Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Choice by Alex Lake.

Matt is horrified to leave the store and find his car containing his three young children missing. Why would anyone want his children? And while Matt thinks he would do anything it took to get his kids back, the option is equally scary, they want his wife in exchange.

Now Matt and his wife Annabelle have to fight against reason, fear, and time in order to make the agonizing decision. What if Annabelle doesn't survive, but what other choice do they have?

Ooooh, this is a thriller for sure! It definitely has you guessing the whole way through. I liked this story, I can't say that I loved it. I struggled to stay hooked to the plot the whole time, it got a bit redundant throughout. However, I would still say it's worth the read for the unknown twists and turns.

A totally unique plot line that seemed to lock this book into my hands as I opened the cover and keep it there through the many thrilling twists and turns until I finished it, late, late at night I might add. Alex Lake took some very interesting ideas and turned them into an awesome book. I just may have to reread it to get everything straight, it moves that quickly. So before you start this book, make sure you will have no distractions because you will definitely not want to push pause at any point.

I did not enjoy this one very much, and that is only because I am tired of reading books with ransom/kidnapping scenarios. Its just been a bit overdone lately with some of the thrillers I have read. The writing was well done, though felt a little YA to me at some points. I will check out more books by this author!!

Great book. Highly recommend and will most defiantly read more by this author and suggest to others!

It opens with a kidnapping of Matt Westbrook 3 children, then there’s the random and then the choice would you trade your wife for your kids to the kidnappers. They can’t tell the police or the children will be killed. Kept me on the edge. Would recommend

I’ve read a few books by this author and, once again, this was a great read! The book starts off right in the action and keeps you guessing until the very end. I loved the way the author went back and forth between timelines so that we could see the present day events as well as past events that led the characters to where they ended up today. This was definitely a book that I couldn’t put down and I would highly recommend!

A worst nightmare come true. Leaving your children in the car for a few minutes and then they are gone. The rest of the story is a bit...well, it just didn't hold my attention. The first half was good but I just didn't care for it. It had potential.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

This book was disappointing. It started so strong, but then got unbelievable. It's too bad because I thought I was going to love this.

Wow! I’m shocked at how much I enjoyed this book! It was very fast paced, unique, and one heck of a whodunnit! I think if you enjoy those that really keeps you wondering who is guilty, then you will love this one! Well written, fast paced, unputdownable! Highly, highly recommend!!

I'll be honest- I've been tired of reading thrillers lately because they all seem to be the same formula with an easy-to-figure bad guy. This book was a nice surprise! I was suspicious of everyone right from the start, but there were so many possible suspects and it took a long while before it became clear who it was. The back and forth between characters made the book feel like a very fast read. I'll check out other books by this author for sure.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exhange for an honest review.
"The Choice" by Alex Lake hooked me from page one and kept me gripped right until the very end.
I thought it was a very well written and original book. I found the
revelation to be shocking and the last few chapters of the book were really tense and exciting.
I will definitely be reading another book by this author.

From my blog: Always With a Book:

Alex Lake is one of my must-read authors and as soon as I saw he had a new book coming out, I immediately requested it. I have loved all his previous books and find that they are completely binge-worthy and thrilling.

I will say that this latest one is good but definitely not my favorite one. It starts off with such a great premise and the tension is absolutely there. I felt that this really had the potential to be a thrilling read all the way through. I loved how the book was set up and how we go back and forth in time learning who all the players are and getting ideas on who the potential kidnapper might be...but then it just becomes a bit unreasonable. Something just didn't seem plausible anymore and fell a bit flat.

There are some really good deranged characters that we are introduced to this book. I thought I had it figured out right away, but then thought that was way too obvious and am I glad that turned out not to be the case. The book still has the author's trademark twists and turns and kept me engaged, just not at the level I am used to.

I will still be reading Alex Lake's books and am excited to see what he writes next as I have loved all his other books. He really comes up with such unique premises.

I wanted to read this after reading the praise from John Marrs. It didn’t disappoint! I felt like I was on a rollercoaster throughout reading and it kept me engaged. It was a page turner that kept me up all night. The tension was palpable throughout and I would recommend this to anyone who appreciates a good thriller. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing my copy to review.

Rating: 3.5 🍷 🍷 🍷 and a half of glass
Book: The Choice
Release Date: Available Now!!! (December 29, 2020)
Author: Alex Lake
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers/General Fiction (Adult)

Sipping Synopsis: One of a parent’s biggest fear is the kidnapping of their child. This is what happened to Annabelle and Matt Westbrook. A ransom can be scary and daunting, but it also seems like a light at the end of a tunnel because just maybe you can get your children back. What if the ransom is for the wife/mother to be switched out for the children?! That is the exact “CHOICE” that Annabelle and Matt must make.

Final sipping thoughts: The premise of this book was so intriguing and reminded me a little of The Chain. Alex Lake leaves a lot of little clues to try and help (or steer you away 😉) from the kidnapper. I liked who it was revealed to be and oh how the derangement ensued from that point on. I agree with other reviews that something fell a little short in the middle and the ending was rushed. However, I still enjoyed my first read of 2021 and the intensity, short chapters, and new concept.

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley, @Harper360, and @HarperCollins for an advanced copy of @TheChoice

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Matt Westbrook leaves his 3 small children in the car for a few minutes while he stops in a shop. They are ages 3, 5, and 7. With a virus that’s rampant, he does not want to possibly expose the children to the virus in the store. Matt’s wife, Annabelle, has asked him to pick up a few things for dinner. On his way out of the store, he sees that the car is gone. Then he gets a text telling him not to call call the police and that instructions will follow. Matt is a partner in a law firm and Annabelle is a writer.

Matt runs home and tells Annabelle what has happened. They call a couple siblings and a friend to come and help advise them what to do. The next text says this person doesn’t want money. Instead, they can have their children back and Annabelle will take their place. What does this person want with Annabelle?

This is one of the best edge-of-the-seat thrillers I have read in quite awhile. What an incredible imagination this author has. Without giving out any spoilers, suffice to say that you do not want to miss this book. Fabulously well done, Alex Lake.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I received an ARC copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. Wow!!! What a rollercoaster ride!! Matt and Annabelle were married with three kids. Matt had to run into the store real quick and left the kids in the car alone. When he came back out, the car and the kids were gone. At first he thought it was some kind of joke played on him by one of his friends until he received a text from the kidnapper. To get his kids back safe, the kidnapper wanted Annabelle for the ransom. This book was amazing and had me at the edge of my seat!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it! I wanted it to end and at the same time I didn't!! I liked how we met different characters who could have done it and I really was convinced and then I put it all together and then it just got more involved!!!! Really great read and I will recommend to others!! Thank you again, NetGalley!

This was my very first Alex Lake book but surely not the last! It starts off like a racehorse out of the gate and the tension never lets up. Tense, tight and oh so good!

I really liked this book. It was a completely different type of thriller story. It wasn't just the usual child missing/kidnapped story. The book goes back and forth from present to past to give somewhat of a backstory. I felt it got a little slow in the last third or so of the book, not quite as thrilling as when the kids were first kidnapped, so I only gave it 4 stars.

"Once you have earned somebody's trust it is the easiest thing in the world to abuse it."

Right off the bat, this story begins with an anxiety inducing scenario: Image leaving your kids in the car for a few moments to quickly pop into the store only to find your car and them gone when you come out. As horrifying as that sounds, it gets worse. Not only are your children missing, but now you are confronted with an impossible choice. You can get your children back, but you must sacrifice your wife to do so. Couple that with this story opening up to the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, and you have one heck of a nail-biting, hyperventilating, nerve-fraying ride ahead of you!

This was a well-crafted story that kept the reader engaged the entire time.
The ending was just as tense and pulse-pounding as the beginning, and had me on the edge of my seat.

But my favorite part of this story was the perspective of the kidnapper. It was fascinating to glimpse into the inner narrative of an unhinged mind. It really helped to understand the villain's thoughts and motives and enhanced the reading experience.

I'm a huge fan of Alex Lake, so I was super excited to get an ARC. I was not disappointed!
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.