3.5 ⭐️
“Whoever Writes the History Has the Power”

Told in three parts, and an alternating timeline, this is the story of Dolores “Lore” Rivera who in 1985 marries Andres Russo in Mexico City, even though she is already married to Fabian Rivera in Laredo, Texas, and the mother of twins. (Cuates)

Her career as an international banker, has her splitting her time between two countries until the truth is revealed and one husband is arrested for murdering the other.

This is also the story of Cassie Bowman, who is a struggling true crime blogger in 2017. For fifteen hours a week and thirteen dollars an hour, she would scour the WEB for the kind of killings that would make a jaded reader “click”-gruesome with an element of brilliance or ineptitude by the killer.

One day she gets a Google Alert for a crime she thinks will change her fate as a writer- the story of Dolores Rivera.

What kind of woman would risk everything she already has because she wants more?

And, what kind of woman reads about other people’s tragedies and wonders how she can use them for herself?!

Are they really that different? Or more similar than either on is willing to admit? I didn’t find either woman particularly likable.

This story explores who Dolores is as a mother in the depressed economy of Laredo, TX and as a woman in vibrant Mexico City. (DF) and how the two men in her life, bring out different aspects of herself. Writing Lore’s story will also expose the kind of woman that Cassie is.

It may resonate with you, if you feel like you lost a piece of yourself when you started defining yourself as a mother first, and as a desirable woman, second.

Although there is some lovely writing and thought provoking passages, I have to admit that I almost threw in the towel after Part One! Things seemed to be moving at a snail’s pace and I wasn’t interested in Lore’s spicy love lives, but rave reviews had me press on.

In Part two, we begin to hear FROM Lore, instead of ABOUT Lore, as the two women begin their interview sessions, and things picked up but it took until about 50% for things to become interesting.

Nothing revealed about what really occurred on that fateful day was overly shocking, so although this Is described as a gripping mystery and wrenching family drama, it read much more like a family drama to me.

A LONG ONE

Also, Lore speaks to her family in both English and Spanish, and although I could figure out many of the words based on context, I did Google some and just skip over others. Perhaps this slowed down the pace as well.

Although a promising debut, at 448 pages this story was just too drawn out for me, and I wasn’t quite as enamored by it as many other reviewers were, so be sure to read a sample of reviews to determine if this one is for you!

Available June 7, 2022

Thank You to William Morrow & Company for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

Pre-Order your copy of “More Than You’ll Ever Know” by Katie Gutierrez now, so you can start reading immediately when it’s published in June!

Easily the best book I have read in 2022, this book is from a new author, though you’d never guess it from the masterful storyline and the well-written chapters. Alternating between struggling true-crime writer Cassie in 2017 and Lore Rivera in the present (2017) and the past (while leading a double life, married to 2 husbands), this book pulls you in. I savored the experience, not wanting it to end - with so much rich detail, there were several ways I anticipated the story could end...and I wasn’t sure which one we would arrive at, or which one I *wanted* to arrive at.

Each of the characters is deeply developed and complex, and the intricacies of the story draw the reader in. Cassie has her own surprises, and we see sides of her that she never would have shared if she hadn’t started digging into Lore’s past. Lore wants the story to remain in the past as she patiently waits for Fabian’s release from prison, but is wounded at how a reporter erroneously described her and made her out as a villain. She wants to set the record straight and to be understood, instead of being villified.

Very few authors make it on my “automatic buy” list when they release a new title, but Katie Gutierrez may have earned herself one of those coveted spots with this masterpiece.

The only negative feedback I can provide is that the author uses Spanish pretty frequently in the book (which adds authenticity, since Lore lives in Laredo, TX and travels to Mexico), and my Spanish is limited to 2 semesters in college, so I couldn’t fully decipher all the Spanish parts and Kindle couldn’t define them. I was able to get the gist of most of them, but wish this would have been a little clearer.

Overall - 4.5 stars
Buy it, you won’t regret it!

Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This is such an exciting and unique crime novel! At its center are two women, Lore, who was at the center of a murder investigation years ago, and Cassie, the true crime blogger and journalist, who hopes interviewing Lore about those events, will be her big break. Lore was married to two men simultaneously, one of whom was murdered. Cassie has issues of her own, from her childhood. The book is told in two timelines, with each woman alternating as narrators. This is a book about so much more than just the crime as it delves into the lives and secrets of both women, and the friendship they develop. The plot twists in ways I could not imagine and kept me guessing from beginning to end! It is an amazing first novel and is so expertly written, with complex, memorable characters and plot. It is one of those hard to put down books! I did receive an ARC from the publisher and Scene of the crime, and I am very glad I did. Looking forward to more books from Katie Guiterrez!

“More Than You’ll Ever Know” is an absorbing novel about an uncommon subject. In the 1980s, Lore Rivera is a female bigamist, married to two men – the first in Texas and the second in Mexico – whose double life is destroyed when one husband murders the other. More than 30 years later, a true crime blogger named Cassie Bowman is determined to make a name for herself by writing Lore’s story. The more Cassie digs in, the more deception is revealed, threatening to expose the secrets and lies both women are hiding.

I found this dual-timeline, dual-perspective novel hard to rate. The author’s prose is absolutely lovely and there are many thought-provoking points on motherhood, marriage, and what it means to “have it all.” The main characters are complex and compelling, albeit unlikeable. The storyline is dramatic and interesting but way too long. I also found the liberal use of Spanish in Lore’s dialogue distracted me from becoming fully immersed in the story. Although this style may be important to Lore’s characterization, the Spanish is often without context clues and I had to pause frequently to search for translations.

Fans of complex family dramas will enjoy this debut novel. The mystery is solid too, but takes a bit of a backseat. I look forward to reading more from Katie Gutierrez in the future! Many thanks to Scene of the Crime and William Morrow via NetGalley for providing me an advance copy of this book.

Thank you @netgalley and @williamborrowbooks for this advance copy!
.
It’s really hard for me to rate this book. On one hand, I thought the writing was absolutely fantastic. Such beautiful prose, I found myself highlighting so many passages. Unfortunately, I felt the pacing was too slow and the length too long. It took away from a feeling of suspense for the reader. But I think that’s more of an editing issue than a writer issue. I think the author had some really poignant things to say about our true crime obsessed culture and the role of women as fans of and victims of true crime stories. I think this will be a hit with readers who love a slow literary family drama, but might disappoint readers going in expecting more suspense.

Riveting novel about Lore who is married to two different men, one in Laredo, Texas and the other in Mexico City. How does she manage to keep her two lives separate? Is she a psychopath or at the very least delusional? How long can she juggle her lives before tragedy ensues? Many years later, true crime blogger Cassie Bowman befriends Lore hoping to tell her story. Both women harbor secrets and Cassie uncovers inconsistencies in the “official story.” Gutierrez has created two unforgettable characters in a mesmerizing thriller perfect for book club discussions.

Thank you to NetGalleyShelf and Harper Collins publishers for the advance copy of this book. This book was very enjoyable to read, it combined romance, mystery, sadness, and most of all excellent writing where I didn’t feel like I was trudging through. Cassie is a blog writer who is obsessed with true crime, and neither hers nor her fiancé’s job at his food truck pays the bills all that well. Cassie is also hiding part of her past from her fiancé, but finding it harder and harder to keep the secret under wraps. One day, Cassie reads about Dolores, Lore for short, a woman who had two husbands, one of whom ends up dead. Lore’s story falls into Cassie‘s lap and she spends the rest of the book attempting to tell her story, while also finding out what she really believes is the truth.

I requested this ARC after an author I very much enjoyed recommended it and over all I am glad I did. More Than You'll Ever Know follows 2 women and 2 timelines and is a complex, multilayered tale of love, murder, families, double lives, deception, devotion, abusive relationships.... I could go on. But for a rarity it is a woman that is the main character leading two lives in two different countries and I did find this fascinating. I found the complexities of being a mom, wife, daughter, sister, student, business woman, partner.... right on. But I could never picture the extremes that occur as realistic, although as Guiterrez points out we see them week in and week out on Dateline and other true crime shows. I had a hard time putting this one down and it was a perfect beach read while on vacation. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Publishing for a free advance e-copy in exchange for my honest opinion. More Than You'll Ever Know will be available on 6/7/2022.

Will review in the future, was offered as a free book with no review needed. However, as soon as I read this I will review. Thanks for offering free reads for Scene of the Crime.

#MoreThanYoullEverKnow #NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher of this novel for the E-Arc copy. I am rating this book based on my own personal opinion and was not given anything in return. I am not leaving a entire review because I read so many at a time that I physically cannot right now.

Fantastic!!! "A tale of two women, two timelines, two sides of a border and two husbands“.
I loved the dial timelines and settings. I was easily entranced and didn’t want it to end! Twisty and exciting.

Katie Gutierrez is on my radar BIG TIME!

Thank you to the publisher William Morrow (June 7, 2022) for my NetGalley e-arc. All thoughts are my own.

I just finished Katie Gutierrez debut novel, More Than You’ll Ever Know, and can’t wait to see what she puts out next. It’s the story of Cassie Bowman, a true crime blogger, who, in 2017, is looking for a project that can propel her in to the world of author of true crime books. It is the story of Lore Rivera who, in 1985, loves and is married to two men and the disastrous outcome for all concerned .

The story in told along two time lines from two perspectives. Gutierrez was able to blend it all together seamlessly with a smooth flow back and forth between timelines and characters. The characters were relatable and unapologetically flawed. Even when you saw them making bad choices, you couldn’t help but like them and root for things to turn out ok for them. It made you stop and think what you would have done in those circumstances .

This is one of the best books I have read in 2022. You really don't want to miss this one. I would give it 5 stars which I don’t do very often. It is a mystery, a love story, thought provoking, and captivating. Definitely a must read.

I received an ARC of, More Than You'll Ever Know, by Katie Gutierrez. I thought this book would be better that it was. I could not understand why a woman would bet married, when she is already married. I could not connect with any of the characters at all.

True Crime blogger Cassie's character development and backstory are almost as fascinating as the murder mystery she unravels in this diverse thriller debut.

Thank you for the digital review copy.

A compelling read with a fantastic sense of place! I loved the vivid descriptions of Mexico City, the alternating POVs, and the way Katie Gutierrez embraced her character's moral grey areas. It felt a bit slow in the middle for me, but picked up at the end!

This is a beautiful, multilayered book about love, about truth about belonging and knowing oneself. It is also the story of a woman with secrets, with a desire to make a name for herself as a true crime writer and her relationship with the woman she is writing about, a woman who has two husbands, two families and a story about murder that is ultimately a story about love and hope

This book is okay. It was too long, and I don’t know how or why, but I guessed the big plot twist early. Early early. I was not in accord with the two main characters. Both bigamist Lore and wanna be true crime writer Cassie are all “I want more, I need more” when they both have a lot, and I didn’t have any sympathy for them.

Also there probably are people who speak in part English part Spanish, and I get that it was supposed to be giving me insight into Lore, how much Spanish she spoke when, but I found it very distracting. I also found the ending unsatisfactory. I did like the Mexico/Texas setting.

Not bad for a first novel, but not great.

I read an advance reader copy of More Than You Think from Netgalley.

Every time I turn around I see this book. A big thank you to the Bookstagram community for putting More Than You'll Ever Know, on my radar.

HOLY CRAP.

Am I allowed to say that on here?

This book is amazing and has left me completely speechless. My jaw is still on the floor and I doubt I will stop thinking about this one for awhile.

Everything about this book is perfection. The plot, characters, and ending were all done masterfully. There is not one thing I could critique about this book and I can say with 100 percent certainty, this book is going to be a bestseller this summer.

I will be recommending this book for years to come and is one of my favorite books thus far.

How could this be a debut by such a talented author? The synopsis of the book caught my attention and did not disappoint! The woman has two husbands, two families, two countries and expertly juggles her work schedule between the two until she doesn’t! A crime writer is trying to write the true story of her life and the consequences so delves into all the facts. One husband is in jail for the murder of the other and slowly the story unravels. All the nuances of her love story or stories are revealed. Well done! #MoreThanYou’llEverKnow #KatieGutierrez #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow, and Katie Gutierrez for the advanced copy of More Than You'll Ever Know in exchange for my honest review.

I loved that this had such a heavy true crime feel to it despite it being fiction. The story about Lore leading a double life genuinely fascinated me (and definitely pissed me off), and I love that we got to hear her story from her point of view.

I also really enjoyed Cassie's POV chapters. She had her own history and drama going on and while somewhat sad, I was 100% invested in how her story was going to end up.

The ending was fantastic and actually gives the reader a lot to think about! I don't want to spoil so I won't go into any further detail than that. Suffice to say, I was really satisfied with it.

More Than You'll Ever Know will be out June 7!