I'm an enormous Miranda fan but have to admit to heaving a big sigh once I realized that memory loss was going to be a driver in this mystery. I have fatigue from authors using this all-to-common device in this genre. However, given this wasn't the traditional drink/drug amnesia AND the amnesia wasn't used as cop-out from poor plotting, I got over my prejudice very quickly. I enjoyed the variety of characters and the exploration of their potential motives. I absolutely did not see the ending coming, even as a veteran of the genre.

I always read the newest Megan Miranda books, but they seem to fall a little flat for me. An interesting plot, but the writing does not keep me engaged and wanting to continue reading.

I have to admit this story didn’t capture my interest. I guess better stated, it was a rather slow mystery, but not a suspenseful, thriller. Though the majority of the mystery I had figured out before the end, there were still small things that needed sorting out. So, of course, I did need to continue reading to make sure my assumptions were correct and to untangle the things I hadn’t foreseen.

I always try to offer as much insight as I can as to why something doesn’t click for me. I think part of my disinterest came from a lack of character development. I just didn’t feel much toward Olivia. In fact, all of the characters felt flat and underdeveloped.

And as I mentioned earlier, the plot was just there. Though Olivia fretted somewhat over the thought that she might have killed the fellow that she tripped over, no one else acted overly concerned. It was just a mystery to be solved.

If you like a book that is full of mystery, but not overly suspenseful, this is still a book that you should consider.

What Concerned Me
Overall, it felt slow, somewhat far-fetched, and full of underdeveloped characters. And though I’m not usually good at figuring out endings, I had a good portion of this one solved and what wasn’t solved felt a bit silly and far-fetched.

What I Liked Most
The writing itself was just fine. And for those who like a surprise ending, this should make you happy.

My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC and the ability to post my thoughts.

The Girl from Widow Hills is Megan Miranda's latest upcoming thriller novel. This was my first dive into her work, and unfortunately it just wasn't for me.

So... unpopular opinion alert! While the writing itself wasn't necessarily bad in any way, I found it hard to care about the characters or even the outcome of the mystery. While this was a quick read, it just didn't have the emotionally-gripping effect I felt like it was trying so hard to achieve.

Twenty years ago, six year old Arden Maynor was swept away during a severe storm while supposedly sleepwalking. Understandably, her mother is utterly distraught and quickly the case received nationwide media coverage. Three days later, after a massive manhunt has formed, she is found with no memory whatsoever of the ordeal. What follows is years of media coverage and attention that Arden never asked for, and frankly was unable to handle, causing her to develop severe anxiety and trust issues.

Fast forward to the present, Arden has legally changed her name and is trying her best to live her life as Olivia, hidden away from the spotlight. She has an administrative job in a newer hospital in a new state, a couple of people she considers friends, and is doing her best to make a new life for herself. While life is becoming as close to normal as she could hope, Olivia begins to have issues sleeping and soon she is found sleepwalking for the first time since childhood, alone in her backyard by her neighbor. While this episode is disturbing enough to Olivia for her to seek out medical help, it is nothing compared to the next - when she awakes to find a dead body beside her with no idea how any of it came to be.

Okay, so... I have quite a few issues with this novel, but overall my biggest irritation was the constant anxiety of Olivia being hounded by the media.. and honestly the only thing I could think every time this was brought up was "Who Cares???" I found the idea to be a little absurd to be honest. I very clearly remember actual cases like these growing up, where a child goes missing and the entire nation is glued to the TV hoping for a positive update. But at no point do I feel like as a nation we have the attention span to continue caring after the story is concluded. So this entire subplot just felt weak to me.

I feel bad for saying this, and I truly enjoy many books where the narrator isn't the most likable character in the book, or sometimes even absolutely detestable... but I just didn't like Olivia. And I really felt like Megan Miranda wrote her in a way that she wanted the reader to like and care about her, and I just... couldn't. So many people have dealt with significant traumas in their lifetime, and I felt like a jerk just wishing the girl would suck it up and go to therapy, or get put on an anti anxiety medication...

In order to avoid any possible spoilers, all I will say is that I found certain plot twists to be either obvious, or too much of a twist to be believable.

So unfortunately, overall this one just didn't do it for me.
2.14/5 for me.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the advanced reader's copy to read in exchange for my honest review.

I'm giving this a 3.5 star rating. I found the beginning of the story to be very slow moving and I didn't find much of the mystery to be too interesting. The ending of the book was totally unexpected and that's why I'm giving this a 3.5 star rating as opposed to 3 stars. Through the mystery of the story, we realize that sometimes in life, we don't know who we can trust. Olivia, the main character of this story, certainly learned that lesson as well. This was an ok story, but I just felt like it dragged on too much for my liking.

Thank you Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the advance of this novel. I’m a huge Megan Miranda fan of both her YA and adult novels. I love the slow burn of her writing and that they’re not graphic but rather cerebral thrillers. Arden’s story is similar to Baby Jessica who fell into the well and the nation held their breath waiting for her to be rescued only Arden was swept away in a storm while sleep walking and was found in a storm drain. The twists and turns are nuts when, as an adult with a new identity, she wakes up again only with a dead body at her feet. This will be a great summer read for sure.

Gripping mystery with a few twists and turns that I did not see coming. Kept me up all night and into the next day wanting to know how it all would come together. Definitely recommend!

Megan Miranda is one of my annual: can’t-wait-for-the-newest-book-release-to-hit-shelves anticipatory waiting games. She is a master writer and one of my favorite books I read each year. This story felt so
Different than all her others. At times I felt it was hard to follow all of the characters but with the crazy twist at the end with Olivia/Arden’s back story coming full circle - I am left, once again, praising Miranda’s talent. Already counting down to her 2021 release!

Truly Megan Miranda has become one of
My top favorite authors throughout the years! And she did not disappoint with this one. It is so suspenseful you literally cannot put down the book without finishing it! A must read!

Well it’s been a while since I have started and finished a book in 24 hours. This book was exactly what I needed during my downtime and not being able to leave the house. I loved the book from beginning to end. I will say that I was fooled several times and couldn’t guess who did it! I don’t want to give anything away but I recommend all thriller and suspense fans pick this up when it comes out on 6.23.20. Thanks you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this one. At first I wasn’t sure where things were going with what happened to Olivia twenty years ago. But when it finally started to make sense, I loved it. I was not expecting the ending at all.

I enjoyed this very much. A fascinating premise that kept me guessing the whole book. I didn't see the end coming. at all.

Holy smokes!! What a wild ride this book was!?! The whole time I was trying to figure it out but just couldn’t. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait until it’s out so I can recommend it to all of my friends.

The Girl from Widow Hills is another hit by Megan Miranda. With a plot line that keeps you turning the pages way past your bedtime, and a cast of characters you can’t quite figure out, Miranda’s newest is sure to please suspense readers.

Imagine you're a woman with a troubled past living alone in the middle of nowhere, your house set far from the road, and have no one around to help you but the elderly man next door if something were to go bump in the night. You're also prone to sleepwalking, and you keep finding yourself out on the lawn at ungodly hours... What could go wrong? A whole lot, apparently. There were so many twists and turns that every time I thought I'd figured out the ending, I realized I was miles off. The pacing, character development, and psychological fuckery were all seriously on point, but the setting was the icing on the cake. (That said, I've lived in small-town North Carolina before, and this book took me right back.) I finished this off in two sittings after DNFing three other books back to back.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This one just never really quite gelled for me. I’m not sure what was missing (perhaps a sense of urgency?) but for me it just didn’t really come together in a way that I wanted to keep reading and find out what happened. Megan Miranda fans will enjoy this, though

I’ve been in a bad reading slump for a couple months. With everything going on in the world and reading books that haven’t been that good lately I lost that spark in me to want to read.

Luckily, I came across this book. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Having never read any previous novel from this author I didn’t know what to expect. I really liked the writing, the plot and the ending. Probably one of the best books I’ve read all year.

If you like a good mystery/thriller this is the book for you. I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC. I can honestly say I’m back to my old reading ways and I have this book to thank for it. Get yourself a copy!

I can’t believe this is the third summer galley I’ve read in a row that deals with missing memories and dissociative states....that said, I thought this was the best of the three. I actually was surprised by the final twist at the end! Olivia is a really well written character. It is super easy to feel her emotions and anxiety and empathize with her situation. I’m also glad there was NO major romantic subplot. It’s really frequent in thrillers and often poorly done. I liked that this was totally focused on Olivia and her story and her own journey to overcome.

Olivia had a childhood trauma that she wants to leave in the past. It seems like that’s not going to happen. The twists and turns had me dizzy! I didn’t know who or what to believe. This book kept me glued to my e-reader all the way to the shocking end. Megan Miranda can surely spin a thrilling tale.

*ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

Above average thriller with an interesting premise

I found this book to be pretty good. I had read Miranda's previous book, The Last House Guest (a Reese Witherspoon pick), but found this one to be much more interesting and better constructed. I love seeing good authors get even better.

Olivia was just six when she was sleepwalking a went missing. Her search and rescue was national news. Now in her late twenties, she has changed her name and try to move on. The world, however, still wants a piece of her. They feel they deserve to be part of her life as they were so invested in her rescue.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free, advance copy. Read this one when it comes out in June- well constructed and engaging thriller.