Well…I was really happy with this book, furiously turning pages, until it just stopped. I’m not ok with the ending. It is an ending. I get it, but not a fan. There is an extremely interesting explanation for the deaths mentioned in the book blurb, and I feel like there’s a massive missed opportunity that could have made this book even better with just a little research and a little fleshing out. That’s my biggest complaint about the book and I really can’t explain any more without giving away half the plot….
However, that being said, the book is fast paced, suspenseful, and the writing is engaging. For a first novel, I think it's pretty impressive. I would certainly give another book by this author a chance.

From my blog: Always With a Book

When I was pitched this book, I have to say the cover completely drew me in. But when I heard it was about memory and manipulation, I knew I had to read it…those are some of my favorite tropes in a psychological thriller and they totally come together here in such a unique premise!

I loved the way this story played with memory, how we sometimes put certain memories aside to protect ourselves from past incidents by self-medicating, however in doing so that leads to a whole new set of problems. Maya has been self-medicating ever since Aubrey died and now has been struggling with addiction ever since. I loved the way the author developed her character. She was so dysfunctional and had a sense of unreliability to her, yet you could not help but want to root for her. You wanted her to find answers to what was going on. Frank, on the other hand, gave me the creeps right from the first time we meet him. And I loved how we don’t learn the full picture of him until absolutely necessary. This character development for both is just stellar writing!

This book is crazy addicting. It moves back and forth in time and I will admit there is a lot going on – sometimes I did feel it might have been just a bit too much – but I still found myself totally engaged. There is a lot to unpack here, so if your bookclub reads psychological thrillers, this would make for a great bookclub pick!

This is a debut novel for Ana Reyes and I’m excited to see what comes next from her.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the digital ARC!

This was a very well done unreliable narrator thriller but for some reason (I will elaborate). this didn't hit the mark for me.

What it boiled down to was the narration was SO unreliable it felt like it somewhat dragged on and felt unbelievable. I felt midway that I really had to slog through this.

That being said I still enjoyed it but not as much as I thought I would.

Thank you to Ana, Dutton, and Netgalley to an advance copy of The House in the Pines.

Maya watched her best friend drop dead when she was in high school. No explanation, she was young and healthy, she was with their new friend Frank and just collapsed. Now, some time later, Maya has been slowly moving forward. She lives in Boston with her boyfriend, she’s working on letting go of Klonopin (behind her boyfriends back), and she’s relatively happy. Unfortunately a YouTube video pops up of another woman collapsing to her death…with Frank sitting in front of her. This sends Maya reeling in her past trauma and on a search for answers back in her hometown. Guided by an incomplete book written by a father she’s never met and combing through her past memories and relationships, Maya pieces together the events and attempts to confront and put everything behind her for good.

Full disclosure, part of the issue that I had with this book was that there was a dual timeline but NO indication of when we were jumping around at the header of chapters. This is something that I would imagine is corrected in the final publication copy, as I’ve seen ARCs in the past missing this piece.

The story was interesting. Obviously “returning home to deal with unfinished business” is a well-worn trope in thrillers, but the catalyst that prompted the return was creative. It gave a supernatural feel to the story which I don’t always like but it was executed well in this case.

Maya was a good character, a tortured hero that was for all intents and purposes totally normal and flawed. Very easy to root and I could see myself being friends wit her.

This was an ambitious debut and I will give Ana all the credit to tackle a suspense novel that uses support of a difficult subject matter to tell the story. Ultimately all the pieces for a good story were there and with some fine-tuning (like the indicators of the time at the chapter headings) it could’ve easily been a four star book for me. Even though I didn’t love this book, her writing was interesting enough that I would absolutely give her future books a chance.

My first read by Ana Reyes and I really enjoyed it. Trauma and self medicating to ignore the past is something I feel a lot of people may connect with but how many people actually go back to the place of trauma and confront it? It was a quick read with twists that kept me engaged! Definitely recommend

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for my ARC! .

Maya was in high school when a great tragedy struck and she lost her best friend, Aubrey. Aubrey died in a mysterious way where she just collapsed in the company of Frank, a man they had been spending time with all summer. Fast forward seven years and Maya is still haunted by her past but trying to have a normal life. That is until she sees a certain YouTube video! The video displays a young woman literally dropping dead in a restaurant while sitting with…guess who…Frank! Armed with new evidence, Maya returns to her home town to see what she can find out.

THE HOUSE IN THE PINES was an interesting story that slowly builds up and draws you in. I really enjoyed that the plot was something different than many of the thrillers I've read lately. It's an excellent debut and I would recommend it to others. 4 stars!

Many thanks to Libro.fm and Dutton for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog @coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

I predict Ana Reyes will soon be an author readers follow with enthusiasm. I’m already hoping she’s working on her next novel. I’ve been in a fiction reading slump lately. None of the novels I’ve started kept my attention. The House in the Pines’ main character grabbed my attention from the beginning and I just had to find out how it all turned out. Such a satisfying book which I’ll be recommending to my friends!

3.5 ⭐️

Thank you to @duttonbooks and @netgalley for the #gifted digital ARC and @PRHaudio for the complimentary audiobook.

💭
Characters: Maya is a hot mess. From the first chapter, we find out she’s off her antipsychotic medication. She insists she doesn’t need it but the people closest to her (mom) and her family history indicate she does. She’s so unreliable as a narrator that I honestly didn’t know if I could believe anything she thought. Frank appears manipulative, but we only know of Frank through Maya’s viewpoint. Same with Aubrey.

Plot: The story was a bit all over the place. It seemed to be running in a linear way but once the flashbacks were introduced, I often found myself confused between past and present. The way new characters, and old ones, were introduced also seemed disjointed. The story itself was interesting, and I wasn’t sure where it was going although I had my suspicions. It was interesting to see those realized.

Pacing: The pacing was not overly fast, but things happened in a way that I felt I was always a step behind. The alternating between past and present happened at breakneck speed in some cases. But the narrative felt slower.

Writing: I really enjoyed Reyes’s writing style. There was a flow in it, especially in the flashback scenes that kept me reading.

Enjoyment: Overall, I am glad I read this book and know that I want to read more by this author because of her writing style.

Although I figured out Frank's deal pretty early on, I still really enjoyed this book. It brings magical realism into a practical and logical place. The characters were well rounded and the plot evenly paced. Creepy, but not really horror, this book kept me hooked from page 1.

The House in the Pines is a captivating blend of psychological thriller and dark fairy tale. Rather than focusing on the perpetrator, Ana Reyes' stellar debut delves into the depths of how and why, exploring the multifaceted ways in which our memories can deceive us - and ultimately, liberate us.

The House in the Pines
by Ana Reyes
Pub Date: 03 Jan 2023

"The House in the Pines" is a fast paced mystery, thriller from debut author, "Ana Reyes".

It is a very interesting story, definitely different than any I've ever read in the past.

It starts out slow but held my interest until the final big reveal at the end! Well worth the wait.

I highly commend this debut author for covering the subject of addiction in such an out right honest manner. It gives you the insight of an addicts struggles.

Thank you #NetGalley, #PenguinGroupDutton, Dutton and #TheHouseinthePines for providing me with an e-ARC of this book. All thoughts and feelings are strictly my own.

I rated this 4 stars.

Maya’s best friend died unexpectedly seven years ago but she’s still haunted by her death. When she see’s a YouTube video, memories start to unfold and she’s determined to find out what really happened.

What I liked: I thought both the story and “what really happened” was unique.

What I didn’t like: It was a little too slow for me, and I didn’t find the book suspenseful at all despite it begin a thriller. It was told via past and present timelines and there were times when I was confused which timeline I was reading about. I also felt a little too much was going on in both timelines that wasn’t necessary.

It you enjoy slow burn reads with dual timelines, then I think you might enjoy this one.

Thank you to Dutton for the complimentary copy.

The House In The Pines, by Ana Reyes

Short Take: A lot of buildup, leading to not much.

(*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*)

Greetings, duckies, and Happy New Year! There are a lot of things I would like to accomplish this year, but I’ve learned over the last few decades that it’s better to just try to do a little better every day than to set myself up for larger-scale failure down the road. Of course, I want to read a lot more tasty books, and share my brilliant insights with the world, so let’s start with that one, shall we?

When Maya was a newly-graduated seventeen year old, she fell head over heels for slightly older Frank. He was sweet, slightly geeky, and building his own cabin on family property. It was all sunshine and roses, until Maya’s best friend Aubrey dropped dead while talking with Frank.

After Aubrey’s death was ruled as “probably just some freaky medical thing” (I’m paraphrasing), Maya moved away and moved on with her life. Until seven years later, when she comes across a youtube video of a young woman talking to Frank in a diner… and falling down dead.

Of course, Maya has to return home to Uncover Secrets From Her Past. Of course Nothing Is What It Seems. And of course Frank has Dark Secrets of his own.

Nerdlings, there was a lot of love about this book. First off, Maya is going through withdrawal from her prescribed Klonopin, and I think that’s a subject we need to address more as a society. Also, there are some delicious passages dealing with a little-known myth, and some fascinating bits of life in Guatemala 20-some years ago.

But for all the yummy bits and pieces, the ending fell flat on its metaphorical face. There were a lot of threads that sort of came together and then a kind of weak, kind-of happy non-ending. I came away feeling like the author couldn’t settle on a super cool finale, so she just shrugged & let it be over.

The Nerd’s Rating: THREE HAPPY NEURONS (and a full-size Snickers. Because now I need something genuinely satisfying.)

This is a slow burn thriller that is atmospheric and creepy and had such an interesting plot. The audio was very well done and while the pace was a little slower, it was still a ‘quick’ read that I listened to in one setting as I had to know how it would end. I thought the ending was great and overall I enjoyed this one.

Thank you PRH Audio for the ALC and NetGalley / Dutton Books for the ARC to review.

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

This is my first read and first thriller of the year, and I was pleasantly surprised! I thought this was a very interesting story that kept me pretty engaged most of the time. I gave it a solid 4 stars. I liked how the time frame went back and forth between the past and present. I also really enjoyed the inclusion of Guatemalan culture, and I am always a fan of a story within a story (Maya's dad's story about Pixan). The fact that Frank was a hypnotherapist was interesting to me. This is a unique aspect of the story that you don't often see. I was glad that although there was a female narrator struggling to come off her pills (we've heard that storyline a time or two), that there was a refreshing aspect to it. Frank definitely creeped me out, and you get the sense almost immediately that there is something off about him. I liked the ending of the story for Maya, including her reconciliation with Dan and his family. The other characters such as her mom, Brenda and childhood best friend, Aubrey, definitely added to the story. The manipulation of the mind through the hypnotherapy was definitely my favorite part, and I liked when that was revealed because I kept trying to figure out what it was that Frank was doing to her. I will recommend this one to others! Thank you to the publisher for giving me the chance to read an early copy of this book!

The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes is a stand-alone psychological thriller. Maya, the main character of this story, is haunted by the mysterious death of her high school best friend 7 years ago. Her memories are very hazy, with her unable to remember the past, as well as trying to get herself off of her addiction to Klonopin.
While in high school, Maya started dating Frank, who seemed a bit of a loner, and her best friend, Aubrey worried about Maya and her relationship with Frank. Maya began to act strange, not able to remember some things, and when Aubrey mysteriously drops dead, while sitting across from Frank; Maya suspects that somehow Frank had something to do with her death. Unable to prove anything, Maya leaves town to go to college.

7 years later Maya sees a You Tube video, showing a woman who suddenly keels over dead in a diner, with the man sitting across from her, being Frank. Plunged into her nightmare, Maya decides to return to her hometown to find out the truth from all those years ago. She is determined to find a way to get past her trauma, and learn how Frank is manipulating people. Maya’s Guatemalan father wrote an unfinished book, that when she reads, she begins to suspect the unique connections to whatever Frank is able to do. As the story races to its climax, we do discover what is happening, but with that said, I do not want to give spoilers. You will need to read this book to find out.

Overall, I did have mixed feelings about this book. It was a unique story, suspenseful and interesting. I just thought there was too much going on between the past and present, leaving me a bit confused at times. Early on, I did like Aubrey and Maya’s friendship, and Maya’s mom was very good. Frank was a bad character, especially the more we learn.

The House in the Pines was well written by Reyes, as for the most part, it kept your attention throughout; with suspense, memories of the past, addiction, and confronting the truths. If you like psychological thrillers, I suggest you read The House in the Pines.

Maya is living in Boston and secretly trying to kicking a Klonopin addiction. But, when she sees a YouTube video of a young woman dropping dead in the presence of a man she used to know, it brings back some memories she would just soon forget.

Maya is a character that is a bit of a conundrum. I liked her but I felt she was a tad bit weird. But, as the story continues to unfold, the reader figures out why. And boy…it makes you think!

This story started strong and then slacked off a bit. Then it had a twist that I sort of guessed, but just didn’t know to what extent it would actually have on Maya. Maya was definitely affected and affected BIG TIME!

I really enjoyed the slow reveal of what actually happened to Maya. This was a twist I will not soon forget!

Need a book which will give you a surprise…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Seven years ago Maya met and dated Frank briefly before leaving for college. While the relationship was brief, it’s impact was not. Maya was mesmerized by Frank and lost hours whenever she was with him, but it wasn’t until her best friend, Aubrey, pointed out how odd he was that Maya saw it. When Aubrey dies suddenly and unexpectedly in the company of Frank, Maya believes he somehow killed her. With no evidence and a history of mental health issues in her family, her mom jumps to the wrong conclusion. Today Maya is in a wonderful relationship, but has kept her secrets, especially now that she’s detoxing after being addicted to Klonopin. When Maya sees a video online of another woman dropping dead in the company of Frank, she heads home to find answers. Answers to questions from seven years ago that were never answered and answers that might help with the new death. Where did the lost hours go? What kind of spell did Frank still hold over her and what about the cozy cabin in the woods? Maya must come to grips with her addiction, while trying to figure out the past, but will anyone believe her? Thank you to Penguin and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Maya’s haunts from her youth fill her dreams, so much that she’s become addicted to a sleep aid. Just as she getting her life back on track, she sees a video of the man that has tormented her sleepless nights. He's done it again!!

When Maya was 17, her friend mysteriously passed away and she swore her boyfriend, Frank, had something to do with her death. Now another video has emerged of Frank with another women who mysteriously dies just like her friend.

She forced to return to the cabin in the woods where everything started to find the proof he's a killer.

This story is intriguing to stay the least, and incredibly fast-paced. This psychological thriller is perfect for the fans of out-there storylines.

Thank you PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for the complimentary copy to read and review.