This book was so good— absolutely recommend

“Cape Morgan, Maine, is the utopian ideal for a charmed life, and Beatrice Wicker knows it. The multi-million-dollar house on the sea coast. The joint bank accounts. The safety and security that go along with being married to an esteemed architect and community leader. The scenic coastline, perfect for her ambitious plan to turn an abandoned asylum into an artists’ retreat. So what if her husband sneaks off to see his second family now and again? Beatrice is willing to look the other way. It’s simply the price she must pay to keep their life together.

Josh doesn’t realize that Beatrice knows about his other life. That’s just one of Beatrice’s secrets. And now, that truth—along with a deadly host of other secrets from the past—is about to upend their false paradise.

When there’s an explosion at the local elementary school playground, and a two-year-old boy is abducted, it doesn’t take Beatrice long to make the connection between the missing boy and her husband. It was the son from Josh’s other life who was kidnapped, and Josh can’t do anything about it without revealing the truth.”

Leave The Lights On by Liv Anderson, I am so tired of books not being the way the summary describes it. Now having said that on to this confusing story Emma is a social worker for 12-year-old Luke and she gets kidnapped and soon falls in love with a kidnapper despite the fact he’s married and she was his 12-year-old son social worker. Beatrice is the next POV change married to Josh and Josh‘s son goes missing… That is his son with another woman and despite Beatrice eventually knows they all talk to her as if she doesn’t even though everyone knows that everyone knows. But don’t feel sorry for Beatrice because she has her own crazy secrets. Now onto my opinion this book at times was wholly unbelievable like when they said 12 year old Luke built his own treehouse… Really? I know grown men that couldn’t build a treehouse and this 12 year old nott only built it but it was watertight really? There’s another part in the book where the lights go out in the main character goes to the big main house to look for emergency supplies and sees A fashion dummy with the outfit someone was wearing when they were kidnapped. OK first of all most people don’t remember what someone else was wearing on any particular day and to not only remember it but for these criminals to say you know what will do to scare her will buy an outfit just like the one she was wearing the day she was kidnap let’s head to the local mall and do that. Not only that, we’ll put it in the back room where the construction workers put their tools she sure to see it there. The other things that to me were ridiculous would give away too much and so I won’t put it in my review I will say I love live Anderson’s other book but was so sadly disappointed in this one the summary sounded so good and I DK what she was thinking but this one just didn’t do anything for me I really enjoyed the first half but found the rest utterly unbelievable and or confusing. I will still read her books because The Red House was so good and definitely recommend that one as far as this one goes read it at your own risk. #NetGalley, #LiveAnderson, #LeaveTheLightsOn,

Liv Andersson has written a domestic thriller with a unique twist I did not see coming. I had never read a book by her, but was intrigued by the synopsis. Andersson did not disappoint.

The story follows Beatrice in her perfect life… but it’s not so perfect, and she has a lot of secrets. Knowing that, I was not sure what to expect, but what Andersson gave me was absolutely not it. This book was sad, exciting, shocking, and so much more from the first chapter. I was so ready to find out how all these little pieces came together.

I did not really like Beatrice as a whole in the beginning. Her personality was a little weird and putting up with what she did made no sense to me. Then, as the story progressed, I started to understand her reasoning for doing things and putting up with things she had for years. There were many moments I gasped out loud as revelations were made and tensions got higher. There were not that many supporting characters in this story, but there was some importance to those minor characters and I encourage anyone reading to pay attention to them.


If you love a great, twisty domestic thriller, then this is definitely one to check out. I will absolutely be checking out more from author Liv Andersson in the future. You will not be disappointed when you read.

This book started a little slow & was hard to get into, but once I got into it it was hard to put down. A good read!

Leave the Lights On by Liv Andersson offers a unique reading experience with unexpected twists and turns. While some elements border on the outrageously unbelievable, the overall narrative manages to be a decent and engaging read. Despite the far-fetched ness suspenseful and intriguing moments kept me turning pages.

The character development in this book left me unimpressed. Most of the characters are, at best, average, lacking the depth and relatability that I usually like in books. Beatrice, the protagonist, particularly stands out in this regard. Her cold and duplicitous nature makes it challenging to empathize with her journey. Despite my attempts to connect with her, I found myself distanced by her actions and demeanor.

This book is a mixed bag - It offers a unique, suspenseful experience with an intriguing storyline but falls short in character development. Despite its flaws, it remains a worthwhile read for those who enjoy a blend of suspense and unexpected surprises.

Thank you Netgalley, Crooked Lane Books & Liv Andersson for an arc!

Netgalley gifted me an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. This was very hard to get through and did not leave any positive lasting impression. The characters were highly unbelievable with hyperbolic dialogue that was just jaw-dropping. The plot was slow and sloppy, with pacing that left me confused. Unfortunately, this wasn't a good time for me, and I would not recommend.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review*

A great thriller - I would recommend it!

While this novel was well written, I found certain plot points to be predictable. One of my biggest reading pet peeves is when I figure out twists before they are meant to be revealed, which happened more than once in this story. If you are a fan of atmospheric thrillers, you will enjoy Leave The Lights On. Andersson’s descriptions of Cape Morgan, Maine were so fantastic that I had to Google to see if it was a real place (it is not) and truly elevated this title.

A slow burn but what an interesting story! I needed to know what was happening and read it so quickly. I am becoming a huge fan of Liv Andersson!

The plot of this book leaves a lot to be desired, especially when compared to the synopsis. Beatrice knows her husband is cheating but won't say anything because years ago she was brainwashed into doing something awful and doesn't want anyone to know. If you are intrigued, don't be. It's more of a wild experience of herding cats than following anything tangible.

Beatrice and Josh are married. Josh has a second family that he sneaks off to visit, thinking Beatrice doesn’t know. Beatrice is willing to deal with it because she thinks her life is worth it by living in a mansion and being wealthy. She also doesn’t want to confront Josh for fear he will find out her own secrets.

Then a 2 year old boy goes missing from the local elementary school. Beatrice realizes that it’s Josh’s secret son. The clues lead back to Beatrice’s past.

The story is told in dual timelines: Beatrice’s past and present. Some parts were slow and quite a few times you had to suspend some amount of disbelief at the story. But I enjoyed the suspense enough to finish the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books. Leave the Lights On is out now.

This was such a great, suspenseful thriller! I couldn't put this book down and I would love to read more by this author. You'll never guess the twist at the end!

There was a lot going on in this book. The premise was good but it was easy to get dtstracted from the main plot. This woman ignored the fact that her husband had a second family, and then we learn more about her secrets.
Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Liv Andersson has a way of building suspense with her words. When Beatrice was searching the old house for a ghost, the suspense was palpable. My heart was beating fast and I was jumpy. This is what you want in a thriller. The book shifts back and forth between Beatrice in the present in Maine and Emma twenty years ago in West Virginia. There was a little confusion in the audiobook as to which character was speaking that I don't think would be a problem in the written book. It wasn't too much of a hinderance as it soon became apparent who was speaking. The plot was interesting and tied together the dual timelines because at first the book seemed a little bland. The characters were good, if unreliable, and developed as the story went on, most in very surprising ways. The twists definitely added to the story. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy. I was happy to leave this honest review because I truly enjoyed the book. Since I can't leave half stars I gave it a 4 but it was almost a 5.

Beatrice and Josh’s marriage is not all is cracked up to be. Josh has a secret, one that Beatrice knows, but she’s afraid to confront him. After all she has some pretty dark secrets from her past that she hasn’t shared with anyone. Secrets that would ruin her life. When a couple small boys go missing, there is a connection to Beatrice and Josh. As time goes by, Beatrice realizes everything revolves around her and her past, but will she be able to escape before it’s too late. Set in a small town in Maine, this book started intriguing, but somewhere there was a disconnect. There was much that was completely implausible, especially when the unbelievable side throughout and the ending was reached. Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Thank you Crooked Lane Books, Liv Andersson, and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in return for an honest opinion.

The synopsis of this book drew me in. Beatrice Wicker lives the Ideal life with her multi-million dollar home and her architect husband. Her life is so perfect that she’s not too worried that her husband sneaks off to see his second family now and then. That is until there’s an explosion at a nearby elementary school and a 2 year old boy is abducted. It doesn’t take long for Beatrice to realize the 2 year old boy is her husband’s child from the other woman. Now her perfect life will be destroyed when everyone realizes her life isn’t so perfect and all her past secrets will be revealed.

The story sounded good, but it wasn’t what I thought it was going to be. It goes off in a different direction and is kind of confusing at times. Liv is definitely unlikable and all over the place. I struggled to finish one. 2.5/5 stars.

While I found this book entertaining and enjoyed reading it, it was not at all what I was expecting. There were a lot of subplots that I found slightly disorganized and distracting. I wish one or two plots were more developed, such as the kidnapping and Beatrice's past coming back for her. The side story with Josh was a little underwhelming. I'm not sure "leave the lights on" was the best title, but overall, the book was a fun, quick read.

Anything set in Maine and I will read. Such a beautiful place! 5 stars for the atmosphere alone!!! I was transported to Maine. 4 for the story. This is a really good book, don't get me wrong! I read this author's previous book, Little Red House and this one was not quite as good, but still pretty stellar in it's own right. We meet childless Beatrice and Josh Wicker, Josh's mistress, Josh's kid with said mistress.....yeah, pretty good stuff. Well, the kid is kidnapped and clues are found that go back to Beatrice's past. Maybe her past is why she is so willing to look the other way at her hubby's transgressions? Now, my issues are trouble connecting with Beatrice. I had a hard time feeling sympathetic to her. The plot also requires suspension of belief in a few instances in order for the plot to work. Overall, a suspenseful, juicy read and I recommend it!

Coastal Maine, with its scenic vistas and impressive homes that line the shoreline. Meet the Wickers. Beatrice Wicker has been married to Josh for a decade. They are childless and very wealthy. Both Beatrice and Josh have a secret...

When an explosion at a nearby school serves as cover for the abduction of a toddler, the lives of the Wickers are impacted in a devastating way. For the toddler is the son of Josh and his mistress... Beatrice knows this, yet does not confront him about it, for she too holds a weighty secret close to her chest. On the surface she is a community leader, the driving force behind a foundation who is striving to create an island retreat for artists out of an old abandoned asylum. Beneath the surface, she is a different woman altogether.

"It was hard to build an honest life on a platform of lies."

When further abductions and unsettling occurrences take place in Beatrice's world, she realizes that she must seek closure. She is under treat. Her long held secrets are under threat. Beatrice must see this to its conclusion.

Told via dual timelines, we meet both iterations of Beatrice. Her younger self became embroiled in a dire situation which left her running from the authorities. The present timeline is suspenseful and fraught with the added atmosphere of a secluded, and reportedly haunted old asylum that is under renovation.

"Leave the Lights On" is a good choice if you are seeking an atmospheric and suspense filled novel for this spooky season. It begs the question "Do we ever really know anyone else?" - especially if that other person actively keeps their innermost thoughts and feelings locked behind a facade. With plot twists and red herrings, this novel will be appreciated by many thriller lovers, yet for me it was not wholly satisfying. A good read though.

3.5 stars rounded up for Amazon and NetGalley

I loved Liv's previous book and was really looking forward to this one. Unfortunately this book was not for me. I found it to slow to really really capture my attention.