Member Reviews
This was a little bit difficult to get into as there wasn’t much background up front but about 15-20% in it picks up.
I’m still not 100% sure about the ending, the last chapter was a bit chaos and there were some ends that weren’t fully tied up but overall it comes off as a newer writers book
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my opinion.
This book was just not a hit for me. It was extremely wordy and I found the jumps in the timeframe to be so confusing. I really struggled. . The time jumps were too much to follow. I didn’t really enjoy this book.
Thank you to Net Galley and crooked Lane books for this ARC to review.
Beatrice Walker lives in a beautiful multi-million-dollar coastal mansion with her husband Josh. She is wealthy, safe and secure in her life of luxury. However, both Beatrice and Josh are hiding secrets.
When there is an explosion at a school and a two-year-old boy goes missing, Josh cannot admit the truth-It is his son from his secret life.
This book tells a story of the secrets, choices, lies that can lay beneath the surface of a marriage.
I found this story a little hard to get into. The characters were hard to like and act very differently than I or anyone I know would in these situations. The differing POV's and timelines are not my favorite way of learning about a relationship, and to be honest I just became very irritated with the characters. I think the writer did a decent job describing the scenes and environment with the insane asylum and the coast, however the story itself just didn't work for me.
Life on the coast of Maine may appear picture perfect but this town is really a scene of hidden pasts, infidelities and now revenge.
The life she ran away from years ago comes back to haunt Beatrice. She has had many iterations of a life since she escaped from a situation that could have landed her in jail. The past years she has settled into a safe haven, or so she thinks. Her days revolve around restoring an island from a former sanitarium for women to an artists colony but it seems her days of safety are over.
The relationship with her husband has waned and a dalliance has produced a son. He, too, becomes a victim involved in her returning nightmare along with bombshell reminders of her past that crop up. How did they find her?
Bit by bit we uncover the pieces of what happened to her captors since she escaped and who is reminding her of those days.
Some scenes were hard to image a real person not reacting with fear and instead heading headfirst into the fray but that’s what makes us keep reading.
Lots of twists to keep you involved….
So rating this book is kinda hard for me. It's about a woman named Beatrice, and she's married to a super-rich architect in Maine. But he's been cheating on her for years. And her whole life is basically a big lie because of some messed up stuff that happened to her in the past.
Then their toddler love child gets kidnapped, Beatrice finds out that it's all these crazy people from her past who did it.
I kinda figured out what was going on before Beatrice did, which was unexpected for me. The story didn't always make sense to me..but I didn't hate it. The writing was good, though, and I finished it super quickly because I wanted to know what happened. And it did get more exciting in the middle. The timeline jumps around which was also kind of hard to follow- just takes more concentration than a book you can really fly through.
I wish Beatrice was easier to like and relate though, that stood out to me the most. She was just a stand offish person (except her relationship with Grace was fine).
This is the second book I've read by this author and it won't be the last! I received a copy from Crooked Lane Books via Netgalley. It will be out on the 17th of October.
We follow Beatrice who appears to have a perfect life - a rich husband with joint bank accounts, a beautiful home, working on an amazing art project. Her husband, Josh, however, has a second family. Beatrice knows this secret and that's not her only secret. Things start to unravel when a 2-year-old boy is kidnapped and Beatrice has to face her history and perhaps even reveal who she really is.
This was quite the enjoyable read. You get a real understanding of Beatrice and her past. It was all quite clear with the different time frames of the past and the present. Some parts are a bit far fetched as a story but enjoyable nonetheless. It would be a great conspiracy thriller film though!
4/5⭐
I'm not sure how the title fits the plot, but I enjoyed this.
I guessed the culprit fairly easily but was still left with unanswered questions.
Who exactly was Seth?
Why did it end like it did?
I received a copy via NetGalley and all opinions are my own.
Kept me engaged. I will post full review on release date. Thanks to #Crooked Lane Books and the author for an early read!
I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I have mixed feelings about the story, the current storyline with the missing child- I found interesting, the flashback lost me, because I wasn't sure on how to tie the two stories together.
This was my first book by this author! The pacing kept me interested and I did like seeing different points of view aside from Beatrice. She was a very tricky character, and I believe that was the point but yikes. Extremely tough. I also wanted to be really shocked by the end and I wasn't which was a little disappointing. I will definitely try more by this author because I did like the premise of this book, just wish it was executed a little differently.
Leave the Lights On is a standalone domestic suspense by author, Liv Andersson. It was my first read by this author, but won’t be my last. The story follows main character, Beatrice who we know isn’t who she seems and who has an explosive backstory that you just have to read to find out. Beatrice is a character who you’re not sure if you like but you just have to know about. When her husband’s mistresses’ son goes missing, what follows is a suspenseful rollercoaster set in a unique scenic coastal asylum which is being remodeled into an artistic retreat. You just know with that setting something chilling is going to happen. I enjoyed this well-paced suspense and found myself reading long into the night to get to the end. While my first by this author, I can already tell I’m going to be a huge fan and can see myself going back to read her other book, as well as keeping an eye out for future releases.
Leave the Lights On
Liv Anderson
Pub date: October 17, 2023
Crooked Lane Books
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Not a hit for me. It was extremely wordy throughout. The time jumps were too much to follow. I didn’t find the characters redeeming in any way. The dialogue was repetitive. I felt this book was disconnected and I cannot recommend it.
3 stars
Leave The Lights On - Liv Anderson
Beatrice knows she has a very easy life in Cape Morgan. She has the big house, the big bank accounts, works on prestige architectural projects, and has a husband that is living a double life. Beatrice goes along with it, hiding her knowledge of his affair to keep the life she has built.
When her husband's son from the affair goes missing, Beatrice still pretends she knows nothing of the connection between the two, but feels for her husband. As details of the missing child's case comes out, Beatrice fears this might have more to do with her past than it does her husband.
Beatrice can't let the police or her husband know of her own personal connection to the kidnapping, and chooses to seek out the truth on her own. She knows she is being taunted and baited, but she will do whatever it takes to keep the past hidden.
I've been back and forth on this book. As I write the synopsis, I think of how promising it sounds, full of lies and mystery, but when reading the book, I found certain spots just lacking in excitement. The pov of young Beatrice was quite intriguing and could've been a book on its own, but adult Beatrice bothered me. Always running from her past and letting her husband run around on her to keep the peace. In the end, I decided ⭐⭐⭐/5 suited my feelings best on this one, however I feel Liv Anderson's writing is quite amazing and will definitely be checking out her other book! This one comes out in October if you're thinking it's more up your alley and want to give it a shot!
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!
This was an enjoyable read told over multiple decades and POVs. It had characteristics of a psychological thriller and was definitely a fast read. I enjoyed the characters but some of the behaviors of Beatrice, the main character, had me rolling my eyes. The abrupt ending felt rushed and I just wanted more.
Thanks to Liv Andersson, NetGalley, and the publisher for the opportunity to read Leave the Lights On.
Beatrice seems to have it all - a rich husband, a beautiful home and a project she is passionate about. That is until her past and present collide and her life begins unraveling. Should she run or stay and fight? Marvelous!
I enjoyed this book. It was slightly longer than it needed to be but I liked the characters and the plot was also well done. There were plenty of twists and turns and secrets that caused me to ponder what would happen next. It was well written and kept me interested. It was not a high action, breakneck speed book … it was more of a slow burn which I like every once in a while. I found this easy to get into and easy to read. I absolutely loved the ending.
My only critique would be that it could have been a little more condensed as some parts felt a bit dragged out.
Overall I enjoyed this and it’s a great book to pick up whe you have free time to read and want something that will take you a bit to finish
Beatrice Wicker leads a charmed and wealthy life in Maine with her husband Josh. She’s going to turn an old ghostly asylum into an artist retreat.
Her past comes back to haunt her and children are kidnapped including her husband’s child with his mistress. She uncovers secrets and lies on this creepy Cape Morgan coast.
This was a very good book with interesting characters that I quickly raced through. I hope to read more by this author. Thanks NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC that will be released on October 17, 2023!
Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane books for the ARC. Without spoilers, this book was not for me. The writing was fine, maybe the plot too, but I did not like the topic...
Beatrice Wicker’s marriage to esteemed architect and local leader Josh has its problems, one of those being his other woman. But she looks the other way, for the safety and security of their life, for the opportunity to turn an abandoned asylum into an artists’ retreat. Josh doesn’t know that she knows. And in fact, as secrets go, that’s far from her worst, and she plans to keep them. But an explosion at the local school and the abduction of a two-year-old boy changes everything. It’s personal. Somebody is targeting this power couple. Somebody from Beatrice’s past is intent on revenge. How far will they go, and can she stop them?
Leave the Lights On is an entertaining psychological suspense novel that shifts between Beatrice’s current and past lives. It gives us flawed characters, dark secrets, intrigue, and something that feels a bit fresh in terms of plot and delivery.
I really enjoyed little red house so was so excited to be approved to read this one!
Giving 3 stars because it was just a bit clunky at times with the wording but overall it was a fun read!