Smack The Woofles! 😯😳😯😳

⊰ The Girl Before Me by Laura Wolfe ⊱

This was actually quite a quick read with a bit of slow burn suspense. I have to say I questioned everyone along the way with neat twists I really didn't expect! The test of weakened psychological state and how we become influenced in certain situations was intriguing! I was gripped from the first chapter.
Rachel and her daughter Lily are looking for a brand new start after her divorce from her ex-husband, Keith. She & Lily move into an apartment but soon things go downhill. The woman who lived in the apartment before Rachel, mysteriously up & disappeared. Her neighbour, Alex, takes interest in her who also happens to be a teacher at her daughters school. Rachel becomes increasingly paranoid about what happened to the woman & what's going on. But it may be more than she bargained for. Could her & Lily be in danger? Everyone is not who they seem in this apartment building.
Now, that being said I feel it fell flat for me. I was able to figure out the "who" and I wish there had been a more thriller feel to it. The "shocker" just fell flat for me for some reason. I'll totally give this author another shot and it was still good, just missed a je ne sais quoi.

🔴 Trigger Warning: Mention of spousal domestic abuse.

Thank you to NetGalley & Bookouture for this DARC.
Release Date: April 29, 2022

I give this 3 / 5 Bouquets! 💐

This psychological thriller is a must read! I wasn’t sure what I was going into when reading this as it is a new book that I have seen absolutely nothing about but man did it shock me! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time reading this story about a woman who moved to a new city to start over only to find out she moved in to an unsolved crime scene. Annie disappeared 3 weeks prior to Rachel and Lily moved in but where did she go? No one really seems to know or care for that matter, until Rachel moved in and knew in her gut something was wrong with her apartment that Annie previously lived in. The story line was smooth and easy to follow with interesting and engaged characters. The story had many twisted and turns and I was ready to get to the end and sad it was over all at the same time. The ending truly was not what I expected (in a good way). I 10/10 recommend reading this as soon as its published next month!

I really enjoyed this physiological thriller. It had both pace and plot that I enjoyed. The characters were well developed and interesting. There were a lot of ambiguous characters, and I was unable to predict the ending, which is always a plus in my book. The Girl Before Me was a very suspenseful and addictive book for numerous reasons, including its unpredictable ending. I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this eArc in exchange for an honest review.

The Girl Before Me

When Rachel moves into a new apartment with her young daughter, Lily, it’s with a huge sense of relief. After escaping an abusive marriage, this perfect downtown fourth floor rental, within minutes from the lake, feels like the new beginning the two of them deserve….but Rachel soon finds out things are not as they appear.

This was a very good physiological thriller. I enjoyed the pace and the plot. The characters were interesting and well developed. I felt like all the characters were a bit suspicious and I wasn’t able to predict the ending at all which I always say is a plus in my opinion. No one enjoys a predictable ending- and for that reason and many more The Girl Before Me was a very suspenseful and addictive book. I highly recommend this book and the author. Thank you to both Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

4/5 - What a fun, quick read. Rachel and her daughter Lily move into a new apartment, only to find out the previous tenet, Annie, vanished without a trace. A mysterious letter from Annie's sister expressing concern for her safety in the apartment further raises the stakes. Rachel must settle into her new home while simultanously trying to figure out what happened to Annie.

The writing was great and I enjoyed all the characters. I love this style of book with a collection of quirky characters in a shared environment, and this one was very well done. I had plenty of suspects throughout the book and while the ending didn't totally surprise me, it was satisfying. All loose ends were tied up well, and everything was connected in a way that made many of the (seemingly) red-herrings along the way relevent.

Overall really fun read, perfect to get out of a reading slump!

Rachel and her daughter Lily moved into a new apartment in the city. Their apartment was previously occupied by a young woman called Annie, who disappeared without a trace. People in the building seem nice, but she soon learns she can't trust everyone and some people are hiding something. A great book and if you like psychological thrillers I definitely recommend it.

Not to be confused with Jp Delaney's The Girl Before but with a similar premise. Hero single mom and her daughter, starting out in downtown Chicago where the other tenants are definitely all suspects! Definitely a surprise ending!

Good book! This book had suspense, intrigue, and a great who done it! The storyline was very interesting and definitely had a great chilling suspense to it! I was glued to my kindle waiting to see what happened! I will definitely recommend reading this book! Its well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Rachel Gleason is carrying a heavy burden. She’s recently divorced, has a court order in place to keep her ex-husband distant except for a court arranged visit accompanied by a social worker, isn’t getting along with her mother, doesn’t have any close friends, has full custody of her six year old daughter and has just moved to a new apartment in a new part of town. Thinking she’s finally safe of her old toxic environment and unable to be found by her ex-husband, she relinquishes control and lets down her guard too soon. Lonely and wanting to make a good impression, she befriends other tenants of her building, the building concierge team and the school staff. One or more of them will let her down.

When she discovers that the girl who lived in 4B before her had disappeared without a trace, she becomes paranoid and obsessive about uncovering the facts. Is Rachel in danger? What about her daughter Lily? Who can she trust?

This is a quick, easy, suspenseful read that centers around trust and loneliness. Wolfe explores the link between desperation, loneliness and the building up and tearing down of psychological walls. She also brings to attention the traps we fall into when we are anxious to fit in to a new environment. I liked that highlighted both males and females, their struggles and the pitfalls on the journey to acceptance. It’s fast paced, has twists you won’t see coming and has a plot that will have enough to keep book clubs chatting for ages. It’ll have you convinced that where personal security is involved, continual vigilance is key.

I was gifted this advance copy by Laura Wolfe, Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

After escaping an abusive marriage, Rachel lucks out and finds the perfect apartment for her and her young daughter Lily. Lily has received a scholarship to a prestigious school that's within walking distance, there is security and a 24-hour doorman in the apartment building, and best of all, there's an attractive new neighbor, Alex.

There is the typical settling in; becoming accustomed to city sounds and the muffled sounds of neighbors, but soon Lily is unsettled to learn that Annie, the tenant who lived in the apartment before her, moved out suddenly without a word to anyone. Letters begin arriving from her worried sister, and although she has every intention of putting it back in the mail, she can't resist opening it, and after reading the contents, she wishes she hadn't.

The apartment that started as her haven soon begins to feel suffocating, and the friendly tenants all become suspicious in Rachel's mind. Is it just one tenant she needs to fear, or is there a collective 'them" that is far more sinister?

The startling prologue engaged me right away, and the sense of dread that permeated each page kept me reading. I was a little taken aback by the ending because I didn't guess the motive or culprit at all. Publishes April 29, 2022.

Thank you to @lwolfe.write and @netgalley for the ARC.

The book caught my attention from page 1 and it didn’t disappoint at all.

I loved Rachel as a main character. She’s an amazing mother that suffered a lot from her previous marriage and is ready for a fresh start. But Rachel and Lily’s new life isn’t as dreamy as they were hoping for.

I loved getting to know each and every character that Rachel interacted with. Knowing it is a psychological thriller, I suspect of everyone. Also, you’ll hate Rachel’s mom and Keith as much I do by the end of it.

As we read and start to wonder when the mystery will evolve, we get sprinkled with some new information. That got me hooked through the entire book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you Netgalley, Bookouture, and Laura Wolfe for my gifted copy!

Synopsis:
It should have been a fresh start for Rachel and her young doughter after fleeing from her abusive husband. But as great as her new apartment is - she doesn't feel safe. There are noises at night, and she's certain that somebody's watching her. So when she discovers that the woman who lived in that apartment before Rachel disappeared without a trace, she knows that someone of the other residents has some big secret to hide...

My opinion:
I really liked We Live Next Door by this author, and I enjoyed this book, as well. I like her style of writing and the way she describes her characters. While this book was kind of a slow-burner, it was also a quick, fun read that kept me hooked. The vibes of the story reminded me a lot of The Girl Before by J.P. Delaney, Her Every Fear by Peter Swanson, and Someone Is Watching by Joy Fielding.

This was a great psychological thriller that kept me guessing the whole way through! I loved the suspense . I had a hard time putting this book down! Highly recommend!

“The Girl Before Me” is a psychological thriller by Laura Wolfe. What attracted me to this book was the cover wording “Her Perfect Home, Her Perfect Nightmare.” There’s tension right from the beginning of the book, which was enjoyable. Probably my favourite parts were the delightful ones between mother and daughter, though I wondered why the reader got a tour of Chicago (it just felt a bit like padding opposed to moving the story along). There are a number of suspicious characters, ranging from a former husband to the self-proclaimed apartment building infraction watcher (not quite sure what to call her). While I did figure out a plausible “who done it,” (and, strangely, was correct) I didn’t figure out why - and even knowing the why, it still felt a bit odd (maybe, to use the word of another reviewer, “murky” is more accurate). However, figuring out who possibly did it didn’t detract me from enjoying the book. I cannot say that I liked a number of the characters - one character seemed like a red herring thrown in there, though I’ll reserve a lot of my dislike toward Rachel’s mother. An enjoyable read - with great tension throughout. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Rachel and her daughter Lily move into apartment 4b after divorcing her abusive ex-husband Keith. Shortly after arriving Rachel opens a letter addressed to the previous tenant (who seemingly broke her lease and left without telling anyone) warning her that she isn't safe in her apartment. Rachel immediately begins to fear for her safety and wants answers.

Based on the above, I was extremely intrigued and exciting to find out what had happened to the old tenant. I wasn't sold on the first half of the book. The second half was much better and enjoyable.

The first 20% of the book was a clunky, almost mechanical, repetitive struggle. It seemed Rachel referenced 'Keith - her ex husband' nearly every other page. While I'm sure to some that wouldn't be an issue, for me it felt patronising to the reader. I didn't need to be reminded Keith is her ex husband SO often. This is just one example that bugged me but there were bits of information that were also repeated.

It wasn't easy to like the protagonist. Rachel seemed rather dull and easily lead. The first part of the book seemed unnecessarily long, although the actual relationships Rachel builds were rushed. You're barely through the first chapter before she was rambling on about a crush and obsessing over it. Rachel's interactions with other characters were unrealistic and at times I felt the conversations were wooden.

Considering all of the above, it DID get better. The plot moved on, characters became more realistic, Rachel felt more alive and the actual mystery started to suck me in.

I won't post any spoilers but I was convinced several times I knew what happened and I was sure I had cracked the twist. Although one of my theories did pan out, I couldn't predict it entirely. For me, that in itself is a win and what I want from this type of book. However, the actual twist and climax felt rushed. I'd have liked it to have been fleshed out a bit more.

The author did a great job of weaving the plot and I enjoyed the final twist right at the end. This book does have its flaws but ultimately it was an enjoyable read. I recommend this to anyone that likes a low maintenance mystery.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. I gave this book 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

This book was very good actually, I really enjoyed reading it. It was a page-turner and the setting/synopsis was unique. I hadn't read a mystery/thriller based in a high-rise apartment building.

The plot: Apart from the setting, the plot was actually mediocre. And it wasn't very "thrilling" per se. There's much more potential to the story. There could have been so many more "thrilling events" other than the few that happened. Also, some incidents were a bit cringeworthy and too convenient, like the child bringing home a blacklight because the school told them to. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it and it kept me hooked. Good for a beginner/average reader.

The pace: The pacing could have been much better actually. For the first half of the book or so, nothing big happened. But anyway it was entertaining as I said before. Even at the end, at the big twist/ reveal, it could have been much more heart-racing and "thrilling". I felt like it was quite bland.

The language/structure: Mediocre. Easy to read. Nothing fancy or out of the box. Your general run-on-the-mill mystery/thriller.

To sum up, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others. I feel like the author has much more potential and I wish her good luck!

So, I think this is 2.5 stars rounded up.
I finished the book in two sittings, which is good! I really enjoyed the writing, I wanted to know more about the main character, the apartment block they lived in, more about who could have possibly done it.. It's all good. I enjoyed guessing the little clues peppered throughout the book - I think it was fair to say I had a lot of suspects.

However, something fell flat at the end bit. I'm not sure whether it was the overly dumbed-down (for the reader) explanation monologue by the killer at the end, or that it was not any of the main suspects I had in mind - I felt like all the reasoning came after the reveal, none before. The after-ending ending was a nice twist, but not overly satisfying, because it just was like - boom!, done.
It is hard to feel satisfied with an ending that felt so rushed.

***slight spoilers about the plot content below:
Also, her new boo - was he really that nice? I am not sure I would excuse his actions so quickly, especially the incident at school. Maybe because my partner is a teacher and he would not be able to work with kids in any capacity if anything of the sort would ever happen. Ever. I felt like if my future love interest would throw me so many curve balls with secrets, I would probably be running for the hills.
In addition, if so many adults showed so much interest in my child I would pack & leave ASAP.

I cannot say there is anything majorly unenjoyable about this book, but it just fell a little flat for me. I could not tell what was missing, but there was something missing from the secret sauce. :)
Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for a review

3 stars!!

I really liked the premise of this and was so excited to how it started off, it gave me Shiver vibes with the past apartment tenant mysteriously gone, neighbors acting shifty, her own life not being so simple and straight forward, I was so ready for this.

I enjoyed the story, I really did, however, Rachel irked me in some ways. First her judgement of Drake like….okay. I was a bit surprised she would be so suddenly scared and unsure about him just because he was a goth and not the most smiley of people. But giving her circumstances and what she was going through with her husband I though, okay….let that slide.

For me the most part that fell flat for me was the reveal. Okay, I wasn’t expecting that, HOWEVER I was right about one character right at the very end so that was good lol. But the whole part of explaining why and how and when really dragged on and just seemed to take me out of the seriousness of the situation because they’re telling a loooooong story and over explaining everything.

Despite this, the story really did pull me in, it just sadly didn’t hold tight of me towards the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for letting me read this ARC in exchange for a honest review. There were times when the book felt slow and flat, but it wasn't enough to disengage my attention. I enjoyed the story and was caught up in it. I think a lot of people will focus on the twist but I think the journey there is just as important. Looking forward to checking out more of this authors work.

I did like this book, although it wasn't very fast paced or action packed, there was plenty of intrigue to keep me interested in the story and the writing flowed well. I didn't guess the ending before it was revealed, which is always a bonus to me as it shows it's not too predictable, although I did find the ending a bit sudden and abrupt. Overall this book did what a book is supposed to do and was an easy read that kept me entertained and passed the time without the need for too much concentration..