Jessica owns a bar and is trying to navigate life after her 17-year-old daughter ran away a year ago. The book alternates with chapters from Jessica and those from her daughter, Wyn, and the events around a school pep rally one year ago. Wyn is an aspiring singer/songwriter but she suffers from stage fright. She has plans to sing a song at the pep rally in honor of her best friend who was killed in a tragic car accident. There are some themes of bullying with teen characters.

Jessica holds out hope that Wyn will come back one day and those hopes are bolstered when she gets mysterious texts from Wyn saying that she’s being held hostage. The police and FBI get involved and try to find Wyn before it’s too late.

I think this was a promising premise, but the execution fell flat. I found the timeline dragged and it seemed that we would never get to the end of the pivotal events. Many of the characters seemed stereotypical. The conclusion seemed over the top and not very realistic. Unfortunately, this was a disappointing read for me. I know some people have loved this one, but it did not work for me.

Last September, it seemed like EVERYONE was talking about “The Harpies” from Avery Bishop’s book, “Girl Gone Mad”, so even though I have outgrown the “mean girl” trope, FOMO made me download a copy!

My review for that book stated that the chapters where Emily was an adult, had undeveloped subplots that I wanted to know more about, and that most of the book read like YA, but the author’s style was engaging.

So, when I saw a new offering about a mother who would do anything to find her missing seventeen year old daughter, I decided to give the author another try.

UNFORTUNATELY THIS BOOK IS MUCH OF THE SAME

We are reading, to discover WHAT HAPPENED THE DAY OF THE PEP RALLY, when Bronwyn (Wyn) disappeared.

We have Jessica’s (mom) POV in the first person, past and present (the only chapters I enjoyed at all).
Wyn has been gone a year, presumed to be a runaway, when Jessica receives the first text message: “mom”
and then the second one, “please help”

The chapters alternate and Wyn’s POV, in the third person, lead us up to that fateful day.
Like with Girl Gone Mad, Wyn’s chapters read as YA, and explore the “mean girl” trope. AGAIN, complete with stereotypical high school football stars so good they are destined to leave small town America if only...and the Cheerleader clique, who makes life hell for any girl who didn’t make the team.

The story was predictable. I guessed every reveal except for the final one.
The final resolution too over the top.

But, I was rooting for Wyn to be found because she won my heart when she took cute photographs of Uno, 🐶,( a dog living in the animal shelter where she volunteered who had been searching for his forever home for almost two years) and started a successful media campaign to get him adopted!

KUDOS to the author for supporting animal rescue!!

I think if marketed to a YA audience this book will have more success.
Those who have been around awhile, aren’t going to find anything fresh in this one to surprise us.

Thank You to Lake Union Publishing for the gifted copy of this ARC, provided through NetGalley.
It was my pleasure to provide a candid review.

Available August 10, 2021

I had to DNF this book om sorry I just did not find it interesting at all I tried multiple different times to read it and couldn't ever get past a few pages at a time. I apologize I'm sure others will enjoy it but unfortunately it wasn't for me

I enjoyed this book. I liked the back and forth timeline dialogue and I liked the story as told from Jessica's and Wyn's POV. I did think that there were a bit too many people who knew what happened to Wyn for it to remain a secret as long as it did. The ending was clever and not what I would have expected.

Thank you to #NetGalley for for the ARC of #OneYearGone by #AveryBishop in exchange for an honest review

I tried hard to like this book more, especially after seeing all of the four and five star reviews. The main character -Jessica is a bar owner who has been searching for her daughter Bronwyn/Wyn that has been missing for over a year. Some of the storylines are disconnected for me and I found some plot holes. I have been reading a lot of suspense and thrillers lately and honestly this one was just a let down in my opinion. The ending didn’t wrap up quite as nicely as I thought it would, and it didn’t give me the same satisfaction of other books. Overall I gave it three stars. Thanks to #net galley for allowing me to read and provide an honest review.

I have been thinking all day about what positive thing I can say about this book. What I came up with is, THIS BOOK HAS A BEAUTIFUL COVER!! Sorry but that’s the best I can do.

Wyn, age 17, has been missing for one year. Since her disappearance the police haven’t been able to establish that a crime has been committed. There is no evidence of foul play and the authorities tell her mother that sometimes kids just run away!

The novel is told from two POV’s, that of Jessica in the present and the voice of Wyn a year ago.

Her mother, Jessica, never married Wyn’s father, Joe. Although he now has a new wife and two young children, it appeared that he was still always a part of Wyn’s life.

There isn’t much in the way of background information on any of the characters BEFORE Wyn’s disappearance.

There is a rather large cast of characters, adults and teenagers, and the two timelines did not flow well for me. I thought it felt disjointed and took away from any tension I might have felt during the present timeline. I also think that the teenagers were so stereotypical that they felt flat and unbelievable. I mean, these kids were just 17, they were all binge drinking and hooking up???? I didn’t buy it !!!

Jessica is still searching for a forever partner. It’s during one night that she sleeps over with Stuart that Wyn goes missing.

Wyn is a hard girl to figure out. She is portrayed as the girl who doesn’t fit in. She isn’t part of the cool group, not a cheerleader or someone who throws big parties. The only reason she is accepted at all is because of her friendship with Taylor. Taylor died two months ago in a car accident, since then Wyn is no longer welcome with the “in” girls.

In this small town high school is portrayed more like it felt in the 60’s with the popular boys being the athletes and the popular girls cheerleaders. Come on, it’s 2021, girls have their own sports to compete in and don’t need to cheer for the boys.

Close to one year after Wyn’s disappearance Jessica gets a text from her daughter. It states that she is scared and needs help, that she is being held hostage by a man who she must call daddy and that he is a cop.

At this all heck breaks loose. Everyone gets involved in trying to discover where Wyn is texting from and why has it taken a year to hear from her, etc etc.

If you have gotten this far remember that no one is above suspicion. I like surprise endings, IF THEY ARE BELIEVABLE, this one was too over the top. There are so many loose threads, added conversations and descriptions that aren’t necessary. Editing may have made this more enjoyable.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.

The novel is set to publish on August 10, 2021

Will post to Amazon upon publication

I really enjoyed this book - the ending was not what I expected. I found the main character rather a sad one - I wanted things to pick up for her all the way through. Good thriller - no 'feel good' about it but one worth reading, for sure.

One Year Gone centers on the disappearance of Jessica's daughter. Wyn disappeared one year ago and the police write her off as a runaway but her mom, Jessica, believes that she was abducted. One year later, Jessica is trying to live her life as best as she can when she receives a text from her daughters phone saying she needed help. Jessica starts on a whirlwind ride of emotions in trying to find Wyn.
This story pulls you in from the first word and kepts you engaged throughout. It is a thrilling, twisty, mystery that keeps you guessing. You don't want to put the book down because you have to figure out what's going on.
Avery Bishop has written another spectacular book. I look forward to reading many other books by him in the future.
Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union publishers for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

PSA: do not start this book the day before eye surgery, or you will end up being a GIRL GONE MAD waiting to be allowed to read more!
One Year Gone is told from multiple POVs and switches between the present and one year earlier. Jessica is an alcoholic mother whose daughter, Wyn, disappeared after a devastating and humiliating event at school. 2 months prior to this, Wyn’s best friend died in a tragic accident. All signs point to Wyn simply being a runaway, but Jessica is not convinced. Suspense grows as we learn more and more about Wyn’s family, friends, and schoolmates. Then, almost a year since Wyn’s disappearance, Jessica receives a text in the middle of the night: “mom”
“please help”
“i think he’s going to kill me”

#OneYearGone was an excellent read that kept me up late into the night. Bishop examines heartbreak, family bonds, high school struggles, adult struggles, and a pinch of small town politics! This is not a book to be missed.

PS: WHO is Avery Bishop? This is the only unanswered question I have!!

I received an ARC of #OneYearGone by #AveryBishop courtesy of #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

One of my favourite things about being a book reviewer is that we get the chance to read books before they are out in the public's view and I was in the mood for a bit of an edgy mystery read after reading a handful of chick-lit/ romances lately. One Year Gone by Avery Bishop isn't one of those happy-go-lucky mystery reads that end in sunshine and roses, so if you pick this one up expecting a happy reunion at the end - then put it back down. One Year Gone is a rocky road type of reading which will have you feeling like you just jumped on a rollercoaster filled with twists and turns and loopy-loos. The book starts with Jess receiving text messages one night from her daughter asking for help. This would have been an ordinary night but for Jess - this is the first time she has heard from her daughter in one year. A year ago, her daughter Bronwyn vanished into thin air and no-one has heard or seen her since. The texts claim that she has been kidnapped by someone in law enforcement. As the book goes along, Jess doesn't know who to trust which as the story progresses and comes to an end we can see why and the ending of this book shocked the heck out of me. I didn't see this ending coming at all as secrets and lies all unravelled. The story is told in multiple POVs from Jess and Bronwyn's - before the incident and after the incident. This was the first book I had read from Avery Bishop, so I am looking forward to checking out her other title "Girl Gone Mad". If readers are looking for a good edgy NA thriller that will keep you glued to the edge of your seat, then One Year Gone by Avery Bishop is the book for you. One Year Gone by Avery Bishop is going into my knowledge bank for one of those books as one of the best OMFG endings.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
A girl is missing and one year later a mother is piecing together the mystery behind her daughter’s disappearance.
This book was full of twists and a page turner.

Jessica Moore’s 17 year old daughter disappeared one night, an apparent runaway. Then one year later, she receives several text messages from her daughter who says she’s been kidnapped. One Year Gone is an entertaining thriller, with an easy-reading style, told in alternating time frames (then/now) which ably fills in the blanks. The ending felt a little rushed, with a lot of things thrown in that took the edge off for me and was a bit deflating. However, at the end of the day I enjoyed the book, and that’s all that matters, right? If you’re looking for a good page turner that’ll keep you guessing, this is it. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Jessica is a functional alcoholic, separated from her daughters father, when her daughter disappears. Wyn has been gone almost a year and while Jessica hasn’t given up, everyone else has. The set up for the book is fine, but in the end, I became frustrated with the story. So much of this plot comes down to iPhones. And I kept wondering why they couldn’t just set up another phone or iPad to receive Jessica’s texts at the same time as her phone. It’s so easy. Jessica could have been at the bar, or at home, comfortably alone, while the second device was hooked up to the tracking computer 24/7. And why not hack in to Wyn’s YouTube and Twitter to read her messages?!? She’s being bullied and no one thinks of thus!?!
Ultimately, I’m
I’m giving this 3.5 stars because while I was frustrated with things that weren’t being done, the story kept me wanting to know WHERE IS BRONWYN!? And the answer was definitely surprising.

This fast paced story will keep you on the edge of your seat from the moment you pick up the book. The story is told from alternating points of view: Jessica, the mother who desperately wants to find her daughter and Wyn, the missing daughter, a shy musician with secrets of her own. Avery Bishop has created a heartfelt, suspenseful story that is full of secrets and betrayals: a book that draws you in and doesn't let go until the last page.

Jessica’s daughter Bronwyn (Wyn) has been missing for a year. Wyn’s life prior to vanishing had been anything but easy and it’s assumed she ran away. As the year anniversary approaches Jessica is determined to discover as much as she can .... The story is told by Jessica and Wyn in varying timelines.

First of all, the positives. The first half is easy to read, it’s entertaining, the premise is good and the plot is engaging. Jessica’s perspective is portrayed well especially her fears and the impact Wyn’s disappearance has on her. Her determination to get to a resolution is clear despite the setbacks and shocks she hets about Wyn. Wyn’s humiliations and emotions especially surrounding friendships, or lack of, and certain events that are key to her vanishing are well depicted.

However, the constant backwards and forwards in time becomes a drag, it gets wearing and the storytelling becomes disjointed. There is a lot of irrelevant information especially from the past which just slows the pace. Wyn’s perspective is presented in the third person and I do get why but it doesn’t work as well as Jessica’s as it lacks the emotion it should or could have. The finale is when the twists come thick and fast but it’s too much, over the top and I just don’t buy into it as it seems way too unlikely. Is it’s just me or is the mean girl trope wearing a bit thin???

Overall, it’s an up hill and down dale read with parts I thoroughly enjoy but others that don’t resonate to the same degree.

3.5 rounded down

With thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union for the arc in return for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this book. The twists kept coming. Not the ending I had expected. Easy to read, couldn’t put it down

Jessica Moore is a bar owner and mom of 17-year-old high school student and aspiring future singer/songwriter, Bronwyn (Wyn), in the small town of Bowden. When Wyn goes missing one night, it appears she’s run away. A year goes by with no news, when one day Jessica starts receiving intermittent troubling text messages from Wyn saying she’s in danger and that a cop, who’s name she doesn’t know, is holding her captive, and the threat to her life is increasing. Can the local cops or Feds help find Wyn, especially if one of them is responsible?

The premise was so intriguing! Sadly, the follow-through just fell flat for me. Maybe I’ve read too many mystery/thrillers lately and I’ve become over-saturated with the tricks and tropes they offer, but I could never engage with this story from the beginning.

None of the characters, including functional alcoholic Jessica and even Wyn, were very interesting or likeable, so there wasn’t any true sense of menace or urgency in how the story played out. It also had your stereotypical mean popular high school girls/guys trope, which is so overdone.

Another big issue for me was editing. The author was overly descriptive where it wasn’t necessary, particularly for some reason where technology was concerned. Such as:

“My iPhone was dead - it was an older model and the battery life sucked - so I started the car and plugged it in. Soon it powered itself on, The Apple logo flashing on the screen, and then I saw the phone searching for service.”

And:

“I typed out a quick text - Hey, just wanted to check in - and hit the white arrow circled in blue to send it. I could see the message was trying to send; usually within a second or two it showed as delivered. Sometimes it took longer, depending on whether I had a good signal.”

That was nearly 100 words to explain how a phone works, and none of it added anything to the story. Editing was definitely in order.

The ending was the strongest part, but the journey to get there started feeling drawn-out and monotonous, with too many eye-rollingly improbable scenarios. It held a couple decent, unexpected surprises, but they didn’t have enough punch to make up for the preceding story and still fell into predictable territory for those of us who read a lot of this genre. Unfortunately, it also employed the standard confessional trope that I don't care for.

It’s a story that’s gotten mostly 4 and 5 star reviews, so I’m definitely an outlier on this one, and many of you will probably have a far better experience with it. It just didn’t work for me, but then again I overthink almost everything, so there’s that.

★★ ½ (rounded down to 2)
You know what’s fun? Writing a review for a book that 98% of people so far liked or loved and trying to find the nicest way possible to be in the 2% that don’t. That’s fun. (Not really.)

Jessica Moore is a bar owner and mom of 17-year-old high school student and aspiring future singer/songwriter, Bronwyn (Wyn), in the small town of Bowden. When Wyn goes missing one night, it appears she’s run away. A year goes by with no news, when one day Jessica starts receiving intermittent troubling text messages from Wyn saying she’s in danger and that a cop, who’s name she doesn’t know, is holding her captive, and the threat to her life is increasing. Can the local cops or Feds help find Wyn, especially if one of them is responsible?

The premise was so intriguing! Sadly, the follow-through just fell flat for me. Maybe I’ve read too many mystery/thrillers lately and I’ve become over-saturated with the tricks and tropes they offer, but I could never engage with this story from the beginning.

None of the characters, including functional alcoholic Jessica and even Wyn, were very interesting or likeable, so there wasn’t any true sense of menace or urgency in how the story played out. It also had your stereotypical mean popular high school girls/guys trope, which is so overdone.

Another big issue for me was editing. The author was overly descriptive where it wasn’t necessary, particularly for some reason where technology was concerned. Such as:

“My iPhone was dead - it was an older model and the battery life sucked - so I started the car and plugged it in. Soon it powered itself on, The Apple logo flashing on the screen, and then I saw the phone searching for service.”

And:

“I typed out a quick text - Hey, just wanted to check in - and hit the white arrow circled in blue to send it. I could see the message was trying to send; usually within a second or two it showed as delivered. Sometimes it took longer, depending on whether I had a good signal.”

That was nearly 100 words to mansplain how a phone works, and none of it added anything to the story. Editing was definitely in order.

The ending was the strongest part, but the journey to get there started feeling drawn-out and monotonous, with too many eye-rollingly improbable scenarios. It held a couple decent, unexpected surprises, but they didn’t have enough punch to make up for the preceding story and still fell into predictable territory for those of us who read a lot of this genre. Unfortunately, it also employed the standard Scooby Doo confessional trope that I despise. Stop. Please.

It’s a story that’s gotten mostly 4 and 5 star reviews, so I’m definitely an outlier on this one, and many of you will probably have a far better experience with it. It just didn’t work for me, but then again I overthink almost everything, so there’s that.

★★ ½ (rounded down to 2)

Thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Avery Bishop for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. This will be published on August 10, 2021.

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Ok. What a rollercoaster!! Filled with many and many twists and turns.

A wonderfully written story that pulls at your heart. Had a hard time keeping up with the characters but thats my only complaint.

I definitely recommend especially if you enjoy psychological thrillers Thank you for this arc

4.5 stars - I really enjoyed this one! Twists and turns I never saw coming. Told from a mother/daughter perspective from then and now. Characters were well developed and the story nicely unraveled in a way that kept you wanting more.

Thrills, chills, twists, turns. If you like a predictable story you can avoid this one! You don’t know what the next page holds.