Romance meets thriller & I’m here for it! I loved the switch between past & present, I feel like the author gave good descriptions & I got interested in the story right away. This book was full of exciting twists & I liked that they weren’t typical & easy to guess. This book was fast paced & made me not want to put it down!

good summer read good summer read!! fast paced and I was like omg what is happening here?!?!?!??! there was a couple of twist but something made me look for more into the book!

4 out of 5 stars. Solid summer read!

Really enjoyed this book! Fast-paced page turner that I couldn't put down and kept me guessing!

Thank you to Carola Lovering, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley #CantLookAway

3.5

Storyline was intriguing… a couple’s eyes meet at a concert. One is a singer, the other in a crowd. They can’t look away and this starts their love story. But, some people should know when to give up. At some point in this story, I was annoyed with each character. But, the story dragged me in and kept me turning the pages. Drama throughout! I thought it would be more of a psychological thriller. Ending was not what I expected. Enjoyable enough, quick read. Will definitely give this author another try.

Thanks to Ms. Lovering, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone!

Can't Look Away by Carola Lovering is a suspense novel about Molly, a writer, and Jake, a singer. They fall in love and are together for a while, but Molly leaves Jake when he prioritizes his music above their relationship. Many years later, Molly is married to Hunter, and they have a daughter together. Then Sabrina enters the picture, and she starts getting close to Molly. But, does Sabrina have ulterior motives? And where is Jake now? This book was just okay for me. I felt like I was just waiting for something interesting to happen while I was reading; and while there were a couple of twists, they just weren't enough to make this book anything more than a three-star read. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

Can't Look Away ~ Carola Lovering.
This is a story about obsessive love.. Molly, an aspiring writer meets Jake, a wannabe rock star at his concert and Jake can't look away. He tracks Molly down and they start dating. Only Jake's rock star life style and his infidelity destroy what could have been a happy future. Nearly a decade later, Molly is happily married to Hunter and has a little girl. But a chance meeting with a newcomer to town, changes everything Molly believed was true. This book was enjoyable and I didn't see the twist coming, however I didn't care for a few of the characters. But maybe I wasn't supposed to. I was very satisfied with the ending, so it's definitely worth getting to the last pages. I think it wrapped up nicely, albeit not perfectly.

A thank you to Netgalley for sharing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'll be honest, I didn't much care for this one and it didn't just work for me. I really liked the author's previous books and was expecting a suspenseful psychological drama, but instead got a girly drama that felt rather sophomoric. I did not like the either woman, and I never enjoy books female character who feel the need to snag the a man (in this case the same one) in order to complete them. Maybe it's sophmoric of me, but a little too gag inducing. I prefer strong independent chicks - and if they partner up with another strong independent person to be an actual partner with, all the power to 'em

I loved this book. While it's marketed as a Mystery/Thriller though, I would say it's actually more of a romantic drama with a few elements of suspense.

The style of writing was easy to consume, and it had excellent character development. I was super intrigued by the entire evolution of Molly and Jake's relationship and learning how they ended up where they were in their lives in the current day. As a music lover, I also enjoyed all the references.

There were a couple of predictable moments, but they didn't hinder from my enjoyment any less. I definitely recommend and am now interested in going back and reading Carola Lovering's other work.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this in return for a honest review. Can't Look Away is definitely a wild ride of emotions, twists and turns, and of love. Even though this book is considered a domestic thriller, you can really feel the love thay flows through this book. Even if that love is royally messed up.

Can't Look Away is about a cast of characters with a long and turmoil past. You see these characters at their worst and their best. You see them love and hate and grow up. It's hard not to root for them. Even Sabrina and her crazy tail.

Molly and Jake definitely had that first love thing going on to the point where it was heartbreaking. But their relationship was one-sided and at some points toxic. I was so glad to see that Molly was able to find her soul mate in Hunter. He's the real MVP of this story.

The twists and turns of this story were a little predictable, but they didn't take away from the story. You seriously become invested in these characters so much that it's hard not to feel for them. They make dumb mistakes but grow from them in the end. It was refreshing to read something that I connected with on a personal level.

Nothing in this story seemed too over the top, but some of this story was slow and repetitive. I also would have liked to know more background information about Sabrina to learn why she turned out to be who she was.

I've noticed this novel had a lot of mixed reviews but I went into it with an open mind.

I've really enjoyed this author's previous novels and from the description, I thought this was going to be another hit for me. I think I liked it more than some reviewers did. Maybe it just hit me at the right time.

I thought it was an entertaining read about young love and relationships.

I'm not sure how I'd categorize this one. Maybe romantic domestic psychological suspense? Either way, I enjoyed it and look forward to more from this author.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, though not as much as Tell Me Lies. I’m not a big romance reader, but I totally get the “eyes met through the crowd and that’s the moment my life began” story. And that’s what happens to Molly and Jake. Told in two different time periods, we see them meet way back and then see them today.

As an aspiring musician, Jake tends to be the typical male rockstar more often than not. Eventually, Molly has had enough of his behavior and leaves him before he returns from his current tour. Throughout all of this, lurking in the background, is Sabrina, the woman Jake left to be with Molly.

Now, both Jake and Molly are married to others and living decent lives. We don’t get the full story of why Molly left Jake back then until the recent storyline, but by then Sabrina has wormed her way into Molly‘s life as her best friend. I suppose I understand that part. What I don’t get at all is Sabrina‘s next move and how she thinks that her plan is going to be the closure she feels is needed.

In summary, there are definitely some edge of your seat moments with this book. I suppose there’s always going to be “that one” who’s going to make everything a mess for their own selfish desires. Not an original story by any means but a decent read. 3.5 ⭐️’s rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book. My review is voluntary. #CantLookAway #CarolaLovering #netgalley

Can't stop reading...this book was fabulous. Love this authors writing style. Just enough information is revealed to make the reader feel like they are figuring out the plot on their own...brilliant. Can't wait to pick up another book by this author.

This is a fun and entertaining domestic drama.

In 2013 Molly was an aspiring artist, living in NYC and falls in love with the lead singer of a band who hits it big with a hit song written about Molly.

In 2022 Molly now lives in a wealthy suburb in Connecticut. She's married to a man named Hunter and has a 5yr old daughter, Stella and actively trying to conceive again. No longer a writer, Molly teaches yoga in a local studio. Molly loves her family but isn't all that happy in her community. She feels like an outcast but one day meets a new woman in the neighbourhood, Sabrina. They hit it off right away but turns out Sabrina may have a bigger agenda than just friendship.

Told over 3 different points of view and in both past and present, we got a great look at all the characters, flaws and all. This story kept me intrigued all the way through and was tied up at the end with a nice, big, red bow. A great quick, summer read!

Many people have experienced an unhealthy love or relationship at some point. Carola Lovering captures these moments and feelings and stuffs them into a new thrilling tale, Can't Look Away.

Molly Diamond is twenty-three and has big dreams for her future. Her dreams all get thrown out the window when she meets Jake Danner, a singer and songwriter. His song about her becomes his claim to fame.

Years later, Molly's dreams have gone out the window. She's settled into a small town, living with her daughter and a husband (not Jake). Her loneliness and other events force Molly to look into her past. What happened during that whirlwind love between Molly and Jake?

Can't Look Away is marketed as a thriller, but it hits more like a domestic drama with thriller vibes. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that! But I feel like knowing this information going into it will help increase a reader's enjoyment.

This novel is all about two points in time. At first, it seems like there's nothing in common between the two, except for maybe the main character. As the story unfolds, so do the secrets. Then it all starts to make a horrifying sort of sense.

I love the introspective take of Can't Look Away. The idea is to take accountability for one's past to move forward. I generally like this concept, and it is done pretty well here.
Overall I would say that Can't Look Away is a decent read. It's not my favorite, and I may not remember it in a decade, but I enjoyed the time I spent reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC of Can't Look Away!

So here's the deal. I really liked this book at the beginning. I like the way that it was structured with multiple time lines and points-of-view. I think the characters were interesting and flawed. However, it started to drag for me and ultimately felt a bit anticlimactic. I think I was under the impression that this book was a thriller, but it really felt more like a dark and twisted romance.

**SPOILER** I think the thing that really bothered me is that Sabrina had absolutely no consequences for pushing Molly down the stairs... Like, they didn't even call the police? And even once Jake and Molly realized how Sabrina had been interfering in their lives, they didn't seem that bothered? I just feel like their reactions to the situation were so unrealistic to me that the ending just didn't work for me.

But back to the positives, I do think the book was well written. This is my first Carola Lovering, and I definitely feel open to more. I like the way that she told the story. I just wish it hadn't lost me in the end. Overall, three stars. I would recommend if you like the author or if it really piques your interest.

Touted as a thriller or suspense, I really wanted to like this book, but it just didn’t work well for me. It had no twists or unexpected surprises, so I would say it is probably more a domestic suspense mixed with a lot of romance, mostly romance, in fact. It is the story of Molly who falls in love at first sight with a band member named Jake. Their relationship just does not work for either of them, so Molly ends up in suburbia Connecticut, married to a man named Hunter and caring for a young daughter. The points of view are from a trio of characters, Molly, Jake and Sabrina. Sabrina is a woman who insinuates herself into Molly’s life and has secrets that she wants to use against her. Molly is in her 30’s in the present timeline and has not ever really let go of her first love Jake. She is out of sorts and feeling misplaced, so she is the perfect victim for Sabrina. The romantic parts of the book had me crying a little. The themes of giving up the past and forging on for a better future were present but not well-developed. The characters were flawed and somewhat realistic, but I was dismayed that almost a decade, Molly had not moved on and followed her dream to become a writer. The dual timeline was confusing at first, but easy to pick up on once I got used to going to the past and returning to the present. I thought that the story dragged at times and I just wanted the book to end so I could see if Molly ever put on her big girl pants and moved on. The lives of the characters change as they age and this was well depicted, but the characters themselves are static, stuck in a past that holds them captive. That part of the book, the part in which there is no going forward was somewhat depressing. I would recommend this book for those who enjoy romance, domestic drama and a slow, methodical path to an expected conclusion.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

“Can’t Look Away” is categorized as a “domestic thriller,” but this is not accurate. In truth, the novel is not a thriller at all, but is really a romance with some suspenseful aspects. The story is based on a romantic triangle between Jake Danner, a self-absorbed rock star, his crazy ex-girlfriend Sabrina, and his “muse” Molly who yearns to be a writer but who works as a yoga instructor instead. I don’t like romances, and this book didn’t change my mind. Not only does it read like a soap opera, but the story seemed dated. Why are two women so obsessed with a narcissistic man? And the psycho ex-girlfriend trope went out of fashion after sexist films like Fatal Attraction. 2.5 out of 5.0 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a complimentary advanced readers copy of the book.

I feel like this book is being marketed incorrectly and that’s probably hurting reviews. This is not a thriller. I would hardly characterize the plot as suspenseful. It’s a drama. There’s some intrigue. It’s mostly contemporary fiction/women’s fiction, with some romance. I kept waiting for a twist that never happened. It was a great depiction of a toxic love story and it was interesting at times, but it dragged for me. Not my favorite.

This story focuses on the lives of Molly, Jake, Sabrina and Hunter. Although the story takes place in 2022 there are also flashbacks to 2013 when the four main characters were in their twenties. The plot of this book is part romance and young love and part suspense. I really enjoyed Molly's character and it was fun to watch her grow throughout the book and to face romantic challenges. The suspenseful parts involve Sabrina and the twists she brings to her relationship with Jake, Molly and Jake's relationship and also Molly and Hunters marriage.

I felt that this book hovered between a three and four star rating. I wish the author had chosen to either focus on the romance and relationships or on suspenseful aspects. The way the book was written neither the romance nor the suspense felt fully met their potential. I also felt that the ending was lacking and there was so much build up for such a short resolution. I did end up giving the book four stars because I really enjoyed all of the main characters and I am still thinking about the book days later.

📣BOOK REVIEW 📣

Can’t Look Away
Carola Lovering

This book was really good! I flew through it! Thankfully it hasn’t been too hot out this week so I could sit by the pool and read!

The book was a love story with a bit of psychological thriller in it. Not too much of either, just enough to be entertaining!

I have read a lot of books that miss explaining story lines or just race through the explanation and this was NOT that book. Everything was explained and I finished the book without any questions (except the usual- “I wonder if the characters are happy now”😂).

Carola Lovering will be an auto-read for me now.