Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. This novel publishes on 11/4/23.

I was not familiar with any of the author's previous works, but was excited to read a novel that combines literary fiction with suspense/crime.

This was a pretty quick read for me, and I enjoyed the pacing and was interested to find out how all the characters fared at the end of the novel. I can't say that I found any of the characters very likeable, but I generally don't rate a book based on that anyways. This is a well-written novel, which is not always the case with suspense/buzzy books.

I wish there had been some more time delving into Douglas's character. I think there could've been more backstory or time focusing on his motivations for his actions. The basics were there, but I think his character needed more fleshing out.

I'm not sure I found parts of the story very believable, but that's also what makes the novel more entertaining.

I'd recommend to readers who like literary suspense novels/family and friendship dramas. This novel is very sexually explicit, and there are graphic description of violence ( possible trigger warnings).

Yes, I love everything that Lindsay Hunter writes, but this novel is really oh so good. It's a compulsively readable, can't-put-it-down story that manages to be super sharp and smart. Such fascinating character studies, such subtle but piercing insight on the way our society sees mothers, such a sucker punch.

FIVE HUNDRED STARS

I lost my damn mind when I got my hands on an early copy of this book. Hunter's writing is so uniquely good it makes me nervous. Every sentence she writes is tight and perfect - not an errant word or phrase anywhere to be found - it's dark and brutal and slyly funny and gross and upsetting and always deadly, sharply smart. Hot Springs Drive is about two women: next-door neighbors who become best friends, raising their children together, and - eventually - destroying each other.

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH. One of my favorites of the year for sure.

4+ stars

Wow! Very good!
A character driven novel … very intense
Two mothers … (Theresa and Jackie) meet for the first time in the maternity ward after having their babies. They end up being best friends.
They also end up being neighbors (right next door) in the same sub after the house next to Theresa goes up for sale.
So… I’m not going to go into too much detail here..but Jackie ends up having a torrid affair with Theresa’s husband Adam.
Now Theresa is dead… brutally beaten to death in her garage.
We will hear from each character in the book…each adult and five children in the story.
This will definitely keep you reading!
It’s about relationships… mother to children, spouses to each other, friendships, desire..
It has gotten starred reviews from both Kirkus and Publishers Weekly!

Thank you to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for the ARC… and of course the author Lindsay Hunter for the writing!



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"A bold, unflinching exploration of female friendship, motherhood, and desire, with an unforgettable anti-heroine as its bloody, beating heart."
-Kirstin Chen, New York Times bestselling author of Counterfeit

"Hot Springs Drive left me absolutely gutted, devastated . .. This is truly brilliant, sexy, and sly storytelling."
-Deesha Philyaw, author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies

"Hot Springs Drive is a sneak attack . .. I'm in awe of the lives that Hunter has conjured in these pages. The only balm is to read it again."

-Diane Cook, author of The New Wilderness
MA haunting meditation on human desire and the monstrosity that can emerge out of ordinary hearts
... A stunning achievement."

-Ashley Winstead, author of The Last Housewife
Thrilling and gorgeously observed ... as tightly spring-loaded as an over-tuned guitar string."
-A.E. Osworth, author of
We Are Watching Eliza Bright

"A perfect cocktail: precise and gritty writing, achingly and terrifyingly real characters, with a dash of mystery and darkness. Intoxicating."
-Claire Fuller,
author of The Memory of Animals

It's rare that I read a book in one sitting, but as soon as I started this book I was in its grasp until the final page. At its heart it seems like a simple enough story -- two friends go through a significant part of life together, then their bond weakens when one secretly betrays the other, then there are Consequences -- but Lindsay Hunter lets the story unfold slowly and beautifully in onionish layers through the eyes of multiple people, some deeply involved and impacted, others more like passing observers whose viewpoint we hear only as their lives briefly intersect with the tragedy at the heart of everything. I'll be thinking about this book for a long time to come. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

REVIEW
Hot Springs Drive by Lindsay Hunter
Hot Springs Drive kept me hooked from start to finish. It is a unique book with a prose that takes a while to get used to
The author has a way of creating an immersive atmosphere that transported me right into the heart of the story. The raw depiction of betrayal, mental illness and the aftermath of trauma was heavily present throughout the whole book. I found myself completely engrossed in the lives of the characters their struggles. However, this book made me extremely uncomfortable.
The pacing of the book was excellent. The story moved along at a steady clip, with just the right amount of tension and suspense to keep me engaged without feeling overwhelmed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the ARC of this book. Hot Springs Drive is on sale November 4th, 2023.

Thank you Roxane Gay Books for my Netgalley copy of HOT SPRINGS DRIVE by Lindsay Hunter, out 11/4/23!

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did NOT disappoint! HOLY COW, I ate this shit UP! Dubbed as a “twisting literary page-turner that will appeal to readers of Celeste Ng and Marty Gaitskill,” let me just say………..YES. If grimy lit fic is your jam, pick this up ASAP!

Jackie Stinson’s best friend is dead, and everyone knows who killed her. Jackie wants to be many things, but a martyr has never been one of them. She is an ex-emotional eater and mother of four, who has finally lost the weight she’s long yearned to be free from. Leaving her old self behind is harder than it looks. Misery continues to chase her and motherhood threatens to consume her.

Her only salve is her best friend Theresa. Perfect, with a quiet and quaint little girl instead of four unruly and disgusting boys. Jackie starts to see how easy it is to steal a little bit of Theresa’s perfect life, until it all comes crashing down…

The synopsis makes it read like a thriller, and it kind of is, but mostly it is a heart-pounding exploration of women and motherhood. It’s all about our deepest, most fucked up desires, ones we try to make our own that aren’t convoluted with the revolting grip of men. The novel is full of different perspectives from Theresa to Jackie, to the children, husbands, realtors, investigative journalists and more - giving us a 360 degree view into the consequences of the murder that changed both families forever.

Hunter is a master at keeping the momentum going - every POV is necessary and offers new insights. I found myself cringing, and nodding, and guffawing and basically… I participated in every emotion under the sun while reading this book. You root for some of these characters while simultaneously despising them. It’s masterful writing!

This book was riveting and I think it will be loved by very specific types of readers. Also, thanks Lindsay Hunter for reminding me that men secretly want to fuck their mothers LOL. This novel definitely solidified the fact that I was right to delete my dating apps and charge my vibrator again. I want to read everything Hunter writes!!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.
This is the first book of Lindsay Hunter's that I have read. It was recommended by a friend of hers. The story is about two women who become friends and eventually live next door to each. They recognise a kindred spirit in each other. They are both mother's trying to survive motherhood. Jacqui has four boys and Theresa has one girl. Jackie wants some of what she things Theresa has.
After a huge betrayal, everyone's, adults and children alike, lives start spinning out of control. Ms. Hunter manages, with a great deal of skill ,to take us inside many of the characters so we know from their POV what the suffering is. She seems to know teenage boys quite well.
The book is a page-turner. It is shocking in the best sense and tears off the veneer of suburban life. I highly recommend this book.

This book is really well written but it's a little too violent for me. If you're someone who is oK with reading uncomfortable prose then this one will be a good one for you. Good domestic thriller, just a bit too raw for me.

Mothers. Neighbors. Best friends. A catastrophic betrayal.

Jackie and Theresa, two typical suburban mothers, meet in the maternity ward and become fast friends. They are opposites in many ways…Jackie is outgoing and outspoken, Theresa more reserved….but they form a bond regardless, attending weight loss classes together, venting about their spouses, sharing their struggles. Jackie has four rambunctious boys and a car salesman husband; she is an emotional eater, and losing weight quickly becomes an obsession for her. Theresa has just one child, a daughter named CeCe whom she adores, and addresses her weight loss goals with moderation. Their children play together, and as they get older some of the boys start noticing CeCe as more than just a neighborhood pal. People are noticing Jackie’s svelte new figure too, which thrills her and which she encourages. Jackie’s need to be noticed, to be really seen by people, leads her to betray her friendship…and that betrayal has ramifications that will shatter two families.
Motherhood is both rewarding and draining, and it is not uncommon for a woman to lose her own identity as she becomes “Mom”. Judgement can be found everywhere….who brings the “right” snacks to sports practice, packs nutritious lunch bags, looks neat and put together in and out of the house….and many a woman has looked at another mother and thought that that mother has their act together far more than she does herself. In this swirling mass of hopes, disappointments, insecurities, jealousies, and envy can be born disastrous decisions and life-altering choices, as happens in this novel The characters in Hot Springs Drive are well-drawn, very real (though not always likeable) and far from perfect….just like the rest of us. As we get to know them, we also find out that tragedy is just around the corner and someone will be killed. By whom and why are up for debate until the very end, but it changes the lives of everyone else we have come to know in the process. Told from the points of views of many characters, the story is a complex puzzle with many pieces, shared in seemingly random order….but if the reader keeps on, all will be revealed. I found this an engrossing novel, less a whodunnit and more a whydunnit, with relatable characters and a setting and premise with with many can identify. Sometimes wanting it all, or wanting what others have, is a very bad thing indeed. Readers of Celeste Ng, Jodi Picoult and Elizabeth Strout should give Hot Springs Drive a try. Many thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic/Roxanne Gay Books for allowing me access to an advanced readers copy.

This book was very intense! Sex, murder, eating disorders! Lots of big feelings and dysfunction! We get to hear the story told through many perspectives and it was an interesting book!

You know where the story is going from the beginning and like much of this authors work you will read it with your heart beating in your mouth. Lindsay Hunter excels at shining a light on the dark things under a bed, in a closet, in a humans psyche and heart. She makes art out of dirt, dust, and bruises. By revealing one layer at a time the brutality and beauty in being born human. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this astounding ARC

This book was so compelling I read it in one sitting. While this is advertised as a thriller, the writing style feels more like literary fiction. That is not a detriment to the story, in fact, it only enhances the reading experience. The writing makes this such a thrilling, engrossing read, I felt like my heart was in my throat the entire time. I am not normally one for domestic thrillers, but this had an edge that set it apart and I really enjoyed it.

ARC provided by NetGalley.

This novel is told in alternating perspectives but never loses momentum. To write something so fast-paced while alternating through so many perspectives is such a feat. Each new pov is strikingly imagined, birthing these fully fleshed characters who I’m utterly enraptured with, even when it’s a character on the periphery, like the real estate agent or the investigative journalist. This character-driven thriller, both literary and commercial, offers incisive commentary on friendship, motherhood. relationships, masculinity, trauma, and so much more. This book really showcases how much a novel can do and I’m wowed.

Hot Springs Drive is a cross between great literature and domestic thrillers. Too many domestic thriller provide us a thin description of the female heroines, or a one dimensional cut out. Lindsay Hunter has created characters that you can understand, root for and perhaps despise.

Jackie has been friends with Theresa for a long time. Theresa seems to have an easier life with one perfect daughter compared to Jackies house filled with young boys. When the two decide to join a diet group together, Jackie is sucked in and loses herself in the process.

Hunter provides a haunting look at what happens in the suburbs when the jealousy is unchecked. If you like great literature, if you love domestic thrillers, or if you were ever a bit too jealous of your best friend, Hot Springs Drive is for you! #GroveATlantic #RoxanneGay #LindsayHunter #HotSPringsDrive

It’s very raw - page turning as advertised-
But — I became really uncomfortable with it.

I understand the book’s urgency— and it’s very well written— in your face prose (graphic unpleasant sexual descriptions)….

Much respect for the author - her empathy for unsettling choices her characters made —
and Roxanne Gay’s support -

I thought I would have been a good fit - turns out I’m not — not today.

“The day, Theresa meets Jacquie Stinson, is where the story—the one neighbors and acquaintances and reporters and true crime enthusiasts love to tell and re-tell—is where that story begins”.

“The story ends this way: several years from that day in the maternity ward, Theresa will find Adam and Jackie are fucking.
The next day, Teresa is murdered, in her own garage.

A favorite part (silly of me) ….. but was learning what “Little Debbie” snacks were in the 60’s. I had to Google it.

I found the book too depressing — not in an inspiring way.

This book reminded me very much of the "Candy" miniseries/true crime. I read it very fast and for the most part found it enjoyable. The Author is a descriptive writer, with a keen eye for the emotional details of this story. My only question was with the ending which is somewhat up for interpretation, and idea I struggle with as a reader. Hopefully this will make it to book club and I will be able to have further discussions on an ending I found to be slightly open ended.
Thank you again for the advance readers copy.

The book started out interestingly enough but quickly the characters turned mean and nasty. At that point I lost interest. Did not finish. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me access in exchange for an honest review.