Perfectly paced with twists, mystery and unpredictability that kept me guessing until the end. I couldn't put it down

Willow Roberts inherits the family’s summer cottage where she spent her childhood summers. It has been twenty since she has been there. When a body is found in the cottage, she is sure it is her best friend who ran away that last summer. After she receives a note also, she knows that someone else knows her secret and what happened that summer. Twists and turns keep you in suspense until the end! Carissa is an outstanding writer and this is another great read. Couldn’t put down!




Thanks to Carissa Ann Lynch for the book!

This is my first book by this author. First, let me say that the mystery itself was good. I didn’t suspect the ending. I felt like the book should have been longer to give the reader a better description of the characters.

Willow has inherited her parents lake house that she visited throughout her childhood. After a divorce, she is looking to start new and hopes the proceeds from renovating the old place will be of help. When a body is found during construction, Willow fears its her friend that disappeared 20 years prior.

Kathi Jo Redfield was Willow’s best friend during her teen years. Though they only saw each other during the summer, the two were inseparable. When Kathy Jo disappeared, Willow hoped she got out of the small town and made a new life for herself. But now she fears the worst happened. Will she find out what happened to her childhood friend?

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The blurb for this one sounded really good so I was looking forward to it! Sounded perfect for my commute. Unfortunately, the pace and writing did not work for me. These thype of books usually grip me from the first line and it wasn't the case with this one. It didn't keep me engaged and I found myself skimming through it so I DNF close to 30%.

I looked forward to reading this story from its description, but unfortunately, the writing did not engage me. As a result, I found it hard to continue reading and did not think the books twists were very strong. Due to my thoughts on the book I will not be sharing this review on social media. Thanks for the opportunity to read ARC.

I am so glad I requested this! he characterization was so well done. Each individual was portrayed with the little mannerisms that made them all unique. I also really appreciated that the story went back and forth between past and present, to show how the characters that were shown as young teenager evolved with the passing of years.

The story itself--WOW! Carissa Ann Lynch is certainly talented when it comes to a plot that kept me interested and glued to the pages. And the way it all wrapped up--many of the clues were there, but I didn't even begin to guess how it would fall together, but fall together it did.

Five stars!

I love this intense, climactic thriller. I was incredibly invested in the characters and plot. Readers are going to love this incredible novel.

A fast-paced thriller that unfolds quickly, keeping you awake until you finish the entire book! I could not stomach reading until I finished! Willow Roberts is back in her home town, following the disappearance of her best friend more than 20 years ago. The secrets of her past are coming back to haunt her, but it seems like someone doesn’t want her around. Does that mean she is closer to figuring out what happened to her best friend?

The story switches between present day and her teen years, doing a great job bringing the stories together. This was my first by this author, but I will be sure to read any upcoming books she may have.

Thank you NetGally for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Willow Roberts adult life is falling apart, the man she married isn't the same guy in public as he is at home. Their divorce is leaving him with the friends and house . Her parents had passed away and left her the family lake house that had been the family's summer refuge. Now it seemed , at least for a while, the next step should be to return there. She can renovate the house and sell or rent it and start over. The problem is, her childhood best friend Kathie- jo vanished from there and was never seen again. Coming of age story, mystery, adult finding herself ...worth your time.

Thanks to NetGalley, Carissa Ann Lynch, and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Willow returns to her town solely to take ownership of a house left ot her by her parents. It's been 20 years and she is still wondering what happened to her best friend Kathi Jo following a fateful night. When a body is found in the house it's likely a key to that historic disappearance.
Through twists and turns and a dual timeline we follow WIllow as she discovers what really happened. If you like a fast moving twisty thriller, The Summer She Disappeared is for you! #HarperCollins

22 years ago Willow’s best friend disappeared after leaving her mother a note saying sorry. Until her friend disappeared Willow spent every summer at her family’s lake house. After that she didn’t return. Now 22 years later her parents have died and Willow has returned and is renovating the Lake House. She gets a call from Cindy saying they have found a body in the closet. Willow knows who it is. There is also a note saying I know what you did. What happened 22 years ago? It’s all about to be revealed.
I recommend this book. I really enjoyed it and it kept me guessing. It’s the first book I have read by this author but I will be reading more.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for access to this book in exchange for my honest review.

I don't know what to say about this book but....Wow! An absolutely amazing read by Carissa Ann Lynch.

This book is so well written and the story so well told that I just devoured the book in one sitting. I was easily sucked into the story of Willow and Kathi Jo. I enjoyed the way the story was told with each chapter beginning in current day then going back to the girls teenage years. This kept the story moving at the perfect pace. I was kept guessing until the end as to what really happened to Kathi Jo.

The Summer She Disappeared is a definite must read. Just know that once you start reading you won't set the book down until you've finished it. I would rate this book 6 stars if I could...it's that good!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for the copy of The Summer She Disappeared. I don’t know why I’m drawn to murder mysteries from someone’s teen years that they get reinvolved twenty years later. Maybe it’s because my teen years were boring and lonely!
This was such a fun read because I really enjoyed the past narrative, which was the bulk of the story. The story was well-paced and the great writing drew me into Willow's life. Most of the book was so good I don’t mind that I didn’t love the ending and thought it was anti-climatic. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

The Summer She Disappeared is part mystery and part coming-of-age story. It is told in a dual timeline of today and the late 90’s/00’s, narrated by Willow, the main character.

Willow returns to her family’s summer home in Lake Hillendale, Kentucky after her parents died and left the house to her. During renovations, a “dead body” is found in one of the closets and Willow knows it’s her childhood best friend, Kathi Jo. Their carefree days of summertime parties, drinking and boys was fun for awhile, but eventually turned tragic, and now Willow needs to find out the truth of what happened “that summer”, but it seems that someone is now trying to scare Willow while she investigates Kathy Jo’s disappearance. Why? Who is responsible? Did Kathy Jo really just leave on her own?

There are a few unexpected twists, but the story fell flat for me unfortunately. It was a fun read and quite entertaining, but it rates 3 stars in my very humble opinion.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. This is my honest review.

Willow Roberts inherits her parents summer house. 20 years ago her best friend Kathi Jo disappeared there. Willow has now came back and has a stalker. She searches for the truth of what happened that night long ago. Thanks NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for this ARC!

Interesting story about best friends and growing up.
Nice story line,liked the way it qltefnated between the past and present.

The Summer She Disappeared was a quick and entertaining read that I enjoyed.

Her previous books have have been enjoyable so I immediately clicked that request button.
And it didn't disappoint.
This book gripped me from the first page and kept me guessing all the way to the very end, it has a twist I never see coming.
A great easy read that kept me guessing.
The writing was fun and easy to get lost in.
Along with the well-drawn characters make this an awesome story.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A quick and fast paced read. The writing itself was not very sophisticated, but the story itself was intruiging.

Carissa Ann Lynch is one of my favorite AAAs (automatic approved author)! I am okay to read her shopping list and her scribbled post it notes! But honestly even though this is quick, exciting, twisty reading just like her other works, it is also my least favorite book of hers! Unfortunately I couldn’t relate with both Willow and Kathi Jo! I didn’t care about what happened to Kathi Jo! I didn’t care if she’s dead or alive. It’s obvious something really bad happened to her so I focused on who can be the perpetrator!

The fast pacing story telling with two time lines was well crafted, adroitly developed. The beginning where Willow Roberts, broke, divorced, inherited parents’ lake house finds out there’s a skeleton in her closet which will be related with bigger skeletons she’s keeping in other closets for years about her friend friend Kathi Jo who’s missing for 2 decades!

After finding something tragic hidden inside her closet, Willow realizes somebody tries to push her confront about her past. A mysterious person might be watching her, lurking in her parents’ house! She gets scared and starts dealing with the people related with Kathi Jo. The same people she shared dark past. But finally she realizes nothing as it seems.

Overall: the beginning and story’s direction moving back and forth between past and present were good. Conclusion was smart but I couldn’t get connected with any of the characters. The MCs are as irritated as the villains of the story. So I’m giving my solid three, it’s still good, fast, easy to read stars!
I am still looking forward to read more future works of the author. She’s still one of the greatest mystery authors!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

I had a lot of fun reading this book - and I enjoyed the back-and-forth between the girls in the 90s and the protagonist today. Definitely twisty and unpredictable- a good girly psychological thriller. This author’s thrillers never disappoint but this is definitely one of my favorites of hers and I will definitely recommend it to others.