This one is hard for me to rate. I liked the writing and pacing, but my suspension of disbelief was just not enough for the plot of this story. 3 stars.

This one was a bit hard to believe in the plot department for me. A 21 year old kid just decides to become an Avenger after seeing 2 little kids outside the DMV? Highly unbelievable on many levels. Hardly was a likable enough character and this was well written but the story just wasn’t believable to me so I couldn’t enjoy it plus I hated the ending.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for the e-arc I received in exchange for my honest review.

Lou Berney can do no wrong in my eyes. He is an auto-buy author for me and I ate this story up. Highly recommend + please read his backlist title November Road as well.

3.5 stars Dark ride by Lou Bernie is a fast moving easy read thriller about a young man named Hardly. He’s kind of a loser when we first meet him- content to work at a job that doesn’t challenge him or give him any future and he just smokes weed all day long with his buddies. He’s a foster kid with a brother who is going places, but Harley’s never seen that for himself. Then on his way to pay a ticket he sees two kids that he is certain are being abused. This is where Hardly's story really begins & when his life begins to change. I liked the character arc of Hardly, but it was hard to buy overall. He seems to make some foolish choices which could be avoided if he would listen to the advice he was getting from others. Perhaps it makes sense given who he has been his whole life, but it is frustrating for the reader. Hardly is really likable and you don’t want to see him fall into any of the choices that he’s making. I liked this story and I liked Hardly. I just was crying out to him to stop and listen to the advice of others- slow down and think his choice over. It’s an interesting read and one that you won’t be sorry for reading. I just can’t say it’s a must read.

Lou Berney hits it out of the park again with another outstanding thriller. This author is able to move ideas from dissparate areas and times (such as a PI with a tie to 1980s murder in The Long and Faraway Gone) to a thriller with ties to the Kennedy murder (November Road) with well rounded and developed characters, not to mention a plot that pulls the reader along.

I was the publicist assigned to DARK RIDE by Lou Berney and read via NetGalley review copy. The book is on sale now.

Lou Berney is one of the best authors in the game today and this is just another example of his greatness. Dark Ride is prime Berney.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley.

This is another good story written by Lou Berney! In this one he takes a look at child abuse.

Hardly notices that some kids appear to be abused and wants to do something to help the kids. I really enjoyed this book!

Wow. This was a very enjoyable read from Lou Berney. First time reading him, and will definitely need to correct that. This book had a great cast of characters. The story was good, and well paced. Subject matter a little dark. Hard to put down, and finished in two days. #DarkRide #NetGalley

Hardy Reed has earned the nickname ‘Hardly’ – hardly tries, hardly has an opinion, and hardly makes his way through life. He’s content to float, working in a scare park and spending his days getting high with his friends – that it, until a trip to the DMV brings him face to face with a situation even he can’t ignore.

In writing Dark Ride, Lou Berney has created one of the most understated but completely captivating novels I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. Hardly may be disconnected from life, but as soon as he notices two small children showing clear signs of abuse, his life transforms – he becomes truly dedicated to finding them and saving them. As he undergoes this metamorphosis from likable stoner to avenging angel, he finds himself making connections and uncovering abilities even he never suspected he was capable of.

Don’t let the measured pace of the beginning fool you into thinking this book is going to be an easy afternoon read, either. By the end, I was literally reading through my fingers and yet I still couldn’t just put the book down to give myself a break; I needed to know how this would turn out, even as I dreaded finding out. It’s a rare book that manages that push-pull so expertly, and Lou Berney made it seem easy.

Dark Ride is easily one of my top books of the year, and one I’ll be recommending to everyone I come across.

This book kept me hooked from the beginning to the ending! Definitely recommend reading it for sure!!

Wow I wasn't expecting to love this as much as I did. This kept me engaged throughout and I loved it

Dark Ride
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Lou Berney

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and William Morrow and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Sometimes the person you least expect is just the hero you need

Twenty-one-year-old Hardy “Hardly” Reed—good-natured, easygoing, usually stoned—is drifting through life. A minimum-wage scare actor at an amusement park, he avoids unnecessary effort and unrealistic ambitions.

Then one day he notices two children, around six or seven, sitting all alone on a bench. Hardly checks if they’re okay and sees injuries on both children. Someone is hurting these kids.

He reports the incident to Child Protective Service.

That should be the end of it. After all, Hardly's not even good at looking out for himself so the last thing he wants to do is look out for anyone else. But he's haunted by the two kids, his heart breaking for them. And the more research he does the less he trusts that Child Protective Services —understaffed and overworked—will do anything about it.

That leaves…Hardly. He is probably the last person you’d ever want to count on. But those two kids have nobody else but him. Hardly has to do what's right and help them.

For the first time in his life, Hardly decides to fight for something. This might be the one point in his entire life, he realizes, that is the entire point of his life. He will help those kids.

At first, trying to gather evidence that will force the proper authorities to intervene, Hardly is a total disaster. Gradually, with assistance from unexpected allies, he develops investigative skills and discovers he’s smarter and more capable than he ever imagined.

But Hardly also discovers that the situation is more dangerous than he ever expected. The abusive father who has been hurting these children isn’t just a lawyer—he also runs a violent drug-dealing operation. The mother claims she wants to escape with the kids—but Hardly isn't sure he can trust her.

Faced with a different version of himself than he has ever known, Hardly refuses to give up. But his commitment to saving these kids from further harm might end up getting the kids, and Hardly himself, killed.

My Thoughts: Hardly aka Hardy’s life is really at a dead end. Works a minimum wage job, gets stoned all of the time, is just drifting through life, and with little ambition. That is until a trip to the DMV changes the course of his life forever. After handling his business at the DMV, he sees two children sitting on a bench with no adults around, they were no playing, just sitting there. As he approaches, he sees the signs of child abuse, then the mother hurries and takes them away. Hardy tries to go back to his life but he cannot stop thinking about those children. He turns into a private detective, trying to track the children down, and he does locate them. He tries to report the abuse to CPS with no help from them. The entire premise of the book is Hardy tracking down the children, getting some help from his friends to come up with a plan to rescue them from the abusive father.

Sometimes when books have singular plot lines, they become boring. However, this is not the case for this story. The author does an amazing job at explaining Child Protective Services / Social Services and how things quickly fall through the cracks as they have more children that need to be helped and not enough workers helping, it was really an eye opening experience. While I have two children that are now adults, we never dealt with CPS or know anyone that has. The characters were explored well, were witty, were serious, engaging, and creatively done. Hardy’s character was not likable at first (no ambition), however, as the story moves along, he has some tremendous growth and becomes not only likable, but relatable. The supporting characters, Hardy’s friends, were fantastic and really added a layer of enrichment to the story. The author’s writing style was complex, suspenseful, twisty, thought-provoking, endearing, and flowed well with the pace. Berney is a very talented writer, while this was not as good as his previous novel, November Road, it still carried an important message. I believe that some will appreciate the ending, some will love the ending, and some will hate the ending. I think I am in between, in the end, I took one star off for the ending, but will not say much else to not spoil for other readers.

Trigger Warning: the description of the child abuse may be triggering for some, but I believe that the author does it in a graceful way to explain the abuse. I really enjoyed Berney’s writing style, the flow of the words and the pacing. I would highly recommend this book to others.

Dark Ride is my third novel by Lou Berney. I love his writing style and humor and was really looking forward to reading his latest. That said, this one didn't keep my interest as much as the others (The Long and Faraway Gone and November Road).

Berney tackles the heady subject of child abuse with a hapless stoner MC, Hardly, and a cast of quirky side kicks. Hardly is fleshed out but many of the other characters are not and that left me wanting more. Hardly was a sympathetic guy to start but that feeling waned about 2/3 through and the plot became increasingly unbelievable and obvious.

I want to thank William Morrow and NetGalley for advancing an ebook in exchange for an honest opinion.

Lou Berney’s writing never disappoints! I was drawn into this story instantly and I am now sad that the book is over. The author has a such a way of pulling you into the character’s lives that it made me feel like I actually know these people personally. The main character, Hardly, is one I won’t soon forget. This was such a unique and original story. Please do yourself a favor and read Dark Ride! Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the advanced copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

Easy going Hardy (nicknamed Hardly) is twenty-one-year-old rudderless stoner. After aging out of the foster care system he tried going to college but, in the end, he started working at a minimum paying job and drifting through life. That begins to change when Hardly sees two young children with cigarette burns. He knows someone is hurting them and he’s determined to help. Realizing he can’t depend on child protective services to intervene, he formulates a plan of his own and picking up several unexpected allies along the way.

Dark Ride is a seriously good book that is well-written and has a good (and unusual) plot. The various characters are so compelling and it was a joy to watch Hardly begin to believe in himself and discover his true capabilities. His friends are unique characters that add immeasurably to the story and Mr Berney’s writing brings them to life. This is my first introduction to this author and it was definitely a positive experience. I recommend Dark Ride – a great book and I give it 4.5 stars.

This was a fun ride, despite the title. It was definitely dark, but Berney was able to create a pretty lovable down on his luck protagonist in Hardly and the reader rooted for him the whole way through. The title says it all but I was sad about the ending all the same.

3.5/5

I’ve never read this author before and didn’t have any expectations beyond the title. I felt like I was inside the main character’s head. He, Hardly seems like a stoner who can’t seem to find his direction until he sees two children who appear lost and abused. It’s his call to action and the story is his journey, sometimes misguided, to save them. He doesn’t know what he is doing and there are others who play a small, but. Impactful role in helping him achieve his mission. There are twists and turns, infuriating and head scratching missteps, but I was still rooting for him. Without revealing the end, it is an action packed finale.

OK, I feel that there is an unspoken agreement between a reader and an author that, when a crime novel is written in the first person, the protagonist/narrator survives. Was so disappointed at the ending to Dark Ride that I knocked at least one star off my review.
Maybe you feel that Hardly didn't die and that I'm wrong. It's hard to see how that could be, but I will read other GR reviews to see what my fellow readers' opinions are.

This was very good!! I thought the pacing was good, and I really liked the characters and felt very invested in them, especially our main character, Hardy Reed (Hardly). He's 23 and a not very motivated stoner. He's happy enough just living an average life working at an amusement park. One day while at the DMV he notices 2 children with their mother, sitting alone and looking like they are not well cared for. They show signs of abuse, and he cannot stop thinking about them. He finds out who they are and makes a report to CPS. He knows they will slip through the cracks and he's willing to go out of his comfort zone to try and save them from a horrible life! Hardly, for the first time in his life is feeling the urgency to do whatever it takes to help. This was more of a character study. We read about the hard life that Hardly has had and why he is the way he is. You really are rooting for him throughout the story and just care about him so much. The reason I didn't give this the full 5⭐ was because of the ending. It really was sad. I would've wanted it to end differently. You know a story is well written when you feel such a connection to the characters and I can say that I did. This is a short book, but such a good one.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy.. All opinions are my own. My review will be posted on Instagram, Bookbub, Goodreads, and Amazon.