Member Reviews

Where is Kennedy? Deven is certain she isn't the dead woman- the woman who OD'd- whose body she's just been shown. The police don't agree but something doesn't sit right with Deven, who sets out to find the truth. This is twisty and thoughtful with, let's face it, a few unlikable characters. It's also a good read. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A page turner.

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This one is such a wild ride that combines elements of suspense, domestic thriller, and psychological thriller. The pacing was fantastic and the cast all had characters that really stood out for me. If you want twisty and entertaining with some emotional aspects, this is one that will not disappoint

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DNF @ 16%. This one just wasn't working for me.

The characters were all unlikable and I couldn't connect to them.

Thanks to the author, Kensinton books & Netgalley for advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

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This is the 2nd book I’ve read by Briana Cole and her writing is fantastic - I feel like the build up in this story was impeccable. I do feel like the climax was a little overwhelming when we didnt see any repercussions happening … either way, I’d recommend this book to someone else.

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Behind Her Lives is a mind-bending thriller that has so many twists and turns that reading it felt like being on a speeding train non-stop. The story follows Deven, who finds out her sister Kennedy has died under mysterious circumstances. Unsatisfied with the answers she’s been given she decides to go on an investigation on her own and starts to unravel the lies that surround her sister’s life.

I love a good mystery that feels like a puzzle and Behind really delivers on that aspect. Reading through this book had me struggle to put the puzzle pieces together as I worked along with Deven to solve the mystery. This thriller delivers on the suspense and at times is incredibly bone-chilling. Everything has the illusion of being “matter of fact” or perfect, but the facade quickly crumbles as the plot develops.

While the novel is fast-paced the plot keeps a solid momentum throughout the course of the story. This novel was so engrossing it was hard to put down. Devon becomes an amateur sleuth while also grappling with feelings of grief and betrayal (as her world comes crashing down). While the story is action-packed there is an aura of uncertainty because the reader isn’t sure if they can trust the narrator or not. I enjoyed the shift between past/present and the inclusion of diary entries within the narrative that gave the readers further insight into the characters. It added another layer of suspense to the plot.

A recommended read for readers looking for a good thriller to dive into this Autumn season.

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This was a really fun read, and that twist! 🤯 I don’t want to say too much, as I’m afraid it will spoil some things… but this was a trip and had me guessing until the end. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! I’m definitely going to be checking out more work from this author!

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Behind Her Lives is a psychological thriller written by Briana Cole, that takes you on a journey with Deven, who is asked to identify her younger sister’s body, but despite similarities, she doesn’t think it is actually her sister. As she tries to unravel the mystery of who this woman was and where her sister is, the case gets more and more mysterious.

I was immediately drawn in to this book from the first chapter - it was an action packed page turner with tons of twists! I really enjoyed the mystery aspects of the book and the different timelines that were well orchestrated.

Deven was an amazing protagonist and I’m really hoping for a sequel!

4.5/5 stars ⭐️

Thanks to Briana Cole, Kensington Books, and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review.

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Deven is informed that her sister has died after an accidental overdose, and she has to identify the body.
When she sees the photograph that the Coroner shows her, she states that the woman in the photo is not her sister.
The police do not agree with her.

Deven launches her own investigation, she is convinced Kennedy, her sister, is missing, and sets out to find her.

There are more questions than answers, secrets, lies and she uncovers a lot more than she bargained for.

I enjoyed this book, there are quite a few twists in the tale, and a massive 'aha' moment at the end.

I just hope that the punctuation, spelling and grammar errors are rectified before the book hits the shelves.

Thanks to the Author, Briana Cole, the publishers, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review.

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4.5/5 stars!

I really enjoyed this family thriller. I was instantly grabbed and wanted to know what the heck was going on!

Synopsis: When Deven is told her sister, Kennedy, has passed away she doesn't believe it. The person being shown to her, while she does look like Kennedy, is not her sister. So, where is Kennedy? What has happened to her? Why is everyone saying, this woman is her?

I really wish I had the words to express how much I was drawn into how Briana Cole uses her words. She doesn't get cliche, she doesn't force things to happen, and there's nothing gratuitous. Everything flows seamlessly and a "no way!" type of story unfolds! This was my first Briana Cole story but I will definitely be picking up more.

Thank you to Briana Cole and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

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I think Briana did a GREAT job with this book. The writing was great, the story flowed well, and it kept me wanting to know more. I was invested!

I liked how the characters were introduced, I didn't have to go back to see where they fit in. The diary entries were a plus, it gave insight into past events that shaped the present events.

I really liked Paul, he was friendzoned when he didn't want to be, but that didn't stop him from helping and caring. I love that some romance was inserted into the book even tho it was a psychological thriller! I wanted to slap Justin.

As I got to the end of the book, I was pleasantly surprised! I was able to guess some parts of it, but I wasn't expecting the outcome. The twists in this story was great! I did not want to finish.

Looking forward to more reads from Briana Cole!

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Wow! This book brings the suspense immediately out the gate. Talk about a page-turning psychological thriller. My mouth was hanging open multiple times as the storyline twisted and turned. Well done Briana! I am here for whatever you publish in the future.

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Thank you to NetGalley, Dafina, and Briana Cole for the advanced copy of Behind Her Lives in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars rounded up!

This is an extremely well-written thriller with some very unique and fun twists and turns. Without giving too much away, the element of grief is heavily prevalent for our main character, Deven. Briana Cole writes about grief so well the emotions just lift off the page. I know unfortunately she writes it beautifully because she has experienced it so deeply, so I hope it is a cathartic experience to get to write about it.

This fast-paced, twisty book is a super quick read, highly recommend to fellow thriller lovers!

Behind Her Lives will be on bookshelves October 25.

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Cole has done it again! This book leaves you guessing and Is certainly a page turner. Without giving away any spoilers, I say read this now!

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Wow, such a great thriller! I read this one very quickly and the writing just sucked me right in and kept me captivated the whole way through.

I did predict some of the initial twists, but that final twist was a complete shock to me! I did not see that coming at all! The ending also seemed a little open-ended which makes me hopeful for a possible sequel. I would love to read more by this author!

I would definitely recommend for anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers. Solid 4 stars for me!

I received this book for free as part of a Bookstagram book tour. My review is on Goodreads and I also posted about this book on my Bookstagram account.

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Thank you Briana Cole, Kensington Books, Let’s Talk Books Promo and Netgalley for including me on the book tour for Behind Her Lives by Briana Cole - Publishing on October 25th!

Deven is called to identify the body of a suicide victim, one she was informed was her sister, Kennedy. The only words she can muster when she sees the body, however, are "that's not my sister."

Who is this woman? Why was Deven listed as her family? And, most importantly, where is Kennedy? When Deven launches her own investigation, it becomes clear that Kennedy isn't missing. She may just not want to be found. How well can you really know another person? Even your own sister.

Wow! I flew through this gritty, psychological thriller in a day. It truly is a tangled web of secrets that I had a hard time keeping up with at one point, it was just THAT twisty! Despite that, and the non-linear timeline, the story is so easy to follow and binge. I really enjoyed the diary entries sprinkled throughout. had the majority of the mystery figured out by the ending - But the way that Cole unveiled everything was fantastic. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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When Deven is told her sister died, she doesn’t believe it. Sure, it looks a bit like her sister, but it’s not. As she tracks down her missing sister, many questions about who she was arise.

Some of my favorite thrillers are family thrillers, especially about sisters. This one was suspenseful and full of mystery. I really like Deven and how she dove right into the case. Amateur investigations are also a favorite of mine. There were some slow moments due to the dual-timelines, but in the end it was all worth it because it helped build the suspense.

“Her therapist had been correct. When someone dies, they’re don’t die once. They die over and over again. And that cyclical anguish was crippling.”

Behind Her Lives comes out 10/25.

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I really did not enjoy this book. I read to the end solely so I could determine whether it somehow wrapped itself up in the end somehow. It did not. It was all over the place. Literally. The flashbacks were too much. It was very challenging to follow, and it all seemed so improbable. Though I’ve read books by this author before and found them readable, I definitely wouldn’t recommend this one to anyone.

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Cops pull up to Deven’s apt in Jersey and her life as she knows it is over. With little help from her almost comically inconsiderate boyfriend, she answers the 5-0’s inquiries only to end up with *myriad* questions of her own.

Deven is now staring down the barrel of a startling mystery that will cut to the core of her unorthodox and secretive family. She’s sure the answers are close at hand, if only she could suss it out with her sister. But it’s her sister Kennedy’s ID the police found on the dead body that awaits Deven at the morgue.

A first-rate psychological thriller, BEHIND HER LIVES is driven by an original and imaginative plot. The story is masterfully composed: the surprises weren’t cheap, and always timed to keep the pages turning.

Within that crafty story structure is an insightful and sensitive account of the main character’s grief. Twice bereaved, Deven’s descriptions of loss were so accurate to my own experience that her expressions of pain were nearly cathartic.

Powerful prose aside, the most lasting emotion the reader will take away is anticipation — anticipation that gets paid off by the delightfully devious twists that just keep coming.

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Behind Her Lives is a twisty turny action packed page-turner that will keep you up well into the night trying to figure out what’s happening! With her debut thriller novel, Briana Cole keeps you glued to the pages until the very end. Briana has successfully written six steamy romance novels before diving into the thriller world and she expertly weaves this experience into the storyline.

QUICK SYNOPSIS:
Deven is tasked with identifying the body of her sister, Kennedy, who seems to be a victim of suicide. As soon as Deven sees the face of the woman who is supposed to be her sister, she knows there must be a mistake. She hasn’t been able to get ahold of Kennedy in a few days so she must be missing. Deven decides to investigate her sister’s disappearance on her own and finds out she may not have known her sister as well as she thought. The deeper she gets into finding the truth, the more shocking each revelation is. The jaw-dropping conclusion will absolutely blow you away!

THOUGHTS:
I thought the storyline was incredible and unique. I felt so bad for Deven as we found out more about her past and her recent losses. Even though she made some silly decisions that hurt more than they helped, she was very relatable and I wanted so badly for her to find the truth.

Cole is clearly a seasoned writer and she does a great job keeping the suspense on full blast by dropping shocking clues every few chapters.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes:
🔸 Dual timelines
🔸 Sibling drama
🔸 A little bit of spicy romance
🔸 A fast-paced thriller
🔸 A shocking ending

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Absolutely love the cover and the book title. The twists and turns kept me wanting to read until the end. It was a quick read and interesting storyline and great illustration of the realities of mental health issues, drug abuse, and dementia.

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