Member Reviews
I received a free copy from NetGalley. Trying to stop drinking, she's hit bottom and moved back in with her mother. Is her past coming back to haunt her? The story moves a little slow, is it a mystery, a thriller, a love story, it seems to want to dabble in them all. I didn't find a character to relate to and I struggled to empathize with the main character and her battles to stay sober as she seems to lie to everyone, including herself. I liked how it ended, but can't say more without spoiling it.
** spoiler alert ** This was a quick, easy and interesting read. *SO MANY SPOILERS AHEAD* It didn't take me long to figure out that Helen was the antagonist. Even when Laura was revealed to be following Astrid, I still knew Helen was going to be revealed to be the real issue and Simon's mom. I do admit, I didn't see it coming that Helen was responsible for Simon's death.
This was a very well written book with good character development. It was a page turner and she has solidified herself as one of my favorite authors.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Astrid Phelps is home to recover
Under the watchful eye and guidance of her mother
A healing alcoholic, she’s trying to find
The secret to leaving alcohol behind
Meetings? Steps? Luck? Faith?
Astrid is struggling to find her way
She harbors secrets from her past
That she’ll have to come to terms with to find peace at last
But Astrid’s secrets are not hers alone
Someone else know what she’s done
Forgiveness is sweet, but revenge is sweeter
Will this other person succeed and defeat her?
This book was GOOD. I enjoyed the pace and flow of it. I felt that just enough information was revealed at just the right time to keep me both interested and wanting more. If you’re in the mood for an intriguing thriller that won’t keep you up at night, this is the right choice for you! Great, easy read.
Astrid is trying to get her life back together. It's hard, especially if your an alcoholic. Her mother has given her one more chance. If she stays sober she can continue to live at home.
This is a fictional book. It does deal with a very real fact. Alcoholism is a disease. It is something that you will fight the rest of your life. You can't drink in moderation, don't try. The spiral of achoholsm is just waiting to take you down. One drink, one sip that's all it takes. However, you can start over. You can accomplish what you set out to do.
The story is fiction, the disease is real.
Great book. The author takes a hard subject matter instills it into a story and makes the facts reality.
Sorry, but after trying to read this literally for weeks, it got put in my DNF pile. I am generally plot and character driven and could not find anything to like about these people. Thanks to Net Galley and Ballantine for an ARC for an honest review. I’m just sorry that the book and I were not a good fit.
“Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth”
Astrid is a recovering alcoholic going through the motions of finding herself, forgiving herself, and sobriety with AA. However, someone doesn’t believe she should be forgiven so easily. Someone wants her to pay.
To say this was a “keep you on the edge of your seat” thriller is an understatement! This story was riveting from start to finish. There were twists, turns, even a new romance. I found myself sneaking a page here and there while at work because I wanted to know what happened!
Astrid is a great character. She is sarcastic, quick witted, and has great character development. You feel for her as she goes through the pain of reliving her darkest moments, you cheer for her when she has little victories. You want her to succeed in her sobriety.
Overall, I enjoyed this book! It left me guessing what was going to happen. I remember letting out a few “uh oh!!!” when reading the secret persons thoughts on exposing Astrid. Wonderfully executed, a definite 5 star book.
Thank you NetGalley & Random House Ballatine for the opportunity to read this book for an exchange of an honest review.
This is published on the blog: http://milesofpagescom.wordpress.com/ Now.
Will be posting the week of publication to Instagram: milesofpages
I received a complimentary copy of Who Did You Tell? from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Cool perspectives! I thoroughly enjoyed the different points of view--one of which was quite a mystery for about half of the novel. Gaining an appreciation for the struggles of a recovering alcoholic, as well as an understanding the loss of loved ones held my interest for most of the storyline. I must say that I was surprised by a few turns of events, which only enhanced an already interesting book.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
Thank you to Lesley Kara, Random House Publishing Group Ballantine Books and NetGalley for this ARC.
I absolutely loved "The Rumor", so I was very excited to read this new book by Lesley Kara. Astrid's story is a bit hard to read at times, as she is a recovering alcoholic who struggles every single day to stay sober. The ending was a bit predictable, but still very good.
What a wonderful story, wonderful book. Excellent writing., engaging characters and terrific plot. Lots of suspense leading up to a smashing ending. I highly recommend this book. You will absolutely love it!
Lesley Kara first made an appearance on my website in 2019 with her novel, The Rumor. I was so excited to learn of her latest book, "Who Did You Tell?" Astrid is a recovering alcoholic, living with her mother in a sleepy seaside town. While she was drinking, she did things she's not proud of, but she's trying to put it all behind her now. Unfortunately... her past doesn't seem to be done with her yet.
Astrid is tortured by her ex's cologne, showing up in the most unusual places, causing her to wonder whether sobriety is playing tricks on her. But when threatening letters begin showing up at her mother's place, she knows she's really in trouble.
This book is full of twists and turns... and just when you think you've got it all figured out, flip the page for surprise after surprise until the very end.
Never having had a family member suffer with alcoholism, this book was written with such phenomenal detail and insight that I could feel the emotions - the fear, anxiety, anticipation, disappointment, elation, ,and suffering - that the main character Astrid and her mother felt in their situation. The constant worry that someone out there knows your greatest mistake is such a harrowing thought and throughout this book Astrid had to discover who knew about the terrible awful that she committed. 😅 Living each day not knowing who was a friend who was an enemy made this book and “edge of your seat“ type of book! I just couldn’t put it down until I knew who knew Astrid’s secret because I had become so intertwined with Astrid’s character that I felt her secret was mine! I needed to know as much as she did so I could be right there beside her to help her figure out the best way to handle the aftermath. The lovely seaside town that this novel takes place in made this story come alive in such vivid detail that I could feel the ocean spray on my face as I read. The constant worry that someone out there knows your greatest mistake is such a harrowing thought and throughout this book Astrid had to discover who knew about the terrible awful that she committed. The lovely seaside town that this novel takes place and makes the story come alive in such a vivid detail that I could feel the ocean spray on my face as I read. This book was a journey through madness into salvation written in such a way that everyone who reads this novel can relate to something that Astrid has gone through. A definite must-read for all genre lovers! 📖☺️
Received a copy of this book from net galley. Suspenseful up until the end. Astrid is a recovering alcoholic who is down and out trying to turn things around while dealing with the guilt of Simons death. After rehab she moves back in with her mother Mets a new guy and goes to AA meetings and has a few acquaintances from there. She begins having odd things happen like a vodka bottle turning up in her coat pocket. She has a secret and she wonders who Simon told. Did he tell the wrong person? Who can she trust? Simon and her split up and reconnect a very self destructive relationship and he dies. Her current boyfriend leaves her when he finds out she is a recovering alcoholic but things that are happening may not be what they seem what a ending didn’t see it all coming
This book pulled me in right from the start! Twists, turns, secrets, lies..I almost couldn't keep up. Great story & very riveting..
I love books with flawed lead characters. What a fantastic writing of Astrid (and her mom). Really enjoyed the movement and pace of the story.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC
As a fan of The Rumor, I was excited to read Who Did You Tell? A slow start had me leery of the book, fearing the author had a sophomore slump. But to my happy surprise, Part 1 ended with a shocker and the tension didn’t let up until the end. I thought I had it figured all out but it was a red herring, and the ending surprised me. I also appreciate the in-depth view of how a recovering alcoholic works to fight their temptations and the strength they have to make it through each situation.
A young woman a recovering alcoholic home in her moms house trying to heal.A past full of secrets ,things she wants to keep hidden but someone knows what she is hiding..A twisty turning plot so well written so tense, kept me reading late into the night..#netgalley#randomhouse
Astrid is a recovering alcoholic, tormented and full of self loathing. She attends AA meeting and there is a lot of information about alcoholism included in this story. I felt sorry for Astrid and her struggle, but didn't necessarily like her. Someone is seeking revenge and the story is full of twists and turns and a surprise ending. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Lesley Kara's second book "Who Did You Tell?" is a page turner. This author has a bright future ahead of her. Astrid is our main character in this story, set in a quaint sea side village in the UK. Astrid is a recovering alcoholic living back at home with her mother and trying to right her life. The problem is that she doesn't remember a great deal of it, thanks to black outs, paired with the trauma of the horrible death of her boyfriend means a lot is weighing her down.
That established, the author decided to turn the story on its side and the twists and turns take off from there. One page you think, 'yup, figured this one out' and then - nope - wrong again. By the time you reach the climax you begin to realize that everything you thought you knew was a lie, and that, I believe, is the sign of a great storyteller. I thought I had it figured out, but I sure as heck didn't see that ending coming.
If you like plenty of twists and turns and a great psyche out, this is the book for you. I will be keeping an eye on Lesley Kara's writing and will certainly read more from her. This is a well done book from a new author and when it is released this June, I recommend you read it
I previously read the authors debut, The Rumor, and loved it so was very excited to receive this ARC.. It did not disappoint. This was very good, although a little slower to start than the other one. It also took me awhile to get into the character of Astrid. All of a sudden we connected and the story took off and BAM! What an exciting ending! It ended and then there was more and then there was even MORE! I loved it! I particularly liked trying to figure what was up with Josh and his Dad. They seemed too good to be true and my wondering was drawn out throughout the story until the end, which answered all my questions. BRAVO, Ms. Kara! Eagerly awaiting another one!
Thank you to NetGalley, Lesley Kara and Ballantine Books for this ARC.