Member Reviews

Suspense and Intrigue fill this story. Great characters to follow on this journey. There are several hold your breath moments. Hard to keep from turning the page to find out what happens next. There are lots of twists and turns in this story and there could be some romance as well. Good read.

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What a great quick read! It’s a definite page turner and I enjoyed it very much. The characters seem so real. The way the neighborhood gathers forces when they required to just warms your heart! This is a must read for sure! Thank you for such a great book!

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I have been reading Fern Michaels for years and this book did not disappoint! I loved this book! cannot wait for the next one!

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Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to review this book.

A nice thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat!
I enjoyed it very much!

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Love a book with a wonderful ending that also has a really good message. Fern Michaels is one of my favorite authors.

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If you're looking for a "gripping novel of suspense" this isn't the book for you. This, in my opinion is women's fiction, bordering on cozy mystery. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the book. This is a tale of domestic abuse, a recluse who's trying to get better and the rest of their small neighborhood.

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Ellie Bowman moves to a quiet street, Birchwood Lane, in the small town of Hibbing, Missouri where there are a variety of residents. As the story progresses the reader gets to meet many of them with their various quirks and habits. Colleen Haywood lives with her drinker husband, Mitchel as well as her eight-year-old son, Jackson. Ellie, a young recluse, has lived on the street for two years but had never been seen outside by any of her neighbours, nor Hector who helps with gardening and shopping. Her story captivated me and kept me interested, wanting to know what happened to cause her reclusive behaviour. I thoroughly enjoyed this compelling tale of abuse, small-town politics and community life. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

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I finished it. I don't know how. I didn't really cared or it. It moved very slow. Way too many people to try to remember. People changing their attitudes with for no reason. I mean, why was Michael drinking so much? he had a wife, kid and a job? Why was his mother so harsh? then one weekend she isn't? This was just weird.

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No Way Out by Fern Michaels is not what I expected. I was looking forward to a riveting, suspenseful story. Unfortunately, No Way Out is not that type of book. It is reminiscent of a light cozy mystery or a women’s fiction story. This book lacks the suspense and action that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Ellie moves to the small town of Hibbing, Missouri on a quiet street where there are a variety of residents. We get to meet the various residents as the book progresses. I liked the residents of the lane with their various quirks. Colleen Haywood lives with her husband, Mitchel as well as her eight-year-old son, Jackson. Mitchel drinks too much and becomes abusive. Colleen, Mitchel, and Jackson seem to take up more of the book than Ellie. I liked how we get to see the neighbors helping each other. They are supportive, kind, and accepting. They never picked on Ellie or criticized her for not leaving her home. They accepted her for who she was which I thought was wonderful. I found the ending to be anticlimactic as well as too quick and smooth. There is an epilogue, but it felt incomplete. My favorite phrase from No Way Out is, “Even when you think there is no way out, if you try hard enough, you can usually find a way.” If you are looking for a light book to read by the pool or at the beach, then No Way Out is just the ticket.

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In the beginning Ellie seemed like a middle aged recluse. It took a bit too long for me to get into it because there weren't indications of why she was as she was. Buddy held my attention the most until things began to move. It takes awhile but the story does evolve
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review

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It's a pleasant little women's fiction novel, with a minor amount of mystery and zero suspense. Badly marketed, calling it suspense.

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I have always enjoyed a book by Fern Michaels and this one was really interesting. It was such fun to peek into the lives of the residents of Birchwood Lane and find out their stories and secrets of which there were so many. They were all unique characters from young to old and single to married with children. Nothing was hidden fron the neighbors, probably because the town was very small.

I liked that the book mostly focused on Ellie, a very young recluse, who had lived on the street for two years but had never been seen outside by any of her neighbors, nor her assistant who helped with gardening and groceries. Her story captivated me and kept me spellbound wanting to know what happened to cause her reclusive behavior.

I thought the story and the characters were very interesting and I really enjoyed how the story ended. I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.

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Ellie is housebound, and has been for two years. She relies on Hector, a fellow gamer, to keep her supplied with everything she needs and he is also a dab hand at gardening. Ellie's dog likes to play with her neighbour's child, Jackson, and gradually Ellie starts to re-enter the world again. However, the reason she is the way she is, is still out there and still a threat to her......except she can't quite remember why she is worried.

Meanwhile, down the street, Jackson's mum Colleen has to contend with her husband, Mitchel, who is a piece of work.

I have to admit that I was a little confused by this story. It had SUCH good bones but just fell a little short with its promises.

I like the idea of various people in the street having a story and them all being there for each other, ultimately. It's just that in this novel, it was just a little bit too neatly wrapped up, for my liking. The story started to build up a bit of suspense.....and before I knew it, suspense was gone again. Even the supposed romantic connection, just didn't feel all that romantic.

3.5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books.

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Story starts off great. Keeps you wondering why Ellie has become a hermit. Living in New York there was a incident, that cause Ellie to wake up in the hospital with severe head trauma and blacked out what happened. She is afraid but doesn’t known why and goes into hiding. After 2 years of being a recluse and never leaving the house, a young boy befriends her dogs and in turn her. She finally is taking baby steps to re-enter the real world.
There is mystery, what happened? Learning to be a survivor and some interesting characters. Just the ending to me was anti-climatic.  I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story.

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DNF at 16%—I didn’t click with dialogue or characters, both of which read as very stilted, and decided that this book was not for me.

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No Way Out by Fern Michaels. A book that grabbed me from beginning and kept me intrigued the whole book. This author's books you can never go wrong with reading she always gives you a great storyline.

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No Way Out by Fern Michaels was about a cul de sac with houses and the people who lived in them. Each were characters in their own right, but each had an interesting situation that needed help. Ellie Bowman was the main character. She was in hiding and hadn’t left her house in years. She was determined to remember why, but knew she had to stay hidden. I thought the novel was going to be a thriller, but it was more of a cosy mystery than anything.

Along the way Colleen and Jackson were brought into the story. Colleen’s husband was becoming more and more abusive and Colleen called the police after a difficult and dangerous scene. Jackson misses his dad and spends his time playing ball with Buddy, Ellie’s black lab. There was an older man on the street, an empty house waiting for a family and a couple who returned from a long trip. Between all these characters Ellie begins to open up. Hector, the kid who helps her by his help with her purchases is another character to add.

All in all, the ending was rather anticlimactic and humdrum. Much more of an intricate and interesting story could have been written with these characters and much more suspense could have made the book more interesting. No Way Out by Fern Michaels was an okay read.

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A nice a quiet neighbourhood is the right place to hide. Ellie is been hiding in her house for two years. She can’t remember what happened before she woke up in an hospital bed but she felt threatened and went into hide. The small community is full of great people that will help each other in finding a way out. Great story about family, friendship and good neighbors.

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Fern Michael's is the master of keeping a reader hooked by dropping little hints of plot twists throughout a story. Her books are the kind that you keep reading at least one more page or one more chapter until you are suddenly at the end of the book. No Way Out is definitely that kind of book. BUT. And, yes, it's a big but, this book fell short. The little clues and hints are scattered in the story but the ending comes too suddenly and without explanation. Michaels ' characters are real. The neighborhood could be anywhere in America. Each person has a story but resolutions to problems come suddenly and with no explanation. The abusive, alcoholic, chain smoking father just decides to clean up his act. The mother-in-law that is known for her meaness just becomes a sweet woman in the matter of an hour. But the biggest hole in the plot is the ending. Without giving too much away, all the effort the main character has done to stay safe just goes out the window. And the reason for her isolation is weak as well.
The premise of the story is good but the plot is weak. The characters are strong but the storyline just goes nowhere. I am giving No Way Out 3 stars because while the plot is good, the execution is lacking.
I voluntarily received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

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n intriguing situation. A few clues along the way. Some heart-warming moments. Clever and kept me interested. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.

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