It would have been "too good to be true" if "Can't Look Away" was in the same league as "Too Good To Be True", author Carola Lovering's 2021 novel.

Sadly, "Can't Look Away"'s plotline is shallow with reveals that are unremarkable and predictable.

I almost always enjoy "obsession" books with deeply flawed characters, but this book just fell flat.

The book is told from multiple POVs with shifting timelines. I did not like the shifting timelines and felt that the book would have benefited from a storyline that unfolded in chronological order.

The book dragged and midway through the book I found myself checking the timeline/chapters, silently asking myself "When is something earthshattering going to happen?" and "Are we there yet?".

I listened to the audiobook, read by Karissa Vacker (one of my favorite narrators) and a full cast. All of the narrators did a superb job and helped elevate the book's star rating.

Quite frankly, this 12-hour audiobook could have easily been a 2-hour book and I am being kind.

Carola Lovering's "Too Good to Be True" was one of my best reads of 2021 so I "can't look away" when this talented author releases future titles.

Nobody bats 1000%.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars, rounded up.

This was excellent! The drama, the suspense I loved every bit of it. The ending made me alittle sad but this was a fun read and super fast paced.

Talk about drama!!!
This book was very intriguing from start to finish. I loved the dual timelines and multiple POVs, it really added to the layers of this story. I would like readers to go into this knowing it is NOT a thriller. Which is okay, as long as you know that it makes the story more enjoyable. It reads more like a domestic (romantic) drama. And dramatic it was. I'm a sucker for a love story involving a famous musician, is it because I've been in love with a famous musician for the last eleven years and fantasize about our lives together? Probably. This is a story of falling in and out of love, growing together and growing apart, secrets, betrayal, hope, and understanding. It hit me a bit in the feels as someone who wants to extend her family but struggles a bit to do so. I think its great that this sort of situation is being talked about so openly, as painful as it is to read about while in the thick of it, its also so nice to not feel alone. Overall, I really enjoyed this story.

Molly's life changes one night when she decides to go to a small bar show and locks eyes with the lead singer of the group performing. Thrust into a magical romance, it's everything she could hope for and a future she is eager to experience. But not everything goes how we want it to. Fast forward, now Molly lives in an uppity neighborhood surrounded by women she doesn't relate to but is thankful she has her husband and young child with her. When she meets Sabrina, a like-minded woman going through similar battles, it is a breath of fresh air. But soon her past starts to catch up to her and she isn't sure she is willing to face it or the pain she tried to leave behind. Her future doesn't seem to clear anymore. Now she has to decide whether to follow her head or her heart.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan for early access to Can't Look Away!






TW: miscarriage, infertility

I'm not entirely sure why I dove into this one thinking it was a suspenseful thriller. Perhaps it was because of the way it's marketed, or because the author's previous book was an amazing thriller with an outstanding twist. Well... it isn't! It is however quite the engaging and captivating domestic drama.

I love Lovering's writing style and her character development. I love the way she weaves relationships together. And the multiple narrators did an outstanding job with this one.

Overall, I very much enjoyed Can't Look Away and look forward to reading more from Carola Lovering.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.75 stars rounded up

If you want to enjoy this book, read it for the story. This is not a thriller or a mystery book. But it is a well written, good story about life, love, relationships, people. In some way it reminds me of Liane Moriarty's books.

We have the story of a couple that started seeing each other when they were young and they were trying to find themselves and their way in life. When carriers were pulling them in different directions and they were trying to figure out life in a relationship in the same time.

The characters are very relatable. We have the sweet and loving boyfriend who is also selfish, self-centred and nasty at times. We have Maggie, the kind, honest, nice girl who can be infatuated and quite the spoiled princess. They love each other but they mess up and they prove that love is not enough to keep a long term relationship.

The ending was a bit strange, not my favourite choice but over all a good read!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to read this book!

I absolutely loved this audiobook! It was thrilling, captivating, and kept me hooked from the very first chapter!

I would classify this book as a romantic suspense or a drama with a tiny bit of mystery. By no means is it a thriller, which is what I initially expected based on the marketing. The story follows three main characters-Molly, Sabrina and Jake-in both the past (2015) and future (2022) as they navigate love, breakups, fame, friendships and family. It highlights the great lengths people will go to get what they want and how easily someone can deceive or manipulate you. While the story is pretty believable, not all the characters are super likable (Sabrina), and I wasn’t always sure which outcome I wanted most. Like her last book, I was sucked into Carola Lovering’s fast-paced. I felt very immersed into the story and while most of it was predictable, I was itching to know what will happen next. I read most of this book but listened to parts and the narration was great!

Molly falls hard and fast for Jake, the lead singer in a rock band that’s gaining popularity. The relationship is intense and passionate, perhaps too much so. A decade later we find Molly married to Hunter, the polar opposite of Jake. Molly has given up her dreams of writing and finds herself feeling increasingly stifled by the expectations of the other women living in her wealthy enclave. Then Sabrina moves in and she’s like a breath of fresh air, she and Molly both struggle with infertility and they bond over their shared pain. Sabrina has secrets, but then, so does Molly, and when Jake’s old love song about Molly is re released, a tidal wave of anger, desire and obsession threatens to overwhelm them all

Lovering has this incredible way of sucking in the reader, and this book was no exception. I agree with other reviewers that this is more of a domestic drama than a thriller, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I found most twists to be predictable, but it was still bingeable and worth reading/listening to!