I have some mixed feelings about this book. While I thought the author, Lesley Kara, did a wonderful job of describing what it must be like for a recovering alcoholic to stay strong in the face of their addiction especially when they are embarrassed by their past excesses and actions and don’t want to tell the new people they meet that bars are off limits for them as the temptation is too strong. On the other hand, some of the behaviors of people in this story are erratic and not always believable.

Overall, the story, with the exception of some of the characters, was well written with a twist I didn’t see coming. I thought I had it all figured out—until I didn’t

There’s a good bit of sex in the book; however, it’s not graphic.

Astrid has moved home to live with her Mother while she is trying to turn her life around. She is going to AA meetings, has met a new man and life is starting to look better. Then she receives a picture of her ex boyfriend and someone knows where she is and what she has done. She doesn't want to tell her new boyfriend that she is a recovering alcoholic and ruin the new relationship. She has made a couple friends in AA that want to help her with her recovery, but are they really who they seem to be?

This book is a slow burn but well-done. It has all the elements of a good thriller with an interesting premise, sense of suspense, and mysterious characters. It also appears to be well-researched about the customs of AA and plight of individuals in recovery. I loved that although Astrid is battling addiction, she’s still not presented as a weak character. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review an advanced copy of this novel.

A story about love, addiction, revenge. A like able main character who can’t seem to catch a break. Some of the twists and turns were a little unbelievable, but overall an enjoyable read

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review -
Astrid, an alcoholic moved in with her mother and is making a new start with her life. She struggles with the drinking and attends AA where she meets others who struggle.
Then someone sends her notes and bottles of alcohol.... someone knows her mistake...
Who is stalking her? Why?

Maybe I wasn’t in the right frame of mind right now to read this. It’s dark, it’s depressing but likely some truth in a young woman’s struggle with her recovery from alcoholism. It’s dubbed a psychological suspense, but I found it slow moving and finally at 25% I just wasn’t interested or engaged enough to continue.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Astrid Phelps went to rehab for her alcoholism. When she got out of rehab, her mother let her come to live with her under the condition that she attend AA meetings which she does. Astrid begins to smell her ex-boyfriend Simon's aftershave even though he is dead. Astrid becomes very paranoid especially after she starts to get strange things in the mail. This was a quick easy read but not one of my favorites. I did not like Astrid and her paranoia got to be a little too much at times. I did think the book does a good job dealing with alcohol addiction and the problems associated with an alcoholic trying to stay sober. Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to netgalley.com for the ARC in exchange for a review.

I finished this book in one day. This was a great thriller with several twists and turns that were unexpected. The descriptions of the main characters battle with alcoholism and recovery were intense and very realistic. I almost felt myself craving for the drink.

I loved the descriptions of the scenery of a small seaside town in England...it added to the overall mood of the story.

Highly recommend for fans of page turning thrillers.

She came home to heal. Destroyed, broken and now a recovering alcoholic, Astrid had no choice but to go back to her mother’s house. Now she is about to discover that the nightmare that sent her spiraling was about to get worse. Can she find redemption and self-forgiveness or will the demons from her past find her and destroy the delicate lifeline she is trying to create? Does she even deserve to find love, happiness and sobriety?

WHO DID YOU TELL? by Lesley Kara is a story of darkness, searching for the light and building new bridges. It is also a story of vengeance, weakness and the fear of falling into madness, or worse, discovering someone is pushing you over the edge and you are losing your balance.

Filled with internal turmoil and a heavy atmosphere of suspense, Lesley Kara’s tale is brittle, will play with your mind and have you questioning every event to the very end.

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Ballantine Books! This is my honest and voluntary review.

I liked the main story line--recovering alcoholic being haunted by something from her past---but, the execution could have been better. Astrid, the protagonist, is not a very likeable person so I found it hard to muddle through the entire book. I would still recommend because others may not mind the predictable parts of the book and will just want to find out--just who is it that is terrorizing Astrid and what does she deserve it.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the chance to read and review.

There is nothing more refreshing than a thoughtful, tense, thrilling mystery. Who Did You Tell? delivers in spades.
The book is a first person narrative about Astrid Phelps. She's made some really big mistakes and lost someone very close to her while in the throws of alcoholism. She moves back in with her sweet mum and focuses on getting better, but she finds out that this small town has some visitors with malicious intent towards her. They know something about her past, a dark secret.
Lesley Kara is an absolute gem of a writer. Her style is absolute perfection and the way she tells the story, you are slowly roped in until you can't put the book down.
I really enjoyed the recovering alcoholic storyline. It's told very realistic. The characters and the situations were easy to understand and feel on some level.
I found a bit of the story predictable, but I don't think the early discovery is that bad. If anything it compels me, the reader, to find out more about the situation, people, and how they all come together.
The ending is fantastic and rewarding. Even though a part was a little predictable, there were a few twists I didn't see coming.
The layers in this book regarding addiction and the spiral effects around people make this so much more thoughtful than the surface.
I REALLY enjoyed this one and would recommend to friends

Astrid is living with her mother after completing a stint in rehab when she begins to feel like someone is watching her. She begins to smell the aftershave of her former boyfriend Simon who was also an alcoholic. I enjoyed this thriller, and would definitely recommend it to others.

Astrid is a recovering alcoholic who has returned to her mother's home in a small seaside town to try to make a new start after her boyfriends's death. Her struggles with temptation and her relationship with her mother are well described, and we root for Astrid when she meets and falls for a new man. She is haunted by what she suspects are terrible misdeeds from her past and terrorized by a stalker who seems to know her secrets. This is all fine, except that these "self-doubting woman protagonist not knowing whom to trust" novels only really work if the reader is just as baffled as the main character. With this novel, despite the good pace and sense of danger, the suspense was lacking, because it became clear fairly early on who the bad guy had to be. Once you realize this, you can't unthink it, and every successive chapter just serves as further confirmation.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital advance review copy.

Who Did You Tell is a story about a woman who has moved to a new place, and her past (including a dead ex) seems to follow her. They may even be murder involved. For the most part, I liked it. Who Did You Tell is an easy read. I found myself interested in the story. Not obsessed, but generally interested. I'd say 3/5 stars only because it was a little predictable. But overall, good.

Who Did You Tell publishes 6.16.2020.

3/5 Stars

Who Did You Tell by Lesley Kara is the story of a young woman, Astrid, who is trying to stay sober. She moved in with her mother after rehab. Astrid is trying to forget her past and move forward to a clean life but it isn't easy especially when she begins to see images from her past. Images of people she thought were dead. Trust issues soon arise. A mystery and whodunit that is surprising at the end.

Quickly I realized this book was not for me. I couldn't relate to any of the characters so I DNF at 30%. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my review. Just wasn't for me.

Who Did You Tell? By Lesley Kara is an emotional mystery that takes place in a sleepy seaside town. Main character, Astrid, aka Hilary, is an alcoholic. She’s been an alcoholic since she was a teenager, now 192 days sober, it’s time to make some changes for the better.. After rehab, she moves back in with her mother, started going to AA meetings, making some real friends, and trying desperately to move on from the pain and secrets of her past. As Astrid tries to deal with everyday life, while staying sober, she realizes it’s not alway easy, especially when she feels she is being haunted by her past. Someone knows what Astrid did, and they are not going to stop until she pays for everything she did, and everything they lost.

One of the main themes throughout this novel is fear, and Astrid’s fear of her past coming beck to her. She desperately tries to hide her secrets from her new love, Josh, and ties to hide altogether from AA member, Rosie, who tries to befriend Astrid but she refuses. Astrid does find a friendship with another AA member, Helen. They seem to have a lot in common, and Astrid is comfortable enough to open up about her demons. Helen offers a sympathetic ear Astrid desperately craves. Astrid’s mum is such a likable character, she is trying so hard to help her daughter and support her, but Astrid doesn’t always treat her as nice as she should. I wasn’t really a fan of Astrid’s character, but if I sat back and looked at her life as a whole, and not just the here and now, you do understand the depths of addiction and the difficulty she has dealing with her guilt of the events that unfold with her ex-boyfriend Simon.

I enjoyed this book, it seemed to move a little slow at times, and the ending has so many twists it’s difficult to keep up. But overall, the ending does come together for Astrid and you can see where her relationship with the characters is headed.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Astrid is trying very hard to remain sober. After hitting bottom and following a stay in rehab for alcohol addiction, she is living with her mother in a small town in England. She attends AA meetings, but doesn't believe they will help. Every hour of each day is a struggle for her.

Making it worse, Astrid is convinced someone is following her and means her harm. She is trying to leave her past behind her, but someone won't let her.

Who Did You Tell? is an entertaining read, and the author depicts the struggles of alcoholics well. It failed to grab me though; I never felt for the characters and while a lot of time was spent on Astrid's fears, not a lot was actually happening.

My thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions stated here are my own.

Who Did You Tell? by Lesley Kara is a combo: mystery/thriller and grief/recovery guide. The main character, Astrid, has moved home with her (helicopter) mother and is trying not to drink, being sober for over six months. And it’s a struggle: as she puts it, “If I have to come home and sit in this dreary little cottage night after night without drinking, my head will explode.” She’s going to 12-step meetings, but isn’t really working the steps. She doesn’t believe in God, so she’s stuck at that second step, the one about the Higher Power. And she’s mourning the loss of her boyfriend Simon.

Her grief is over the death of her boyfriend Simon, who was her addiction partner. They were a mess: broke, drunk, and so desperate for money she vaguely recalls them robbing a mother out walking her toddler. The Simon got sober, got a new job and a new relationship. After a chance encounter with Astrid, all his hard work was gone. He started drinking again, and within a few weeks, he was dead.

At her 12-step meetings, she meets interesting people, and then one day, she meets Josh, and begins a new relationship of her own. She begins to feel like she is being stalked, and gets VERY edgy and paranoid…but maybe it’s justified? She keeps feeling pulled back her self-destructive ways.

So, this is pretty good as a mystery/thriller. And while it’s a good telling of a woman trying to live better , it is HEAVILY focused on the specifics of the struggle to recover from addiction. If the author isn’t a member of any 12-step program, she has a great imagination. If she is, I wonder if she is violating the whole anonymity thing with the level of detail she provides. Maybe that only applies to revealing specifics about actual people, and not the ins and outs (or ups and downs) of fictional characters. In any case, for me this worked better as a suspenseful novel than a grief/recovery guide, but it’s well plotted with characters whose struggles are well told. Thanks to Random House/Ballantine and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my review. Four stars.

A gripping and emotional story of recovery and regret. Astrid has returned home after a stay in a rehab clinic for alcohol abuse. Every day is a battle for sobriety, for not disappointing her mother, for trying to be a good person. While walking on the beach, she strikes up a conversation with a stranger who turns out to be not only handsome, but an overall good guy. It's been so long since Astrid has been with a "good" guy that she's scared to ruin it all by confessing her addiction to alcohol. Small lies begin to build up as their relationship grows and she's offered the chance to revive her art career by painting at his father's new home. But as Astrid's life seems to be more on-track than ever, someone discovers her dark secrets and threatens to ruin it all. Astrid is haunted everyday by her ex- boyfriend's death and the destruction she caused while drunk. As Astrid becomes convinced that her life may be in danger, she discovers that not all secrets can remain buried.
Incredibly fast paced, Who Did You Tell is a haunting thriller that will stay with you long after the story is finished. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Astrid is a complex character that I felt both sympathetic and angry towards. Her past is full of horrible mistakes and hurting those around her but so much of that was fueled by her addiction to alcohol. Sober, she is trying so hard to not disappoint others that she's unable to ask for help when she needs it most. Her growth throughout the book felt genuine and the interactions between all the characters felt so real.
I really enjoyed this title and I look forward to more from this author.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title, all opinions and mistakes are my own.