Member Reviews
Although this is the second book featuring some of the characters it is easily read as a stand-alone as I did. Mo, Chloe and Hazel are roommates and best friends, when one of them is sexually assaulted the other to what to get justice for her. The main characters for likeable and relatable, they make some bad decisions just like real life! It is a fast paced,, easy to read and deals well with what still is a difficult subject.
I clicked request on this title as soon as I saw it because I've read every book by this author in the past few years and always enjoy them. I loved Hadley and Grace and really liked In An Instant. So because I made an impulsive choice without reading the blurb, I had no idea that this was a follow-up from In An Instant. Imagine my surprise! That notion stayed on my radar as I read through, and several times thought to myself, I wonder if people who didn't read In An Instant will understand the story well enough to enjoy? I imagine they do get enough back story to follow it because it's another time and another location, but I suggest perhaps reading the other story first for your best enjoyment.
I was quickly pulled into reading this and trying to follow the clever clues left behind by all of the 3 MC friends who turned out to all be unreliable narrators, with the chapters alternating POV's among them. The second half of the book takes off and kept my interest while eating dinner and straightening up my kitchen. I had to know what happened! But then I found out what had happened... and I was a bit confused at being played by the author. This is not a spoiler. From chapter one you'll realize that you have to pay close attention or you'll be left behind. Read closely, pay attention, form your own theory about what happened after that horrible night when one of the best friends is date-raped. But have fun reading this well-written suspense about 3 close friends who will sacrifice anything for the others' safety and reputation. 4.5/5 and recommended
p.s. The author writes a compelling afterword to explain how and why this story came to be. Don't skip it!
TW: As mentioned in the book blurb which is pretty spoiler-y on it's own, you should know that the story's main plot revolves around a drugged date-rape. Avoid this if you're sensitive to this topic.
Moment in time is a heartbreaking story full of emotions. I enjoyed it and couldn't put it down. The characters are well-developed and very real.
Thankyou #netgalley for an unedited ARC. I stumbled upon this author when I got a copy of In an Instant through Amazon Prime first Reads and added the audio. I was easily one of my favorite books ever! I had all the feels. Therefore, super excited to have a chance to read this as it has several of the same characters 8 years later. While it was nice to revisit some of the characters, I think if you compare to Instant you will be disappointed. This story tackles a very important subject matter but some of the mini side stories kind of distracted away from it. And I had so much frustration with the little fibs or lies of omissions that then spiraled insanely. But then again, maybe that is how some would react/act. Loved Ruby and some of the side characters even if how Chloe encounters them seems a bit far fetched at times. Overall I enjoyed the story but will not rave about it in years to come as I do with In an Instant.
Another great read! This story had characters from her other book but you do not need to read the other book to read this. If you happen to read in an instant first then it only adds to the characters and their depths. I was glad as at the end of the other book I thought a lot about the characters and what happened to them. This story was told from multiple points of view and is about friendship and redemption and how every action has multiple reactions. It also is about a very real and serious topic of the use of roofies and sexual assault, which often go unreported and/or there is not enough evidence for charges to stick. Care for yourself but be observant and cognizant of those around you especially your friends.
This is a follow-up to the author’s earlier book, “In An Instant”, but can easily be read as a stand-alone. Moe, Chloe, and Hazel are struggling 20-somethings when Hazel is sexually assaulted and disappears. Mo and Chloe piece together who’s at fault, but before they can act, someone beats them to it. Meanwhile, they’re trying to track down Hazel, who remains MIA. Their concern about her committing suicide grows as the pace of their “investigation” continues.
This one just didn’t interest me, mainly because I was continually questioning why the girls continued to make bad choices. When a deep love is achieved in 48 hours, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. But I did enjoy the writing style; the characters were colorful, especially Chloe (a veterinarian) and her love for animals. I’m interested in reading “In An Instant” since it wasn’t the author, just the girls’ haphazard choices that earned the mediocre rating.
Sincere thanks to Lake Union Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is March 8, 2022.
I was SO invested in In an Instant so I was really excited to read Moment in Time. While it was still good it wasn't nearly as engaging . That being said I would absolutely still read another book by this author, even based on these same characters.
I really felt for Hazel and wished she got to shine more because she was an interesting character to me. I was rooting for Chloe which was a change from the last book. I'm glad she's grown as a human.
Overall it's a good read but not on par with In an Instant.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an eARC copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
I enjoyed the story, but I didn't think it was as good as the first one (In An Instant.) This one fell short. Will continue to follow this author though!
I liked this book a lot. Mo and Chloe are both amazing characters whom I would love to read more of in the future. You almost feel like you know them in real life, as Suzanne does a terrific job with their character development. These women are strong and so unbelievably likable. I especially loved the authors note at the end of the book. Thank you for the advanced E-copy. I’m very appreciative.
I really enjoyed Hadley & Grace by this author and when I saw the blurb for her current work I just had to read it and am I ever glad I did. I would also like to thank other reviews who mentioned reading In An Instant first! It was such a joy to meet up with Chloe and Mo again, this time as young women in their mid-twenties. This was such a dark book getting into the nitty gritty of roofies and date rape. Ms. Redfearn does not shy away from tough topics and is such a terrific story teller. I loved how she was so hard hitting here and the author's note at the end was a nice touch. I like how the girls friendship and sticking together was at the forefront of the plot. I zipped through this one in a single sitting because I had to know what really happened, and I loved the simple but surprising twist.
This was an interesting story about friendships, and how the assault of one of three young women, change all of their lives.
Mo, Chloe and Hazel live busy lives in San Francisco, until Hazel experiences a sexual assault by an acquaintance of her friend Mo. He is then physically assaulted and it appears to be one of the three,which becomes a journey of secrets and manipulation to distance themselves from the event and protect the unknown revenger.
The story takes us from San Francisco to the woods of Oregon, as new friends are pulled into the mystery. This was a tangled plot, and sometimes difficult to follow, but all in all, an enjoyable page turner. It included a sweet rescue dog, which always makes a book even more enjoyable.
My thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Suzanne Redfearn for the ARC. All opinions are my own. It’s a worthy four⭐️.
I am so thankful I was able to read this after, In an Instant. It carried over the characters without being a sequel. It really did a nice portrait of how women of sexual assault and be treated. Great read that I couldn’t stop once I started.
"Bad decisions made with good intentions are still bad decisions." (James C. Collins)
Suzanne Redfearn presents another go-round with some of the characters from her previous novel, In An Instant. Both novels deal with tragedies in the making. You don't necessarily need to read In An Instant to enjoy this one, but the backstories will have far more meaning if you do.
It's eight years since the family's vehicle went off the icy road and sent them spiraling into a deep snowbank far below. There were survivors and there were some who were not. Chloe Miller went on to become a self-employed veterinarian of Happy Tails and her best friend, Mo Kaminsky, is at the helm of a fact news start-up. They share an apartment in San Francisco with Hazel who is a brilliant young woman.
What starts out to be a fun night out at a local bar will turn into a shocking experience for one of them, in particular, and for all of them in general. Please NOTE: One of them will have her drink tainted and end up being raped. (This warning is intended as a heads-up if this triggers something from an experiential background.)
The very thing that caused concern with In An Instant reared its head in Moment in Time. Faulty decision-making and knee-jerk responses circled the wagons, once again, in this novel. I would have thought that eight years later would bring some maturity to Chloe and Mo, but alas, it did not. Their problem solving skills were weak at best. Redfearn takes this situation on a road trip as well weaving us in and out of restaurants and motels with romance building by leaps and bounds in the background. The victim is literally steeping on the sidelines like brewing tea in a cup. A wait and see instead of being pro-active with solid interventions. (Not exactly helpful to real victims)
Moment in Time is a book that you should experience for yourself. There were some rewarding moments (especially with Ruby the rescue dog) and the run-up to the ending. Read the Author's Notes at the end which actually reveals how she came up with the idea for the book. And a side-bar note to give pause before clicking away on social media burning with emotion rather than with good sense.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to Suzanne Redfearn for the opportunity.
Eight years after Mo and Chloe survive a terrible accident that changed their lives forever, they are living together with their friend, Hazel. Now in their mid-twenties, they’re navigating life with various degrees of success.
One night, Hazel is drugged and sexually assaulted. Soon after, she goes missing. Mo and Chloe decide to track her down, but can their friendship survive more trauma?
I am a huge fan of author Suzanne Redfearn, and her novel In An Instant was emotional and compelling. This is essentially a follow up to that novel, but that’s pretty much where the similarities end. I did enjoy this one, and the writing is wonderful as always…but I didn’t love it like I thought I would.
Without going into details, the characters are extremely immature, and they make bad decision after bad decision…making everything worse than it would’ve been. They may as well have still been 8 years younger. Throw in some cockamamie plot twists and a budding romance that turns into love after 2 days, and you’ve got this novel. It just wasn’t very believable.
I still recommend this to the author’s fans, and I’m glad to have read it. Parts of the story are very powerful, and I don’t want to negate that. I was entertained, and never considered DNF’ing. The author’s note is a must read as she describes how she came up with this story.
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 3/8/22.
Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com
This book is hard to put down and readable in a day! It tackles the difficult (for me to read), but very important topic of rape, and had a couple of unexpected twists. The characters were interesting and relatable, although I did think that they made some unbelievable choices at times. It was fun to see Mo, Chloe, Kyle and others from In An Instant, and I understand from the author’s note that other characters are in Hadley and Grace and Hush Little Baby, which I look forward to reading as well.
Wow! Suzanne Redfearn knocks it out of the park again! In An Instant was a book that had a huge impact on my life and one that I think about often. When I heard there was sequel, I knew I had to have it. I loved that this novel followed characters that I had previously fallen in love with. The characters were so well developed and relatable. While I haven't read any of her other books, I really like how Redfearn includes characters from her other books in this one. It just feels like one big happy family. I felt like this book had a thriller aspect to it that I really enjoyed. I found myself not being able to set it down because I just wanted to know who did what. Redfearn did a wonderful job and keeping the readers guessing with her numerous twists and turns. Overall, this was book that I throughly enjoyed and will most definitely be recommending to my friends.
Moment in Time will be on those books that will stick with me for a long time to come. It's intense, powerful, moving, and at times, tough to read. The characters are all resilient, strong, independent women, all in their twenties trying to make a name for themselves and figure life out. All are very relatable.
I didn't realize this features characters from several of her other books including In An Instant and Hadley & Grace, but after meeting them in Moment in Time, I can't wait to read her other books. You don't have to have read her other books for this one, and it reads wonderfully as a standalone. However, if I read In An Instant first, some of the different elements of Moment in Time wouldn't have left me wanting to learn more.
A fantastic read that you won't be able to stop reading with an ending that may surprise you.
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
4/5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Suzanne Redfearn's new novel, Moment in Time. This one has everything that I look for in an unputdownable book....some laugh out loud moments, some heart wrenching ones, and characters that feel like friends from the very beginning.
Chloe's life changed when she survived a horrific accident that took the lives of her sister and brother several years before. Now, her fierce compassion encompasses not only her friends but all of the animals that she rescues in her mobile veterinary van. Her two closest friends, Mo and Hazel, share an apartment where Chloe finds herself crashing more often than not, usually with an animal in need of some TLC. But when Hazel and Mo go out one night and Hazel becomes the victim of an assault, the ties that bind the three friends are pushed to extraordinary limits.
This is a story about loyalty, friendship, morality and unconditional love. So relevant in light of the #MeToo movement, Moment in Time has all of the makings of a modern day classic.
I hadn’t realised this book is technically a sequel, it definitely still works well as a standalone! The only reason I’ve given it a 4 is because I did find the characters overwhelming initially… I struggled to work out who’s who and who they’re referring too! Although, I feel I wouldn’t have had this problem if I’d already read the first book.
After already facing tragedy, Mo, Hazel and Chloe now have to navigate their way through a horrific sexual assault, a runaway and so much more.
The character development in this was an absolute joy, more for Chloe and Mo. They both had so many hidden aspects of their personalities that were revealed perfectly throughout the story. I’d have like to know a bit more about Hazel’s backstory though! The pace of the storyline was perfect, it made me not want to put it down but also made want to take my time and devour is slowly.
Thank you, Suzanne Redfearn for so perfectly portraying the realities of what all three girls go through!
Interesting Sequel Of Sorts. This book takes as two of its primary characters some of the characters from her 2020 hit In An Instant - and pretty majorly spoils that book almost from the get-go. For those who don't mind such spoilers (particularly such major ones), this one *can* be read first. But based on reading other GR reviews where the reader hadn't read In An Instant first... I'd say go back and read that one first. There are also two other key characters introduced later in the story from Redfearn's 2021 book Hadley and Grace, though their characters are developed enough here and without any truly overt ties (that I remember, hundreds of books later) to that one that it isn't *as* essential to read it first to understand them. Overall I do think In An Instant hits harder, but I think this one shows a more "everyday" survival that far more people face than the truly life threatening scenario in In An Instant. Both books do great jobs of showing how even seemingly minor choices can have major impacts on how major events play out, and indeed this one seemed all too realistic. Furthermore, Redfearn does a tremendous job of showing the aftereffects of rape on both the victim and those around her - *without* showing the rape itself on screen (which, let's face it, is difficult at best to read even for those who *haven't* been through that trauma). Overall a solid and compelling book, and very much recommended.