I was ecstatic when I received this @atriabooks and @netgalley because I LOVED The Last Thing to Burn so much!

Will Dean is a brilliant writer and storyteller. He really delves deep into the inner psych of people and their deepest selves. This book did just that with respect to Molly and Katie (KT) Monozygotic twins. Both are extremely different and live different types of lives yet they are super close and share that special “twin bond”. I enjoyed the different personalities and the fact that the story remained one POV for the most part. It kept you in Molly’s head and helped the story remain somewhat of a mystery.

While I knew something screwy was going on-I will say I did not see the big twist coming. I mean-the deception! I was thrown and in the best way. I knocked half a star off for the fact you really half to suspend belief for the ending and there was A LOT of internal dialogue which made the book a few pages longer then needed but all in all this was pretty fantastic and super entertaining. He has done it again!

One-sentence summary:
First Born is a psychological thriller about a woman investigating the death of her identical twin.
—-

People who love summer-read types of twisty thrillers will most likely devour this. Those who enjoy stories that are more grounded and realistic and, well, we’ll say ‘plausible’ may end up rolling their eyes by the end and perhaps even feel a bit manipulated. Still, they’ll most likely be entertained.

I was hooked throughout most of this book and couldn’t stop turning the pages. Clearly, I was a bit conflicted about the ending. I think I would have been more accepting of the way it all wrapped up if it was written in a different perspective - in other words, not first person, although I typically love first person.

I do think the premise of this is very fun, but perhaps a different execution, for me, would have made it more palatable. But I do think there are plenty of thriller lovers who will appreciate all of the twists and turns and most likely be blown away by the ending.

This comes out July 5!

Thank you Atria Books for the ARC!

This was my first Will Dean book and he really sucked me into the story. This was a page turner for me. The beginning started out strong, the middle dragged a bit for me, but the ending made up for it. The motive for the murders was lacking a bit in my opinion - it didn’t all make complete sense to me. The twist at the end, even though I saw it coming, was still very creative in my opinion. Overall, First Born is a gripping, mysterious and slow burn thriller.

Read this if you enjoyed:
▪️ The Maid
▪️ Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

First things first, before you go into a Will Dean book it’s best to know as little as possible so I think all you need to know here is that Molly and Katie are twins and when Katie gets murdered in NYC Molly leaves England to go and try to see what happened with her sister. I swear that’s it but doesn’t it still sound really good?!

Much like the authors last book this was a total binge read and it had me in its clutches from page one. I will say that compared to the second half the first one is on the slower side but I was never bored. Things just take a big turn halfway and then it went from a good read to a great read for me so if you happen to start this and wonder if it picks up, it does for sure! Not much else I can say without spoilers but I highly recommend this for fans of clever and twisty thrillers. You may need to suspend disbelief at some plot points, but when a story is addictive as this one is it’s worth it!

Ｒｅｖｉｅｗ: ⭐️⭐️

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆’𝒔 𝒏𝒐 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒔.

📖 description: Molly and Katie are identical twins, but other than their DNA, nothing else about them is identical. Molly is quiet and anxious living a contained life in London. Katie is vivacious and spontaneous living in New York. The two were inseparable until Katie moves to NYC, but they still keep in touch and talk daily. When Molly learns that Katie has been murdered she is thrown into unknown territory. She goes to New York to find out happened to her sister.

💭 thoughts: I didn’t love this. The first 10% was intriguing and captivated me and the last 10% was twisty and fast paced, but everything in between was just.. meh. The first twist was really good and caught me off guard, but from then on the rest of the book was predictable and I saw the final twist coming the second the first twist was revealed. None of the characters were at all like-able besides Jimmy, the smoothie cart guy 🥴 The majority of the dialogue felt forced and awkward to me.

𝑴𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆, 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒆 𝒄𝒊𝒓𝒄𝒖𝒎𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔, 𝒔𝒂𝒚 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒐𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒐𝒘𝒏, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒔. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒕𝒘𝒊𝒏. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒐𝒘𝒏.

This book is really well received so I’m surprised I feel as harshly as I do. This is a slow to start, twisty, psychological thriller, so if you like those, I’d still recommend this as there are so many who have enjoyed this a lot! Thank you so much to Atria Books & NetGalley for this ARC.

ᴘᴜʙʟɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ: ᴊᴜʟʏ 5ᴛʜ

ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴀʀᴄ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴘʀᴏᴠɪᴅᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴇ ʙʏ ᴀᴛʀɪᴀ ʙᴏᴏᴋꜱ ᴠɪᴀ ɴᴇᴛɢᴀʟʟᴇʏ ɪɴ ᴇxᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀɴ ʜᴏɴᴇꜱᴛ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ.

Wow wow wow..
This book had so much going on..
Then the twists hit and it get so much more interesting.
When you think you know...think again.
Loved everything about this book..the writing style, the execution, the shorter chapters.
Definitely will look for more from this author in the future.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

First Born by Will Dean shells out uno reverse card after uno reverse card.

Twenty-two-year-old Molly Raven has an obsession with analyzing and maintaining her safety and security at all times. She’ll never leave her phone charging unattended, nor will she fail to check daily that her fire alarm is functioning.

Molly’s safe bubble threatens to burst when her parents call, informing her that her twin sister Katie has passed away in a probable homicide in New York City. Although identical twins, Katie was the polar opposite of Molly - she was the outgoing and adventurous one.

Molly flies to NYC to meet up with her parents. Sure she can help the police with their investigation, Molly probes into Katie’s life and begins to realize she didn’t know her twin as well as she thought.

This slowly-plotted psychological thriller strictly follows Molly’s pov, and what an exhausting perspective it is. At least, it was at first. Her habit of overanalyzing every situation and expecting and preparing for the worst was tiring just reading about it. However, she eventually grew on me.

Just when I thought I had it all figured out, the author slammed down another uno reverse card to shake things up. The plot became slightly dramatic, but it fits with the story and setting.

If you are an anxious traveller, maybe don’t read this immediately before commencing your trip. It’ll have you considering things you probably wouldn’t have given a second thought until Molly put the bee in your bonnet. I’ll be going on my own trip to NYC soon, and now thanks to Molly, I’m a wee bit paranoid. I kid. I think?

Thank you to Atria Books for providing me with an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

https://booksandwheels.com

Twisted story of identical twins who are nothing alike. Molly is an obsessive worrier and leads a quiet life in her hometown of London. Katie is adventurous, has lots of friends, and lives an exciting life in New York. When Molly gets word of her sisters death, which happened when her parents were in town visiting, she is determined to find out what happened. As Molly digs deeper into Katie’s life she finds that things weren’t what they seemed. Dark story with some unbelievable twists. Impossible to put down.

Molly and Katie are identical twins in appearance but could not be more different in personality. Katie is the vivacious one, looking to take risks, always wanting to be the life of the party. Molly is the neurotic one, always plays it safe, and feels most at ease in the comfort of her flat.

Molly receives a phone call from her parents that Katie has been murdered while living in NYC. They need Molly to come out to be with them. This is venturing so far out of Molly's comfort zone but she must be there for her parents and she must find out who did this to her sister. No one knew Katie as well as Molly did and she believes that her knowledge will help aid the investigation.

This book took it a step too far into the land of implausibility for me and it's difficult to discuss why without spoiling this book for future readers. There is a twist at the 50% mark that many other readers found jaw dropping but I found baffling. It just didn't fit with everything we were told previous to it. Not only that but as soon as I read the twist I knew exactly what the final twist would be and I was spot on. It was the only way Dean could go while still remaining somewhat in touch with reality because otherwise I would have really been scratching my head. I know how vague this is and I know that this review isn't going to be very helpful for those trying to decide if this is for them. Just know that you will really need to be able to suspend disbelief to thoroughly enjoy this. Will Dean is a talented writer and one that I have enjoyed in the past. This story just wasn't for this reader this time around. It happens. 2.5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for my complimentary copy.

Cleverly plotted and super twisty!! Will Dean has done it again with First Born, the second novel I've read by the uber-talented author (if you haven't read The Last Thing to Burn, I highly suggest you do!).

Molly and Katie are identical twins but as Molly likes to remind us, they're completely different. Molly is a compulsive worrier who plans and plans for each scenario to the nth degree while Katie is happy-go-lucky, a party girl. While they might be completely opposite, they've always been inseparable, best friends: that is until Katie moves to New York City to attend college at Columbia University leaving Molly in London.

It's in NYC that Katie is murdered while her parents are visiting. Molly joins her parents and immediately tries to find out what happened to her sister since the police don't seem to have much to go on. Molly, grieving from the traumatic loss of her twin, begins talking to everyone who was close to Katie. She's not leaving without answers but instead, she opens up a web of lies, betrayal, and jealousy.

This novel starts out as a slow burn-- it's definitely a novel of two halves, perfectly fitting for a book about twins. It never feels slow, and Dean perfectly executes the twists and plot. I will say that I had an idea very early on about the first plot twist but dismissed it as being impossible--when I turned out to be right, I shrieked and my jaw dropped! Even suspecting it, I was shocked, and it didn't take away from my enjoyment at all. If you're a fan of the unexpected twist, you'll love First Born!

I definitely recommend you pick this up when it releases on July 5, 2022!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

-review was posted to Goodreads and Twitter on 6/13/22 and will post to Amazon and Barnes and Noble on publication date.

Thank you to Will Dean, Atria Books, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of a digital reviewer copy in exchange for an honest review!

Twisty. Surprising. Unexpected.

“I am half a person. The darkest half.”

SYNOPSIS:
From the acclaimed author of The Last Thing to Burn, a psychological thriller about the dark secrets that emerge when a woman’s twin sister is murdered, with his signature “intense, gripping, taut, terrifying, moving, and brilliant” (Lisa Jewell, #1 New York Times bestselling author) prose.

Sisters. Soulmates. Strangers.

Molly Raven lives a quiet, structured life in London, finding comfort in security and routine. Her identical twin Katie, living in New York, is the exact opposite: outgoing, spontaneous, and adventurous.

But when Molly hears that Katie has died, possibly murdered, she is thrown into unfamiliar territory. As terrifying as it is, she knows she must travel across the ocean and find out what happened. But as she tracks her twin’s final movements, cracks begin to emerge, and she slowly realizes her sister was not who she thought she was and there’s a dangerous web of deceit surrounding the two of them.

REVIEW:
I took a special interest in Molly's character - as one that was especially careful and avoided all risk-taking. Every aspect in her life has been calculated and researched to avoid any danger at all costs. Readers will spend most of the novel inside her thoughts, which could get a little overwhelming.

To be honest, I went into this book without the highest of hopes for the outcome and truthfully thought it would be a DNF read. Boy, was I friggen wrong! This was the first novel I have read from Will Dean and after finishing, I sprinted to add The Last Thing to Burn to the top of my TBR pile.

I wrote down my prediction of what happened to Katie after page 62. I could not have been any more wrong! The twist hit me from left field and knocked me down. And while I was down, the second twist came out of no where and knocked me out. This book was nothing short of great writing with well-accomplished character development roller coaster ride.

Will Dean is perfection when it comes to writing about covering up a murder crime scene.... almost like he has professional experience with it! HA! The intricate details he transcribes in covering up any forensic evidence could easily be translated into a guide of getting away with murder!

Once again a wild ride from Will Dean. Having previously read and reviewed a book by this author, I knew it wouldn't be anything in the norm. However, I didn't know how crazy it was going to get. This book had so many twists and turns I could never get used to them. Not to say that is a bad thing, I just never knew what to expect and it was definitely exciting. The story follows Molly, who abruptly must fly to New York from England because of the sudden death of her twin sister. However, things are never what they seem, because it would appear that Katie, her sister, was murdered. The characters were well-written and the interesting thought process from all of them was definitely engaging. I greatly enjoyed the way the story really seemed to encapsulate someone's first trip to Manhattan, especially as Molly had very specific anxieties and things that would be upsetting to her. I definitely recommend this book if you want a swift thriller that will keep you on your toes the entire time!

Will Dean provides readers with a dark, disturbing, and engrossing psychological suspense novel with First Born. Trigger warnings for explicit and gruesome violence.

Identical Twins Katie (KT) and Molly Raven grew up so close that they had their own language as children, one they sometimes still use as young adults. Though identical in appearance, they are opposites in personalities. KT is full-of-life, spontaneous, adventuresome; Molly is full of fear, and sticks to a routine that keeps her as comfortable and "safe" as possible. KT has moved to New York City to attend Columbia University while Molly remains in London with their parents. Molly finds life difficult without her "other half", while KT seems to thrive.

When their parents are visiting KT for the first time in NYC, KT dies and the police suspect she was murdered. Her parents call Molly with the shocking news and ask that she fly to New York immediately so that they can be together and bring KT home. Molly balks, saying she can't possibly get on an airplane, it's far too dangerous! They insist, and against her will, Molly joins them in New York.

Once there, Molly tries to learn more about her sister's life, hoping to understand what happened and possibly find who is responsible for KT's death. What she discovers makes her wonder if she ever really knew KT at all.

This book starts off fairly slowly as the background story is set-up, but once that's accomplished, it takes off like a bullet-train!! A fantastic read, I'm giving this 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

My thanks to Atria/Emily Bestler Books for allowing me to read an ARC via NetGalley. The book is scheduled for release on 7/5/22. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

Can there be too many twists in a thriller?
I was all in for the first half of this story and, it did hold my attention to the end. While I can suspend disbelief for this genre, First Born ended up being a few steps too outlandish for my taste.

This honestly blew me away, it was so good. During the first half, I was thinking that not too many exciting things were happening and that this would be another middle-of-the-road suspense. Then all of the sudden, the story went in a completely different direction and I was mesmerized. The ending brought several delicious and wicked twists. It was brilliant. This is one of my favorite books of the year so far! Fans of Jennifer Hillier and Wendy Walker will relish this.

What I enjoyed most about First Born is that it surprised me. I thought it was a quiet character study.
This is an unputdownable thriller that starts as a slow burn. I thought it was going to be a bit standard…and then BAM

Lots of red herrings, misdirects and a great ending! I found the beginning a bit of a slow burn but then it dramatically picked up half-way in with a stunning reveal. This is a wild ride though at times, I had to suspend disbelief at the ease with which the main character undertook certain actions. A thriller well worth the read!!!!

Thank you to the publisher for my review copy. All opinions are my own.

"It's not any particular city that's evil. It's the people who live there."

So apparently June is shock Amy with thrillers month lol.

I finished this title and I looked around like wait, what? Or more likely What the actual Hell just happened up in here. I loved it.

Twin stories fascinate me. This one contained several of my favorites.

*Unreliable narrator
*NYC
*A storm coming and all the atmosphere that ensues
*Family drama

Overall. Really, really good.

I keep fluctuating back and forth between 3 and 4 stars on this one...so I think it's probably closer to 3.5 for me. I really enjoyed the story and was actually surprised by the twists which was a nice change. I even fell for a few of the red herrings that were thrown in the story. The main character annoyed me with her worries about everything, and I just generally didn't find her very likeable. Overall, though, the story kept me interested and engaged. My first book by this author, and likely won't be my last.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC.

A heart pounding twisty thriller.
Many thanks to Atria and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.