I'm here to tell you that if you enjoyed No Exit by Taylor Adams, you will probably enjoy this one as well! It's another super fast paced thriller that kept me turning the pages. Were parts of it a little unbelievable? Sure. But overall, I really liked this book and read it super fast.

It was about twin sisters, Cambry and Lena. Cambry suffered a tragic death and her twin sister Lena sets her sights on bringing justice to the situation, not entirely certain that the way her sister died was the truth. Things quickly get really sketchy when you throw in a shady cop and an old eerie bridge. I can't say too much much revealing the entire plot!

If you're into thrillers I would check this one out!

Lena Nguyen is a woman with a plan. She ignores reports her estranged twin sister, Cambry, committed suicide by jumping from Hairpin Bridge. The residents of the small town in Montana believe the ghosts on the bridge drive people to suicide.
She says that isn’t possible. She knows someone murdered her sister and threw her from that bridge. Cambry’s drawings are missing from her portfolio and Cambry documented everything she witnessed on her road trips. Did she see something she shouldn’t have? Lena will uncover the truth and announce it on her pod cast.
Corporal Raymond Raycevic has agreed to meet Lena. He is astounded that Lena and Cambry are identical twins and since he found her sister’s body; it makes his heart skip a few beats.
He says he can understand everything Lena’s feeling because when he was eighteen, his identical twin brother took his own life.
Lena doesn’t trust him. She knows twins don’t always bond in a good way. Identical faces, but a rough upbringing led to separate coping mechanisms.
Taylor Adams takes you for an intense ride down twists and turns that will make for page-turning events as you devour this story and sleeping with the lights on after you’ve read the last page.
Thank you #NetGalley, for the advanced copy for my honest review.

This was my first by Taylor Adams and while I heard great things about No Exit, Hairpin Bridge unfortunately fell short for me. While full of twists, I feel the story was too drawn out. Even things that are typically fast paced, like a gun fight or car chase, took chapters to get through. If you like disturbing, slower paced psychological thrillers then I would definitely give this a try but it just wasn't for me. I did however like jumping between the past with Cambry/the present with Lena and the Asian representation in this one! 👏 I am also still curious about No Exit and will definitely still check it out!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐/5

A huge thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow Books and Taylor Adams for the e-copy in exchange for an honest review!

‼️CW: Please note this one is on the more graphic/disturbing side and includes murder, gun fights/shootings, gore, physical abuse, child abuse and suicide.

Believe it or not, I still have never read No Exit. But, I was really looking forward to Adams follow up novel. I love that this novel has a strong female protagonist the most. No matter what was happening, Lena was prepared and looking super tough. There were a lot of surprises in the book and a lot of gut wrenching action. The book left me on the edge of my seat. The one bone I had to pick with the book was how the “truth” about Cambry unfolded, it wasn’t my favorite delivery. Overall a fast action packed read. Thank you Netgalley for the eARC.

Okay, Taylor Adams knows how to grab your attention quickly and then take you on the craziest ride.

Hairpin bride was action packed and compulsively readable. I had to know everything and it was impossible to put it down for long, though I do think No Exit was more gripping and stressful, but I loved No Exit so much so it’s hard to top.

I loved how the story unfolded, alternating between the present situation, Camrys story and Lenas blog. Camrys chapters were STRESSFUL and my favorite, naturally.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book and would recommend to anyone who loved No Exit or who loves gritty and action packed thrillers.

I had high hopes for this book and it just didn’t hit the mark for me. I loved No Exit but this one just didn’t do it for me.

This book is intense! It is hard to explain without giving away most of the book, so I will say that the book takes place over a few hours and has very minimal characters. At times some of the story seemed unrealistic, and based on the timeline probably couldn't have happened in the amount of time the story takes place. There were also a few plot holes that I noticed, but nothing major.

Good for you if you like DARK thrillers with many triggering events (murder; death/murder of a child)

3.5 rounded up

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy to review!

Yeah, yeah, I know! Before you comment on the lack of stars in my galaxy, just let me say that this was always most likely going to be a “it’s-not-you-it’s-me” type of read for me, considering I am one of the few readers on here who wasn’t overly enamoured by NO EXIT.

I remember a biking holiday on a small Indonesian island a few years ago, where the road was so full of potholes that even going at 10km/hr felt like risking life and limb. We took it as a challenge, but it just wasn’t all that enjoyable. How is this relevant, you ask? Well, I felt a little bit like this here, dodging the plotholes, expecting yet another farfetched twist or stereotype to hit me every time I rounded the corner.

HAIRPIN BRIDGE is a story which played out over a few hours, starring only three (almost four – or five, if you count the reptilian kind) characters and one single setting. To fill 320 odd pages with a very minimalist cast was never going to be an easy feat. Not only would the characters have to be very complex and enigmatic to pull the reader in, but they also had to have a multi layered and intriguing backstory. That was a lot of pressure on our main protagonist Lena Nguyen, a young woman investigating the apparent suicide of her estranged twin sister Cambry. Basically, the whole book revolves around Lena’s meeting with the police officer who found her sister’s body, and her multiple theories of what could have happened to Cambry in the days and hours leading up to her death. I give bonus points to the inclusion of blog entries, in which Lena shares her findings and theories with her followers. The rest is one epically long stand-off between Lena and two other characters, which I shall not name because this is the only mystery element you are going to get here!

My personal views are that if you have a slightly built female who will turn action hero, sharp shooter and indestructible bionic powerwoman, she needs to have a) a plausible history of what made her this way; b) very powerful motivation; and c) some sort of genetic mutation that makes her immune to assaults on her body that would incapacitate, maim or kill the rest of us mere mortals. Google “action movie tropes” and you will find most of them in the scenes on the bridge (bonus points for the snake, though!). Some stereotypes were so crass that I am surprised no other readers commented on them (the small Asian “girl” turned ninja vs the big ugly brutish badies – pleaaaaseeee! *eye-roll*).

Okay, let’s just cut a long rant short by saying that this book was never going to be a good choice for me. If it had not been a buddy read, I would have DNF’d very early on and moved on with my life. As it was, I did a lot of sighing and eye rolling and wishing that I was enjoying it as much as the other readers in the group. However, if you love action movies, car chases, an indestructible badass female lead and badies who are almost caricatures, and aren’t put off by lots of graphic violence and stereotypes, then you will probably love this book (I must admit that the first car chase did ratchet up the tension because who doesn’t love a good car chase?). I can see that for most readers attracted to the premise of the story and those able to suspend disbelief, this will be a fast, entertaining and adrenaline fuelled read. Best go and judge for yourself.

This was intense! Totally action packed and had me at the edge of my seat with clammy hands! A twin is trying to find out the truth about her sisters suicide that she suspects was murder. The single setting and less than a hand full of characters makes you feel completely immersed in this fast paced book. If you enjoyed No Exit then you will love Hairpin Bridge. So much fun.

🌉Book Review🌉
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Summary: Three months ago, Lena Nguyen’s estranged twin sister, Cambry, drove to a remote bridge sixty miles outside of Missoula, Montana, and jumped two hundred feet to her death. At least, that is the official police version.

But Lena isn’t buying it.

Now she’s come to that very bridge, driving her dead twin’s car and armed with a cassette recorder, determined to find out what really happened by interviewing the highway patrolman who allegedly discovered her sister’s body. Both the officer and Lena have ulterior motives for meeting...
*
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
*
My thoughts: this one was a bummer for me. No exit was one of my favorite thrillers last year, so I was ecstatic to receive an early arc of this book! The characters were meh and the cause of the twins death and what actually happened were revealed way to early. There was no real mystery or thriller in this one. Just overall really disappointing, but I did finish it .

Another stay up late because I can't bear to put it down book from this author!

Following one twin's search for answers to the other's apparent suicide and set over a 3 hour period I was gripped from the start.

My anxiety for the main character was reminiscent of how I felt reading No Exit and I loved it!

Can't wait to read more from this author.

The blurbs all said this was the 'must read book of the summer' and as I read, I couldn't help but think - - seriously?! The first half of the book seemed so slow and it was hard to distinguish whether things really happened - or were they Lena's imagination. The action picked up the last half of the book but = for me - it was SO over-the-top and unrealistic, I was still thinking - seriously?

I couldn't wait for this book to be over. Not that I was so eager to finally learn the truth of what happened, but just that it would be OVER! Still, I'll give it 2 stars because I see potential for the author and the book did keep me reading to the end (granted, it was a struggle, but I try to never leave a book unfinished).

Lena has set out to find the truth behind her sister's death. There's only 1 person who can give her the answers she needs and he's agreed to meet with her. He underestimates Lena and she holds certain beliefs about him. There's no way both are walking away with what they want.

Hairpin Bridge is a dark thriller and I definitely enjoyed this book. It was a little slow/repetitive but I think it worked for the story. A solid thriller.

A big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced reader's copy. I was so looking forward to reading this book and I wasn't disappointed.

Maybe this was my own fault for going into this book with REALLY high expectations after loving No Exit, but this was a complete dud for me. Nothing happened throughout the entire book until the last 80% and the same questions were being asked over and over! I am not writing this author off though because I know the potential is there and I do like his writing. I was just wanting so much more from this one. If you are just getting into the thriller genre you may like this one. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early reader's copy and all opinions are my own.

3.5 Stars

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review (which is only four days late... eek)

"Hairpin Bridge" follows Lena Nguyen on her quest to discover what really happened when her sister, Cambry, died. Cambry's death was ruled a suicide, as it seemed clear that she jumped from Hairpin Bridge to her death, but Lena doesn't think things add up. Lena drives herself to meet with Officer Raycevik, the officer who supposedly discovered Cambry's body, and things quickly get intense from there.

I was pretty excited for this book, knowing that Taylor Adam's previous novel, "No Exit," left my heart racing at every turn. I was slightly disappointed in the first half of the book (which is probably my fault for having expectations it would be so similar to "No Exit.") I was confused by some of the plot and not knowing what was real and what might have been Lena's guess to what occurred. I actually thought, by the end of the book, that having Lena's blog post and book written into the story was brilliant and important, but in the beginning of the story, it was quite confusing for me (maybe intentional?) Either way, it affected my reading experience.

My favorite part was the last 50% or so, where the action and intensity really picked up. Not only did we start to get concrete answers as to what occurred with Cambry's death, but we also started to get some of the heart-stopping intensity that I loved from "No Exit."

To me, this book was not as enjoyable as I anticipated, but I still enjoyed it. Adams seems to have some really great, clever ideas for plotlines and twists, and I'm looking forward to reading more from him in the future.

This was an action-packed thriller that I couldn’t stop reading.

Lena and Cambry are twin sisters. Three months ago, Cambry jumped off Hairpin Bridge in a remote area in Montana; at least that’s what the police reports say.

Lena doesn’t believe her sister committed suicide, and she’s determined to find out what really happened. Alone, Lena goes to the remote bridge and speaks with the police officer that found Cambry’s body. Lena doesn’t buy the cop’s story because something just doesn’t add up. She’s determined to find the truth, but will the truth put Lena in danger? Will she make it out of the remote town alive, or will she be found dead just like her sister?

Ok so this thriller checks all the boxes for me - it's fast paced, full of suspense, surprises and action. However, it’s almost too action packed (if that make sense), there is too much going on and it’s unbelievable/unrealistic. There are a lot of times I had to stop reading and thought “come on, really?!” Despite those issues I was intrigued and couldn’t put it down.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I may be in the minority here but I had a hard time following the storyline while reading Hairpin Bridge. I found it confusing and somewhat disjointed. It seemed to be a bit repetitive and many things happening that were just not believable.
Hairpin Bridge grabbed my attention in the beginning but not so much as I read on.
Like I mentioned already, maybe it was just me not being able to get into this story.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.

A page-turning, edge of your seat, heart pounding thriller that has so many twists and turns you won't know what to belive.

This is my first book by Taylor Adam's and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. An intense, riveting, action packed thriller that's mind blowing, as the story unfolds.

I have read and loved a couple of Taylor’s books. I read the synopsis of ‘Hairpin Bridge’ and it certainly sounded like the sort of book I have come to expect from Taylor- a gripping, page turner with lots of twists and turns along the way. So without further ado, I grabbed a copy and settled down for an interesting afternoon of reading. Overall I did enjoy reading ‘Hairpin Bridge’ but more about that in a bit.
I have to be honest and say that it took me a while to get into this book but once I got into the story that was it and I was away. This wasn’t a book that I could read in the space of a single day but I did manage to finish reading it in about three days. I would become so wrapped up in the story that I would lose all track of time and just how quickly I was getting through the book. I found ‘Hairpin Bridge’ to be a gripping read, which kept me guessing and it also kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
‘Hairpin Bridge’ is well written but then the same is true of Taylor’s books in general. He certainly knows how to grab the reader’s attention and entice them into the story. ‘Hairpin Bridge’ starts with a bang and the story is more of a slow burn type of book, in that the action slowly builds over time before leading to a tense and dramatic conclusion. Reading this book felt like being on an at times scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with many twists and turns along the way.
In short and overall I did enjoy reading ‘Hairpin Bridge’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Taylor’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.

I don't read many thrillers these days due to the sheer amount of same-ness in the genre, so when I do pick one up, my expectations are considerably high. My book club chose this one and I have to say, I was excited by the subtitle ("The most gripping suspense thriller you'll ever read"). However, this one required so much suspension of disbelief, I might as well have been on another planet. I rarely dislike everything about a book but I'm sad to say that this was unfortunately one of those times.

Going back to suspension of disbelief, this one was as far-fetched as you can possibly go and took away all possible enjoyment as all I could think was that this could never logically happen. I didn't like or connect to a single character and didn't care at all what happened to them which certainly detached me from the story. The pace was all over the place, quite fast at the start and then so slow in parts two and three to a point where I really wanted to give up. I continually rolled my eyes at the character descriptions of big muscly man vs small-boned Vietnamese doll... like really? There were too many parts where the author purposefully withheld information for the sake of creating tension which is frustrating for the reader, especially when they've already worked it out and are just awaiting confirmation (which also loses any shock element). The plot was weak and the whole motive just didn't work for me. I felt that there needed to be more movement, rather than keeping everything in one isolated spot. The gun showdowns were lengthy and skippable and quite honestly, I just really wanted it to finish so I could move on.

I think this might be okay for new-to-the-genre readers but for those that have read a fair amount of thrillers, I wouldn't say there's much to really take you by surprise or keep you on the edge of your seat.