Molly and Jake - now theres a love/hate relationship. Hes a lead singer in a band and she wants to become a writer. Can this relationship survive? They fall in love, he writes songs about her but alas, a decade later we find Molly married to someone else in Connecticut with a young daughter.

The story then shoots back and forth giving us a little bit by bit of info on what went wrong, and also how they will meet up again. Throw a woman names Sabrina into the mix and we find a very tangled web indeed.

Thanks to #Netgalley I got to read this one before its release and I am sorry you will have to wait until June 2022 to get your copy. But please put it on your TBR list because once you start reading you wont be able to put the book down.

I want to preface this review by saying that I will forever read anything Carola Lovering writes. Legit, she could write about the life cycle of the slug and somehow make it the most interesting thing I’d ever read. Can’t Look Away was not my favorite novel by her, but I still loved it. Like I said, Lovering is extremely talented at her craft. While her books are more domestic suspense than anything, they have a tendency to read with the urgency of a thriller, which I love. While this story is not my typical read, I enjoyed it immensely.

★ ★ ★ ★ ½

WOW! My first ever ARC & I started off with a bang!! I went into this book expecting a thriller based on the authors previous works and the cover but it was so different from what I was anticipating!! This story follows the love story of Jake and Molly with jumping years between 2013 & 2022 and the trials of their relationships, friendships, ex’s & new romances. I find that a lot of novels have what I call the “Carrie Bradshaw effect” in which I HATE the main character & simply adore all the side characters but Molly was so incredible, so relatable; I loved her so much! There wasn’t a single character that I hated (I even loved to hate the villain!!) This ending was not like your typical love stories and I was so thankful for that but it also had a very dark & sinister side to it all which I also appreciated because the incredibly cheesy and predictable romances are SO old! Without giving away spoilers, there are some heavy moments surrounding pregnancy/fertility issues so please be aware of that before reading!! I have 2 other books by Carola Lovering that have been on my shelf for awhile now but after reading this book I HAVE to start then ASAP! Lovering is an incredible writer!! official ruling: you NEED to read this book!!
thank you SO much to Carola Lovering, St. Martins Press & NetGalley for this advance copy!! Make sure you read this book when it is published June 28, 2022!!! You won’t want to miss it!!!

@brunette_bookclub on Instagram!

Hmm… This didn’t really fit the thriller bill for me. It was bit of a romance, bit of a drama for me. Obsessions and possible mental issues of one character made things hard for a lot of people who happened to be in her way, but it didn’t make it page turner.

Youngsters fell in love, thought that world wouldn’t go around the sun one more day if they break up, and eventually made bunch of decisions that youngsters make. I didn’t go through that phase (not sure if I’m lucky or not), but I’m sure this love and promises that came with it were the meaning of these 20 somethings’ lives. Being a rockstar’s girlfriend with songs dedicated to her and possibility of publishing a book just like that made this main character felt like million bucks. As days went by, she, along with her other friends, started to see true face of life and maturity hit like a 16 wheeler. Unfortunately some of them continued to live in this fantasy, this expectation that they created. And having the means to do so, they brought destruction wherever they went.

I didn’t love this story, but I didn’t hate it either. It was a somewhat realistic depiction of tsunamis that come with growing up, finding what works for you, and beginning to conform with anticlimactic nature of life. It will be a good summer book to read on a beach.

Can’t Look Away by Carola Lovering

4/5 🌟

This is the second book I have read from Lovering and I love her style and the dynamic relationships she writes. She uses different perspectives perfectly to give you just enough information for the reader to make judgements even if they are not where she is going with the story line.

This book follows Molly, her first love and rocker Jake, and his first love Sabrina. It flips back and forth from each character in 2015 and 2022. In her youth Molly is an aspiring writer and her twin flame is Jake a hot musician with a parting and deep side. They are in love and it is all encompassing. They move quickly and have a nearly perfect relationship except that Sabrina his ex can’t let him go. This along with the musician lifestyle being less than stable is the cause of many problems for these two lovers.

In 2022 Sabrina and Molly meet by accident in their wealthy neighborhood, both married, and at their first couples dinner you learn to who each has settled down with. I don’t want to give anything away so I will stop here.

The setting and style of writing gives this book real lift and flow. This is a very similar premise to Too Good To Be True so the author is really carving out her lane with this type of story. I would say less suspense but domestic mystery feels right. Her use of misdirection and stalking made me question if the characters were stable, which adds to the mystery of each characters true intention. I wish there was a bit more about sabrinas backstory and she showed some remorse, but overall this story kept me entertained to the end.

If you like the silent patient or the good sister this book is for you!

Thank you St. Martin's Press & NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Wow! Five stars to Carola Lovering for Can't Look Away. This book was not what I expected, it's more of a romantic suspense than a thriller, but exactly what I needed. I binged this book and absolutely couldn't put it down - hands down a favorite read of 2021.

This book perfectly intertwines suspense and obsession, packed into a romance story that will have your heart pulled in so many different directions. This book had me thinking and feeling very deeply.

The characters are extremely well developed, and the alternating timelines and multiple POVs will keep you turning the pages until the very end - where you really don't even want it to end. I recommend going into this one blindly and diving right in. Thank me later!

A domestic drama novel that explores the tension between what is right and what is it “we” want. With alternating timelines, drama is naturally built in to the story.

However, I expected a true mystery thriller and on that end…this did disappoint a bit.

I recommend this novel less the mystery thriller lovers and more to readers of domestic drama.

I loved To Good to Be True, so I knew I just had to read this one! We love a good nostalgia story filled with secrets, and with those you won't be disappointed!

Can't Look Away is a story of great loves and obsession. I read this in 2 days and when I had to put the book down, I kept thinking about the characters.
The main 3 characters were well developed and I found myself cheering for each one at different times.
This book was amazing and I know I will be reading others by Carola Lovering.

Molly and Jake have a love that seems impossible to break. But what happens when it does, and she finds herself disappearing from her former life and stepping in to a new life? And more, what happens when a new friend is trying to dig up secrets from the past she left behind?

Can't Look Away is a partial love story and a partial stalker mystery. Surprisingly, I found myself enjoying all of the aspects and points of view! The story weaves from past to present and back, all from the differing points of view of Molly, her ex Jake, and her new friend Sabrina. I do wish we would have had some perspective from Molly's husband, Hunter, but we did hear part of his story through everyone else's. Overall, this was a quick and easy read that was filled with a touch of nostalgia, some "what ifs," and a will she or won't she?

I loved the start of the book—it was an intriguing set up with interesting characters. The flashbacks were well-placed and bolster the reader’s understanding of the protagonists’ motives. I read it quickly, but the ending made me want to throw the book across the room, and not in a good way.

Overall, I liked this book A LOT. I read it QUICKLY, and was very interested to see what was going on. That said, it felt like it was almost two different concepts that were interspersed rather than one cohesive narrative. Another reviewer compared it to You and I see that comparison - many of the secondary POV chapters felt rather out of place with the story coming together otherwise. That said, it wouldn't stop me from recommending it to someone, I'd just tell them to avoid the blurb and go along for the ride.

Can't Look Away by Carola Lovering was a great read. I usually read Domestic Suspense. This was a mix of romance and psychological suspense (maybe?) You follow the love story of Molly and Jake. I really don't want to put too much in the review. There was a little twist at the end. However, I figured out halfway through where this was going.
Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC.

Pub date: June 14, 2022
In one sentence: Molly and Jake had an epic love story, but now he's with Sabrina, and she'll do anything to keep him.

This book is difficult to categorize - a little bit thriller/suspense, a little bit musical fiction, a little bit romance. Based on the cover, I was expecting a thriller, so that threw me off a bit. I liked Molly and Jake's story, but Sabrina felt like a caricature at times. The obsessive ex trope is so common nowadays, so it takes a lot to make it seem fresh. I also got confused with the constant shifting between past and present timelines - it felt like a movie with many quick cuts.

Overall, this book was an entertaining read, but I wish the author had focused the storyline more.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Just a tad bit of cray! Ok… a whole lot!🤪

Molly met Jake Danner when he was a rising rock star. Playing a gig in a local bar, Jake and Molly locked eyes and it was love at first guitar solo! But it shouldn’t be a big surprise that life with a rock star isn’t as magical as it sounds. Eventually, Molly moved on to a healthier relationship with Hunter.

Fast-forward several years, Molly, Hunter, and their daughter are living in a quiet, exclusive community when she meets the mysterious Sabrina. They quickly become besties. Sabrina however, may have an agenda…or two.😉. And Molly’s world is about to be rocked!

If you enjoy your thrillers with a heavy dose of over-the-top crazy, stalker-ish characters this is the perfect book for you. And Sabrina is the type of character we all love to hate!

Be prepared to clear your weekend calendar, because once you start, you won’t be putting this one down.

My first read by this author, and I plan on going back and reading her previous novel.

A buddy read with Susanne.

Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press

CAN'T LOOK AWAY
BY: CAROLA LOVERING

I just knew Carola Lovering's new novel called, "Can't Look Away," besides the one I just read would pull me out of my reading slump--and it absolutely did. I started this early in the morning and read compulsively throughout the day. I lost all sense of time this novel was just soooooo good! It may not sound compelling in the synopsis but it actually was quite addictive reading. My expectations from what I had read in the synopsis weren't high from the description given. My reading experience with this one far exceeded what I had read in the summary. I did trust this Author's ability to place me in capable hands and I knew intuitively that this would be a decent read, I just didn't expect to be blown away as I was. I had read and reviewed her previous book and enjoyed it and this one was even better. Or maybe they are both great but this one I was totally immersed in so that I found it difficult to set this one down. It was quite intense and I loved it.

Molly is at a concert with one of her best girlfriend's and she and the singer Jake lock eyes and begin a deep and intimate love that lasts for years. It reminded me of my youth and how it felt like with a few relationships that I had that I still look back on with fond memories and how powerfully I was drawn to a few serious relationships. I will never forget them. It reminded me of my oldest son's first love in High school and how sweet and how they spent all of their time together. There is no doubt that we carry these memories with us until we marry and have our own family.

Molly and Jake soon move in together and they are deeply bonded together. The novel actually keeps their relationship as the pivotal center relationship rather focused on them for most of the story even though it moves back and forth in time. Moving back and forth between either 2013 and 2014 and then it moves to present day in 2022 where she has married a man named Hunter whom she is married to with a precious five year old daughter.

The novel has a somewhat Fatal Attraction vibe going because Sabrina is Jake's former girlfriend who he didn't want to move in with prior to meeting Molly. He just didn't feel the same way about Sabrina as she felt about him. Sabrina in present day, 2022 orchestrates an intentional meeting with Molly in Molly's IVF doctor's waiting room commiserating about the frustrations of going through the heartache anybody feels when they have difficulty conceiving a child. Sabrina, lets just say is stalker like and pretends to be Molly's friend in a community where Molly's good friend's don't live.

To say anymore would spoil the story and the thrills and chills are some of what in this case knowing as little as possible going into this excellent novel is going to reward the reader with the biggest payoff. Just trust me that this is a multifaceted story that you will not be able to stop reading once you start. I am sorry that I have read it because I think it's definitely a favorite of 2021 for me and the rest of my reading commitments aren't calling me towards them. I bumped this one ahead of the list because I know how nuanced and talented Carola Lovering is. I realize that my review does not do this fantastic novel justice and I already regret reading this first instead of saving it to look forward too. Just know that I LOVED it! Highly, Highly recommended! It will remind you how unforgettable your first love was. It explores jealousy and obsession and how destructive it is. It will keep you on the edge of your seat wanting to keep reading and turning the pages. You will neglect your responsibilities for the time being while immersed in this excellent storytelling. I did. Once you start this you will not want to stop until the final page is read. Then you will be sad that it's over because the book grabs you and never let's you go.

Publication Date: June 14, 2022

Thank you to Net Galley, Carola Lovering and St. Martin's Press for generously providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#Can'tLookAway #CarolaLovering #StMartinsPress #NetGalley

I really enjoyed this book. Molly, a 23 year old writing student, has a chance meeting with an up and coming singer. They hit it off and become that couple that is completely in love with each other. As Jake, her boyfriend, becomes more successful, Molly begins to see the relationship for what it’s worth. Jake’s number one in his life is becoming a successful singer. Molly makes a difficult decision to move on in life without him.
Fast forward, Molly is now living with her husband and little girl, teaching Yoga classes and completely happy with her life. Most of the women that live in her town are uptight and concerned with how much money you have. She then meets Sabrina. The only down to Earth friend she has found in this town. After hanging out a few times together, they decide to have a double date. When they meet at Sabrina’s house, Molly is so excited to finally have a friend to go and do things with. When Sabrina opens the door and reveals her husband, it is none other than Molly’s ex boyfriend. Emotions run high through the rest of the book while Molly tried to decide if she made the right decision so long ago.

Another 5/5 for Carola Lovering.

After reading Too Good To Be True (amazing - do yourself a favor and get lost in that book!), I immediately put myself on the list for this ARC. Thank you for giving me an early look into another incredible journey. This time, the story of Molly, Jake, Sabrina, and Hunter takes you through an incredible amount of ups and downs, and takes a look at fate, timing, personal choices, what-if’s… and more. Told in both now/then chapters, as well as alternating storylines, the read is armed with multiple vantage points. Love these characters, love their story. Thank you for bringing them to us!

I loved the first half of this book. And then it turned too uncomfortable for me. Maybe I don’t like books that involve cheating but o couldn’t root against the jealous, crazy woman because I agreed with her.

Pleasantly surprised by this book, although predictable in some aspects, the story was twisted and lives intertwined in a suspenseful manner that keeps the reader wanting more. I found myself wondering what happened to the characters at the end and wanted more closure. Overall a good read.