There were parts of this book and parts that were a bit slow and I knew Ciara wasn't a total innocent, however, I did not see the end coming. The premise was good and was the first "pandemic" book I've read....and although the pandemic served as a good cover, it was really strange umbrella with the back and forth which at times was a little confusing. With that said, a good beach read that could be tightened up with some more editing.

What happens when two people meet and seemingly fall in love right before a global pandemic? They can either stay apart and try to date virtually, or try out living together. Luckily our protagonists Ciara and Oliver decide they can't possibly be apart for two whole weeks, and do the latter. Sounds simple--that is if you're not carrying secrets that could ruin lives. As we all know, two weeks turned into two months and beyond. How long can they keep their secrets before one of them winds up dead?

As a long time fan of Catherine Ryan Howard, I was both excited and nervous that she was releasing not only a new book, but a book taking place during the COVID-19 lockdown. I kept thinking, "Is it too soon? What if it is just a new fad to try and sell books?". Well I have good news--it is neither. When authors write fiction during this time they could certainly learn Catherine Ryan Howard. This wasn't a story about Covid; its about people who saw a unique opportunity caused by Covid and seized it. The multiple points of view are incredibly satisfying and kept me on my toes. Highly Recommend.

I was pleasantly surprised by how well written and entertaining the story was, and would definitely recommend. I was drawn in by the premise, but on the fence since we are still living in the midst of the pandemic and I wasn't sure if it would capture the feelings and the depths. My hesitancy was unfounded (and the author also revealed she wrote the book over three lockdowns, so plenty of time to craft a great story as she also lived through the events, just like her characters.)

This was a solid story and the author definitely has a talent for writing. However, I think it was just too soon for me to pick up a book with Covid-19 as a focal point. I’m going to give this one three stars because I did enjoy aspects of it. Chalking this up to a “it’s not you, it’s me” type of situation. Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review!

Just when you think you have it figured out, 56 Days but Catherine Ryan Howard will surprise you. Things are not as they seem so don't stop reading.

What an intriguing thriller this is!. Set during the first wave of the pandemic, It's about two people who meet by chance (or do they?) on the days leading up to the pandemic, and by the end of it, one of them is dead. The layers peel back with the conflicting narratives of Oliver and Ciara in the past, and the detectives in the present. That would be quite the balancing act for a less deft writer, but Catherine Ryan Howard handles it beautifully. This one kept me guessing all the way through. A great read!

What a ride! What a thrill! What a book!! This is our September book club pick and I was so excited to grab a copy. Worth it!!

I was riveted by this book! I had to just keep reading and ignore everything else. So many great twists in the second half that I did not anticipate. Loved it!

Ciara meets Oliver in a Dublin supermarket a few weeks before Leo Varadkar made that St.Patrick's day speech we all remember so well! They decide to move in together as Covid-19 impacts the country. But do they know each other well enough to survive what's ahead? What secrets do they hold? Then a body is discovered.......

This book brought back a lot of memories of the pandemic in Dublin, like working from our apartment and exercising within the 2km limit!

This book is a bit of a slow burn mystery rather than a thriller.......but that's definitely not a negative! I loved how the multiple timelines were easily followed as we countdown to day 56. This great suspense read kept me engaged throughout as we learnt more and more about the characters. I finished this in one sitting over the weekend. I gave it 4.5 stars and I would definitely recommend this book!

Thanks to @netgalley and @blackstonepublishing for providing me with this copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a very well done twisty murder mystery, that incorporates Covid-19 into the story in a way that is essential to the plot. I enjoyed this book, and just when I thought I had it all figured out, turns out I didn’t! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought I figured out the ending at least 5 times only to be wrong, kept me guessing for sure. It’s so interesting to read Covid as a plot point while we’re still in the throes of the pandemic. This was perfect quick beach read, which is exactly where I read it.

Summary: 56 DAYS AGO
Ciara and Oliver meet in a supermarket queue in Dublin and start dating the same week COVID-19 reaches Irish shores.

35 DAYS AGO
When lockdown threatens to keep them apart, Oliver suggests they move in together. Ciara sees a unique opportunity for a relationship to flourish without the scrutiny of family and friends. Oliver sees a chance to hide who -- and what -- he really is.

TODAY
Detectives arrive at Oliver's apartment to discover a decomposing body inside.

Can they determine what really happened, or has lockdown created an opportunity for someone to commit the perfect crime?
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Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
*
My thoughts: Thank you @blackstonepublishing and @netgalley for the advanced readers copy. I was a little hesitant to read a book about Covid, it still feels a little too soon but this was such a good read !! Once @bookofthemonth chose this as an option for July I knew I needed to read this one! The mystery and twists were so so good! It switched from past to the present murder investigation. The twists were unexpected, the characters were great, all and all a pretty prefect thriller! Highly recommend checking this one out when it hits book stores August 17th!
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I was not sure about reading a story set during the Covid pandemic while it is still going on, but I am glad I did. I was immersed in the twists and turns of the plot and devoured this book.

Two lonely people meet in a grocery store in early March 2020. They go out on a date, enjoy each other's company, and as lockdown starts...find that it would be ideal to just live together. They don't have anyone in Dublin.

56 days later, there's a body in an apartment. It's been there for awhile. The place has been wiped clean of fingerprints. No one know what happened.

But...who was Oliver....before. Who was Ciara....before.... And what happened in that time they were together.

This is a pandemic book and a thriller. I did think the 'twist' did become a bit convoluted but it still kept me hooked.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

WOW!

Absolutely could not put this one down. The book begins by sucking you in with a love interest between two lonely strangers in Dublin. Once the COVID pandemic hits, they decide to become lockdown roommates. Slowly and steadily, things are revealed about their past. But who can be trusted?

I don’t want to give up much else because I was shocked and tricked at every turn. I always try to guess what’s really going on in every thriller, but I have to admit I did not see any of that coming. So well done. And don’t let the talk of the pandemic deter you - it was a helpful tool to set the claustrophobic tone for this ominous thriller. Be sure to read the trigger warnings on book of the months page if you’re worried about that. Otherwise, try not to look up too much beforehand about this one, just dive right into it and enjoy the thrilling ride.

Set in the early days of COVID shutdowns, 56 Days is the story of Clara and Oliver, two young people living in Dublin. Their chance meeting in a market results in them moving in together when the city shut downs. Both are fairly new to the city and as they explore their relationship, they each have reasons for not telling anyone about it. 56 days after they meet, a dead body is found in a company-leased apartment. As detectives work to solve the murder with only a few clues, it becomes evident that people are not always who they seem and sometimes paranoia is not paranoia.

It was interesting to read a book exploring the onset of pandemic response. Howard does a good job using COVID as a background detail, but not making it the entire story.

A few days ago I finished 56 DAYS by Catherine Ryan Howard. This one will be released August 17th. Thanks to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for my advanced copy!

Rating: 4/5✨

56 days ago Ciara and Oliver meet in a Dublin supermarket. The same time COVID-19 is touching down on Irish ground. Their romance is new and promising and with an unprecedented lockdown looming they decide to move in together after only knowing each other for days.

Today, one of them is dead.

This one was a toss up for me. I loved the premise of the two strangers stuck together but this story is also told in the POV of the detective investigating the death and I really think I would’ve liked this book more if I didn’t know someone ends up dead in the end. I would’ve rather kept the suspense and just assumed something nasty was going to happen. Instead we know the entire time who died and (basically) how. There were a couple other characters I didn’t care for too. All in all, I only finished this one a few days ago and it’s already faded from my memory…

It wasn’t bad. It kept my interest and I would read another by the author, but wasn’t my favourite.

Huge thanks to Blackstone Publishing and Netgalley for this e-ARC of 56 Days.
This was a really interesting take on a COVID thriller.
At first, I thought it would be too soon but this story hit it out of the park for me. The character build up was great. The story read at a fun pace. Lots of twists and turns with the right amount of slow burn.
I definitely recommend this to thrill lovers.

I'm not going to lie, I was a little weirded out when I first learned that the setting of this book was during the Covid lockdown. It seemed slightly unsettling to be reading a story that happened so fresh in our minds, but I decided to take the leap and try out the book anyway and y'all.....

SO.
WORTH.
IT.

There were the perfect amount of twists, a riveting storyline, and it almost read like a locked room mystery in a sense. I think that the confined spaces of the lockdown was the perfect setting for this story and don't know if it could have worked as well in any other way. I really ended up enjoying every aspect of this book, especially the ones I was reserved about.

I think Catherine Ryan Howard's writing was fresh, inviting and just top tier.

One quip: I actually loved seeing the same scenes from each character's point of view but sometimes they happened further apart that made it feel kind of repetitive, but honestly this is just a minor thing in the end. Just something I noticed while reading, but still give this 4.5 stars!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was hesitant to read this because it felt ‘too soon’ to be reading about something set during the pandemic, but the pandemic is basically background noise in this work. I liked how the stories eventually tied together, I didn’t suspect part of it for quite a bit. Still not sure how I feel about the ending as whole, but I’d definitely recommend picking this one up. An easy read, I read it in less than a day!