I made it through this book, but my interest was really waning as I got towards the end. Good concept, but there were too many unanswered questions for me and the ending seemed a bit ruched and sloppy.

Super creepy and super good! A great psychological thriller with some tech mixed in. I could not put this one down! Really enjoyed it!!

*Thank you @grandcentralpub for the copy in exchange for an honest review.*

I have really enjoyed all of Nina Laurin's books, but this one not my favorite. Cecelia, her husband and daughter move into a high security smart home after a home invasion. This house is over the top when it comes to technology. After residing there for awhile Cecelia starts noticing strange things happening and no one seems to believe her. She does some investigation on her own and discovers just why her house is creeping her out. What does she discover and what secrets are the people in this neighborhood will shock you. I always love a story that revolves around a smart house and this one was decent.

This book was a bit of a blend of everyone’s worst technological nightmare mixed with a good old fashioned psychological thriller. It made for a very creepy read.

After a break-in leaves Cecelia badly shaken, her, her husband, and their 3-year-old daughter agree to be “testers” for a smart home in a gated Smart Block community, where everything is tracked and monitored, optimized to improve user experience. Of course, as part of this, it’s also marketed as extremely safe, which appeals to Cecelia, as everyone coming in and out of the community gates and the home tracks who is approaching the door, who’s inside and where family members are. But Cecelia is nervous about the lack of privacy, and when things start to “glitch,” she can’t help but think the house is purposely trying to harm her for some reason.

This was such a cool concept for a book, and it really delivered in that it combined the technological aspect of things with the human storylines to create the overall picture - it didn’t go full sci-fi, keeping the characters and their stories in sight the whole time, which was great because the characters all had secrets and unique backgrounds that really enhanced the overall picture.

Speaking of the characters, you’re not going to really root for any of them. They’re all kind of terrible. But that’s really the point of this story. That you can’t really hide anything if you give away the right to your secrets. And that is kind of terrifying. And those reveals are great. Trust me.

Fans of psychological thrillers will definitely want to pic this one up!

I was really into it at first but then it got repetitive and a bit boring, as well as confusing. There are no likeable characters; Cecelia is annoying and her husband is the absolute worst. Their kid is a brat too. Despite what it sounds like, I didn’t hate it and it was a good thrill ride. Everything comes together in the end and there are a few decent twists. It’s one of those you might want to re-read to figure out if it really all made sense, but I don’t have the time to do that!

There are two camps of people when it comes to technology: Those who love the ease of using facial recognition to open their iPhones, and those who are convinced that Bill Gates is developing a COVID-19 vaccine so he can surreptitiously plant trackers in their arms. Both groups should enjoy A Woman Alone, the latest psychological thriller from Nina Laurin. When the Holmes family—Scott, Cecelia, and their 3-year-old daughter Taryn--moves into a SmartHome in the IntelTech city of Venture, Illinois, they willingly agree to be chipped in order to make the most of the technology. Now they have a house with a door that automatically unlocks just for them, a shower that turns on at just the right temperature, a car that automatically drives Cecelia to Taryn’s daycare, and a coffee maker that makes every cup perfectly. Who wouldn’t want to live this way?

To read the entire review, click on the link below.

OK, this book is crazy for me. So Cecelia moves into a smarthome, which reminds me of the Jetsons, but with chips (inserted in every person that lives in these amazing homes). These homes are a dream come true, only the rich can afford these homes, they even have their modern day “Rosie” from the Jetsons or “Siri” from the iPhone, running their homes and doing everything for them. Anyway, Cecelia went through the worst in her old home, she has an intruder in her home, and to protect her child and herself she killed him, this led for her to want to live a safe life, and Scott her husband wanted to make sure of that. But there are so many secrets in this book, you sit back and like me you are like, “wait WHAT THE F*** is going on here.” Even though I am giving it the stars I am giving it, this book is worth the read for sure. There are secrets left in right, Cecelia isn’t what she seems, her daughter is a nightmare, her husband isn’t what he seems, and even the people who are there for her aren’t what they seem. This book took me on a wild goose chase, do I wish the book ended better? YES! All of these riddle-like endings can be rather annoying.

Following a home invasion, Cecelia and Scott move into a high -security SmartHome. It's totally automated and programmed to their specific needs. They even have microchips embedded in their body to coordinate everything for them.

But all is not perfect. Cecelia feels that someone is constantly watching her. No one believes her ... not her husband, not her friends, and certainly not her new neighbors.

She's worried, but her worry becomes fright when the house starts malfunctioning and calling her Lydia. Who is Lydia? Why does no one in this new community want to talk about her?

Cecelia's angst and fear are palpable, starting from the very first page. I found myself almost forgetting to breathe as I read... it's quite a page turner. It's hyped as a domestic thriller, but I would classify it more of a sci-fi. The plot, and the details involved, are quite complex with characters that stand out. The ending was unexpected.

Many thanks to the author / Grand Central Publishing / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

I'm a huge fan of Nina Laurin's book. They are always page-turners for me. In A Woman Alone, Cecelia is traumatized after a home invasion and, in an effort to feel safe again, she and her family move into a high-tech smart house. But things start to get weird when Cecilia uncovers secrets about the house and it’s previous occupant. This book is a twisty suspense story that will have you on the edge of your seat.

I thought the premise of this book sounded so intriguing, and I loved the idea of the main family living in a super-smart house. The mystery in this book was intriguing and I was interested to keep learning more. However, this author's writing style was really not for me, and it very much hindered my enjoyment of the book.

Once again Nina Laurin does not disappoint! This book highlights exactly why I hate the idea of Alexa and is chillingly POSSIBLE, which makes it all the creepier. I love it, and was completely shocked by the ending.

Cecelia moves into a high tech home with her husband and 3-year-old daughter for extra security after a traumatizing home invasion the year before. Strange things start to happen, however, and Cecelia can feel the house start to turn on her. It keeps calling her Lydia, the name of the woman who lived there prior, and she starts to feel unsafe in her own home - again. Full of page turning drama, Nina Laurin doesn't disappoint!

I will be the first to admit, I may read too many thrillers these days. I am constantly trying to solve the mystery as quickly as possible, and love to be proven wrong through exciting (plausible) twists and turns. But unfortunately, what started as a fast paced read ended up falling completely flat for me by the end.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first 60% or so of A Woman Alone, but even I couldn't find a way to wrap my head around the ending. The final reveals were a bit too far out from the rest of the story, and entire character arcs seemingly changed within a few pages.

Cecelia and her family survived a harrowing home invasion. Providing safety for their young daughter was paramount, so when a new community touting unleveled home security offers them an unbelievable deal to move in under a trial basis, they wholeheartedly agree. But this house and its occupants have secrets and the neighborhood is not what it seems. Technology seemingly goes awry in Nina Laurin's latest novel. She does not disappoint with twists and turns and an ending that you don't see coming.

Artificial Intelligence is at the heart of this novel. Cecelia, husband, and three-year old daughter have moved to a gated community which is controlled by IA. Supposedly, everything will be done for you and you can enjoy life. Of course, since this is a mystery you know that’s not how it goes. The IA starts calling her by another woman’s name, and the twists and turns in this novel will lead you to the end quickly. It’s a page-turner.

“A Woman Alone” is a book that will keep you turning the pages quicker and quicker to get to the twist. Imagine living in an entirely smart home, like an Alexa on steroids. This home does everything from doing your dishes, making your coffee and making sure your bath water is exactly the right temperature. This is exactly what Cecilia needs after her home is invaded while her husband is out and her baby is sleeping. In the beginning this house almost seems to good to be true, until the house starts making nearly fatal mistakes, giving Cecilia boiling hot baths, bleach drinks and even calling Cecilia the wrong name...

While this book had me constantly wondering what would happen next, I just did not feel connected to the characters or the story. I kept forgetting the characters names, which is never a good sign. I felt like at some points there were too many plots going on and I felt I couldn’t keep the storyline or timeline straight.

I did enjoy the last 30 % the most. I felt like the reader could really feel Cecilia’s desperation through Laurin’s writing. I loved the unreliable characters and what happened to them in the end. No spoilers, you have to read the book to find out!

A lot of times flashbacks to the past bug me. However I felt the flashbacks really added to building Cecilia’s character throughout the book. It gave us a glimpse into what may have made her choose some of her actions.

This book has made me start looking at some of my smart appliances a little leerily. “Okay Google, please don’t kill me.”

Thank you NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing and Nina Laurin for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

The supposed benefits of technology take on a sinister turn in Nina Lauren’s latest pulse pounding thriller. Cecelia, battling demons from her past, moves into a highly advanced “smart house” with her husband and 3-year-old daughter. When things start to go wrong in the house, Cecelia feels like she’s losing her sanity and she’s quickly forced to acknowledge her difficult past in order to save herself and her family.

This was fast, fun and intense with a lot of twists and turns. There was a lot going on in the plot, but it somehow all worked really well and I did not find it difficult to follow. I recommend this those who’ve enjoyed the Girl Before and Behind Closed Doors. A definite page-turner!

A psychological thriller about a smart house gone rogue. Pay attention to the clues and you will uncover what’s really going on. This story gets turned upside down at the end and what a wild ride it is! I absolutely could not put this book down and definitely recommend it.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. I'll be posting my review on Goodreads and Amazon

I think my feelings about this book are greatly influenced by my general tiredness with a secret history that is teased out through the course of the book along side the current mysterious situation. Just take the prologue, give us the back story, and then focus like crazy on the current goings on! I think Ms. Laurin could have done that with this book, maybe leaving out a few bits, but overall giving the reader a greater sense of knowing where we came from so we can worry about where we are going. But, that personal preference aside, the story still felt a too familiar through most of the book, like this was a new version of an old tale. And, aside from Cecelia, I don't feel we ever really got to know any of the characters. This could have added to the story. So, in conclusion, if you aren't reading massive amounts of books in the suspense genre, this would probably be a really good read.