This was such a great read! Sarah is quickly climbing to my list of must reads. I have read everything by her so far and this didn't disappoint. Definitely 5 stars. I can't wait for the next one! I don't fully live the title but it didn't exactly hurt the book it just didn't really fit right. I'm not familiar with the narrarator but she did a really good job and I enjoyed listening to her and she kept my attention.

I switched between audio and ebook, but the audio was really well done and I found myself drawn to that more.

Ruth and her daughter, Catherine, are close. Almost obsessively close. But all of Catherine's life they have only had each other. They have moved a lot. New towns, new jobs, new schools. But they were each other's constant through it all.

Catherine has just graduated with her nursing degree and is about to take a job at Johns Hopkins and move to Baltimore and live on her own for the first time. And then. She goes with Ruth to a doctor's appointment and learns Ruth has early onset Alzheimers. And later Ruth tells her that her own mother, who Catherine never knew, suffered from it also.

Catherine decides to stay and care for her mother. But this turn of events has her longing to know more about her mother's life and past, and she starts investigating. And begins to uncover things her mother didn't want her to know!

What would you do if you found out your whole life might be one elaborate lie? And how far would a mother actually go to protect her child?

This one drew me in and I could not stop until I knew the whole amazing story!

Many thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and MacMillan Audio for both an ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review!

this was such a fun mother/daughter suspense + mystery read! you’re given just enough info to keep you wanting more. both women seem so suspicious + it’s fun slowly watching the truth unravel. i’m a sucker for any kind of healthcare aspects being incorporated in storylines! while there weren’t too many specific *shock* moments, it was still an awesome family drama + I was so invested in the story! it’s a really beautiful book about the lengths a mother will go to protect her child.

Fave quote: “A thin line can separate laughter and tears.”

I was super excited to get an early copy of this audiobook since this is the first book for me narrated by the lovely Kate Mara, so I was very curious. I can share that Kate gives a gentile but strong performance in this original thriller. She has a soothing personal cadence and tone that envelopes the listener.

Gone Tonight, tells us the story of a mother and daughter, Ruth and Catherine Sterling. Ruth gave birth to Catherine at seventeen years old, and they have been on the “run” their whole lives, but why? I wondered if Ruth was really who she says she is? I mean, is she just an overprotective mother, or is there something more unsettling going on? The story is told from both Ruth and Catherine's perspectives, which admittedly left me a bit confused at times, as Kate's voice didn't sound very different going back and forth between the characters. Trying to remember who was who was at times a bit sticky. Every time we shift from the private thoughts and memories of one to the other, the picture reveals surprising new details, but I would miss who was sharing the thought. Regardless of my confusion, I overall found that the polished plotting is well matched by Mara's comfortable smooth voice at any speed of play.



Overall I enjoyed the story immensely and I plan to purchase the book to read along with audio as companions. The narrator does a great job as both characters, but I would have appreciated a more noted shift in diction. The unexpected twists and the outcome were still interesting, to say the least. My jaw was literally agape at the end and I had to instantly annoy my husband by gushing on and on sharing every sorted detail and the electric conclusion.



I absolutely recommend reading this book with the audio version, as the storyline was interesting and binge worthy from the get go. It was also a fairly fast listen, which was a bonus. In conclusion, 5 stars for the story and 4 for the narration.



Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this audiobook. This book is being released August 1, 2023.

Gone Tonight follows Catherine and Ruth, a mother daughter duo who have always been just the two of them, with no other family. The story unfolds from alternating POV as Catherine learns of her mother’s past and you see what Ruth is hiding from her POV.

I really enjoyed this story and was completely captivated by it! A lot of it was outlandish but that didn’t take away from the story for me. If you like psychological thrillers I think you would enjoy this one as well!

It did feel a little too long at parts but overall I was invested and interested to see what was going to happen.

I also really enjoyed Kate Mara’s narration!

Thank you netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy of Gone Tonight in exchange for my honest review!

Admittedly I already had a digital galley of this book when the early audio became available on NetGalley, but once I saw KATE MARA was the narrator it was a no brainer to request. I *love* her and she did a fabulous job with the narration on this one.

4.5 stars rounded up.

I'm not going to lie, this one really took me by surprise, and I mean that in the best way possible! I absolutely loved it and could not put it down. I equally enjoyed both POV chapters, which is not always the case with alternating viewpoints but these were excellently written.

I thought the plot pacing was very well done, too. Once I finally understood what was happening I was so invested in how everything was going to play out it didn't stop me from continuing to flip pages like crazy. I even cried a bit at the ending!

GONE TONIGHT review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

▪️After reading and loving a few books that Sarah Pekkanen has co-written, I knew I wanted to check out her latest release. The cover of this one is giving me maaaaajor fall vibes and making me even more eager to bust out my Halloween decorations. 🎃

▪️Here’s a summary of the plot:👇
Catherine and her mother Ruth have always had a very close relationship. Growing up without a father figure, Catherine has depended on her mom for everything. But Ruth has never shared details of her past with Catherine. When they are given heart breaking medical news, Catherine is even more determined to learn about her mom’s life. But if Ruth’s past is brought to light, it could be the very thing that severs their relationship.

▪️I thought it was refreshing to read a thriller focused on a mother/daughter relationship. Soooo many thrillers I’ve read lately are centered around couples or groups of friends so this was a nice change of pace! The first part did a good job laying the groundwork for the rest of the story. In part 2 I had no idea who to trust and my head was spinning. Part 3 when it all came together was so satisfying. 👏

▪️I did think that at times the book felt more like a mystery/family drama novel versus a thriller. Not a bad thing, just not what I was expecting! I also thought the ending was a little tooooo wrapped up for my liking. I like a little mystery/intrigue still left once I finish the book personally. Overall I really enjoyed this one and would recommend checking it out!

▪️Thanks to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for my advanced copy of this one! It publishes next week on August 1st!

There’s nothing like the love of a mother. Although I found this somewhat predictable, I enjoyed the “twists” and complexities of a mother-daughter relationship.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC audiobook!

Thanks to Netgalley for the audio book in exchange for a honest review.

Like other reviewers mentioned, the book starts out slow, but Pekkanen was able to keep me interested.
As someone who listens to a lot of psychological thrillers I thought I was pleasantly surprised by this books uniqueness. Not exactly your typical psychological thriller which for me was a nice change.

I liked this one!! There were a lot of secrets being kept between Catherine and Ruth & at times I just wanted to scream at them to talk to each other, but I totally understand that that’s what makes this book so intriguing. I love a happy ending & I’m happy for how things turned out for Catherine.

🪟 Gone Tonight - Sarah Pekkanen

4 ⭐️ - Wow, this was twisty! This one has a slower start but definitely picked up and had my blood pressure rising. Sarah Pekkanen knows how to keep me on my toes!

I enjoyed this one more than I thought. I was super excited to see Sarah Pekkanen was releasing a new book, but this was my first solo of hers! At first, I was a littleee confused about who the characters were and who they were telling this stories too, BUT as it went on, I totally got the hang of it and was hooked. I was dying to know how the changing POV (my fave) between a mother and a daughter was going to turn out and unravel. I had some guesses that were correct and I saw coming but others I totally didn’t see. Definitely recommend if you’re a Pekkanen fan!

Thank you to NetGalley, MacMillan audio, and St. Martin Press for the early ARC and LRC! This thriller is out 8/8/23!

Read if you like:
👩‍👧Mother & Daughter Relationships
⏳ Past and Present Timelines
🤐 Secrets & Lies
📝 Journal Entries
2️⃣ Two POV

This was a more slow paced domestic thriller/mystery that swapped POV between Mother (Ruth) and Daughter (Catherine) throughout the book as Catherine begins to uncover lies and secrets from her mother and her mother begins to write out the truth of her past for her daughter that she has never shared before. This all comes out as Catherine is about to embark on a new journey moving away from her mother, but Ruth just can’t let that happen for reasons unknown to Catherine and the reader.

As someone that grew up with a mother that had secrets and lied often this one definitely struck a cord for how Catherine decided to dig and try to figure out the truth for herself of what was going on.

I loved Kate Mara’s voice with the audiobook but she didn’t do any voice work to distinguish between POV which made this a very hard to listen to audiobook with the change in POV but without the narration changing to identify the different characters.

Thank you so much to the publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Easy 4 stars! Interesting storyline. Good character development. Quick paced summer read for me! Audiobook was great, love the narrator, she always does a great job. Don’t hype anything up too much and you won’t get so disappointed. These authors work hard, take a breather from just consuming fiction and then jump back in! I promise that break helps you come out of some of that desensitization!

4.25⭐️

Ruth Sterling and her daughter Catherine have always been close. But even the closest mother and daughter can keep secrets from one another. In this way, at least, these two are definitely no exception. As Catherine begins to suspect something isn’t right with her mother, she finds herself on an expected and dangerous journey, and we the readers are along for the ride.

What a ride it was. These are well-drawn characters, in a suspenseful and well-told story that kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to jaw-dropping conclusion.

Kate Mara provided the perfect voice to narrate the audiobook as well.

Thank you Sarah Pekkanen, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for providing this ALC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

Mother and daughter, Ruth and Catherine, have an incredibly close bond but when Catherine is ready to move away for a new job Ruth will do anything to stop her. Catherine has largely accepted that her mom's past is a closed book. However, snippets from Ruth's past slowly start to materialize making Catherine wonder, what does she really know about the woman who raised her?!

Told in alternating POV- this is an exciting read that definitely kept me guessing. There were some points where it seemed to drag a bit, but overall really enjoyed it! Thanks to the published for this ARC.

Mom Ruth and daughter Catherine have a close relationship, but as Catherine is ready to leave home, Ruth will do anything to stop her.

I really enjoyed this one! The dual POV was great as we get both sides of the story as Catherine tries to learn about her mother’s past and Ruth does whatever she can to keep it hidden. Without giving too much away, the story is unique and I loved watching it unfold. There were some tense moments where I didn’t know if I should stop listening while home alone at night.

I enjoyed the audio narration, though I wish we had two narrators to alternate the POVs as they were hard to separate early on. Overall a great suspense to add to your summer reading list!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for my advance listening copy.

Gone tonight is an addictive story told by both a mother, Ruth and her daughter, Catherine. Each characters’ thoughts alternate between chapters and are told in both the past and present. There are three parts to the book.

The first part of the book is a slow build-up about how they got to where they are in the present. It was interesting to read how and why Ruth chose to hide her past life from her daughter. Previously they shared a very close, loving relationship, but as Catherine grows older and starts to realize things aren’t what they seem, the tension in their relationship builds to a dangerous level. The second part focuses on how this dynamic plays out between them. Finally, the third part unravels the terrifying consequences of the the deception.

I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through the story. Especially at the end when the secret is revealed. Both mother and daughter are in danger and I was holding my breath to see if they would make it out alive!

The ending was special and made me cry. If it would have ended there, that would have been enough, but a shocking revelation was added in an epilogue! What an incredible story! I look forward to reading more from Sarah Pekkanen.

Triggers: sexual abuse and violence

Many thanks to MacMillion Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen and review Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen.

Thank you @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for my gifted book and audiobook.My thoughts are my own.

Catherine is a nurse at an assisted living facility in Pennsylvania. However she has just accepted a job at the prestigious John Hopkins Hospital and she is ready to go. When her single-mom, Ruth, receives a diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer’s, Catherine puts her plans on hold. Catherine and Ruth have always enjoyed a close relationship.

What Catherine doesn’t know is Ruth is hiding secrets and will stop at nothing to protect her daughter. As Ruth’s secrets gradually unfold, Catherine starts to lose trust in her mother. The truth will ultimately try their relationship.

MY THOUGHTS:
This slow-burn novel is told through alternating perspectives of mother and daughter, and the truth is gradually revealed. I guessed the ending early on. I enjoyed the print version much more than the audio version. Though I usually enjoy this narrator (Kate Mara), I felt she used a monotone voice and it was difficult to tell the difference between mother and daughter.

Read this if you:
*Have enjoyed this author’s previous work
*Enjoy slow-burn suspense
*Enjoy family drama

This book started off a little slowly, but by the halfway mark I was totally invested in finding out the family secrets. Catherine and her mom both have impressive skills when it comes to staying alive and I could easily see this as an thriller/action movie. I listened to the audiobook and it's a great way to experience the tension and mystery in this novel.

Ruth and her daughter Catherine have always been close. It’s always just been the two of them. Now that Catherine is in her twenties, she is starting to explore the world more. She’s ready to leave the nest for a job offer in another city. Ruth is starting to panic. How far will she go to keep her daughter close and the past hidden? The more Ruth clings to Catherine, the more Catherine wonders why.

Sarah Pekkanen tells the story from both Catherine’s and Ruth’s point of view, alternating between the past and the present. Pekkanen develops two very interesting and well-rounded characters. The suspense and wanting to know what will happen next will keep you on the edge of your seat wanting more. The twists are shocking and keep you wanting more. My favorite part was learning all about Ruth’s past leading up to the reason why she feels she has to keep her daughter so close.

The narration on this one was amazing! Kate Mara did a great job. The only thing that could have made it better would have been different narrators for Catherine and Ruth. However, I didn’t have any trouble following along as Mara used slightly different voices for each character. I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys psychological thrillers. I give it 5/5 stars.