What Have We Done (ARC)
Alex Finlay
4⭐️
Pub Day: 3/7/2023

Something sinister is happening at the Savior House. Children are disappearing from this orphanage. And when 5 kids started questioning this, they were met with dismissal or threats. They took things to their own hands... for their sakes. 25 years later, Benny turned up dead. Jenna, Nico, Donnie and Arty were all targeted for assassination. All because of what they did back at Savior House. What really happened in that forsaken home? Who's after them? And what have they really done to deserve this? They have to revisit their nightmare, all secrets now to be unveiled.

The first part of this book was a little hard to follow. There are 3 storyline, and I didn't really see the quick connection to each. Eventually it got easier to follow as the storylines all started to merge together into omr big plot. It was hard to stop because it was immediately interesting. All the escaping... the rush of the run. Each character dealing with his/her own life dilemma makes them seem more realistic. As with every thriller/mystery book, I made a guess and see if I can actually nail the culprit. Huge twist on this one though. I was totally blindsided by this.

The chapters are relatively short and easy to read. I'm amazed at how the author was able to make such a good and cohesive plot with it. He did not drag each one out and I think this is an impressive skill for an author. Overall, it's a very thrilling read. I immensely enjoyed it.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. This is another solid psychological thriller by Alex Finlay. It kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering who was responsible for all the deaths and mayhem. There were a lot of great characters and it was well written, incorporating scenes from the past seamlessly with the present. I’ll read more by this author in the future.

I was stoked to see this title pop up on Netgalley and this was my first read by the ever popular Alex Finlay!

I’m usually a huge fan of thrillers with multiple POVs, but this one took me a little longer than normal to get comfortable with each character, and the back and forth between their past and present experiences. I continued to struggle with the transitions from past to present as the novel went on, and had to sometimes reread passages in order to figure out when things were occurring in time.

I really enjoyed getting to learn about Jenna, Nico, and Donnie’s history while living at the Savior House. I was most interested in this part of the storyline, compared to the present day timeline.

Overall, this one was a bit of a miss for me. It read more like an action movie than a thriller, which wasn’t fully what I was expecting. I did enjoy how things came together in the end, though!

Yep, I’m an Alex Finlay fan. Must read kind of thing. No matter what.

While this was probably personally my least favorite of his, it was still very good and will honestly appeal to some more than the others.

There is a lot going on. Alternating points of view, trying to figure everything out. But that’s part of the fun, right? It’s absolutely action packed and full of twists. Jenna is my hero. Donnie tugged at my heart strings. Just a fantastic ride all around.

Read this if you like thrilling action and mystery.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy. I can’t wait to see what Alex Finlay brings us next.

1.5 stars, but rounding up to 2 *solely* because it was fast-paced and action-packed & I wasn’t able to guess what the full twist would be (part of it though, I saw coming from a mile away). So at least there was still an element of surprise. But that definitely doesn’t make up for the fact that this book is seriously one of the dumbest ones I’ve read in a while. No offense, but Finlay’s writing is literally awful — it’s cheesy and elementary, so this book reads like an extremely stupid YA novel. The characters and their inner monologues, along with the all the absolutely unnecessary filler (why did Finlay feel like he needed to explain literally everything like we’re 5 years old and know nothing?!) — all of it was so cringey. Oh my god, especially Donnie… I think the guy had an IQ of like 5, I swear. Jenna was the best written character and even her chapters made me question why I was still reading this book lol. It was just SO stupid — everything, every part of it. And the ending was so unrealistic. But hey, at least there’s a silver lining — now I know I never want to read more books by this author lol. So many better thrillers out there.

Thank you, regardless, to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unpopular opinion alert! If you LOVED this book, just skip this review.

This was one of most anticipated reads of 2023! Finlay's last two novels, Every Last Fear, and The Night Shift blew me away!

I don't know what it was but this just didn't fit his usual style. I felt like I was reading someone else's book. Now don't get me wrong, there was nothing wrong with the writing, it just had a much different vibe. It was missing that thriller aspect I've come to love from Finlay's writing.

But hey! That's just my opinion. There's are TONS of 4/5 star reviews for this book. It just didn't work for me.

Perfect afternoon with a book while on Christmas vacation. When I received notice that I received an advanced reader copy of this one - by an author that I enjoy, I jumped at the chance to make it my next book!📖

What Have We Done is the third book I’ve read from this author - I really enjoyed the first two (Every Last Fear and The Night Shift). This one focuses on a group of friends - who spent their teenage years at a terrible group home. The friends moved on to live very different lives - and then 25 years later they are brought back together when it is clear that someone powerful is looking to kill them to keep secrets hidden.🤔

This book was like a movie - giving you all the vibes of Jack Reacher/Jason Bourne - it’s interesting and keeps you reading but definitely isn’t a favourite. Go into it knowing that you need to suspend disbelief - once you’ve had a chance to read it, you may agree that this book would be a good action movie.⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this advanced copy. It will be available everywhere March 7, 2023 and I’m sure it will be a hit.

.

@tolovetoread #tolovetoread #read #reader #reading #readersofig #readthisbook #book #books #bookstagram #bookworm #bookish #bookreviewer #bibliophile #bookaddict #booksofig #booksof2022 #bookrecommendations #amreading #bookishcanadians #bestbooksof2022 #bookthoughts #booklife #readanywhere

This was my first book from Alex Finlay, I enjoyed this thriller. I loved the different point of views and the timelines. I did feel like Jenna’s story was the most interesting, but also the most unbelievable. Which had me rolling my eyes a few times.

The ending of the book was so well done and it was something I wasn’t expecting. My only reason I am giving this 3.5 stars is because there were too many characters, so it took me awhile to finally remember who was who.

This book will be released in March.

2.5 stars

Based on the description, I was expecting a thriller mystery, but this is an out-and-out action thriller. In fact, What Have We Done reads like a movie script for a violent, fast-paced action movie. Every element of the book is preposterous and far-fetched. Twenty-five years ago, Jenna, Donnie, Nico, Benny, and Artemis were all residents at the dreadful foster care home Savior House, ruled by the disgusting and Fagin-like Mr. Brood. It led them to do the unthinkable...In the present, Jenna, a former hired assassin turned stay-at-home mother, Donnie, a washed up, alcoholic rock star, and Nico, a reality TV producer with a gambling problem, discover that someone's trying to kill them all again...and it all ties back to that fateful night when they were teenagers.

What Have We Done is fast-paced, and Alex Finlay knows how to keep a story moving. But it was also so ridiculous and violent! The characters are more archetypes than fully formed, and all of the violent scenarios just didn't do it for me. It held my attention, but I didn't care for the story or characters. This was definitely different for me, but when it comes to popcorn reads, I prefer mysteries more than action. And I've read some violent books this year, but the violence in this felt unnecessary. What Have We Done is like a Sour Patch Kid of a book; it's entertaining, it goes down easily with a bit of bite, but it lacks substance.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for an ARC of this book.

As someone who is trying to delve more into new thrillers, this one just didn’t hit the mark for me. The premise is intriguing at first and it was why I wanted to read it in the first place but I was expecting a grander epic than I was given. It was random bursts of action combined with an attempt at feeding backstory about characters that weren’t as developed as they could have been.

For a good 70% of the book, I didn’t feel connected to the characters at all or really understood where the plot was going. I found myself picking it up and leaving it, coming back at random intervals because I just wasn’t as captivated as I wanted to be. It was a mashup of so many diverting tracks, that did end up leading to the same place, but it was not the cleanest set up I’ve ever read.

I will say the ending and the build up toward it in the last quarter, bumped the story up a great deal. It did provide good payoff for how muddled and odd the rest of it felt. By the end, I really loved Donnie and Jenna the most and I was happy with their epilogues. The twins were probably the most interesting part but I could have done without Nico, who felt almost irredeemable.
Overall, I wasn’t at the edge of my seat but it paid off in the end, even though it was a rough time getting there.

DNF at 50% I really loved Every Last Fear but this one lost my initial interest very quickly. In the first 25% we had around 8 character switches in the midst of 8 short chapters. The characters blended together a lot in the beginning, and I couldn't find myself caring for any of them. Though it did get easier to keep track of them with time, I still didn't have an interest in any of them. The story itself also felt very generic right from the start. Nothing was unique or written in such a way that the expected could be forgiven; the whole thing felt uninspired to me. Like a straight to DVD movie. And that's a shame. I loved Every Last Fear, as I've said, but this book did not strike me as anything worth following until the end.

What Have We Done is a fast paced thriller. I appreciated the small chapters, making it a breeze to get through. It was addicting but the writing was a bit all over the place, which slowed my reading a bit. Overall it was suspenseful, even if not particularly satisfying.

I received an advanced copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for a review and opinions are my own.

Although I have read most of Alex Finley‘s books I found myself putting this book down and not wanting to pick it up. The characters were undeveloped and the plot just seem to go on and on. I have to admit I did scan some of the pages. I will continue to watch for her new arrivals, I have not lost faith in this author.

So buckle up because unfortunately this review is going to be as scattered as the plot of this book. There is just a lot going on and I’m not quite sure it all comes together in the end. The basic premise of a group of friends from a children’s home keeping a dark secret is great and I felt really invested at the start however it all quickly devolves into chaos and not in a good way. There’s so much setup for this big mystery that ultimately never gets properly explained and I had so many unanswered questions that were never addressed. I wish I had enjoyed this more but in the end it just didn’t do it for me.

From the minute I opened this book I was completely hypnotized. The story follows 4 individuals as they try to put together a mystery of someone who is trying to get to them. It flips back and forth between their memories from their adolescent day to present time. Normally I would hate having to keep track of several characters but Alex Finley made is easy to follow. I devoured this book in a couple nights. I haven't had a book captivate me like this in a while so I will definitely be reading more from this author!

I love Alex Finlays other books but this felt different. More action movie than thriller mystery, I prefer his other stories much more, this one was too much for me.

This was an exciting book and thought it was well written. The author did a great job with the characters. 4 star read!

Amazing from beginning to end. This author is becoming one of my go to/auto buys and for good reason. You will be guessing until the very end of this read but you will be so enthralled that you’ll finish it in a day

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC

A big thank you to this book for reinvigorating my interest in reading thrillers. As of late, many of the thrillers I have read seem to follow the same outline and pattern. But this story reminded me how a great author who builds a story slowly and surely can keep me captivated throughout. It felt like a true thriller!

This story is told through multiple POVs - but it is easy to differentiate between them. Four characters who met twenty five years before the story opens, when they each were living in Saviour House. Each character was living there not by choice, but by devasting circumstances beyond their control. After a traumatic night where there is an obvious secret that is being hidden, the characters part ways and each builds a life outside of the others. Nico becomes a hollywood producer with a gambling problem, Jenna becomes a step-mother of two hiding a previously forced career as a hitwoman, Donnie is a has-been rock and roll star with a drinking problem, and the story opens with Ben, a federal Judge found dead.

With insight into each character's life, this story opens with Ben's murder, followed by attempts on the other's lives. Since they haven't kept in touch, the characters don't realize the connection to Saviour House immediately. This book is action-packed while also telling a very interesting story. None of the characters are overly likeable, but your will still root for them. Each has their own hurdles to overcome, but the reader also learns how those hurdles were formed. There were good twists in this one and an ending I had an inkling about, but was still pleasantly surprised.

Definitely recommend. I have to admit that I still liked Night Shift better (one of my only 5 star thriller reads) - but this solidifies Alex Finlay as an auto-buy author for me. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC to read and review. Publishes 3.07.23. Preorder now!!

I have devoured Alex Finlay’s previous books and I remember loving them so I was excited to get approved for her latest book “What Have We Done”. I found myself hooked at first but then I got bored with it at the halfway point and found myself skimming the pages. I really didn’t care for the characters or the plot line so this one was a DNF for me. Just not for me I guess. Looking forward to her next book though. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review. To be published March 2023.