For a gripping and atmospheric thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish, “Dark Circles,” by Caite Dolan-Leach is a novel that masterfully blends elements of mystery and suspense.

Focused around protagonist, Olivia Reed, an actress who is encouraged by her team to take some well-deserved time away for rest and renewal at a spiritual retreat.

However, rather than fun and relaxation at the House of Light Center, Olivia discovers that she is in a regimented lockdown facility run by mysterious, stern and secretive individuals who even discourage friendships with other attendees.

Olivia’s unhappiness mounts as she discovers sinister secrets linked to the retreat.

JoyReaderGirl1 graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Caite Dolan-Leach, and Publisher Ballantine Books for this advanced reader's copy for review.

Good book that was an easy read for me. Well done and well written with an engaging wording. A good one to add to your to be read pile.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

This is an intriguing thriller, which keeps you captivated from start to finish. I like that I couldn’t quite figure out the characters agendas until later in the book. I felt like I was at the edge of my seat throughout the book.

Dark Circles by Caite Dolan-Leach is a mystery/thriller about an actress, Olivia, who ends up at a spiritual retreat after a recent public meltdown. While there, she learns that there may be something strange going on with this House of Light retreat. As she tries to solve the mystery, she starts a podcast about it. This book was a quick, fun read, and I enjoyed it. Thanks to NetGalley for the free, digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

I love books with a true crime podcast element! Olivia needs a break and she finds it at The Light, a spiritual center but when she discovers there are many suicides linked to the center she knows not everything is as it seems. I don’t want to say too much but this kept me on my toes.
Thank you #ballantine and #NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Dark Circles by Caite Dolan-Leach is spiked with tingles of suspense. The reader can anticipate the promise of a healthful retreat in a lovely setting for a few paragraphs before doubts and questions begin to surface. Caite Dolan-Leach presents no-win options with disasters probable for action and inaction. Plenty of tension to keep the reader up all night.

Liv is a somewhat successful actress who has had a public meltdown. Her best friend is her manager and they have a very strange relationship to say the least. Liv is a mess. Her mother disappeared when she was a child. Her father treats her like a meal ticket. Her relationship with her BFF is too much. Liv also seems desperate for love and attention from men. The BFF decides Liv needs to go get “help” and sends her to The House of Light, which is some kind of woo woo place that doesn’t sound at all like rehab and more like a cult. There she meets Ava and learns from her about all of these women from The Light who have “died by suicide.” Did they or did something nefarious happen to them? Liv decides to get to the bottom of this and starts a podcast as she investigates.

Writing that all out, it still sounds like a book I want to read. But, I really struggled with this one. Mostly because I had a lot going on while I was reading it but at the same time, I am certain that I would have finished it much sooner if I had been invested.

The podcast part was fun and good. The cult was weird and I still don’t really understand what happened. I think Liv needed more character development, and the book would have benefited from some stronger editing overall.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The novel, Dark Circles, is about a young, troubled actress dealing with her latest public breakdown which leads to her to the House of Light wellness retreat in upstate New York to sort herself out. She meets some people there one of which is a conspiracy theorist. She learns of some mysterious deaths of young woman that have occurred at this “wellness center” which later turns out to be a cult. The story alternates between the actress’ time at the retreat, her true-crime podcast, her dark, secret-filled past, and the mysterious deaths at the House of Light retreat. This novel was a good suspense novel with a hazy ending that, in the end, left me with many unanswered questions.

This is the story of Olivia Reed, an actress who has made a few spectacles of herself, y’know, some drinking and drugging while the paparazzi takes pictures, so her manager decides to send her off to rehab. Well, rehab isn’t really “rehab”, it’s more like a cult. As Olivia finds out about what is happening behind closed doors, she decides to record a podcast and expose the cult. A little slow in the beginning but I enjoyed the last half.

Moderately successful, young television actress Olivia Reed's self-destructive acts lead her to a stay at the House of Light, a spiritual retreat in the Finger Lakes. As another body of a young woman is found in Lake Seneca, Liv learns about the mysterious deaths surrounding the center, Soon Liv decides to begin a podcast examining the deaths, which could possible lead to her learning more about her mother's disappearance 15 years ago. Liv creates a lot of drama wherever she goes, but if readers are patient they will find a good story surrounding the podcast plot.

I love true crime and podcasts so assumed this would be a slam dunk or me.

Unfortunately, although the author's writing is enjoyable, the plot was not. Cults are not my favorite themes, and this story was very convoluted and dragged on and on. I've tried to read this book for over a year but just can't get into it.

I'm rating this 3 stars because of the writing and the fact that it's simply a matter of the book's subject not being a good fit for me.

This book was very exciting. I still think about it sometimes to this day. The twist got me, which is sometimes hard to do with a thriller.

This is my first Caite Dolan-Leach book, and certainly won't be my last. I was very much intrigued by the description of this book and was not disappointed!

I truly loved the plot and the character development -- Caite's words absolutely came to life and this book hooked me until the very end. A great book for 2022!!

Dark Circles is a phenomenal thriller from start to finish. Filled to the brim with twists and a captivating plot, this one is sure to keep readers hooked. The characters are well-developed. The story is incredibly fast-paced. This is one not to be missed! Highly recommended! Be sure to check out Dark Circles asap.

Took me a long time to get into this book and ultimately I didn’t love it. I skimmed through to get to the end but felt a little let down. I appreciate the opportunity to read this book. Did not post this to Goodreads since I think this just wasn’t for me.

Hmmm this is a difficult one to review because I just really didn't like it. Now that may be just me, but not my cuppa. So I will give it a 3 because the writing was OK.

Okay! Very well written and plotted out. I just don’t know how I feel about it.

I have a few questions about the ending that need to be tied up. I’m pretty sure I can deduce where it was going but it felt open.

Give it shot, you may love it.

Olivia needs a break from acting, her micromanager comes up with an idea for her to go on a retreat.
it’s a Spiritual Center, a site for seeking realignment and personal growth. Liv will soon find that the House of Light is filled with darkness. Liv starts a podcast, seeking to connect the dots and expose the Light’s true intentions. Because beneath the glowing skin of the Light’s inhabitants lie rotten souls, and Liv starts to wonder if anything—even her own life—is how it appears.
Great book. Kept my interest , if want find out if Oliva connects the dots, take a read through this wild ride.
Thanks to netgalley , ballentine books, and the author in exchange for an honest review.
Published May 10th 2022.

This was a great mystery that I flew through. The main character is kind of hard to like but the mystery around the house of light was so intriguing. And I found the true crime podcast to be a fun addition to the story.