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.

This thriller was so good! I loved the way the author was able to combine the story of a mother and a mother to be who is also a trained assassin. Highly unpredictable!

On the day Julie is helping her daughter, Cora, move into her college dorm, a sniper takes aim on their family and Cora’s step mother is killed along with one other person while Cora is only injured thanks to Julie’s quick reaction. What seemed like a random attack at first quickly has Julie investigating why the shooter seemed to have such a specific target. Ren knows immediately the shooter is her husband and partner in their kill for hire business but what she doesn’t understand is why he took a job without telling her and why his target is a frequent client’s daughter. As Julie gets closer to the truth, Ren becomes fascinated with her.

This one felt slightly convoluted. The premise was interesting but I’m not sure I buy the reason Julie is so quick to react being a one time assailant rather than the murder of her parents. Julie was also very over the top with her control of Cora from the beginning and it felt like too much. Small tweaks would’ve made this more enjoyable for me.

This was a fine thriller. It was a smidge convoluted so while I didn't predict the twists, they weren't wholly surprising either. In hindsight they were obvious but it felt like so many distractions and filler were pushed to obfuscate the twists. There were a lot of repetitive themes that never seemed became relevant the way I expected them to. A lack of character depth also prevented me from enjoying this one further.

Chock full of jealous, conniving, cunning and poisonous women, this was a fun and clever read! Assassins are an added bonus!
Thanks to Netgalley and Mulholland Books for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
Pub dat 6/27/23.

Before She Finds Me is such a fun thriller about two mothers--one who almost loses her own life and her daughter's life during a shooting on a college campus, and the other a contract killer, married to another contract killer, who is trying to figure out why her husband took a job without telling her.

I loved both perspectives in this book. Both women were complex and strong characters in different ways. The story hooked me right from the beginning. The pacing is great, the chapters are short, and this cover is to die for. Though I wouldn't say the plot twists were all that shocking, I still had a lot of fun with this one! It's going to be such a great summer thriller!

Loved the cat and mouse game between Julia and Ren! I’m a sucked for dial POVs, and this book did not disappoint me. This was my first book by Heather Chavez and I was very impressed. I will be recommending this to everyone and going back to read her previous books!

Before She Finds Me follows two women — Julia and Ren. A tragedy interweaves their lives together as they both fight to protect their families.

I enjoyed the first half of this book but skimmed a lot of the second half. I really liked Julia’s character. She was a good mom, and a strong person.

Ren really ruined the book for me. She came off as a socially awkward, naive, morally backward assassin. Ren claims to only kill those who “deserve,” it. I’m all for a morally gray character but stick with your gray morals then! I also found Ren’s obsession with Julia to be very strange.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC of this book
This book had me hooked from the beginning an Assassin couple kill only people that have done bad things but they also work for a bad man..At one point things start to go wrong and the wife knows her husband is keeping something from her. It’s intense and will keep you on the edge of your seat. At one point it was a little long but highly recommend!

"Before She Finds Me" rotates chapters between two female leads, Julia and Ren. Julia is helping her daughter move in on her first day of college, when her fast reactions save her daughters life from a shooting. Meanwhile, Ren is a contract killer who has taken over the family business from her father and works alongside her husband. While Ren was at home during the shooting, she knows her husband is behind this, but doesn't know why. Both women will do anything to protect their families and to get to the bottom of this contract killing gone wrong.

This suspense was fantastic! Both lead women were so well developed and had interesting backstories and motivations. The chapters alternated between Julia and Ren, which was fun to pursue the story from both angles, and slowly get reveals occurring from both perspectives. I was so focused on these strong female leads, I forgot to try to figure out any reveals or twists that might be coming. It was such a quick and fun read, I highly recommend this for a fun pool side read this summer.

Pick this up if you’re looking for a suspense with strong, smart women working against one another to solve the puzzle of a school shooting. Details are revealed in layers and your interest will be kept right until the end! Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC.

This book had me guessing who was the “bad guy” from start to finish. There were so many twists and turns that changed my mind but “almost” had it figured out at the end. This is first book I have read by this author but will definitely be checking out her other books. Thank you to publisher and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this book.

Let me tell you a little story about this book...

It was nearly impossible to get my hands on a copy and I was beginning to debate some illegal tactics..

Well, luckily it didn't have to go that far (but I would have!)

I was introduced to this sensational author through Bookstagram and I have been hooked on her every word ever since. No Bad Deed and Blood Will Tell, are amongst my most favored books and two books I always suggest to fellow thriller lovers.

I had high expectations for Before She Finds Me but I was confident Chavez would deliver.

Well, all of my expectations were exceeded!!!

I loved every minute of this wild ride. There was never a time I was bored or wanted to close the book, instead it was just the opposite. I could not move, I was completely consumed and I white knuckled my kindle after I was thrown from one twist to the next.

This is a riveting suspenseful thriller that will get even the biggest critic going.

After reading all three of Chavez' books and loving them, I have to say Before She Finds Me is definitely my favorite.

Teaser :

In this shocking thriller, two unlikely mothers race to uncover the truth behind a horrific attack—even after it becomes clear that the truth will destroy one of their families.

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 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.

Whoa! Good book! This book went in a totally different direction than I thought it would! This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, intrigue, murder, hired hit men, mystery, and a few crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle! I definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

This book started off slow and then I got more into it. The story line and twists were great and kept me reading once I was a little more invested. I would have given 5 stars but there’s a few things that should be fixed before being published. I am from San Diego and some of the directions/highways mentioned weren’t correct.

Chapter 30 - mentions 405 and Encinitas. The 405 stops in Lake Forest, about an hour away from Encinitas.

Chapter 32 - Ren follows Julia for an over from Encinitas to Oceanside? That’s about a 15 minute drive.

Chapter 40 - suddenly Eric is now being called Bennett? I was actually confused on who Nolan and Ren were talking about.
It’s mentioned Ren and Nolan get on the I-5 going east, the I-5 doesn’t go east, it goes north and south.

Seemed like a little bit of an oversight and not really sure why the highways/time needed to be so distinct.

Good story, but the writing could have been better. Other than that, no complaints. The story was dark and gripping from beginning to end. I will happily read more from this author.

First by this author but I really enjoyed this book. I LOVED the plant storylines, very cool. Hooked me from the 1st chapter. And all ties up perfect for the ending. Loved Julia. Will definitely read the next book from Heather Chavez! Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

Thank you for the opportunity to preview Before She Finds me. I read this book in one day. Excellent-fast paced and well written.
This is a two sided story that centers on a single incident - a shooting at a local college. where several people are shot and killed. But was it random or was this a hit.
Julia who has a daughter almost shot and her ex husbands wife killed starts to think it may be hit. And Ren, another woman is told by her husband that he just finished a job - a hit.
These two women collide in what is a complicated turn of events. And with each page you dont know the good guys from the bad. And these two women are destined to meet and either save their child or die trying.
I loved this book and I recommend if you love a good mystery and truly complicated novel.

5 stars





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Thanks NetGalley for read number 22 of 2023 (& the third read of March Break)! I need to read more by this author. Loved the dual point of view and the fast-paced writing style. Such a hard book to put down. I did not anticipate the many twists in this one that kept me reading until the very last page.❤️ Appreciated how Chavez managed to balance heart & action. A ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 read in my books.