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🕸️ LAST READ of 2023: GOTHIC THRILLER EDITION 🕸️ featuring “The Fiction Writer” by Jillian Cantor! Giving me ALL of the eerie, unsettling and atmospheric vibes!!!

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤.5/5

Olivia Fitzgerald is a struggling writer whose first novel was a HIT, but then her second novel was a disaster. Her second novel “Becky” is a modern day retelling of “Rebecca” by Daphne Du Maurier and did not receive the acknowledgement and reception that she was hoping for. Now she is struggling with writers block and avoiding her agent who is on her back about her third novel that she has hardly started.

One day Olivia’s agent calls with an exciting opportunity to GHOST WRITE for a very high paying sum! This is exactly what Olivia needs right now … but she has NO idea what she is getting herself into. She finds out that she has been hired by a billionaire to write about his family history and mysterious ties to author Daphne du Maurier. Olivia starts to go through the Great Grandmother’s diaries and finds herself tangled up in a web of deep dark secrets, obsessions, lies and hidden manuscripts! WHAT ELSE is this family hiding?? And WHAT ELSE is lurking within this family history??

Thank you kindly to Jillian Cantor, Park Row Books, Harper Collins Canada and Netgalley for my gifted digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This book is out NOW and is perfect for readers who enjoyed the classic novel “Rebecca”!

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I am drawn in by the title - The Fiction Writer. The description of Jillian Cantor’s novel pulls in a classic - Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca. As a reader, I love books about books! I struggle with this story as the descriptions and actions depicted of the main character do not lend themselves to a protagonist to cheer for or one that is interesting enough in their poor choices to watch and follow just to see what happens. Unfortunately, I find myself not the reader for this book.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2023/12/the-fiction-writer.html

Reviewed for NetGalley and a publisher’s blog tour.

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The Fiction Writer was an amazingly surprising and intensely mysterious page turner which you don’t want to end. For those who have read Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier or a fan of the author, you will have won the lottery with this one! Even if you are new to du Maurier or Rebecca, not only will you completely enjoy the story, but the Rebecca tease will have you reading this book as well.

Olivia Fitzgerald is a very down and out writer. Her first book was a moderate success, her second, Becky, a new take on the book Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier did not sell very well at all. Now, she not only faces writer’s block trying to piece together a new story but has an unhappy agent who she thinks will drop her and a boyfriend of many years who has decided to move out. So, she now sits paralyzed in her life with only her new pet goldfish to keep her company.

But that all changes when she gets a call from her agent about a job in Malibu, California as a ghostwriter for a billionaire named Henry Ashwood who lost his wife in an accident last year. He specifically asked for Olivia to write a book about his grandmother who he claims was the actual writer of Rebecca and du Maurier stole it from her. Now, there have been a few others who have claimed this, but none could prove it. He says he has his grandmother’s diaries and insists he has the proof. The only caveat, he has requested she sign a non-disclosure agreement. But the money he is offering her is too outrageous to turn down, so off Olivia goes to write the story, even though she only has written fiction in the past.

But once there, she soon discovers inconsistencies in Ash’s story, and these mysterious diaries don’t seem to exist. Ash’s housekeeper hates Olivia even though she has no idea why. Olivia thinks she is in love with the mysterious billionaire. Her visits to the mansion go from wonderful to terrifying. Her own book, Becky seems to be some sort of catalyst to Ash, and she has no idea why. As Olivia begins to learn more about his grandmother, she seems to accidentally discover that perhaps his wife who died accidentally was murdered. Why does he really want her here? The longer she stays, the more she realizes something is wrong and she needs to get away. 

As Olivia fights to find the truth, she suddenly discovers she herself is in danger because of her questions. And when she agrees to go to a Gala with Ash, well…let’s just say that is the final straw. But will she be allowed to leave? Has she discovered too much?

The Fiction Writer is truly a unique take on a beloved gothic novel, modernized for today’s world with flawed characters and anxiety ridden twists and turns.

Thank you #NetGalley #ParkRow #JillCantor #TheFictionWriter for the advanced copy.

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The Fiction Writer by Jillian Cantor.
The once-rising literary star Olivia Fitzgerald is down on her luck. Her most recent novel—a retelling of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca—was a flop, her boyfriend of nine years just dumped her and she’s battling a bad case of writer’s block. So when her agent calls her with a high-paying ghostwriting opportunity, Olivia is all too willing to sign the NDA.
At first, the write-for-hire job seems too good to be true. All she has to do is interview Henry “Ash” Asherwood, a reclusive mega billionaire, twice named People’s Sexiest Man Alive, who wants her help in writing a book that reveals a shocking secret about his late grandmother and Daphne du Maurier. But when Olivia arrives at his Malibu estate, nothing is as it seems. The more Olivia digs into his grandmother’s past, the more questions she has—and before she knows it, she’s trapped in a gothic mystery of her own.
A good read. Little eerie and creepy atmosphere. 4*.

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Olivia Fitzgerald's second book didn't quite make any money and her live-in boyfriend has left her. When she gets an offer to ghost write a book based on and because of her second book, Becky, a Daphne Du Maurier retelling, she needs the money and the jolt to her creativity, so off to Malibu she goes to work with an attractive widower, Ash Asherwood in a glass tower on the hill.

I'm not going to say much more than that because I don't want to spoil anything. What I liked most about this story was the atmosphere. There's a definite creepy gothic vibe from the start which I loved, and Olivia just can make a reader want to throw something, which I found both frustrating and amusing at times. But I did like the story and its twists and turns. I haven't read this author before, but I will be looking for future titles.

Overall, great gothic atmosphere, strange and frustrating characters, a quick, entertaining read.

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Olivia Fitzgerald's stalled writing career leads her to take a ghostwriting job with Henry "Ash" Asherwood, a mysterious billionaire. He's drawn to her recently failed novel, Becky, based on Rebecca, and wants her to tell the story of his late grandmother and Daphne du Maurier (the author of Rebecca). But at Ash's fancy Malibu estate, nothing is as it seems. Is Ash telling the truth about his family's past, and can Olivia trust him?

This was an... interesting... read. Made me want to re-read Rebecca, but perhaps not this story! Olivia and Ash were incredibly annoying characters. Olivia had an amazing inability to stand up for herself, letting Ash dictate everything, resulting in some very poor decisions and judgements. About 25% in, it felt as if there was no forward progress on the book whatsoever, as Ash and Olivia just hung out in Malibu and did... nothing. Except drink and talk . And did I mention make poor decisions?

Yes, Olivia consistently drinks too much, with the book focusing constantly on her drinking and oh, did it happen to mention Ash was the "sexiest man alive?" Maybe once or twice or a hundred times. The gothic mystery wrapped in layers of meta seems like it would be intriguing, but ultimately winds up confusing, with too many layers of Rebecca and retellings and stories within stories.

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I really wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't get into it. I adored "Beautiful Little Fools" and it was a 5 star read for me, so naturally I wanted to dive into her latest. Unfortunately, I struggled to become invested and had to push myself to finish it.

I would still give the author another chance in the future because of the first book I read by her.

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Rebecca has been on my TBR list forever but after reading Cantor's clever take on the classic, I'll be moving it up my list. The premise of this book is so creative and I love a story that gets into the nitty gritty of publishing and plagiarism. I wish the ending had been a bit more satisfying but overall, it's a really enjoyable, multi-layered and beautifully written retelling.

Thanks to Harlequin and PArk Row for the copy to review.

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3 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Park Row Publishing for an ecopy of The Fiction Writer by Jillian Cantor. This was my first Jillian Cantor novel to read and I understand she moved away from Historical Fiction to Gothic mystery. Maybe her next effort in this genre will improve. I thought the story moved very slowly, with a lot of repetition concerning the journals, the original Rebecca, and the overwhelming handsome appeal of Ash. Some editing might have helped the story progress, but I think the plot was weak and the characters confused and unlikable. This story did not really keep my attention.

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This novel is a very meta homage to the classic Daphne DuMaurier novel Rebecca. Main character Olivia is a novelist whose second novel, a retelling of Rebecca from the point of view of a ghost, has flopped. But then she is offered a job as a ghostwriter for a very wealthy and handsome man (with a dead wife himself), who claims that his grandmother not only was the real writer of Rebecca but lived the story of it herself. Oh, and interspersed throughout the book are excerpts from a Rebecca retelling - but whose?

So parallels abound everywhere in this atmospheric slow burn psychological thriller! Or as Olivia herself says relatively early in the book, “I’d practically stepped inside my own personal retelling of Rebecca, hadn’t I? And I was supposed to be writing some sort of story about Emilia Asherwood and Rebecca, after I’d already written my own Rebecca retelling. … Very meta.”

I love Rebecca, so I loved all the fun homages and references to it. And the book did a great job of setting up a similar atmosphere, while transporting the gothic vibes to modern day Malibu. For me, the ending was a bit of a letdown though. Still, a fun and absorbing read.

3.75 stars

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The Fiction Writer was a different direction for Jillian Cantor, but enjoyable and chilling at the same time.

The whole story was really interesting and full of various layers. It's a gothic mystery with a meta vibe. I kept guessing at who wrote the excerpts that were at the ends of some chapters and so many aspects of the story had me questioning everything I thought I might know, in regard to what was going on.

There are a lot of references to Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, so if you haven't read that, beware of spoilers. (I never read it and now I don't need to, but I wasn't planning on it anyway.) Jillian made that novel sound more interesting than I was expecting it to be though.

Overall, this novel was really well done. Jillian gets kudos from me once again!

Movie casting suggestions:
Olivia: Sarah Ramos
Ash: Henry Cavill
Noah: Emory Cohen
Clara: Ashley Greene

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The Fiction Writer is an extremely fast paced, atmospheric story. This re-telling of Rebecca was well done and had the same vibes. Suspenseful and eerie, this is a must read.

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This was an interesting take on a Rebecca retelling featuring a struggling writer who gets hired to move in with Ash, a reclusive mega billionaire in his Malibu estate and ghost-write his family history. Ash claims his grandmother was the true author of Du Maurier's Rebecca and he wants to bring that story to light finally. Fiction and truth blur in this complex story of love, second chances and lies. Twisty and entertaining. While this wasn't my favorite Jillian Cantor book it was still a good read. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

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can't stand it when a character ignores every red flag they're shown and makes the wrong decisions anyway. not like she'd be sober enough to make any good decisions, with what all the drinking she did

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This was a really solid mystery for me. I am someone who loves Rebecca and also loves a writer/literature focused retelling. I have read several Rebecca retellings/inspired by books and I myself have also gotten a little tired of them. So the incredibly meta angle this retelling ended up going was so fun and I really enjoyed it. I also loved the idea and concept of who owns a story? What does it mean to own a story?

The writing style didn't quite work for me, but I can't exactly pinpoint why. I think I would have enjoyed consuming this via audio. For some reason, even though I was into the story it took me longer than expected to get through.

I think anyone who enjoys books about books and stories about stories will really appreciate everything this book has to say!

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There are a lot of Rebecca retellings and reimaginings out there. This is one of the good ones.

It seems like the Rebecca redo has been done to death, so I was pleasantly surprised by this fun and clever reimagining of the story which manages to weave both the novel and its author Daphne Du Maurier successfully into its more modern plot.

The heroine can be frustrating at times, though her sometimes reckless and silly actions drive the plot well, and she stands up for herself and on her own two feet when it counts.

I was expecting something more explosive at the end, and thought it was kind of strange that there is no real denouement involving any sort of action in the end. But the epilogue is a fun final reveal, even if it’s a bit easy to guess what’s coming.

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The Fiction Writer is a mystery with ties to the gothic novel Rebecca. I enjoyed the peek behind the scenes of the publishing world and the mystery kept me guessing until the end. Fans of Rebecca, Jane Eyre, or Verity will enjoy this one!

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First let me admit I have never read Rebeca so I cannot make comparisons but this is a contemporary retelling of it. While it comes across as a simple story, this one is quite complex. There is a book in a book, which is one of my favorite things, and the author of this book is not known to the reader. I became obsessed with trying to figure out who wrote this book. I overanalyzed every almost clue in trying to decipher the author. Of course that was alternated with me figuring out who was reliable and who was evil. I was convinced everyone was evil and out to get Olivia. Everyone. And while my initial thoughts were correct, I was never sure and wavering until the very last chapter.

Back to the complex plot. In addition to the book in the book, there are some weird things happening to our main character, coincidence or sabotage, a little bit of a romance and accusations about the book Rebecca.

I spent a bit of time yelling at Olivia for her poor choices. She seemed clueless to all the warning flags that were constantly popping up.

I was a fan of the gothic atmosphere and thought the author nailed this. Almost like a secondary character. The book was a slow burn with pretty much all the characters being unlikable, but with needing to know who wrote the book in, I kept reading.

Overall this was a quick read that kept me guessing.

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The Fiction Writer started out really strong for me. I loved the narrator's voice as she spoke directly to the reader about making bad choices. But then it went downhill. Part of the problem for me was that I never read the much talked about “Rebecca.” Perhaps had I read it, this whole storyline would have been more exciting because I’d be comparing it to the original. But since I had nothing to compare it to, I found myself growing bored easily. In fact every time I picked up this book, I had to reread whatever chapter I had just completed. Otherwise I truly could not come up with it.

It was very Meta in the fact that we are reading a book based on Rebecca, in which the narrator wrote a book based off of Rebecca. Cool
Writing and too many Rebecca’s for me.

I felt like there were so many places this author did a great job, but the confusing and at times boring spots took away from them.

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I’ll keep this short and sweet because while I don’t consider three stars to be negative, it also means that the book didn’t completely ‘wow’ me. The writing is solid and the story is there, there’s some good suspense at points, and I really do like the author’s historical fiction books. However, some things fell a little flat for me in terms of pacing and I feel the characters could have had a little more depth to them. Overall, not a bad read, and I appear to be in the minority on this book. If the synopsis catches your eye, please give it a read, because it’s clearly a favorite for most reviewers!

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