Before She Finds Me by Heather Chavez is one of those books that it is not the cover that grabs me, though I do love female main characters, but this time it was the title. I know we will be having some hide and seek, predator and prey action. Everyone has a secret and some of them will pay the ultimate price…and I love it!

Julia is a mom and ex wife carrying heavy baggage from her tragic past, the secret haunting her. It has made her hypervigilant, noticing even the slightest thing that is amiss, her spidey senses on constant alert. Her and her daughter, Cora, have a ‘pun’ habit which I thought was a nice touch. 🙂 I love the twist that made them all targets, so, remember, make sure you hit what you are aiming for or it could come back and bite you…..

Ren and Nolan are assassins, married, and work together. Nolan gathers the information and Ren draws up the plans and maps. She is meticulous and, well, he’s getting sloppy, greedy, and I thought he could be their downfall. After all, it couldn’t be the woman. Nothing could possible go wrong…could it?

I love how the characters grew, developed more depth. The mystery of the shooting at the college goes way beyond anything I could have foreseen. I was curious from the beginning, but once the surprises started stacking up, the pace picked up and I didn’t want to stop until….

The ending was terrific and I kinda figured it out…who would be left standing, but how they would get there was a total surprise…and, oh so, fitting. There was a surprise victim or two, but, hey, fictional characters are disposable. HA HA HA HA HA I have found a new author to keep my eye on and I recommend any lover of suspense would enjoy this too.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Before She Finds Me by Heather Chavez.

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Before she finds her is a fast-paced and action packed thriller. The story is about two mothers-one trying to uncover the truth behind an attack at her daughters college. The other, a trained assassin know who, but is unclear why. What follows is a complicated , and occasionally funny and heartbreaking story about the two women who are working to uncover the truth.
Chavez is a well established voice in the world of thrillers and continues her trend of turning out fast-paced and thrilling reads that will be good for a summer day or weekend at the beach!

Thanks to the publisher for providing the arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A psychological thriller following two points of view- one of Ren, a working hired assassin and that of Julia, a mom and teacher at a university with a troubled past. This is a fast paced thriller that starts off with a bang and does a great job of throwing in a few curves here or there and letting a few things play out.

I found the first half of the story more enjoyable, as the twists felt less predictable and the story unfolded a little more evenly. The pacing felt a little off, as the pov of Julia moved at a faster pace where as Ren tended to moved at a slower pace. Overall, an enjoyable thriller if you like two different POVs and a story that had a slow burn between Ren and Julia.

While the action in this story starts on page 1, that's also where it starts to end. The beginning is so exciting, but then it just dies down and never really picks up again. I also didn't really like the hired killer premise.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for this read. This book started with such a bang that I was so shocked by it. I was glued to the read. It slowed down a bit after that but it was still good. It was interesting and well written.

College move in day is suppose to be a happy one for Julia and her daughter Cora. Even tension from her ex husband and his new wife showing up won’t dampen the day. That is until a sniper fires on the campus. Julia’s quick response saves them both, but unfortunately not everyone is so lucky.

Newly pregnant, Ren doesn’t haven’t the most traditional job. She’s a trained assassin but one who operates under a strict moral code. Although she was not involved in the attack on campus, she knows who was: her husband. What she can’t figure out is why he kept it a secret from her.

As each continues to investigate what happened the day of the shooting, their worlds become entangled. And both will do whatever it takes to protect their family.

As someone going through a bit of a reading slump, this book was exactly what I needed. I absolutely ate up this fast paced, dual POV story of two strong compelling women!

From the first chapter on, I could not put this book down. It kept me engaged, on the edge of my seat, and constantly guessing. The twists were so well done.

However I should mention that due to the plot and involvement of assassins, you have to be willing to suspend a bit of disbelief on this one. But the story is well worth it.

This was my first by this this author and I am definitely going back for more!

Thank you Novel Suspects, Mulholland Books, and Netgalley for my review copies in exchange for and honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Mulholland Books, and Ms. Chavez for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

I'm new to Ms. Chavez but heard about her book during a digital literary promo day and was intrigued by the premise. Two strong, fierce women not so much pitted against each other but racing simultaneously to find the truth. One, an assassin trained from childhood in vigilante justice, the other a woman struggling to emerge intact from a broken past. Ren, the assassin, is troubled by the fact that her husband and partner took a job without telling her - unprecedented and suspicious. Julia, a college professor with a college-age child, watched her husband's new wife die in front of her and barely saved her daughter from being shot. WHY did the attack happen? WHO wanted it to? and who will be next to die?

This was a fun roller coaster ride and moved VERY quickly. I found Ren to be fascinating despite the social awkwardness that her isolated (and violent) upbringing caused, a real antihero. Her reliance on her moral compass and clear affection for her Tiny Passenger helped keep her sympathetic even as her collection (IYKYK) and encyclopedic knowledge of just *how* each plant could kill her targets was off-putting. For some reason I was less drawn to Julia, although she was certainly a sympathetic character and easy to root for.

Mike's character (and by extension, his dark-web-using acquaintance - something with a K. Kamil? Kamal?) seemed a little unfinished. Julia, who seemed so untrusting otherwise, certainly placed a lot of faith in both of them. I did guess who instigated the attack and (more or less) why, but that didn't detract much from the book because the point in the end wasn't whodunnit so much as what Ren and Julia respectively were going to do about it.

I really enjoyed this and plan to look for more by this author. ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

“Shield the innocent. Kill the guilty. Defend the family.”

Def a slow burn. Two unrelated and very different mothers race to uncover truth after a shocking attack. I liked that you get immediately into the action on page 1.. It starts with a bang of excitement and action BUT that also left me wanting more after the initial excitement. I found myself putting it down a lot and racing to finish.

Thanks to Netgalley and Mulholland Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! Out today, 6/27!!

Before She Finds Me is a fast-paced, electric thriller about a game of cat and mouse between two very different mothers. Julia Bennett will do anything to protect her daughter, Cora. After an attack on campus during Cora's move in day at college, only Julia's quick thinking and instincts save Cora's life. On the flip side, there's Ren, a trained assassin with her own bundle of joy on the way. She recognizes the hallmarks of her husband's handiwork on the campus, but Nolan didn't consult her before taking the job, and they normally operate with a strict code. Both Julia and Ren are determined to protect their families and find the answers they seek, but they are at odds from the very beginning.

I don't normally find assassin type novels very interesting, but Chavez starts the action on page one and never lets up. It's a breathless ride to the thrilling conclusion and I couldn't get there fast enough. Heather Chavez is steadily becoming one of my favorite new authors and I can recommend this book to all mystery lovers. Thank you to Netgalley and Mulholland Books for the chance to review this advance copy. Before She Finds Me is available for purchase everywhere you buy books now!

**Happy publication day!!!!****

Excellent fast paced suspense/thriller!!
Julia is a college professor who is helping her daughter move into college when a sniper attack happens and her daughter is shot, was this random or planned? Julia’s actions during the event draw some attention to her, what secret is she keeping?

Ren, a hired female killer who is continuing the family business, discovers she is going to be a mother. Normally her and her spouse review each hired hit thoroughly but he is causing her to doubt her ability to trust him.

Definitely kept my attention, kept me guessing and wanting to know what would happen next!

Thanks to Netgalley for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

In alternating POVs we meet two women who will do anything to save their families. First there is Julia who reacts suspiciously quickly to a mass shooting on a college campus on her daughter's move-in day. Her quick reflexes were able to save her daughter. but not everyone was so lucky. Next we meet Ren who is a contract killer, along with her husband. They always plan their attacks together, so why did he take the campus job without telling her?

I really enjoyed this book. I always love an alternating POV and I was interested to see how the stories intersected and who would come out on top. The pacing was great- I could not put this down.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book had me absolutely hooked-the tension, unanswered questions, and a devastating, heart-racing violent event that has reverberations until the very end of this story kept me glued to the pages.

Julia and Ren are the narrators of this story. Both are mothers and both are in some way connected to an attack that leaves the reader in the dark.

Our first mother, Julia, has interesting ways of dealing with violence that make you question: who is the real Julia?

The second narrator, Ren, is a pregnant assassin and acts as a wild card: whose side is she truly on?

I had an absolute blast reading this book and loved the way the author slowly built the tension and didn't seem to take sides with anyone. I was left wondering how this story would end and who would survive.

I read and reviewed an advanced eARC of this book thanks to Mulholland Books via NetGlley. All honest opinions are my own.

4.5✨'s

Thank you NetGalley, Mulholland Books, and Heather Chavez for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Ya’ll. This book is SO GOOD. I did not see a single twist coming and it is so well-paced I was completely enthralled with knowing what was going to happen next.

I love that the POV chapters alternated between Julia and Ren, we stan strong female characters!

Thriller fans everywhere, you’re gonna want to get your hands on this one when it comes out on Tuesday!

About: Julia Bennett is a divorced, single mom of a teenager named Cora. Cora is heading off to college, and her mom, dad, and dad's new wife are there to support her on move-in day. While the dorm residents and their families are gathered on campus, a gunman opens fire on the crowd. Was this a random display of violence by a crazed gunman? Or was this a targeted attack? No stranger to violence, Julia intends to find out who was behind the shooting and why, even if it draws up old memories she'd rather forget.

Newly pregnant Ren Petrovic is an assassin with morals. She doesn't like guns, she doesn't like profanity, and she only kills people who truly deserve to die. She and her husband, who's also an assassin, have a strict moral code. So when it appears her husband may have been behind the college shooting, and may have broken their code, Ren is determined to piece together what exactly went down, and what it means for her growing family.

These two mothers are on opposite sides, but both working toward the same goal: find out what happened and who ordered the kill. It's the only way they can protect their children. The question is, who will arrive at the truth first?

Thoughts: I absolutely LOVED THIS BOOK. It's a multilayered web of lies, betrayal and manipulation. The reader won't know who to trust when everyone's a suspect.

Both protagonists were skillfully written with such strong personalities. The reader really gets a feel for who they are at their core. Julia, who has a dark past, is a fiercely protective mother who will do whatever it takes to keep her daughter safe. And though Ren is an assassin, Chavez writes her in such a way that the reader can't help but respect her, empathize with her, and even root for her at times. I LOVED the way the author made Ren a bit of goodie-goodie; such a fun juxtaposition to her career choice.

This book was perfectly paced, and unputdownable from beginning to end. The plot is so smart, so well thought out, and brilliantly executed. I will be recommending this one all summer long! What a great thriller!

Many thanks to Mulholland Books for my gifted eARC and finished copy. My review has been posted to Goodreads, and will be posted to my IG review account during pub week. ☺️

A fast paced suspense that was fun to read. Julia, along with her ex husband and his new wife are at college getting ready to drop off their daughter Cora for her first year when a mass shooting takes place. Although I figured out who was really behind the shooting immediately, and some of the killers dialogue was a little cheesy as well as the plot a little formulaic , it was a page turner. I think there could have been a much better title too. But if you need something light ( despite the killings) this is it.

This was a fast-paced thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed! It is told from the perspective of two women Julia and Ren, both mothers that will do anything to protect their child. I enjoyed the dual POVs and there were a good number of twists that I did not see coming.
This one would sure get you out of a reading slump and a great summer thriller. Thank you to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I had an absolute blast with this book. It's so fun, and yes, somewhat far-fetched, but I don't care about that. Thrillers are for entertainment, not realism, as I've said countless times before.

I feel like Ren's interest in Juulia is a little gay, but that's just me. It enhanced my enjoyment to read it through that lens. Dysfunctional, sure, but I'll take sapphic vibes however I can get them. And if you add in poisonous/carnivorous plants, lovingly planned and executed murders, and a mystery with so many moving parts that honestly I'm still kind of confused about whodunnit and why, I'm absolutely sold.

Also, morally gray female characters who are ruthless in their devotion to familial love? Yes, gimme more.

This was such a good time for me that I immediately got one of Heather Chavez's previous books and I'm excited to read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for providing me a free copy of this book for review purposes.

Told from alternating perspectives of mother Julia and assassin Ren, BEFORE SHE FINDS ME has both women questioning the people around them and the secrets they may be hiding.

This was my first read by Heather Chavez and won’t be my last! I loved getting in the heads of Julia and Ren, two equally badass women, as they both sought answers leading to the same mystery.

The cat and mouse game was *chef’s kiss* and I had a hard time putting this book down!

I was a bit underwhelmed by the reveal at the end and jolted by the opening scene (trigger warning for mass shooting), but overall really enjoyed reading this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: June 27

This cat and mouse thriller with alternating POVs was one with fun twists if you can suspend some disbelief. While I was not sold on the trained assassin POV, the story definitely kept my attention and I found it fun! Thank you so much to Mulholland Books for the ARC of this one!

📚: Before She Finds Me by Heather Chavez (@iamhrchavez)
⭐️: 4.5/5 (rounding down on #goodreads)

Holy #inonesitting! I didn’t expect this read to be done in a single sitting, nor did I expect to still be awake at midnight tonight. But what a ride!

A complete cat-and-mouse page-turner once the dual POV narratives converge, Ren and Julia are women who will do anything (anything?) to protect their families. A great read for fans of The Lies I Tell - this book is suspense filled until the very last page (with an ending that’s so twisty).

Minus half a star (and a rounded down score) for a one monumental moment in the plot that landed just a little flat, and the smallest bit of slowness at the start that had me confused where the plot was going. For other readers, hang in there and read through. It’s worth it!

Big thanks to @mulhollandbooks via @netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Before She Finds Me is out next week on June 27th!