4.5 🌟

I loved Gone Tonight from start to finish. This book was so well-crafted and kept me on the edge of my seat with lots of twists and suspense. The relationship between Ruth and Catherine was so complex and also frustrating at times when I wished they would just talk to each other, but understand that Ruth is fiercely protective of her daughter and would do absolutely anything to protect her. I loved the dual perspectives and timelines, it was a perfect way to tell this story. I always love Sarah Pekkanen's books and Gone Tonight was no exception. This is one of my top thrillers of the year!

The bond between Catherine and her mother Ruth is a very close one. They have only had one another. When Ruth begins forgetting things, Catherine changes her plans to stay with her mother. What is Ruth hiding? Catherine plans on finding out.

This story changed from a contemporary fiction novel to a thriller, and I enjoyed it

Thank you to McMillan Audio, Netgalley, and the author for an advanced copy of this book.

Catherine is in her early 20’s. She’s been living at home with her mother, Ruth, while getting her nursing degree. She’s preparing to move out for the for the first time to a new city for her dream job. Unfortunately, just a few weeks before she’s set to leave her mom gets a devastating diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer’s. Catherine’s world comes apart as she tries to get a plan together to take care of her mom. Ruth on the other hand is taking her diagnosis very well. Too well, in fact. Things start to fall apart further as Catherine is trying to make plans and Ruth is resistant.

This book is super interesting. The Alzheimer’s is fascinating and heartbreaking. I didn’t know that much about it and this is a very informative and humanizing portrayal. Then throw in Sarah Pekkanen’s twisty storytelling and I could not get through it fast enough. Great beach read!

"Gone Tonight" is an outstanding audio adventure that deserves a solid 5-star rating! The narration by Kata Mara was superb, keeping me engrossed in the story from start to finish. The story of Ava, 16 years old & on the run from everyone & everything she knows for decades but why??? What had happened? What does Ava quickly discover? A lot of questions are answered over time but can Ava ever go back??? It was a struggle to put the audiobook down, as the gripping plot and engaging characters held my attention throughout. I'm eagerly looking forward to exploring more works by this talented author. I also hope for more narrative works from Kate Mara!
Thank you #NetGalley, #MacmillonAudio, #SarahPekkanen, #GoneTonight & #KateMara for the arc is was a pleasure! My review is strictly voluntary!

I don’t know how to tell the book without spoilers so I’ll focus on the writing and characters. The narrator was excellent. Her voice fit the characters very well. The writing style is excellent and kept me wanting to listen. This is book that will keep you thinking about if after you close the last page. I loved the storyline and really enjoyed this book!

Gone Tonight starts off very slow and it introduces a large cast of characters. I honestly wasn’t sure I was going to like it. However, the pace picks up and the book was good with plenty of twists and turns I was not expecting. Well woven Thriller.

This is a Sarah Pekkanen stan account. Are there things wrong with this book? Probably. Did they stand out to me? Nope. At no point was I prepared for the twists in this book, it was a great, quick, entertaining read. I'm glad I got an audiobook, Kate Mara did a fantastic job narrating!

24-year-old Catherine and her mother, Ruth, are very close. The two women have always lived together, just the two of them, and spend pretty much all of their time together. Ruth has always been tight-lipped about her past, but Catherine never pushed the issue. When Catherine prepares to move away for her dream job, she discovers some disheartening news about Ruth, but as Catherine begins to dig a little deeper, she starts to unravel the secrets her mother has kept for 24 years.

I went into this one totally blind–I chose this book completely based on my previous reading experience with the author. Gone Tonight sucked me in because it wasn’t at all what I expected. The slow start provided time to get to know the characters, but soon the mystery ramped up and I couldn’t put it down. And I really liked the ending.

Kate Mara’s narration was fantastic, even while reading two separate characters’ perspectives.

I have to be honest and say I didn’t think i was going to finish this book. It does start off rather slow to build the plot but once i made it past that i was confused and on the edge of my seat. It definitely shocked me with the ending. In the end it was overall entertaining read that i would recommend!

This was fine. I was really into it in the beginning but started to care less as it went on. Kate Maras narration was good but I wish there was more distinction in her voice between the POVs or a second narrator .

Thank you MacMillan Audio, NetGalley, and Sarah Pekkanen for the honor of previewing the audiobook Gone Tonight. This is the story of a mother and daughter who thought they knew everything about each other and in fact, they knew only superficial details that might just get them killed if they don’t learn how to be honest with each other. Ruth made a terrible mistake when she was sixteen and now 24 years later she’s got to fix things or the only good thing in her life—her daughter—may pay a terrible price. This book is very well written and I was on the edge of my seat all day listening to it. I am definitely adding Sarah Pekkanen to my favorite authors list.

This was a great book I've never read her alone just with her partner in some other books. But I really enjoyed this one

Gone Tonight wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great, either. The writing started out quite strong. I was more enthralled with this than some of the other books that Sarah Pekkanen has written. For a while, I thought this might be a 4 or 5 star. I was interested in the storylines and why Ruth was lying to her daughter, Catherine. It goes beyond mere control. While the first quarter of the book started off quickly and was engaging to me, the middle felt slow and drawn out. The big twist wasn’t a surprise to me at all towards the end. I did enjoy the open ending in regards to Catherine’s future.

Macmillan Audio gifted me an audio copy and Kate Mara’s voice is strong as a narrator. I think she’s more suited to a single POV story, though. There wasn’t much of a difference in Catherine and Ruth’s voices and inflection, so if I didn’t listen closely to chapter titles or forgot which POV we were on, I could get confused about what storyline I was following. I prefer when I can tell who the character by the voice performance.

Thanks Macmillan for the opportunity to review!

Gone Tonight is an incredibly unique blend of genres that has both the binge factor and a great character driven story. Featuring relatable, multi dimensional characters you don’t know whether to root for or against, I found myself flying through the pages, determined to know how this story ended.

My favorite aspect of a good thriller is when slowly, piece by piece, things begin to click in to place as the author makes revelations born in the past and present timelines. This strategic writing style always keeps me fully engaged as it usually creates even pacing. And Pekkanen does a magnificent job at weaving a tale that unfolds slowly but surely.

I listened to this on audio and was so impressed with the narrator. As it turns out that narrator is actress Kate Mara, who does a masterful job at portraying both mother and daughter, and giving them each their own distinct voice. This is exactly the type of book I like to absorb through an immersive read via audio and physical books.

Read if you like:
•literary suspense
•psychological thrillers
•character driven stories
•complex family dynamics
•partial epistolary format
•dual timelines

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I admit that I picked this audiobook because it was narrated by Kate Mara, and I figured there's no way such a famous actress would narrate a book unless it was great. Well I was right, because this was great.

Catherine is a nurse at a nursing home. She loves her job, and loves taking care of the elderly in their final days. She has a very dysfunctional relationship with her mother Ruth. But then Ruth tells her that she's been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, something Catherine is very familiar with, and she feels the need to put her life on hold to help her mother.

After getting closer to her mother, she realizes that pretty much everything she knows about her mother is full of lies. She doesn't know her mother's real name, or where she's from...

This book utilizes a dual timeline very well as it goes from the past to the present. It was such a good slow burn and so well written. This is how all thrillers should be!

What A GREAT book! This book kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time! I listened to it in less than 2 whole days. Sarah Pekkanen knows how to write a book to keep you entertained.

My only complaint is the narrator's voice was the same for both the mom and daughter. At times, I didn't know who was speaking because there was nothing to distinguish between the two voices. Other than that this book is fantastic.

What this mom went through to keep her daughter safe was so real to me. I could see people doing this in real life and that's what made this book so much more believable, because of the harsh struggles she endured. Got to love me some Target shopping! It's not easy being 17 and raising a child by yourself. All while you are hiding from your family, friends, baby daddy and the law. I couldn't imagine going through what she did. I know I know it's just a book but damn Sarah Pekkanen made it sound and feel soooooo real.

You know at first I thought James was her knight in shining armor. Especially after what he did at the pizza restaurant! If only I had the courage to do that when I was waitressing! But seriously I would NEVER do that...

I do feel like there are some loose ends and that there could be a book #2 to wrap things up or to pick up with Katherine and how she turns out after what they did at the end. Now that I think about that, I think that would make a great storyline. Especially after listening to the epilogue.

I know I'm being vague here, it is because I don't want to give away any details. If you like thrillers with family drama then you will LOVE this book.

I have read a few books by Sarah Pekkanen now and this one is by far my favorite one from her.

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan audio and Sarah Pekkanen for allowing me to listen to an advanced copy of this book, I truly LOVED it.

Wonderful story. In alternating chapters, we get to know our main characters, Ruth and Catherine, and the past they have been running from for 24 years. As secrets and lies come to light, the story picks up pace, and keep the reader engaged and on the edge.
This is another winner from Sarah Pekkanen!

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review this ARC.

Slow burn with a really intriguing build, especially as someone who has been part of a care team on a dementia unit. Who is truly the unreliable narrator, and which twist is as it seems? A few implausible tidbits here and there, but overall a solid suspense novel that kept me listening straight through (and annoyed when interrupted =)). This was my first Pekkanen book, but I look forward to reading more of her work after this one.

CW for sexual assault.

My thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the opportunity to preview this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

After several writing collaborations, Sarah Pekkanen is back with a solo novel - Gone Tonight.

"Catherine Sterling and her mom, Ruth, have always been close. Catherine is ready to take a new job in another city but Ruth is reluctant to let her go. Ruth wants to protect her daughter no matter what it takes.
Because there are things about her past that Ruth has kept secret...dangerous secrets..."

Dual POVs in this book - Ruth and Catherine. It's a slow start. But as Ruth reveals an incident in her past the story takes on a different tone. The pace picks up as Catherine searches for the truth about her mother and and Ruth tries to stop her. A wild ending from Pekkanen and maybe the hope of a sequel ...

Kate Mara does a phenomenal job with the audiobook. Great work with the two POVs.

Add this to your Fall reading list. Great new fiction from Pekkanen.

Sarah Pekkanen has been one of my favorite writers in for quite some time and in this book she did not disappoint The twist and turns left me speechless and wanting more.