I wasn’t sure where this book was headed, but I was intrigued. I did like that the ending wasn’t a typical HEA. There was some closure, maybe not the perfect HEA one might expect but it worked for this story.

I don’t think I really connected with the characters. I think I was more interested in the mystery and trying to figure out what exactly was happening. It was a little slow in the beginning but it did pick up and there was much more going on than expected. You couldn’t help but want the FMC to just hurry up and solve mystery.

I like that Bailey was a typical 16 year old girl, she’s emotional, sometimes speaks before thinking, tries to rationalize things in her own way and acts like a 16 year old. I feel like in many books, characters don’t act their age and I appreciate that she had realistic reactions.

When we finally did get the answers we wanted, I’m not sure how I felt about it. It makes sense, I think I just would have liked more exploration. However, it worked.

This was my first book by the author and I am interested in reading her other works. I enjoyed her storytelling and creativity.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the opportunity to read this book. All opinions are my own.

I was a bit underwhelmed by the entirety of this book - it just fell flat so many different times.

I wish I cared more about the characters but there were no characters that really stood out to me.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have no idea why it took me so long to read this but I devoured it in a day or 2. It wasn’t what I expected at all, since I was prepped for a whodunnit instead of a deep dive into someone’s mysterious past.

There are so many unexpected twists and turns. It keeps you on edge right until the very end. Great book, I’d highly recommend.

Loved this book! Read it in only a few days, couldn't put it down.
I loved all the characters and their growth through the novel.

I went into this book thinking it was going to be a thriller, but it was more of a mystery, family drama. Yet, I still thoroughly enjoyed this story, and the journey between the main characters. The author had me guessing up until the end and I didn't figure it out until the very end.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fantastic thriller with two strong female leads in search for the truth of happened to Owen.
It was interesting to read Hannah go through her memories, searching for clues, for anything that could help solve the mystery of who her husband is and what could possibly have happened to him.

The relationship between Hannah and her stepdaughter Bailey was strained to say the least. In search for the truth, they were forced to work together and Bailey slowly opened up and came to realize just how much Hannah meant to her and her dad.

Everyone has secrets. When Owen Michaels disappears, he leaves a note for his wife: Protect her. Hannah Hall knows that the note refers to his daughter Bailey, who lost her mother tragically as a child, and who wants nothing to do with her stepmom. As Owen's colleagues get arrested by the FBI, Hannah realizes that her husband wasn't who he said he was. This takes Bailey and Hannah on a journey to discover where he came from.

I enjoyed this book. It was a quick and easy read. It was written in the un-put-downable way that we all love. Hannah and Bailey are both strong women who you are rooting for as a reader. I liked the way the puzzle pieces of Owen's past, slowly and surely came together to create a clear picture. I was left with some questions about the plot and the characters' decisions, but maybe that's just me! I look forward to discussing it with the book club I read it for.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes a quick and addictive thriller, where you don't know what's going to happen next.

I loved this book! Some of it was a bit of a stretch but overall I really liked the book.
The story was fast paced and well written and is a great bingeable read! This was my first book by this author so now I need to read her other books. I highly recommend this one if you love domestic suspense.

I have to say that this one is not quite what I expected. I was gearing up for a family drama, or some classic women’s fiction - but instead it is a mystery about a woman searching for answers in the wake of her husband’s disappearance, while trying to keep her step-daughter safe.

I liked most things about this novel. I liked the characters, I liked the setting, and I liked the mystery - I just had a hard time with the whole “suspension of disbelief” thing. As the daughter of a single father, I have a really hard time believing some of the choices that were made. The plot got a little too far-fetched for me, but it’s definitely enjoyable if you can keep an open mind.

Another well written book, filled with intrigue and suspense. I couldn't put it down. What would a person do to protect the young family that they have? Even disappear? I was sick to my stomach reading this book, realizing that to save one's family, one must first get lost and stay lost. No options are good, sometimes, and this book is about that. Sometimes the best option is the only option is one with a negative outcome. A lot of think about and reflect upon. I loved it.

Hannah and Bailey struggle to find out what happened to Owen . They discover just how far some people will go to protect the ones they love. Beautiful ending , but I didn't love the book.

This was my first book by Laura Dave and I quite enjoyed it! The storyline was very intriguing, I mean wouldn't you just want to know what the last thing he told her was?

I flew through this thriller and can not wait to go back and read her other backlist titles.

Call me a fan okay.

This was a quiet yet suspenseful women’s fiction/domestic mystery.! I was intrigued to know how it would end. The mystery was solved about three quarters of the way through, at which point, the story continued but really slowed down. The final quarter focused more on the domestic aspect. There was a large plot arc involving Hannah and her stepdaughter’s relationship.

There was some suspension of disbelief required, particularly as the mystery was revealed. However, I enjoyed the wrap up nonetheless. The pacing was on the slower side. It took awhile for the plot to kick in for me but once I was invested, it was difficult to put down.

The description was as follows: Hannah marries Owen who has a 16 year old daughter, Bailey. Bailey doesn’t like Hannah and treats her with disdain. However, Hannah is patient and ever hopeful that Bailey will eventuallywarm to her. One day Owen doesn’t come home. Hannah and Bailey receive cryptic messages from him. The gist of the plot involved Hannah trying to win her stepdaughter over while searching to figure out why Owen disappeared. The resolution was surprising and not what I expected.

A gracious thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

One of the best thrillers I have read in a long time! Very suspenseful, great characters and the plot will keep you guessing and turning the pages throughout the entire novel.

Hannah and her stepdaughter Bailey are trying to discover the real identity of their hubby/dad, Owen. While trying to establish a new relationship, they are driven to uncover the real reason for his disappearance and fidout who he really is. A suspenseful, enjoyable read. I couldn’t put it down. .

This was a fun and easy read for me with dual timelines which I love. The ending broke my heart but I was not sure if it was the ending I wanted either.

Although this novel could be classified as a thriller, it also reads like a domestic drama. The story is quite well-written and the relationship that develops between two of the main characters is heart-warming. Although I wouldn’t say that it is my favourite book of the year, I did enjoy it.

WOW! This was an easy 5 star read for me . I loved everything about it and when I couldn’t read it , I listened to it because I kept wanting to know more. I would call this a mystery suspense family drama. 😆You think you know someone but that someone turns out to be someone else. The story of love of the step-mom and daughter was incredibly difficult but so beautiful at the same time.

The twists in this one were so well done. I did take me a little while to get into it just because you are given so few details at the start that it's hard to settle into, but once you get about halfway, it picks up a lot and I really liked the ending. Impossible to guess but still somehow believable.

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada and NetGalley for my digital ARC.

My Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️

The storyline here starts off as very interesting and exciting. The whole mystery with Hannah’s husband Owen Michaels and how he suddenly disappears, has you on your toes. To make it even more exciting, Owen leaves Hannah a note that says “Protect her.” This is referring to Owen’s sixteen-year-old daughter Bailey. This would be a little easier for Hannah if Bailey even liked her. Does it bother anyone else how hard Hannah tries to win Bailey’s approval? Hannah constantly tries to win over a teenager that wants nothing to do with her. At times she almost seemed desperate.

On a side note, It seems unrealistic to travel to a city on a hunch and find people that will lead you on a right path. It also seems unrealistic that they go off leads based on Bailey’s memory as a young girl.

I like that the chapters are short, as this kept making me want to keep reading. I just would have liked more suspense and excitement towards the end. There was no shock or twist for me but I still think many would enjoy this read.

Review posted on IG: @mae.rox.wanders