**Many thanks to NetGalley, Penzler/Scarlet, and Jaime Lynn Hendricks for an ARC of this book!**

First there was Amy Dunne...and then there was Tessa.

Escaping from a dangerous situation...or simply running headfirst into another?

Tessa has always had bad taste in men, drawn to the 'Assholes', which has put a cap on her already difficult younger life in the foster care system. These decisions have led her to bury her identity and constantly flee, never settling anywhere for too long. She finally feels she has set the perfect trap, however....the one that CAN"T fail...

When Tessa turns up missing, all eyes point toward her husband Jace. Blood is present. A weapon is found in the home. Jace is flabbergasted at his wife's disappearance and is desperate to have someone--ANYONE--listen to HIS side of the story, and to not fall prey to the forgone conclusion that it is always the husband. Does he have any hope of actually finding his wife...or has Tessa outwitted and outplayed everyone...even you, the reader?

The Gone Girl overtones are heavy, but luckily this book takes a different trajectory entirely and doesn't borrow too heavily from the aforementioned. While this is a strong debut by Hendricks, the first (and in my mind, only) twist hits fast and furious fairly early-midway on and then the action stays at a steady enough clip to keep you invested, but not quite as fast-paced as I'd prefer. I appreciated the character development and getting a significant look into Tessa's backstory, so that was a huge plus for me personally.

I do wish I'd felt a bit more surprised by the ending and kept waiting for that stunning cold-water-in-your-face moment, but it didn't quite happen for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride, but I do feel there was some unexplored potential in this one that could have really taken it up a notch for me. I am glad that Hendricks has entered the playing field, though, and already look forward to reading her next book!
,

Finders Keepers.

Where is Tessa and more importantly WHO is she?

Almost everything about Tessa kept me guessing. Is she an unreliable narrator, unlucky, or a con herself?

A given was her grit and humor. I was laughing out loud in places at her inner dialog and astute observations. In doing so, I was trying not to put a stake into her outcome because who knows what will happen in a psychological thriller?

This book was all that I hope for when reading a story of this genre. I loved it! Unexpected surprises, twists, and well developed characters - some that you will like and others not at all. Not to mention dead bodies.

Thank you to Penzler Publishers Scarlet, NetGalley UK, and the author for my electronic review copy. I appreciated the opportunity to read this!

Unfortunately this book was just not for me. I thought it to be poorly written and executed with many repetitious elements and a plot that stretched one's imagination to the limit. The characters were flat, and I could drum up no sympathy or respect for the character of Tessa. I found it to be misogynistic and the inclusion of such minute details as for example, what the wallpaper looked liked, or how Tessa, an imposter interior design artist, decided that gray and yellow go together quite ridiculous.

Overburdened with nonsense this story was trite and bordered on the ridiculous. As a note to myself, I will remember never to waste reading time on a book that I was given approval to in a nanosecond on a Saturday. It foretells a disaster for me which indeed this book was.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers for an opportunity to read Finding Tessa.

This is without a doubt the best domestic thriller I’ve read in some time.

Jace comes home late from a work meeting to find his wife missing - and blood everywhere . Where is Tessa ?

Told from Jace and Tessa’s POVs, you think you know what’s going for about the first 40% of the book and them WHAM! What just happened ? Needless to say I didn’t see that coming !

I really can’t say more other than read this !

4-5 stars

Tessa is missing in very suspicious circumstances, the obvious subject of suspicion is her husband of four months Jace Montgomery. Dig s bit deeper and there’s an air of mystery surrounding Tessa's background, so it’s a case of finding who Tessa is and physically finding her. The story is told in alternating points of view by Jace and Tessa.

First of all, this is a debut which gets a wow from me, this author is going places if this is anything to go by. The alternating perspectives works really well and keeps the mystery and suspense going for a long time and you perched on the edge of your seat trying to work it out! There are some very good twists in the story and one is an absolute cracker making you do a 180 in your thinking - kudos Jaime Lynn Hendricks! It’s well written, very absorbing to the point where you don’t want to put it down, the premise and plot are well executed too. The characterisation is really good especially Tessa who is portrayed very sympathetically and her dark past makes you want to weep especially as her ‘mandar’ is not well tuned making it a tough read in places. You will her on, this girl so deserves a break. The storyline has all the elements of domestic nor - secrets, lies, baited breath suspense, betrayal, revenge and getting your just desserts. The social media posts included make me so cross in their judge ‘em, jury ‘em and hang ‘em crassness BEFORE a person is even charged. Sad but oh so true as you see this attitude day in and day out. The solution is a bit of a stretch in my opinion but ok, I’ll admit it, I do like it!!!

Overall, I do hope you’re well under way with the next one J L H because my elbows will be sharpened and firmly sticking out jostling to get to the head of the queue to get my mitts on it. So very unBritish!!!! 😂 Highly recommended.

With thanks to Penzler Publishing, Scarlet for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Looking for a 5-star stunner with a jaw-dropping twist? Well, LOOK NO FURTHER!

A brief synopsis that won’t give too much away (unlike the actual book blurb, which may reveal a secret or two):

Jace Montgomery comes home late one evening to find his wife, Tessa, MIA. He is instantly on alert when he notices broken glass, a clump of hair, and blood. He immediately reports this to the police, but never expects to be their prime suspect in her disappearance.

Tessa is thrilled to be out from under the watchful eyes of her abusive husband. She has been hurt too many times, and wants him to pay for it. She sets him up to pay the price for her disappearance, and couldn’t be more thrilled.

...As long as she gets away with it.

This is a smart domestic thriller that literally made me GASP at one of the twists. That is always a fun treat. It’s hard to believe that this is a debut novel. Author Jaime Lynn Hendricks is effortless in moving the plot along at a fast pace and ramping up the suspense, so much so that I barely slept and picked it back up in the very early morning hours. Talk about a gripping thriller!

The characters are fantastically written and fully fleshed out, and I couldn’t help but care deeply for Tessa and all of the terrible things she has gone through. She is a REAL character. Of course, there are unsavory hooligans as well, and they too are written extremely realistically. Speaking of characters, shout out to two of my favorites: Candy, a sweetheart of a dog...and Hobart, a cab driver with a heart of gold!

Detective Jayme was on the case with me as we buddy read this, and we were able to to find some clues, but there were plenty more surprises in store.

Mark my words: This is not the last time we will be hearing about Hendricks. I predict that this will be a huge and worthy hit, so make sure you pick up a copy when it’s published on: 5/11/21.

Thank you to Scarlet and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com

What a ride. Definitely gives me all the Gillian Flynn "Gone Girl" vibes but it didn't feel like a rip off of that. Twists and turns galore.

UNPUTDOWNABLE!

Usually I read a book every two days , but when my day started at 330 AM, I was able to read this breathtakingly FAST, SUSPENSEFUL novel in just one day!

And, I am so glad that I just added it and requested it after reading a friend’s spoiler free review WITHOUT reading the book description because now that I have....I think the synopsis gives away a few too many surprises!!

Yes, the GIRL is GONE and framing her latest husband!
But, don’t make the mistake of thinking you have read this before!

Tessa’s many husbands all have TWO things in common...they like to physically abuse her, and they share a name-A**hole!!

But, THIS time, she wants to break the cycle and GET EVEN!
And, she has finally found someone to help!

Told from the alternating perspectives of TESSA as she makes her escape, and JACE, her husband who “comes home” from entertaining clients to “find” that Tessa is missing, and there are clumps of hair and blood on the kitchen floor.

Jace maintains his innocence, of course, but, the evidence is damning...

Putting together pieces of the puzzle was fun, and I picked up on some clues!
Which means, NO PLOT HOLES in THIS taut thriller!

But, that doesn’t mean I wasn’t ever surprised!
One twist in particular had my mouth hanging open in shock!

DEBUT author Jaime Lynn Hendricks proves that you CAN write a thriller with some characters to root for, and you don’t need coincidences to wrap things up!

BEST of all- you CAN write one WITHOUT resorting to animal harm to make your point!
🐶 Candy will be fine!

Do yourself a favor and pre-order this one!
May 11, 2021 is the publication date so you don’t have long to wait!

Thank you to Scarlet Publishing for providing an ARC through NetGalley!
It was my pleasure to provide a candid review and I am excited to say that I have another auto-request author!
I look forward to seeing what she pens next!

I’ve read some amazing debut thrillers from Scarlet Suspense, and this one is no exception. I buddy read it with my two sisters, which was a lot of fun. I’m not often able to talk about books as I go, but I really enjoy it when I can!

Finding Tessa was a quick, twisty, and engaging read. This is why domestic suspense is my favorite genre! I was eager to figure out what really happened to Tessa and whether Jace had anything to do with her disappearance. Both narrators were unreliable, and I didn’t know who to blame!

With short chapters ending in gripping cliffhangers, I couldn’t put this one down (although I had to at our stopping points, because buddy read!). The suspense is real, and the mind games between the characters make for an entertaining read.

This book does require some suspension of belief, and there were a few things that didn’t quite add up. Tessa says that her ex before Jace was nice for the first year before turning abusive, and yet she marries Jace within two weeks of knowing him? That’s not long enough to tell whether someone is a good person or not. Tessa needs therapy, not another husband! And Jace married her without knowing a single thing about her background, which also doesn’t sound smart or safe.

Overall, an enjoyable, quick read with some interesting twists. I’ve definitely become a fan of Jaime Lynn Hendricks, and can’t wait to see what she does next!

Tessa had a troubled upbringing which involved a cycle of abuse. Until she meets Jace. Her hero who saved her life one night from a sexual predator. He's exactly what she longs for; just like in the movies with the happy endings. They get married after knowing each other for just a few short weeks. They're in love and she finally feels safe. Except now she's missing and he's the prime suspect. Tessa's old life is catching up to her but can they find her before it's too late?

This was such an addicting psychological suspense novel. I read 82% in one sitting! You think you know what's going on but then less than midway through...PLOT TWIST! Nothing (and no one) is what you expect. The most unreliable, suspicious characters had me second guessing everything. I loved the past/present timelines mixed with Jace and Tessa's point of views. I'll be looking forward to more novels by Jamie Lynn Hendricks!

A domestic noir that starts off in the vein of Gone Girl but soon reveals itself as a tale of murder, domestic abuse and trying to outrun your past.

Tessa and Jace are recently married, Tessa has a complicated past, she's running from something. When Tessa goes missing, Jace is the prime suspect and it turns out there's a lot about his new wife he doesn't know. I don't want to say too much about the storyline as there are various twists and turns but this is an exciting thriller that keeps you guessing. The use of different POVs (which can sometimes be annoying) is deployed cleverly here and you get a real sense of Tessa in particular.

4.5 stars. Loved this book. The twists I didn’t see coming were great!!! I couldn’t put it down and had to finish it to see the ending, which was incredible.

Finding Tessa was about a husband and wife and the wife running away from her horrible past with exes. Her new husband is loving and wants to change her mind about men.
The only part as to why I gave it a 4.5 and not a 5, was because I was a little confused at times about if it was past or present happening that I was reading. Other than that, fantastic!

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy.

5 stars.
Love love loved this nook!!! So many moving parts and great transition between characters and time. Highly recommend!

First, I want to thank Netgalley, Penzler Publishers, and Jamie Lynn Hendricks for allowing me to read & review Finding Tessa before it’s pub date. This one was exciting and attention grabbing and I wanted to love it, but I just couldn’t stay 100% into it.

Jace & Tessa Montgomery meet in a not so traditional way and have a whirlwind romance that leads to a quick marriage. One night Jace comes home to discover his wife is missing. An investigation immediately opens up after Tessa’s disappearance & Jace seems to be the number one suspect, even though he claims he didn’t do it. Jace’s lies & stories don’t add up to what actually happened that night. Will Tessa’s horrible past with men finally catch up to her?

When I started reading, I immediately thought “Gone Girl”. The story started off basically the same way. While there were similarities, the story does change about halfway through and surprises you. I enjoyed the alternating perspectives from Jace & Tessa, outlining the events from before the disappearance to during and after. The ending was very surprising and I enjoyed the crazy twist, but the burn was very slow. All in all, I thought this one was ok and am giving it ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5.

Check out Finding Tessa on its pub date 5/11!

Jace calls the police to report his wife, Tessa as missing. The home reveals a broken window, a clump of her hair beneath it, along with blood splatter. Was Jace an abusive husband like her past? Tessa thought he was different, but was he? Something is definitely off and based on what’s implied in just the first chapter, the finger would immediately point to him. Jace is slowly realizing he knows nothing about the Tessa he married.

Tessa describes being abused by yet another man, the one she is married to. Only this time she was able to escape out of the house at night and purchased a bus ticket to get away, but vowed to make him pay. She wants all fingers to point to him for her disappearance.

So I had to sit on my thoughts for this one...was it a good thriller? Yes, to an extent. Would I recommend it to others? No. The book has a good plot twist but I was so utterly confused at the plot until at about 75% through the book that by the time I got to the end, and realized what was actually occurring then it was the end. I was just left feeling disappointed. I felt like after all the time was invested in the plot twists and character building, it was a very lack luster end.

⚠️CW: domestic violence, sexual assault, abuse

Jace Montgomery and Tessa Smyth fall in love and have a whirlwind romance. They seem ecstatically happy. However, not everything is as it seems. When Tessa disappears with blood left in the house, Jace is, of course, the main suspect. There’s a lot in Tessa’s background that makes this disappearance suspicious and Jace knows he need to find out all he can about Tessa before he ends up in jail.
Finding Tessa by Jaime Lynn Hendricks has many twists and turns that hurtle you to the story’s conclusion. I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters but the suspense of what was going to happen next, kept me reading.

Well, this book calls for a stellar, but short review because it is a book that you should to into cold. I will say that at the beginning I was disappointed because I thought it was going to be a take-off on Gone Girl, but it was not.

Finding is a twisty thriller. The main character is Tessa whose exes are all (in her words) assholes. She finally thinks she has found a good one, but has she? There are twists and turns throughout, and short chapters make it a very quick and satisfying read. It is written from two perspectives: Tessa, who is on the run, and her husband Jace. I don't want to say anymore except READ THIS BOOK as soon as it comes out in early May 2021.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers/Scarlet for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Finding Tessa is sure to be a huge hit.

Unfortunately another book I did not enjoy. I found the story too slow moving and unable to grip me. I also was not a fan of the writing. I felt like the main character Jace was so disconnected from Tessa and their relationship, it was quite unbelievable they were a married couple.

People who binge thrillers will enjoy this one, but it didn’t do anything for me.

Oooh a domestic thriller told from the POV of the lead characters. It def had some Gone Girl undertones. This is Jamie Lynn Hendricks first novel and its a great debut! Thrills, chills and just an all around edge of the seat suspense book!

Thank you so much to the publisher and #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

🔪 Book Review 🔪

🔪 Finding Tessa by Jamie Lynn Hendricks

🔪 Publication Date - 11th May 2021

🔪 Thanks to @netgalley for my copy to read and review.

🔪 Jace and Tessa appear to be a young couple in love with nothing to hide. But looks can be deceiving. When Jace Montgomery comes home late from entertaining clients, he discovers that his wife Tessa is missing.

🔪 Tessa has had an incredibly hard life from childhood and has made a lot of bad decisions when it comes to men. She thought she'd finally managed to make a good choice but looks can be deceiving!

🔪 From the first page, Hendricks grabs your attention and keeps you turning the pages until your eyes are burning from sleep deprivation!

🔪 Until the last 50 pages, Hendricks keeps the reader guessing who was the culprit and where Tessa was.

🔪 Finding Tessa is a dark tale of abuse, revenge and redemption, full of head-spinning, mind-boggling twists.