Carola Lovering is absolutely an auto-buy author for me. I loved Too Good To Be True and this one did not disappoint!!

Things I liked:
- All the different POV’s. I thought all the POV’s were necessary and added a lot to the story
- Alternating timelines. I found the alternating timelines sooo good. It gave just enough information that you were never lost in the story but also always left wanting more. I was invested in both the past and the present in this one

Things I didn’t like:
- I found the ending to be way too romance-y for my liking. The entire novel was thrilling and suspenseful and then the ending almost seemed like a completely different book.

This one does have some pretty serious trigger warnings but they are also spoilers so I won’t be mentioning them here. Please do your research before picking up this book.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this one and will be looking out for Lovering’s next book!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The first thing to say about this book is, despite being marketed as such, this is NOT a thriller. I think it does a huge disservice to a book and its author when readers go in expecting something completely different that what it is.

This book was a rather slow burn about love, lost love, jealousy, revenge and redemption. It was a pretty good book overall, and the writing was very good, but the story never really sucked me in and I didn’t care too much about any of the characters. It seemed to stall out for me about halfway and I had to push through to the end (it did pick up in the last 15%). I liked this book, but I didn’t love it. I do wonder though if I would have liked it more going in without the expectation of a thriller.

Unfortunately this fell flat for me. There was sadly not a single thing about this book I enjoyed. I didn’t find any of the characters to be interesting & have the same feelings about the plot. This was a domestic drama not a thriller as I believed it was going to be.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

In the beginning, Molly (an aspiring writer) and Jake (an aspiring musician) fall fast and hard for each other, but when we revisit their lives almost 10 year later Molly is married to someone who is not Jake. Within the pages we learn about the ups and downs of their relationship, as well as get introduced to a few other characters (Jake’s ex, Sabrina) who will play significant roles in their lives.

Can’t Look Away describes exactly how I felt when reading this book. I didn’t want to put it down. I needed to know how these relationships developed and how their complicated love stories would play out. Nothing was exactly what it seemed to be, but this wasn’t the case of an unreliable narrator. It was simply Lovering’s ability to tell the story without telling the full story, and then filling in the details as we went along.

There were a few places where I felt the story bordered on over the top, but overall this is one I would recommend for a quick, entertaining read.

This book was a wild ride. I loved the dual timelines so you could really get Jake and Molly’s story from before, while figuring out what was happening with Sabrina currently. I figured out all of the twists before they were revealed in the book, but it did not take away from the story at all. I loved every bit of this story and how it wrapped things up for all of the characters in the end.

Can't look away starts out as a typical romance between a musician and a fan. Molly sees Jake up on stage one night and their eyes meet, then in typical romance fashion, they fall madly in love and move in together after only a few months. But, that's where the typical romance ends.

We also have the voice of Sabrina, Jake's ex-girlfriend and she's obviously not over Jake.

Jump to 10 years later and Molly is living in a Connecticut suburb with her husband Hunter and their 5 year old daughter, Sabrina is also in this same town and out to make Molly's live hell, after she befriends her, of course.

Can't Look Away is a good summer read! It must be well done because I really can't stand Sabrina!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for this honest review.

I was very excited through the first half of this book with the obsessive characters and intriguing storyline. However, the ending fell flat for me because I was expecting a major twist. Instead it ended exactly how I expected. I liked it, but I was hoping more for a thriller.

This one fell flat for me after TGTBT. Once the big reveal of who Sabrina/CC is, everything else is drawn out. The book feels too long.




I received an advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

This is a fast paced romantic suspense. It’s a roller coaster ride of mystery, domestic drama, deception and thrills. I really enjoyed the well developed, intriguing plot. The drama kept me engaged in the story. Very enjoyable read. *thanks to NetGalley for the complimentary copy. This is my honest review*

Thought-provoking for sure... It's a giant game of "what if" except with consequences... and secrets... and all the things that make for a fabulous thriller. However, I didn't find the beginning scenario with Molly and Jake all that realistic, but using my imagination, I made it work.

This one just didn't pull me in like the last Carola Lovering book I've read and I sadly gave up before it ended. However, as with all books, I hope you'll still give it a shot because the writing is great and characters are charming!

Twenty-three year old Molly dreams of becoming a writer, while working as a barista. One night at a concert, she locks eyes with a singer, Jake Danner, and can’t look away. She thinks he’s perfect, but in fact he isn’t.
A decade later she is t the writer she dreamed of but is married to Hunter. She’s lonely and feels out of place. When Sabrina shows up, Molly thinks she finally has a friend. But Sabrina has ulterior motives for having moved in.

This thriller was one I didn’t see coming and definitely couldn’t “look away.” It’s a domestic drama with angst romance and felt like a Lifetime movie.. which are my fave. The drama factor is definitely there.

2.5 stars, nothing spectacular here.

Thanks to some trusted GR reviewer friends, I had adjusted my expectations for this one and went in knowing it was a domestic drama, not a thriller. Yet still, I didn't find much to connect with here. I didn't like any of the characters and the plot was kind of been there, done that.

We have three points of view, all of them are selfish in their own ways, and some of them are crazy stalkers. It's a straightforward story overall though, the characters only think about themselves and what they want. It annoyed me to no end that Molly, an intelligent woman with a master's degree, is basically hanging around wanting these men to take care of her and encourage her rather than being strong and pursuing her writing ambitions herself. All of the characters acted like love and being in love with particular people was the ultimate thing in life and without it they were empty shells worth nothing. I just wanted to shake all of them and tell them that they are grown adults and they should act like it and stop wallowing in teenage angst well past the teen years.

I'm not sure this author is for me, I don't get into the sappy melodrama and soap opera-style drama. I listened to part of this as an audiobook and did like the full cast narration. It kept me more invested than reading it on the page.

A tense exciting read told in dual timelines.. A compelling read that is highly addictive. A must read!

4.5

Carola Lovering’s latest was one of my plane reads and I’m so glad I had uninterrupted reading time for this one. I absolutely love her books and writing style.

Twenty-three-year old Molly has big dreams of becoming a writer. She meets the dreamy musician Jake Danner and they quickly fall in love. Fast forward 10 years and Molly is living the suburban life in Connecticut with her husband and young daughter. When Sabrina moves to town, Molly thinks she’s finally found a real friend. But Sabrina has an agenda of her own ….

I loved this drama filled read! The dual timelines and multiple POVs effectively framed the story and built tension throughout the book.

Lovering is so good at creating multidimensional characters that draw you in and make you question your initial assumptions.

Take Molly. She can’t stop wondering if she made the right life choices and romanticizing her past relationship with Jake. Jake is excitement, passion and volatility, while her husband brings stability and grounds her. Should she blow up her perfect life for a second chance ?

Then we have Sabrina. She’s conniving, smart and wickedly fun to read. But she’s also vulnerable and really just wants to be loved.

Can you tell I really connected with this one !?

Needless to say, I can’t wait to read Carola Lovering’s next book! Thank you SMP and Netgalley for the eARC to read and review.

Wonderful read! I love the characters and the plot. It kept me engaged and on my toes the entire time! 4 star read!

When an Old Love Surfaces

Molly Diamond once an aspiring writer is now a wife and mother living in an affluent community that she doesn’t feel comfortable in. Like all couples, Molly and her husband, Hunter, have their struggles exacerbated by Molly trying to get pregnant with their second child.

Ten years ago, Molly was madly in love with Jake, the lead singer in a band. He even wrote a hit song for her. Now she’s hearing the song again and old memories come back. In the midst of her problems, Sabrina moves to Molly’s community. She’s different from the other women and Molly is sure she’s found a friend.

Sabrina, however, has a past and it ties to Molly. As their friendship unfolds secrets both from Sabrina and Molly surface. Now Molly has to face things she would rather keep buried.

The story is told from three points of view: Molly, Sabrina, and Jake. I thought it added a lot to a rather mundane story to have insight into how each of the characters viewed what was happening. I didn’t particularly like the characters. There was much happening that could have led to growth, but none of them seemed to change or want to change.

If you enjoy a rather gossipy romantic interlude, this book is for you. It is definitely not a thriller of a mystery, but it can be an enjoyable read.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

Can’t Look Away is my second book by Carola Lovering and after finishing it, I can say with some certainty that she’s an expert at blending complex characters, suspense, and domestic drama into one bingeable story, perfect for your next beach or poolside reading session.

WHAT I LOVED:
❣️Lovering does a great job at creating characters who feel very real. None of them are perfect – every single character will do things that make you want to throw the book against the wall – but you will still empathize with each of them, even the antagonists.
❣️This realism extends to the plot and conflicts as well. There are no easy solutions or fixes (just like in real life sometimes) and Lovering really excels when writing about these morally ambiguous gray areas.
❣️This was a quick read. I read it in one sitting as the pacing was near perfect and made me want to keep reading, even after I said I would stop after one more chapter.

WHAT I DIDN’T LOVE
❣️Many of the twists were predictable and didn’t feel unique to the story. I had the ending figured out about 25% of the way in, but even with that, the writing was strong enough to make me want to keep reading.
❣️I think there is a marketing issue with this book. I’ve seen a lot of people and publications refer to it as a thriller and that is a misnomer in my opinion. This is definitely more of a domestic drama with a splash of romantic suspense, so be sure to manage your expectations heading into this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I kept going back and forth with my final rating with this book, but I decided that I’ll leave it at a three-star. I didn’t hate this book by any means, but I also didn’t love it.

I struggle with considering this a “thriller” because to me it felt more like romantic suspense with drama. There were some thrilling elements here and there, but I personally wouldn’t consider this book a thriller. If I knew this was going to be the case beforehand then maybe I would’ve gone into this with a whole different mindset.

I did enjoy having 3 POVs with a past and present timeline. I don’t normally enjoy the obsession trope in a book, but I feel like it worked great in this one.

Sabrina was probably the most interesting character, reading about her obsession with Jake and Molly was very fascinating. I loved Molly and Jake’s characters, and the music involved with them both. I think all these characters were very engaging and held the story to the end. It did drag a bit and I would’ve enjoyed a better ending, although it was very realistic.

Overall, this was a decent read. I would’ve enjoyed it better if I went into it expecting something else. It was still a fun and captivating read though!

If I had gone into 𝐂𝐀𝐍’𝐓 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐀𝗪𝐀𝐘 by Carola Lovering expecting a thriller, I might have been disappointed. However, I didn’t and I was delighted! Luckily, I’d heard rumors that the marketing on this book was off. Once again, a book that is not a thriller was nonetheless listed as one (both on Edelweiss and Amazon). The publisher’s blurb does not use the word thriller. Instead it calls this book “a sexy suspense novel,” a much better descriptor. If it were me, I’d call this one a genre mashup of romance and light suspense, but no matter how it’s categorized I really liked this book.⁣
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𝘊𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘓𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘈𝘸𝘢𝘺 was my Covid recovery book. The first couple days I had it last week I couldn’t read at all, but when my head cleared, I flew through this book. I loved the story of Molly who at 23 falls in love with an up and coming rock star, Jake. Their romance is like a fairytale, but let’s not forget in fairytales there are always problems and sinister characters. Jake himself is a problem as he struggles to find balance in his life with Molly and his budding career. Filling the sinister role is Sabrina, an ex-girlfriend of Jake’s. Their stories all fit together very nicely.⁣
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I now consider Carola Lovering an auto-buy author for me. I’ve read all her books and love that they’re each very different, but all equally engaging. I found 𝘊𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘓𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘈𝘸𝘢𝘺 more in the vein of 𝘛𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘔𝘦 𝘓𝘪𝘦𝘴, but not nearly as toxic and much more romantic. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
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Thanks to @stmartinspress for an ARC of #CantLookAway.

Can't Look Away by Carola Lovering is a complicated book with an unclear genre. This book is a thriller, but I would call it more of a romance with some suspense. This book has 3 POVs, which can become convoluted, but Lovering handled it easily. It is a slow burn to unravel each character's secrets. I don't mind when there is a slow-moving plot, as long as the climax is worthwhile. Lovering did a fantastic job of developing characters that are well-rounded and grounded.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for the ARC.