Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The synopsis of this book sounded intriguing to me so I requested a copy to read.
Unfortunately, I have tried reading this book on 2 separate occasions and during this 2nd attempt, I have
decided to stop reading this book
and state that this book just wasn't for me.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

Oliva - an actress/starlet needs to revamp her image after some shenanigans are reported in the tabloids so her manager signs her up to a spiritual retreat called House of Light. The first part of the book centers around her time there and the weird treatments they have available. During her time there she meets Ava who has a conspiracy theory that some suicides/deaths of young women in the area may be attributed to the center. I found the first half rather slow and didn't really like, but I'm not huge into cult or retreat books. My fault for missing that in the blurb

The second half starts to move more swiftly. Olivia is putting together a podcast investigating both the retreat and the deaths in the area. For those of you who enjoy podcast type novels this may be for you. There was some of the podcast interspersed in the first half but not enough to keep my interest, but found myself enjoying the second half more. The ending did surprise me but not in a huge twisty way, just wasn't expecting it. I wouldn't say there was anything mind-shattering here just more a "detective" mystery.

For those of you who have read this author, Ava is a character from Dead Letters. It took me forever to finally realize that connection. You do not need to read that one first but it did provide a little backstory going into this one, but would not ruin the read...I personally really enjoyed Dead Letters over this one but did like how it had some shared characters.

Overall not a bad read but some of the topics may not be for everyone-me included. If you are into retreats, cults and or podcasts this may be one for you to try out.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy

I have to admit, I was skeptical. The beginning didn’t hook me and I thought I’d plod along for the sake of it.

But I was pleasantly surprised. I felt like it picked up momentum after Liv gets the podcast. I appreciated the pacing; it wasn’t revelation after revelation which is unrealistic. The slow progress worked, kept it grounded.

The focus is partially on Liv, the rich, famous girl turned amateur sleuth. She was a surprising narrator. I expected her to be unlikable or haughty. She’s self-aware enough and unapologetic about it, but without being obnoxious. It’s a fine line that the author pulled off.

The ending makes sense and it satisfying.

This book started off a bit slow but it picked up and I read it in about a week. Overall it was enjoyable and I would recommend it

Celebrities, Cults, and Podcasts

3.5 stars

Dark Circles is a character study about a fledgling starlet, a cult, and a mystery that plays out over a podcast.

When Liv Reed, an actress known more for being in the tabloids vs. her profession, is sent by her management team to dry out at a retreat in the Finger Lakes in New York state, she is not prepared to embrace the cultish ways of The House of the Light (HOL). Her neighbor at the retreat, Ava, who was featured in Dolan-Leach’s book Dead Letters, brings to Liv’s attention that four girls have disappeared from the HOL around the equinox and have turned up dead. Ava urges Liv to start a podcast and use her fame to draw attention to the HOL and the dead girls.

The narrative is told from Liv’s perspective. Mixed in are podcast interviews and promotional ads that play during commercial breaks. The ads were clever and snarky and had me cracking up. I also enjoyed how Dolan-Leach wove in Reddit message boards and focused on commentators who play armchair detective.

It took a while for me to connect with this book. I was expecting more of a mystery than a character study, which contributed to my reading struggles. Much time isn’t spent investigating, but most of the time is spent on Liv, her past, and coming to learn who she is when she is not playing a character. However, once Liv is fully embroiled and begins investigating, things click, and I was finally drawn in.

Liv is not a likable character; she is self-destructive, rude, and a bit of an asshole, but she does grow. I enjoyed her biting sense of humor. My favorite moments were when she spent time with her dog Richard and interacted with her father.

The writing is dense and detailed, which, at times, worked to its detriment. Some parts of this book dragged, but others were compelling. There are some unexpected twists and turns, and I liked seeing characters and references from Dolan-Leach's other books. Even though I didn't love Liv, I was invested in her character, and humor kept me turning the pages. Overall, this is a slow-paced but intriguing, dark, and atmospheric read.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

HMMM. I wish I could rate this higher. There were some things I enjoyed about it. The heroine, Olivia, is a Lindsay Lohan-esque "starlet" who is tabloid fodder for her drunken antics and public fights with her co-star boyfriend. Her manager, Jess, forces her to check into a wellness clinic (NOT rehab we are told again and again - why not rehab if she has substance abuse issues?) where she can get some "rest and relaxation." swim, eat "clean food" and get her New Age vibe on. The first third of book moves slowly, but entertainingly and has some biting wit. I went back and forth on the heroine - sometimes I really dug her (at least she's not the drunk, memory-deprived, meek housewife of the usual thrillers), other times she came across as superficial and annoying.

Soon, a young woman's body is pulled from a nearby lake, and another resident at "The House of Light" shares her theory with Liv that the wellness clinic is murdering women (this is the fourth female victim in the vicinity - all with some connection to The Light) - but the cops are declaring them all suicides or accidents.

There was never a real sense that Olivia (or the friend, Ava) were in any kind of trouble themselves, so the murders seemed a bit gratuitous, as if the author had really wanted to write a satire on wellness culture, but her agent and/or manager said "let's make this a thriller, come on, that's what sells! Add some bodies!" We never meet the women who died - they are just there for effect. Then the author oddly shoehorns in some "wokeisms" - ie, it's really black men who are in peril, not white women! (Yes, such are the times that white women aren't even allowed to be victims in books where they are the ones being killed). When Olivia decides to put on a podcast about the murders, her producer tells her it's fine that they are exaggerating their claims because the producer is a woman of color. Huh? No, sorry, you don't get to pretend there are murders happening because you're a person of color. These "wokeism tokens" are so gratuitous and not fitting of the Olivia character that they really made me roll my eyes.

Other things bothered me here - Olivia is supposedly such a substance abuse addict that she has ruined her career - but from the second she gets to The House of Light, she doesn't have one withdrawal symptom (other than to jones for her Instagram). The story also quickly devolves into "how to make a podcast" rather than sticking with the fundamental "who done it" aspects of a thriller. (And as a journalist, I was pretty horrified to learn that apparently you can just accuse people of being a serial killer in a podcast, despite lack of evidence, so long as it's entertaining!)

I feel like there was a lot of potential here - the psychological thriller genre is ripe for needing stronger, more clever heroines - and it felt like the author was going in that direction, but the plot just kind of got away from her. I think others may truly enjoy this though.

Thank you #NetGalley, Caite Dolan-Leach, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for this honest review.

The first 1/3 of this book left me a bit cold, but then it really picked up. The true crime podcast was a touch of genius, and it really allowed the story to come out slowly (but not too slowly). Were the dead women harmed by their cult or not? Keep reading the book to get all the answers.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

The dark side of the wellness world gets explored in this wonderfully thrilling entry from a favorite author of mine. Compelling characters, an intriguing plot, and a fast pace will have you racing towards the end while savoring the ride.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Caite Dolan-Leach for the advanced copy of Dark Circles in exchange for my honest review.

Actress Olivia Reed (Liv) has had a rough go of it lately, and in a very public way. Her publicist (and best friend) is able to secure her a spot at a remote retreat in upstate New York: The House of Light. Liv is hesitant to go, worried it will be seen as rehab and will destroy her public image. She is assured it is not rehab, but it's an opportunity for yoga, meditation, and personal growth.

Liv quickly learns the House of Light is anything but what it seems. Her neighbor at the retreat, Ava, tells her about the series of mysterious deaths of young women who had some connection to the Light. Each woman's death was ruled a suicide or an accident, but Ava doesn't buy it. Putting her celebrity status to good use, Liv starts a podcast, hoping to expose what's happening at the House of Light and solve the mystery of what happened to these women.

I won't lie, this sounded quite intriguing, but right off the bat in chapter one we have a reference to Lena Dunham, and that just didn't sit right with me. Of alllll the real celebrities that could have been name dropped, why someone as vile as her? This is simply my opinion, but starting this book off with a casual name drop like that just didn't sit well with me.

Liv is a horrible human being. Point blank period. I was never rooting for her, did not care what happened to her, several times wished she was real so I could slap her, etc. Truly zero redeeming qualities for me. She at one point becomes fixated on stepping into another character's shoes and I was sooo offput by it.

The House of Light feels very reminiscent of Scientology, made weirder by the fact that the comparison is actually made in the book? It seemed strange.

Suffice to say, this one was just not for me. Still many thanks to all for the opportunity to read it.

Dark Circles is on bookshelves in the US April 19, 2022.

This is a story of a rebellious young celebrity (maybe an errant Kardashian sister, a Lohan, or a female Pete Davidson) who goes to a “spiritual retreat” to rehab her bad behavior, and instead finds herself in the middle of a potential cult with a series of mysterious deaths.

My favorite thing about this book was the distinctive, wisecracking, straightforward and zippy narrative voice of the Kardashian-like girl, aka Olivia (“Liv.”) Unlike the actual Kardashians, I was taken with the heroine and her straightforwardness right away, and was equally taken with Dolan-Leach’s beautiful, sometimes haunting, and often funny writing.

I did feel this book was too long - it clocks in at almost 400 pages. That means it takes a very long while to get where it is going, which takes away from the suspense and the sense of scary urgency a book like this needs to propel the action. As a fan of more straightforward suspense genre books, I think I would have loved a 250-page version of this book with quicker plot twists and a lot less description and exposition.

However, the character of Liv won me over and I enjoyed the read, and very much enjoyed the two ending twists. In her next effort I’d love to see this author tighten up the story, the timeline, and speed up the action but retain the lovely storytelling style and great knack for characters and narration. I was very taken but the author’s writing style and I’d love to read another (hopefully shorter) book by her. I struggled a bit in the middle of this one, which I felt meandered, but the ending came through. 3.75 stars, rounded up for great author potential and talent.

I loved DARK CIRCLES! Wow, I was hooked right from the beginning and didn't want it to end. We follow starlet Olivia Reed as she gets slowly uncovers a spiritual retreat's dark secrets. This book is very well written and so captivating. I enjoyed all the characters, the structure, and the twists! Thank you, NetGalley

Liv Reed is in a bad place. Her relationship with her boyfriend is in tatters and her once-promising acting career might never recover. A drunken meltdown witnessed by the press makes for front-page tabloid headlines, and she is pretty much looking up at rock bottom. Her publicist arranges for her to attend a spiritual retreat, where she can escape the pressures of her life, detox, and hopefully emerge in a much better place.
But the House of Light is unlike any rehab center Liv has spent time in before. Ava is also there to heal, or so Liv initially believes. The truth is far darker though. Ava is a conspiracy theorist's perfect dinner companion. She believes that several young women whose deaths were ruled as suicides are connected to the House of Light and that they are somehow responsible.
Liv starts to believe Ava and decides that a podcast will be the perfect way to expose the truth. Each clue or supposition is revealed to her audience in real-time, and it soon goes viral. Liv just might be the next victim though as she quickly learns that where there is smoke, there is fire.
For the most part, Liv's personal life as well as her podcast and the mystery surrounding the House of Light had me quickly flipping pages. A few times the momentum faltered for me, but then something else would happen and I was engrossed in the story again. Did I latch on to any of the red herrings in the book? You bet I did, and I was convinced this would end in a much different way. I was a little disappointed in how it all wrapped up, but that is because I was reading too much into some of the theories that were introduced.

3.25 – 3.5 STARS

As I delved between the pages of “Dark Circles,” a cult-inspired thriller, I had high hopes going in based primarily on the story’s unique and intriguing premise. But despite the added suspense element of a suspected serial killer and a celebrity podcast dedicated to unearthing the truth for personal gain, the overall story and characters just fell a bit short for my personal liking. That’s not to say that “Dark Circles” doesn’t have its merits, but it was slow to unfold, and there really weren’t any major surprises along the way towards its lackluster ending. So, while I did find “Dark Circles” to be a moderately enjoyable read, it was difficult for me to remain engaged throughout most of it, hence, earning a rating of just over 3 stars.

I reeeeally wanted to love this one. The good: the writing was phenomenal! It was vivid and descriptive and wrote out the whole scene for you. The mystery of a cult and killer is always a plus for me. The bad: the pacing just wasn’t as quick as I liked. I had to sort of force myself to pickup the book at the beginning and truck through it. The characters didn’t bring much emotion out of me so I was a bit nonchalant about it all. Aaaand I wasn’t the biggest fan of the ending. Ahhh negative Nancy back at it but it just unfortunately wasn’t for me.

Thank you Random House and netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review

A troubled actress enters a rehab in the finger lakes area of New York. She quickly became somewhat disillusioned about its cult like character and staff. Then she learns of the deaths of four young women who had been part of the Light. She decides to start a Podcast about this history and begins it while still investigating the deaths and the Light. I am basically a character driven reader and if I develop a connection with or liking for characters in a novel will hang with it until finishing it generally in a day or two. Unfortunately I did not connect with these characters at all and, as a result, spent over a week forcing myself to read on even though I really didn’t care what happened to them! Yet, in all honesty, it was extremely well written and plotted. Yes I did suspect the conclusions (there was more than one area being investigated) but that did not detract from the competence of the story. Had I liked any of the characters, I’m sure it would have been a solid five stars. Thanks to Net Galley and Ballantine for an ARC for an honest review.

I honestly wasn't sure what to think about this book in the beginning. Some of the dialogue seemed either to be targeted towards a younger demographic, or seemed like the author was trying to hard to sound "current". Fortunately, I stayed the course because after the first chapter or so, the story gets REALLY good and engrossing. I stayed up way past my bedtime, rooting for Liv, even though she was not always a sympathetic protagonist. I ended up truly enjoying this book, and plan to look for future titles by Caite Dolan-Leach.

Thank you to Random House - Ballantine for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Dark Circles by Caite Dolan-Leach is a gripping thriller that will appeal to fans of The Sanatorium or Nine Perfect Strangers. The story revolves around Liv, an actress whose publicist is sending her to a spiritual retreat in upstate New York called the House of Light. The House of Light promises yoga, enlightenment, and realignment, which is exactly what Liv needs after a public meltdown and frequent drug use. But while Liv is there, she discovers that the House of Light is involved with four mysterious deaths. Could the House be murdering young women as some sort of ritualistic sacrifice? Liv starts a podcast to investigate the deaths.

Here is an excerpt from Chapter 1, which introduces us to Liv:

"The retreat is not one of the famous ones. It’s not in Malibu, or Hawaii, or even in Thailand, which is where I frankly hoped I was going to end up. (Southeast Asia bucket list, amirite?) The price tag for treatment at this one is cheaper, and it’s lower-profile, which suits my needs perfectly, I’m told. But I guess there are other reasons for choosing the House of Light. For starters, it is NOT, technically, rehab. It is a well-respected Spiritual Center, a site for those seeking realignment and personal growth. It is a place of yoga and morning meditation and soft bamboo-blend fabrics where we all will hold hands and snuggle our crystals and . . . I guess wake up with the sun?
Because it is not rehab, the focus is not on substance abuse. I think this is why Jessica likes it best, since I will be spending time there for rest and relaxation, not to dry out. I’m there for sun salutations and quinoa! She has even called the director who passed on a project I pitched, who will say, if the press asks, that I’m working on a film with him, a story about a clean-living hippie out in the sticks working on her daily asanas as she finds her way toward harmony after the tragic death of her daughter."

Overall, Dark Circles is a fast-paced thriller that you won't be able to put down. I am a fan of thrillers set in exotic or creepy locations, and the House of Light definitely fits the bill. I was enjoying the chapters when Liv was in the spiritual retreat. Midway through the book, Liv leaves the retreat, and she starts a podcast. It was a pretty abrupt change. Although I enjoyed the first half of the book more, it was interesting to see Liv go from retreat participant to true-crime podcast host. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of thrillers in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in April!

I’ was sort of torn on how I felt about this book when I finished reading, but after some thought I ultimately settled on a 3.5/5 stars rating. While the synopsis sounded so intriguing - an actress having a public breakdown turns to a spirituality retreat to re-center herself, only to uncover a mystery - I did find some parts of the story to be dragging.
What I loved about this book was the sort of live action true crime podcast theme. Olivia spends some time at House of Light, a spirituality retreat, to step out of the public eye after an embarrassing meltdown. While at HOL Olivia meets another guest, Ava, who believes the HOL is responsible for the deaths of four women. Using some of Ava’s research, Olivia sets off on her own to uncover the truth, while reporting everything she finds to her millions of podcast listeners. I enjoyed the interviews, the podcast, and following Olivia around while she tries to uncover clues.
I think what turned me off the most was Olivia herself; She was self absorbed, kind of whiny, and wholly single minded - but she was also written as a Hollywood actress, so I sort of took those off-putting traits as intentional by the author.

Dark Circles by Caite Dolan-Leach is a superb read with an engrossing plot and vibrant characters. Well worth the read!

thanks to netgalley for an ARC of this book. i found the plot a little far fetched, and as someone not on social media, i wasnt terribly interested in the importance social media plays in this book. the writing is decent, but i didn't feel very involved in the storytelling. the impetus for the plot is the mysterious deaths of several women connected to a spiritual organization/cult. an actor whose career seems to be on a downward spiral because of her off screen behavior, decides to start a podcast to report on her investigation into the cult and the deaths. a deeper dive into her life earlier in the book would have gotten me more interested. instead the author dribbles out little pieces of her story throughout the book. i read a lot of crime fiction and found this unexceptional.