Another winning novel from Heather Chavez. I stayed up until after 1 a.m. to finish this one, I HAD TO KNOW what was going to happen. Before She Finds Me was a fantastic book with twists and turns and shocking revelations. At first, I wasn’t sure how I was going to like it- a husband and wife assassin team taking out people at the whim of rich clients? Meh. But as I got more into the story, I was hooked.

Julia Bennett has worked hard to create a stable life for her daughter, Cora, in Southern California. So when Cora leaves for college, the worst thing Julia expects on move-in day is an argument with her ex-husband and his new wife. But a sudden attack leaves the campus stunned—and only Julia’s quick actions save Cora’s life. Shaken in the aftermath, and haunted by a dark secret, Julia starts to wonder: What if the attack wasn’t as random as everyone believes?

Newly pregnant Ren Petrovic has an unusual career—she’s a trained assassin, operating under a strict moral code. Ren wasn’t on campus that day, but she knows who was: her husband, Nolan. What she doesn’t know is why Nolan has broken their rules by not telling her about the job in advance. The more Ren looks into the attack, the more she begins to question: Who really hired Nolan? And why did one woman in the crowd respond so differently from all the rest?

Julia and Ren each want answers, but their searches quickly pit them against each other. One woman is a hired killer, but the other is a determined survivor. And both mothers will defend their families to the bitter end.

SO GOOD. Really takes you on a wild ride and fans of suspense won’t want to miss this. Out on June 27.

OOOF, this one was wild. Talk about a hitman/woman situation gone wrong.

I am so thankful to Heather Chavez, Mulholland Books, Hachette Audio, and Libro.fm for granting me both audiobook access and a physical advanced reader's copy of Before She Finds Me. This twisty, who-dunnit is set to publish on June 27, 2023 and I highly suggest you get your pre-orders in now!

Julia Bennett is going through a lot as she drops her daughter off at college for move-in-day, but those festivities get cut short when an active shooter situation rips through campus, killing a few innocent bystanders, including Julia's ex-husband's new wife, Brie -- leaving a broken family in its wake.

On the other side of the narrative, we have Ren Petrovic and her husband, Nolan, who are trained assassins, but one day at a college campus in California, Nolan targets the wrong person and is in a world of trouble with his client.

Chapter after chapter, we get a further peek into what's really going on, who's to blame for the killing, and why the target is being targeted.

TW: Mass Shooting

I loved diving into the thrilling world of trained assassins portrayed in this book, and to my surprise, it managed to captivate me despite my usual aversion to stories involving shooting. The way the story was crafted and presented was truly exceptional, and I found myself thoroughly engaged from beginning to end. It offered something refreshingly different, and I especially enjoyed the audio experience, which added an extra layer of enjoyment.

What struck me the most was the exploration of the characters' motivations and the secrets they held. It added depth and intrigue to the narrative, constantly keeping me on the edge of my seat. I was fascinated by the sacrifices they were willing to make and the risks they were willing to take, all in the name of their covert profession.

The book masterfully navigated the tension between action-packed moments and moments of introspection, allowing for a greater understanding of the characters and their inner struggles. It made me ponder why they chose to keep certain secrets and what they were willing to sacrifice in the pursuit of their goals.

The author's ability to create such a thrilling and captivating story was truly impressive. I found myself eagerly turning the pages, yearning to uncover the truth and discover the fates of these complex characters. It was a testament to their skill in crafting an enthralling narrative.

On that note, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mulholland Books for providing me with an of this outstanding book. Their generosity allowed me to experience the excitement and suspense firsthand, and I am grateful for the opportunity to discover such a compelling story.

In conclusion, this book managed to defy my expectations and deliver an enthralling thriller. Despite my initial hesitation regarding the subject matter, it drew me in with its unique storytelling and well-developed characters. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a thrilling read that explores the world of trained assassins in a fresh and engaging way.

Two unrelated and very different mothers race to uncover truth after a shocking attack.

I liked that you get immediately into the action with this one. It starts with a bang of excitement and action. After that it stalls for a little bit. The first half of the book is slow, after the opening scene. It does pick up but requires suspension of belief. I found Julia’s character but Ren did not sit right with me. She seemed unrealistic for an assassin and her marriage was odd.

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

Before She Finds Me comes out 6/27.

Thank you NetGalley and Mulholland Booos for the ARC of Before She Funds Me by Heather Chavez. The story starts off with a shooting on a college campus, while Julia is dropping off her daughter Cora at the dorms. People standing around them are shot and killed. Who was the target, was it Julia and her daughter? Read this book to find out more! 3.5 stars.

The concept of this book was interesting and there were some twists in it that I enjoyed. In the end though, I was looking forward to this one, but it fell flat for me and took forever to get through. Slow burns aren’t really my favorite and the beginning was super slow. I found myself not caring enough about the characters and that caused me to put it down a lot. At about chapter 18, they picked up the pace and I was a lot more engaged but the damage had already been done. I will definitely give this author another chance though.

a fast-paced, twisty thriller featuring strong female leads, assassins, and contract killings gone wrong!

“before she finds me” tells the story of two women, julia and ren, as they fight to protect their families. one woman is a mother and a botanist. the other is a trained assassin who happens to be pregnant. the story begins with tragedy; a shooting occurs as julia is dropping her daughter cora off on a local college campus, shaking the entire community. but both julia and ren, a mother and a mother-to-be, respectively, want more answers than what they’ve been given. was the shooting really random? who was the sniper? who would want to hurt seemingly innocent people? why was ren’s husband nolan on the campus that day?

i loved the dual POV and the cliffhangers at the end of each chapter. both julia and ren were strong female figures in the story in their own unique ways. the story overall was definitely attention-grabbing, exciting, slightly dark, and kept me invested! some parts of the story were slightly predictable (to me), but there were still plenty of shocking turns that threw me off as i went! if you’re a fan of thrillers with hints of crime fiction, female leads, and lots of suspense, definitely check this book out next month!! (publication date: june 27th)

thank you so much to NetGalley and @iamhrchavez for providing this ARC for me to read & review!

This reminded me a bit of Killing Eve. What happens when a hit man (woman)‘s world starts crumbling and deals go wrong? The twists and new information left me turning pages quickly.

This is a really interesting book told from the viewpoint of Julia and Ren. Julia is moving her daughter into the dorm on college move-in day. Shots ring out and Juila reacts quickly to pull her daughter Cora to safety. The investigation that follows brings more questions than answers. Ren had other tasks to attend to that day, but when she learns of the shooting, she believes it to be the work of her spouse as this type of work is their family business. As Ren looks into the shooting, she finds herself wanting to know more about Julia. The end result provides more revealing details about Julia and her instinct for survival.
This was great. I am still shaking my head. I need these ladies to take care of my plants. Well, maybe, just Julia. Julia was very focused, very detail oriented. Very much a mom. After learning her back story, it's easy to understand why. As for Ren, the family business is the family business. That's all I will say about that.
I recommend this book. It's different. It's engaging. It's good.

A huge thanks to Netgalley and Mulholland Books for allowing me to read an e-arc in exchange for an unbiased review.

Do you guys remember when I reviewed Stephen King's Billy Summers? And how I said it was a good book but incredibly boring? Before She Finds Me is like the exciting, adrenaline-pumping version, and I immensely enjoyed it!!!

A SHORT PREVIEW:
Ren and Nolan are killers for hire. They thoroughly investigate every target and have a code: only kill the bad guys. When Ren gets pregnant, and Nolan takes on a job of his own... things start to sprial out of control when he realizes his target isn't who he thought she was. --- Julia has created a stable life for herself and her soon to be in college daughter Cora. On campus move-in day, things turn deadly when a shooter takes the life of a few people on campus, including Julia's ex-husband's new wife. Both families are looking for answers as to what has gone horribly wrong with that one job.. and what they'll find is beyond horrifying.

THOUGHTS:
- I couldn't put this one down!! I had no idea where it was all going for the first 50 pages or so, and then I was hooked. The alternating storylines and motivations were excellently done.

- Whenever I'm reading a thriller, I try really hard to guess who did what or what the reveal would be. While I predicted a few things, there were a couple of turns that I absolutely didn't predict and left my jaw dropped!!

- Before She Finds Me is never boring. Starting with the sensitive topics of school shootings and morphing into something for the greater good, I loved this storyline!

NOTES:
- CWs: School shootings discussed and described
- Fast paced - read in 48 hours
- Awesome cover art

**Thank you to Mulholland Books & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤

Julia, her daughter Cora, her ex husband and his new wife are at move-in day for college when everyone's worst nightmare comes true. A snipper begins shooting. As Julia looks into the shooting, she starts to think it wasn't as random as everyone thinks.  Ren and Nolan are hired assassins who also happened to be married. When Ren finds out Nolan was behind the college shooting, she is desperate for answers because they always talk about their jobs together. Julia and Ren are both eager to figure out what's going on.

I was pretty vague in my synopsis of the book but I will say you don't want to miss this one. I found the story to be creative, suspenseful, fast paced, and a little dark. What's not to love about a married couple who also happen to be assassins? Can you say Mr and Mrs Smith?  I wasn't sure how I would feel about this one because it opens up with the shooting at the college but the story is quick to move you in the direction that it's hired assassins. The story is told in dual timelines which I always love. I really couldn't put this one down.

This is such a fun nail-biter of a summer thriller! When Julia takes her daughter Cora to college, a sniper fires off shots that result an injuries and fatalities. Julia acts quickly and gets her daughter to safety, but in the aftermath of the shooting, she knows she must find out who did it - and why. Then, we meet Ren, a killer for hire with her husband Nolan. Something doesn’t seem right to Ren, and she starts looking into the shooting as well. As their stories intertwine, Chavez keeps you on the edge of your seat while examining the line between good and evil and the repercussions of rash decisions.

PUBLICATION DAY: June 27, 2023

This is the story of Julia and Ren - two completely different women, brought together by a mass shooting at a college. Julia is the mother of Cora, and having endured loss at a young age, she knows all too well the harsh realities of life and will stop at nothing to protect her daughter. Ren is a paid assassin, with a conscience. She sees herself as a righter of wrongs, and finds herself fascinated by Julia. What will happen when their worlds collide?

PROS and CONS:
I’m a fan of this author! She writes strong, complicated female characters and I’m here for it! I loved Julia, with her mother bear instinct and her profound sense of awareness. I was also fascinated by Ren, with her unusual upbringing and the patience and intelligence she brings to every situation. Life and death, love and hate, jealousy and acceptance - what drives people to do the things they do? It’s a great book, and I couldn’t read it fast enough!

READ IT?
If you’re looking for…a thrilling look into the lives of an assassin and a regular mom who would also kill to protect her daughter - then this one’s for you!

5 Stars

This was so good! The plot was action packed and the story had so many layers that it kept me guessing. I loved the dual POVs of Julia and Ren - both strong complex characters and moms that would do anything for their family.

Thank you to NetGalley, Mulholland Books and Heather Chavez for my copy!

Trigger Warning; School shooting

I liked the cover and the premise sounded interesting, but the story, overall, missed the mark for me. Lots of cliches. Predictable twists. I wasn't able to connect with the characters, and, in fact, I found Ren quite annoying. Some parts were a bit unbelievable, even for fiction.

I was really impressed with this smart and intriguing thriller. Like the last book I reviewed, Before She Finds Me is also set in California with morally ambiguous women as protagonists. This is also my first time reading anything by Heather Chavez but it certainly won't be the last!

Julia has to prepare herself for letting her daughter go. She's with Cora at college to help her move in when a shooting takes place. Cora was hurt but thanks to Julia's quick thinking, it's definitely not as bad as it could've been. Julia pieces things together and can't be certain it was a random shooting.

Ren is a pregnant killer-for-hire alongside her husband, Nolan. She becomes involved when she realizes Nolan is the shooter. He took the job without telling her and he didn't do their usual due diligence before agreeing to it. So she has to get to the bottom of things, fix Nolan's mistakes and protect their family.

Julia and Ren are on a collision course as they both figure out what's going on. They both would do anything to protect their children. The way everything is revealed was expertly done. Chavez shows instead of tells which always makes for a more enjoyable mystery. I also loved all the information about plants and the poisons derived from them.

Before She Finds Me is a unique and captivating tale, Julia and Ren are nuanced characters that I enjoyed spending time with. I highly recommend this unforgettable suspense novel.

Thank you Mulholland Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC.

I received this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I am a sucker for a good book cover and this one immediately drew me in. When I requested this arc I had never read this author's work before and was pleasantly surprised. The novel starts out with a shooting at a college campus. Despite most people assuming it is a random mass shooting one woman affected believes it was a targeted attack. This novel is dual point of view, which I personally really enjoy. Both women's perspectives held my attention and I felt hearing from both of them and seeing how their stories intertwine added a lot to the story. There were some good twists that I did not see coming. I would definitely read from this author again.

This book, sadly just wasn’t it for me. I couldn’t connect with either of the main characters and I felt like the writing was a bit wonky. I also found myself rolling my eyes because of the unbelievability. Like who doesn’t take their daughter to the hospital after being shot? The concept was very good but the execution just wasn’t there for me.

Give me more female assassins please!

I think every book should have at least one thrown in there. Even "Little House on the Prairie" Poor Mary Ingalls wasn't really blind at all..... Just a hired contract killer by night.

"Before She Finds Me" by Heaver Chavez has one and it a expertly written thriller from start to finish. We have two women who are the focus here. The first one is Julia Bennett who while moving her daughter to her new school she gets involved in a school shooting. She quickly jumps into action which attracts the attention of the folks investigating on how she was able to respond so quickly. The second woman is Ren Petrovic who is the contract killer along with her husband. They work together on their assassinations but this time her husband went rouge without her. But why????

And so we have a back and forth between the two which is smartly written as layers and layers fall apart with these two strong woman trying to get to the bottom of what really happened with this shooting and trying to protect their families. I loved not reading about not just one badass woman but two.

Why can't my wife be a contract killer? Or maybe she is and is not telling me? Now I'm scared!

This book is highly recommended and I really appreciate Mulholland Books for giving me a advance reader copy to read for free for a honest review and it has a publication date of June 27, 2023

“Julia Bennett has worked hard to create a stable life for her daughter, Cora, in Southern California. So when Cora leaves for college, the worst thing Julia expects on move-in day is an argument with her ex-husband and his new wife. But a sudden attack leaves the campus stunned—and only Julia’s quick actions save Cora’s life. Shaken in the aftermath, and haunted by a dark secret, Julia starts to wonder: What if the attack wasn’t as random as everyone believes?

Newly pregnant Ren Petrovic has an unusual career—she’s a trained assassin, operating under a strict moral code. Ren wasn’t on campus that day, but she knows who was: her husband, Nolan. What she doesn’t know is why Nolan has broken their rules by not telling her about the job in advance. The more Ren looks into the attack, the more she begins to question: Who really hired Nolan? And why did one woman in the crowd respond so differently from all the rest?”

Told from dual point of views, Julia, a known survivor and a mother that will do anything to save her daughters life. Ren, a hired killer, that will fight to protect her unborn child at all costs. Julia and Ren quickly find themselves working against one another to find answers and protect their families. Chavez writes two very strong female characters with completely opposite upbringings, living with the moto of protect the family. I found myself rooting for both at times. Short, fast paced chapters make this a quick read. Would have enjoyed more of a thriller than mystery, overall a good read!

Thank you @netgalley and @mullhollandbooks for my early release copy in exchange for my honest opinion.