

Story stars when Arden Olivia Maynor was 6-years old and got swept away in a storm flash flood while sleepwalking. She was assumed dead as the storm was so traitorous. . She was found 3 days later clinging to a storm drain. Fame follows the “miracle girl from Widow Hills” ~ however, not just good fame but creepy fan letters and stalkers who appear every anniversary.

Now 20 years later, she has tried to get rid of her past and changed her last name to Meyer but kept her middle name Olivia. The 20th anniversary is coming up and Olivia is experiencing trauma and fears that someone staking her, and is sleepwalking which is something she hasn’t done since she was 6 years old. She recently discovered that her mother died and was cremated. She has no one to turn to talk to ~ well there is the nasty foul mouth Bennett.

One terrible night while she is sleepwalking, she trips and falls over what she thought was a log in her neighbor’s yard. A cell phone ringing awakes her up from sleepwalking and she discovers it wasn’t a log but a man. Turns out that man is Sean Coleman who was one of her rescuers and he was coming to her house with a note of warning.

Okay are you hooked?

Story does a bit of alternating mostly now in Olivia’s POV but there are reports from 2000 that pop up and kept me curious.

I am a big psychological thriller fan and read a lot of them so my level of expectation is always a bit high. I did like this and it kept me turning pages but not a solid 4 (yep! I am stingy with praise but did round up.)
There is no doubt ~ I will read the next [author: Megan Miranda] novel!!

Want to thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this early release granted in exchange for an honest professional review. Publishing Release Date scheduled for Friday, June 26, 2020

This was the first book that I've read by @meganlmiranda , and it definitely will not be the last! Recently, I have been reading A LOT of psychological thrillers & I am usually able to point my finger at "Who did it?" - I could NOT have guessed the way that this book was going to end. I love when books have me guessing throughout their entirety, and I love them even more when there is a surprise ending. If you are looking for a fast-read to keep you on the edge of your seat, this is a GOOD one. I gave the book a 4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫.⁣
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𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬 (in comments) ⁣
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𝗪𝐡𝐲 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤: ⁣
💧It was a super fast-read. ⁣
💧I was blaming characters constantly! & I was wrong the entire time! 😂⁣
💧The chapters were short - I am not good with books with long chapters 🙅🏼‍♀️⁣
💧This was one of those books that you will leave you with a reading hangover & you’re going to think about it for days! ⁣
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💛This book will be released on June 23rd, 2020! Make sure you add this to your summer reading list! ⁣
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❤️Thank you to @netgalley & @simonandschuster for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review. ⁣

Should I have started reading a book about a girl who gets swept away in a storm at 11pm on a rainy night? No, probably not, but it made all that more creepy and suspenseful. I love an unreliable narrator and Miranda writes them so well. There were a few twists that were pretty obvious, but I didn't see the ending coming.

Thank you to NetGalley for gifting me a digital arc of Megan Miranda’s new novel, The Girl from Widow Hills. The premise was intriguing as well as the beautiful cover. This was a twisty mystery which kept you guessing throughout the entire story. Arden Maynor could never outrun her past until it finally caught up with her. When an incident from her childhood goes unresolved, Arden, now Olivia Needs to learn who she can trust and who is out to take her down. This book covers everything from family drama to lies, deceit and betrayal...the perfect combination for a mystery thriller! This book kept me on my toes the entire time and was thoroughly enjoyable!

If you are in the mood for a really good supenseful book, here it is! The Girl From Widow Hills by Megan Miranda was an excellent read! Mystery, suspense, and Widow Hills is based in my home state of Kentucky!
Olivia is a young woman with a past to hide and a story to tell. She was a sleepwalking child that disappeared for 3 days when she was young. She grew up a "celebrity" of sorts with all kinds of conspiracy theories surrounding the circumstances of her disappearance. After high school, Arden became Olivia in hopes of becoming someone new. But her past eventually resurfaced. A man was found dead outside her home and she has no recollection of what happened. But with blood on her hands and a bloody box cutter at her house, he neighbor tries to help her cover it all up. Without giving away too much, I really enjoyed this story and Miranda kept me guessing the whole time. Overall, a well written, suspensful book. I will definitely be recommending this one to others and I will be on the look out for other works by Megan Miranda. Special thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Megan Miranda for the advance digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

#TheGirlFromWidowHills #NetGalley

Megan Miranda returns with another engrossing psychological thriller. The story is primarily told from Olivia's perspective and she isn't the most reliable of narrators. News reports, book excerpts and other media are also used to tell the story which keeps the plot moving. For these reasons, I think fans of "Conviction" by Denise Mina will enjoy this book. Like Olivia, I found it hard to decide who to trust and I was kept on the edge of my seat until the end. Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

As I close this book, I feel like I have just spent long days alongside the protagonist of the novel looking for answers, as if I had known her a lifetime. This is a highly readable mystery, that did not hit the target for me initially but rendered decently enough.

Arden Maynor, now Olivia Meyer has left her childhood trauma behind or so she thought, but it is catching up with her. After her episode of sleepwalking during a flood that washed her into the drains of Widow Hills where she stayed stuck for three dark, long days, she became a news sensation under the age of ten and it put her little town on the map. Since then, she has moved twice, started over, and changed her name.

Bad Karma seems to follow her though. In her new job, working in the administration of a clinic, she has managed to make friends, but only trust a few. Like everywhere, this too is a place where people like to gossip. When Olivia makes personal appointments with physicians, she tends to hide her true baggage.

Everyone knows something fishy happened the day when Olivia was escorted by a police officer into the hospital for treatment after a man from her past was found dead near her home. When her only neighbor ends up with a box cutter from her home during the unsolved murder investigation, a friend ends up disappearing and warning letters begin to tumble in, she quickly becomes the possible suspect. Now, Olivia will try to piece together what she has avoided for so long: the missing hours of her times sleepwalking.

Someone has tried to warn her of the past that is about to catch up with her, but whom can she trust? Olivia must solve a tug of war between friends and foes that might end the same way as it began, so long ago.

***

I was lured in by the premise. The cover is gorgeous and the author is well known for writing twisted thrillers.

The first two-thirds of the novel were lukewarm for me and I felt like I was just going through the motions, slowly. Not bad in a sense where you are bored or can’t read it, but nothing that would knock the socks off. Perhaps I expected too much? There were moments I wanted to say: “Come on, you can do better than this!” to get the plot going.

Most of the story and characters felt two dimensional to me. Instead of leaving my imagination to envision a painted picture, I was told too much leaving no room to wonder what was missing. I believe this exact dilemma is what makes the difference between a visceral experience that draws the reader in and one that puts a reader off. This part too seemed to improve more so on the last part of the novel.

Perhaps it is just my experience, not sure how others might feel, though I am curious.

I was rooting so much for something twisty to happen, for the surprise! Sadly, not until the last third of the novel was my attention sparked. I wanted to love this novel so much more. It was a highly anticipated title for me.

Alas, I will still continue reading Megan Miranda novels in search of the one that does me in completely.

Happy Reading!

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you.

More of my reviews here:
Through Novel Time & Distance

This book had a very interesting premise, but it did not hold my interest. The beginning was very slow, and the characters felt unbelievable. Also the story about Olivia's childhood trauma just did not seem that believable to me.

This story had me hooked from page one, and once I started I didn’t stop until I was finished! Megan Miranda has spun a web of twists,turns, and jaw dropping moments that cannot be overlooked. The author truly has her thumb on the pulse of the psychological thriller/domestic suspense genre and this novel will capture the intrigue of the most seasoned plot detective. The writing truly pulls you in and makes you feel, and fear, for the characters and that is a welcome spark in these unstable times.