Member Reviews
Thank you very much for the review copy of this one. I was so intrigued by the premise. For the first half of the book I couldn't put it down, had so many theories and loved the intertwined fairytale element. I did feel like it dragged on a little on the second half and the reveal seemed a bit odd. I also found the main character to be really unlikeable and she made so many questionable choices. Although this did add to the suspicions around her as well so could have been for the purpose of that. I really liked the last little end chapter, really could feel the dread. Overall really enjoyed it and would definitely check out other books by the author.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t get into this book. I wasn’t drawn in in the first few pages by anything that kept my attention. Therefore I didn’t finish.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I enjoyed the writing style though I didn’t really engage with the characters. Worth giving it a chance as a different kind of read but it was not the most compelling or what you would call unputdownable!!!
This story was strange and felt unreal. Unfortunately, I had a good deal of it figured out, including the bad guy.
It was still an enjoyable read and I do recommend it. Just remember, there is always someone out there acting like this. That’s the scary part.
Most of the book was amazing but the parts about princesses Clementine and Camilla. just wasn't my cup of tea (i'm sorry). I'm still giving the book 5 stars because it was beautifully written
I just couldn’t get into Only You, I tried picking it a few times but just not my cup of tea.
That doesn’t mean it couldn’t be yours! ;)
I enjoyed Cathryn Grant's The Other Couple, so I was excited to read Only You. I like Grant's writing style, and the characters were well-written and interesting. I was really invested in finding out if my suspicions about the identity of the killer were correct, and even though I was confused about the fairy tales at first, I liked how they ended up tying into the events of the book. I'm definitely interested in reading more by this author, and thanks to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review Only You. : )
A fantastic psychological thriller that turned out to be really taut and well-written. Have never read this author before but will be sure to explore more of her work in the future. All the characters were so great and describes very well. The author has a way of describing emotions and emotional reactions that you can just feel it.
It got even most fast paced as the story progressed and was positively thrilling by the end of it. Great wrap up and fittingly creepy epilogue.
Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the earc.
Longer review will be on the site!
The book starts with the death of a boy at the Grand Canyon. Two girls are there also. One of the girls throws a bottle of alcohol at the boy's head and he falls over the edge. Next we see Hadley waiting for her husband to come home so they can go greet the new neighbor. Their are parallel stories happening at the same time. Hadley and her family and the fairy tale of Princesses Camille and Clementine. I really did not get the fairy tale until the very end and how it played into the story.
There are plenty of strange occurrences happening as well as strange neighbors to make this a twist and turn story. I can't say I liked any of the characters since they all are acting weirder than you "normal" neighbors. Once all the pieces come together the story makes sense.
3.5 rounded up
Well developed characters in this psychological thriller. Took a little bit to get into, but once I did I needed to know what would happen. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.
I really enjoyed this psychological thriller. It kept me turning pages and never once did I feel bored or as if it wasn’t worth my time.
Only you is a psychological thriller told in two POV's- Hadley's and her daughter Geneva. Between their chapters is also a fairy-tale story about princesses Clementine and Camilla.
It seems like Hadley has a perfect life. Happily married to Jonah with whom she has a 15 years old daughter Geneva; enjoying her days that start with a run around their neighborhood, making breakfast, teaching art and then spending her afternoons hanging with her friend/ neighboor Deborah, it seems like Hadley has it all.And then something switches. Deborah creepy son has returned home, there is a new neighbor Faith, who is trying to find a way into Hadley's family and on top of that a murder. It feels like things have been perfect for too long and it's time that changed.
Things I like :
- the mystery started at the begging
We are introduced to Hadley and her family and we are getting to know her and how their family dynamic is normally like. And with that there are new people in their lives that are gonna have an affect on their life.
Things I didn't like :
- characters
Hadley as the main character wasn't likeable and I didn't feel the pull towards her story. I like Jonah and I wish he was more included or I would love to read his point of view.
- fairytale story
I did not like or enjoy reading this part of the book. I only read it because I was scared that I was gonna miss some big clue(s) if I don't.
First and foremost, thank you to Cathryn Grant, Netgalley and Inkubater books for the review copy I received.
Thrillers are books that can either keep you glued to the edge of your seat or they can make you sit back and think, “huh” at the end. In the case of Only You by Cathryn Grant I really didn’t feel enthralled, but I did finish the book and had to contemplate it a little afterward. It is a bit like two stories told coincidentally. There is the base story with the main characters, and then interspersed are chapters written in a fairytale format. At first you don’t really see the connection, and then all of a sudden, it makes sense and I honestly stopped and said, “oh...ok” when the two came together. It was a unique take on the idea of manifesting your reality, which in its own sense can be rather creepy.
Hadley is one of those rare people who feels she's living the perfect life. She has a husband she loves, a charming daughter, and a job that is deeply fulfilling. Sometimes it almost seems like a fairytale. Then things slowly start to fall apart. A death, a creepy neighbor, a new neighbor who seems just a touch too needy, a past that keeps creeping back up, wrongful accusations, the list goes on. Hadley’s world is starting to implode, until it all comes back together.
As a story, this was an interesting one, as a thriller, it fell a little short for me. I was disappointed by the anti-climatic plot, it just moved a little slow and the twists were actually really predictable. I like thrillers that have deep, surprising twists and turns and make you not want to put the book down, this story just didn’t have that. You get a very clear sense of each character’s personality very quickly within their introduction, making it hard not to see where the storyline is going. Honestly, it was rather frustrating that the characters were so opaque. By the end of the book I was so frustrated with Hadley jumping to conclusions and being so bullheaded that I was surprised when there wasn’t an end story plot twist where absolutely no one believed her truth because it seemed so far fetched.
I gave this book three stars, because even though it wasn’t for me, it also wasn’t a waste of time. I think this would be a good book club fiction or general fiction story rather than a thriller, it just didn’t have the pizazz I like from a good heart thumping thriller. That being said, the writing was actually done very well. I liked that the story was told not just from Hadley’s point of view, but also Geneva’s, as she did play such a big part in the story. Grant’s attention to setting helped paint a really good scene in what she calls “suburban noir fiction” as well. Her attention to detail in both the characters baselines, their dealing with grief and trauma and the places she puts them really does follow that darker, suburban atmosphere. The book truly took a suburban street and brought to life how we coincide with our neighbors, the secrets we keep, and how the two interrelate, it was an interesting take on reality.
Loved the unique storyline of this psychological thriller and found myself hooked in the beginning to see how the story would play out. I noticed I never made any connection to the characters, and began to feel apathy as the plot unfolded. Alot of the circumstances seemed a bit like suspending belief. However, for fans that want a new and fresh storyline in the genre, I would still recommend. #netgalley #onlyyou #cathryngrant
Not a fan. I didn't like the characters. Didn't like the princess part either. I get the whole twist of Faith and Liz but by the time that happened I just didn't care. I did finish the book in hopes it would get less weird...it didn't.
I really enjoyed this psychological thriller. It kept me turning pages and never once did I feel bored or as if it wasn’t worth my time.
Hadley Walker’s life is picture perfect. Her home, kind & loving husband, daughter and her job – all are just as they should be. The only problem she has is the creepy guy Kenny, her best friend’s son who just lives next door and the neighborhood which doesn’t seem safe lately.
When Hadley’s sister Alice comes to visit, she is on the moon! But, nothing can be all hunky-dory for long. Soon, her seemingly fairy tale life seems to crumble around her. Slowly, Hadley realizes that someone out there is dragging up the remnants from her past, exposing her secrets. And they won’t stop until they fulfil their desires.
Grant’s style of writing has an easy flow that keeps the reader engaged at all times. All characters were well developed and I could easily relate to Hadley, her insecurities and motherly instincts. Though she was hasty at times, I thought it was justified given the circumstance and the pain she was in.
I loved the dual POV of Hadley and that of her daughter Geneva. Knowing what went on in a teenager’s mind, the way she handles loss and grief, struggling under parental pressure while still dreaming big about her life, were brought out well by the author.
The book has a certain fairy tale analogy to it, which is written out as chapters in between and this really augmented my intrigue, though I wasn’t able to make sense of it initially. But as the plot deepened, it improved the clarity about the psychological aspect to it and I really enjoyed the author’s way of representation and weaving this into the story.
The book deals with the dangerous manifestations of obsession and how it might lead to a perverted state of mind making hateful decisions.
The ending, though predictable, was a fitting one not lessening my enjoyment and thrill. The epilogue was certainly a surprise and included a twist which I did not see coming at all!
Thank you Netgalley & Inkubator books for providing me with this ARC in exchange of an honest review.
Start with a creep factor of 11. Then, ratchet it up with an overbearing neighbor and a murder. That's the recipe for "Only You."
Interspersed between the current chapters are stories from a fairytale. Which are seemingly random, until they bring clarity to the 'who dunnit'. As the tension rises and we reach a happily every after, sometimes things are not always as they appear and one happy ending might lead to another new beginning.
Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for this ARC!
One of the best reads so far this year!
After reading The Assistant and The Good Neighbor, I was keen to read more books by Cathryn Grant. I wasn’t disappointed.
Grant has a real talent for crafting psychological thrillers that make the reader hungrily turn every page until the very end.
And Only You is no different. Definitely recommend. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ From me.
Fall From Perfect...
Hadley lives the perfect life, so she thinks. When things begin to go wrong piece by piece she cannot understand what’s happening. And then the murder. Is something, or someone, in her past coming back to haunt her? Well paced psychological suspense with some neat twists and some surprise elements.
Unfortunately this book isn't for me. I just found it very predictable which ruined it for me.
I spent the first half of the book struggling to get into it and I didn't really get along with the characters. I didn't understand the segment from Camille and Clementine until half way either and that's when I knew what was going on.
I didn't dislike this book, the story was good but it just didn't grip me as I would have liked.