Rosemary Rabourne’s life takes a turn for the worse when her sister Wendy shows up at her doorstep after the tragic death of their parents. Struggling to make ends meet, Rosemary is desperate to provide for Wendy and give her a better life. When she meets Leo Glass, a tech billionaire, and he offers her a contract to be his girlfriend, Rosemary sees it as a way to give her sister the life she deserves.

This book was good - not great. I enjoyed the premise but could get into the story,

DNF. I felt no connection to the characters. Not enough world-building to start me off. The book was well-written but I wasn't engaged.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union for the ARC. The concept of this book really excited me, and the author has a natural way of pulling you in and is an outstanding writer. However, I didn't feel an attachment to any of the characters and frankly didn't care what happened to them. Also, I am far from a prude and these NC-17 sex scenes were very reminscent of Fify Shades. With that being said, I will probably read this authors next book since she is a very enthralling writer.

Why didn’t she just leave?

This question flitters into your mind, more than once through this book. When we first meet Rosemary, she had done just that. She’d gotten away from her abusive step father, even if her living situation was less than ideal. Hoping to enter into law school, she finds herself living in her ex-boyfriend’s closet, in an apartment with four other people.

One thing she hadn’t thought much about in leaving her old life behind was how her younger sister would fare. To her, as long as she left, everything would work out fine. When Wendy shows up at her apartment, begging to live with Rosemary, she knows that something drastic will have to change for her to be able to take care of her sister.

When one of Rosemary’s roommates move out, she leaves her a contact list, and a way to make money to support herself and her sister. On her one attempt at meeting a client, Rosemary panics and bolts. So she isn’t expecting someone else to seek her out, this time offering to pay her rent and monthly to act as his girlfriend.

The offer is more than she’d ever dreamed of, and she accepts. What she doesn’t count on is meeting her next door neighbor Sam, and forming an instant soul deep connection with him.

Here I asked myself, “why doesn’t she leave? Forget the money, and live happily ever after with Sam?” I still can’t understand fully her reasoning, but it would be hard to turn down the opportunity to take care of her sister, to stop feeling the guilt from leaving her behind.

While Leo is definitely odd, he exists on the edge where nothing he asks seems dangerous. Something about him always seems off, and keeps Rosemary on edge. Adding to this are the Glasseyes, and the Looking Glass account she’s been required to open, Leo’s social media platform that earned him billions. For anyone with an account, they can get followers, who are able to see them anywhere there’s a Glasseye installed.

Now this, for me, sounds like a nightmare. The constant feeling and awareness of being watched. Who wouldn’t be uneasy after that? While I questioned Rosemary at times and quickly found myself thinking this might be a book I didn’t finish, I soon found myself hooked and compelled to keep reading. An interesting look at the different ways psychological manipulation can happen. I’d highly recommend to anyone who’s thought of giving this book a try.

Thank you to the publishers for giving me a copy through NetGalley.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publishers, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC. This is my honest review.

I found this book slow going and not very interesting. My main problem was that I couldn't connect with the MC. She was always taking the easy way out, letting others handle her problems. She never strove to overcome her past, or stand on her own. I felt sorry for her but didn't empathize with her or the choices she made.

This book read more like a psychological drama than a thriller to me, but had elements of suspense here and there. Told in three parts we learn about the main character Rosemary's past, her relationship with her sister, how Leo Glass came into her life and basically took over, and her affair with neighbor Sam. There are a few passages that were difficult to read and Rosemary was not an easy character for me to like or connect with, but the descriptive writing was good and kept me turning the pages.

THis book intrigued me from the beginning and I never really knew what was about to happen. I loved some parts but did find the characters a bit flat at other times. However, the creepy and weird plot made up for it. I would definitely recommend it.

intriguing premise and engaging writing, but unfortunately the characters were kind of insufferable.. ending was a bit disappointing too.

The writing in this was so, so good. It was engaging and lyrical and pulled me right into the heart of the story.

I loved both Wendy and Rosemary. Even from the very beginning, I fell in love with their personalities and how real they felt. It was like I was in the story with them, experiencing the events beside them.

I loved the theme of the lengths people would go to for someone they loved. It was obvious how badly Rosemary wanted to help her sister Wendy, even placing herself in harm’s way to do so. Wendy sometimes acted like a brat but she had been through a lot and lost so much, so I couldn’t hold it against her. Rosemary also came across as quite naïve, agreeing to move into the apartment and become Leo’s girlfriend, without thinking of the consequences (probably because she was so desperate to help her sister). Her story and past were heartbreaking and told with such power.

Leo was super creepy from the start and seemed like the master manipulator, getting Rosemary to do things almost like it was automatic. Although it was obvious he was good at manipulating people; it wasn’t typical which I loved, as it showed a different side of manipulation.

The idea of the glasseyes also made me shiver. I know we have social media, but the thought of people being able to track my every move wasn’t my idea of a good time!

Despite the novel being more character driven than plot driven, the story was fast-paced and had me turning the pages. It had me saying ‘just one more chapter’ before I went to sleep! Although I enjoyed part one, part two dragged after a while and I got bored. Part three picked up again, when Rosemary decided she’d had enough. And I spent it on tenterhooks wondering how she could get herself out of the situation. I also enjoyed Wendy’s storyline with her friend Hannah. It added a layer of complexity and intrigue to the plot and also allowed for more manipulation from Leo.

Overall, a solid story with fantastic character development. Although it dragged in parts, I still enjoyed the book.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher, for a chance to read and review this book.

I was intrigued through the first 1/3 of this book. After that, the story fell a little short for me. The character development was uninteresting and predictable. On a positive note, it is a quick read and unique idea.

When Rosemary’s teenage sister Wendy shows up at her door needing a place to stay, she takes her on. Needing money and somewhere adequate for them both, she takes a job to be Leo Glass’s paid gorlfriend. What she doesn’t anticipate is how much of herself she will be signing away and who Leo really is.

I liked this book. I felt the premise was good and the pace of the novel was great, building tension and mystery in the right places. My only wish would be for there to be more input from the secondary characters however I took from that to be because Rosemary narrates the novel. An exciting read overall.

After reading the blur,thought it would be interesting to read.
Can't say that I liked the plot and would not classify it as a mystery,was not impressed with the main character after all she got involved herself nobody was holding a gun to her head,Sam was not such a beliveable character and all in all she did get away with murder.My opionn is that the book needs polishing up,

Obsession and control steal the scene in this gripping story of a woman who is desperate to give her sister a better life, and takes an indecent proposal to be a paid girlfriend of an entitled tech billionaire. ⁣
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Sound too good to be true? Definitely.⁣
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Rosemary starts to feel as if she’s being constantly watched and as Leo’s requests become more and more strange - she soon finds the arrangement may turn out to have deadly consequences.⁣
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I LOVED the whole experience reading this! I felt anxious and paranoid along with Rosemary every step of the way, and I flew through the pages hoping for her and her sister to finally have the happy lives they both deserve.⁣
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Perfect for fans of You and novels of obsession and stalkers, No One Knows Us Here was also an Amazon First Reads pick for December!

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I honestly had no idea what I was getting into with this book! I thought it was going to be more along the lines of your run of the mill thriller, but I was pleasantly surprised. I really liked the whole story about a girl trying to take in her younger sister after her parents died and doing whatever it takes to provide for her and give her a good life. There were parts where I couldn’t figure out if I was Team Sam or Team Leo, but luckily I went with my gut and liked the right choice! I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for something a little different in the suspense genre!

Extremely disappointing mashup that is not suspenseful or entertaining. I should have stopped reading before the halfway point, but I stuck it out until the end hoping it would not go where it went.

Why? The character of Rosemary was incredibly lame and every single decision she makes is the most wrong choice a person could make. She needs money so she agrees to be a billionaire's girlfriend. He's not nice. She keeps staying and collecting the money. She has grand schemes and intentions and does not follow through with any of them. Like she's pretending to be an actress in a movie of her own life, but doing a really bad job of it. Of course he's hideous and controlling, that would be the expected stereotype so that Rosemary can rationalize what she does. And, naturally, there's the boy next door trope and, gasp, is he going to save her?

All in all, this was a waste of my time and I can't think of a single person to recommend it to. The writing is repetitious and the narrative from Rosemary's point of view is irritating. The plot is predictable and unbelievable. There's nothing new to see here.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing.

Oh wow! What did I just read? This is a gripping story. It has the 50 Shades of Grey creepiness to it mixed with forbidden love...I found this book evoked complicated emotions for me. It has an ick factor I don't enjoy in books, but yet I had to keep reading to know what happened. It took me awhile to get into it too. The main character, Rosemary feels naive despite understanding the injustices and atrocities that can happen to young people. She seemed overly interested in Leo's proposition and apathetic about her job unhappiness. She quits without a second thought and leaves saying she hated the job but not once did she really attempt to change her circumstances. Her job seemed filled with apathetic souls. I also stuggled with Rosemary's relationship with her sister, who is her driving motivation for taking up Leo's proposal. She brings her sister to live with her, but she doesn't take on the role of parent/guardian. Her sister kind of does her own thing. The last 20% of the book gets really good and I enjoyed how it ended. Wish I could say more about that, but it would inevitably include spoilers.

No One Knows Us Here by R. Kelley, published by Lake Union Publishing, is a gripping, heart-wrenching story.
Rosemary is a senior at college and she's scraping by just so. When her minor sister shows up and needs her she needs a new perspective. Aka Leo the successful businessman. But she doesn't know what's in it for her - a nightmare come true.
A raw and gritty read, 4,5 stars.

I stayed up so late reading this book that had me hooked by the first couple of pages! The writing is very good and the story is intriguing. I was invested in the characters from the beginning and could not wait to see their fate.

There is descriptions of abuse so please be warned if you decide to read it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy for the purpose of this review. 5 stars!

Rebecca Kelley's NO ONE KNOWS US HERE is an addictive, binge-worthy suspense thriller that would be perfect as a movie or tv series.

Emotionally powerful, and packed with page-turning suspense, NO ONE KNOWS US HERE delves into the sordid, all-too-real world of relationships between wealthy, powerful men and the young women caught in their web.

The novel also explores the domestic lives of young girls caught in tragic dysfunctional home-life situations with abusive men who take advantage of young girls when their moms are not paying attention.

One woman's desperation to help care for her younger sister turns deadly, engrossed in a dangerous game of obsession, control, and deception.

Rosemary Rabourne left home after her stepfather sexually abused her. She left her half-sister in the home, thinking the girl's father would not harm her.

When her thirteen-year-old half-sister, Wendy, shows up at her door, she will do anything to protect her. She is a college graduate with a low-paying job at a kitchen retail shop.

She already lives in a smaller studio apartment with other people. She wants to go to law school and has put her dreams on hold. Her sister is her top priority.

When one of her roommates, that seems to be doing very well, offers her her entire contact list to pull her out of her financial situation, she feels like this may be her answer. Her roommate has made so much money she is now a dentist and has lots of nice things, from clothes to furnishings.

How bad could it be to become a well-paid escort? Things would be better. She is not sure she can do this after the first time.

After lunch with one of the contacts, Leo Glass, a good-looking, rich tech billionaire and CEO of a social app, wants to hire her. She thinks she will be getting a high-powered job.

However, he wants a girlfriend. He travels all the time, and he thinks Rosemary will be a perfect match. How bad could it be?

When she hears the amount she will make monthly and is wowed with a beautiful new luxury apartment to sweeten the deal, she is in. Plus, she would have enough to take care of her sister and go back to law school, and quit the kitchen dead-end job.

However, she does not anticipate the constant surveillance and demands she is on call 24/7. He knows her every move. He turns into a stalker, a control freak, and a monster.

They say when things look too good, watch out.

She feels she has no other choice, but how far will he push her to her breaking point? She must get her sister into rehab after trying to slit her wrist and her eating disorder.

Then she meets her neighbor, Sam Ferguson, a viola player for the symphony. They click immediately. A musician with a tragic past of his own. They fall in love, but then she must tell him she has a boyfriend because Leo will find out. She must break it off with Sam to protect him. She must stick with Leo despite being paid to be a girlfriend.

When things turn even more dangerous, Rosemary must protect herself, and her sister, while trying to escape.

How will this end? Will she be able to break free? He keeps her locked in for days. Will she have to commit murder before he kills her?

INTENSE! I listened to the audiobook (and e-book) and Merritt Hicks delivered an engaging and gripping performance. I listened in one sitting and could not wait to see how this would turn out.

A Pretty Woman tale turns toxic and deadly in this provocative thriller of sex, obsession, and murder. I enjoyed the highly satisfactory conclusion. A perfect book title and cover.

My first book by the author, and I was impressed! For fans of B.A. Paris's The Prisoner and Robyn Harding's The Arrangement.

Thanks to #LakeUnion and #NetGalley for a gifted ARC. Also purchased the audiobook

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My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: Jan 1, 2023
Jan 2023 Must-Read Books

Rosemary is struggling to pay her bills as she figures out her next step in life. Things are even more complicated as her younger sister comes looking for a place to stay. Soon, she enters into a fake relationship with tech entrepreneur Leo Glass. He is looking for the ideal girlfriend, and Rosemary agrees to be that to provide stability for her sister. However, Leo turns out to be more controlling than she thought.

This book was just suspenseful enough for me to want to continue it, but overall, I found it slow. The description said she entered into the relationship and then meets her neighbor Sam, but she and Sam start their relationship before she has any real interaction with Leo. This was a weird choice for me. I think part one could have been a lot shorter, and part 2 could have been much longer. I think that part hit more the domestic suspense I expected her. I also expected more creepy parts with the looking glass technology, but there wasn't as much of that as I expected.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.