This was a good one. I could not put this one down! Incredibly fast paced read that got better with every page!

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I felt the story was moving really slowly and I just was not connecting to any of the characters.

Ten years ago, Molly fell in love with a musician, Jake, seemingly at first sight when their eyes locked at one of his shows. After a few years, "Molly's Song" became their biggest hit and they toured the world, their romance hit the rocks, ultimately ending their relationship.

Fast forward ten years and Molly and her husband, Hunter, are living in the NYC suburb, Flynn Cove, struggling to conceive their second child while Molly is also struggling to fit in with the other moms in town. While they live in an affluent area, their savings are dwindling. In strolls Sabrina, a newlywed woman who happened to take one of Molly's yoga classes and is also struggling to conceive. They become fast friends, only for Molly to come to dinner at Sabrina's house and realize that she is married to Molly's Jake.

I truly could not put this one down, but it's no secret that Carola Lovering has authored two of my favorite books in recent years, Tell Me Lies (yes, it was turned into a Hulu show) and Too Good To Be True. That being said, Can't Look Away gave MAJOR "You" vibes. It goes back and forth between the past and present, as well as multiple perspectives. Typically, I'm not a fan of those types of books, but this one really played well into the story and I didn't mind it one bit. I can't wait for the next hit!

As always, a big thank you to St. Martin's Press for a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.

3 stars

(please check TW for this book)

The synopsis for Can't Look Away immediately piked my interest. It sounded a bit like a thriller/romance and boy if that didn't hook me. But it was a bit more thriller than romance. Which I didn't mind. In fact I liked both genres mixed together. But something about this book, I just didn't care for.

I enjoyed the characters, in fact I loved Molly. She was such a sweet character. It was nice to see her come into her own. I did not like Jake. He was too selfish for me to enjoy. Now I don't want to spoil things, but I am so glad this book ended the way it did. But my absolute favorite thing about this book is that it wasn't your typical thriller. In most thrillers there is that build up to that final moment where the storylines merge. And it felt like because of all the lies and secrets that it blew up in the "villain's" face before that could happen. And that was very satisfying.

I was a bit bummed about the epilogue, it focusing on my least two favorite characters bummed me out. I would have much preferred a different set of characters. I also still have many questions and feel a bit vexed that I didn't get more closure. But sometimes books just leave you hanging and this was one of them.

After reading Tell Me Lies and being a little disappointed . . . I thought it was a one off and I'd try reading another Carola Lovering book. Here I am with Can't Look Away and it's safe to say that, for me, it's the author.

I feel like this book had so much potential. There were a lo of things that I actually really liked. It was just boring and dragged out. The author sticks to a format and doesn't deviate. In this case, the constant going back and forth in timelines. It worked for this book until it . . . didn't.

The ending felt a little rushed, too. I'm glad it didn't go with the cliché happily ever after. I wish I had more positive things to say.

The drama!! It’s official, I love all of Carola Lovering’s books and will read anything she writes. This was just so entertaining and kept me needing to we what happened next.

I’ve been trying to fit this story into my rotation and finally had the time. What a fantastic psychological thriller/romance story! Molly and Jake are young and deep in love but his music career keeps getting in the way. Molly meets Hunter and they form a friendship that moves into a relationship. Flash forward 10 years and guess who shows up in the same small town as Hunt and Molly??? The story is told from different perspectives from the past to the present. I can’t wait to read her other stories! 4.5 stars

BOOK REVIEW

BOOK: Can’t Look Away
AUTHOR: Carola Lovering
FORMAT: Audiobook
GENRE: Thriller
DID I CRY: No
PUB DATE: 6/14/22
RATING: 9/10
4.5 stars

Thank you @stmartinspress for my #gifted advanced copy of #CantLookAway !

MY THOUGHTS

This book is marketed as a thriller, but know that it’s for sure romantic suspense!I have such a love for romantic suspense as a subgenre and Carola Lovering is truly the queen of it! The writing of this book is so good & translated really well to audio. I love multiple POVs, especially with the romance aspect to the plot. The setting added to the story as well, we love a wealthy CT suburb in New England. I loved the music tie-in to the plot as well, it gave the book another layer of depth.

The theme of young love following you through life helped us connect to the characters and definitely empathize with the MCs more, which adds to the suspense in my opinion. The love stories in this book were also fun to follow. I found myself rooting for different outcomes as the book progressed & ended up very satisfied with how it all played out. All in all this one was great & i highly recommend!

Well… to my surprise this wasn’t a thriller, so going into this thinking it was, had me a bit disappointed. However, there was still enough to keep me interested and kept me reading. I like that things were wrapped up nicely.
The description/classification should be changed though so others aren’t utterly disappointed!

The year is 2013 when Molly and Jake meet and are instantly attracted to each other. But Jake has some things going on that confuses the issue and Molly decides to let him go. Fast forward to 2022 when Molly is married and has a daughter. She's successful in her life overall and lives in a ritzy community. But it takes a while for her to make friends...thus, meet Sabrina her new neighbor and friend.

Each of the three characters above has their own POV, which I feel makes the story more interesting. That being said, I wasn't 100% engaged in the characters' lives. I kept waiting for the "thriller" aspect of the book to hit me but it never did. By time I finished the book I was left wondering how it was listed as a thriller. Maybe I expected too much, but in my opinion this book is not a thriller and it lacks the twists and turns that I love in a thriller too. I did like the book but I couldn't love it.

I've been bamboozled! The cover and the synopsis led me to believe that this was going to be a thriller. This was not a thriller. Not even close. I would say more of a romance/relationship drama. Hell no. If nobody is getting murdered, I don't even know what I'm doing here. The plot was trite and the people were annoying. I found it tedious and it was not for me. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

2.5 stars. This is a book that could have benefitted from an updated description and a better marketing plan. Anyone expecting a thriller will be disappointed. This is a domestic drama that can feel like a soap opera at times. There was also a heavy dose of romance - which I never would have requested the book if I was expecting that.

This was really great! Kept me on my toes and I didn’t want to put it down. The end!!! Jesus Christ! This author has a way with words to
Keep you engaged and guessing!

When I read the description, I thought this would be a great read. When I started this story, I wasn’t so sure but was pleasantly surprised.

Twists, turns, and red herrings, this story is very entertaining. Things play out and wrap up as they should.

I have to say I'm a little perplexed at why this was marked as a mystery thriller. I do see that it had some mysterious type parts in the plot, such as where Sabrina came from and who she is but I really don't think that this qualified as a thriller. that being said, I felt that there was a lot of drama and good pacing of the story that made me want to keep turning the pages. I was invested in Molly and her story and how her story with Jake would turn out. I wanted to know more about Sabrina and how she intertwined with the story. I did really enjoy this and will read more by Carola Lovering.

A novel of domestic suspense that was entertaining from start to finish. We follow Sabrina, Molly, and Jake as their mysterious love triangle unfolds over the course of adulthood. While some elements to the plot may have been predictable, the writing kept me interested in seeing how everyone's life stories would end up.

Being my first Carola Lovering book, I am eager to read Too Good To Be True after finishing this one. The writing was great and kept the pages turning. Molly and even Jake were likeable enough characters that I was invested in their relationship and seeing what would become of them. Sabrina was awful but I believe she was supposed to be from the start.

Would definitely recommend to lovers of the next domestic suspense novel.

SO Good!! Devoured in one day. I think there was an element of it that was pretty unrealistic but it was still believable and not totally out there. I found it to be less psycho-thriller and more domestic drama - there wasnt a lot of heart pounding thriller type moments. I liked the romantic drama sprinkled in.

This is the second book that I have read by this author and I liked it! I love sexy suspense novels, and this one had me guessing all the way until the end. It wasn't too long, and perfect.

Didn’t like the characters. Just couldn’t get into it. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for review

This was a good book with a strong plot. I liked the character development and the whole rock star relationship vibe. I expected more of a plot twist, but this was still and excellent book and I enjoyed the ending. IT annoys me when characters are portrayed in stark black and white and this book did not do that. There was plenty of gray area. I recommend it!