Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen

Thank you to @netgalley, @macmillianaudio, and the author, @sarahpekkanen for the opportunity to read this #advancedlistenercopy in exchange for my #honestreview. Gone Tonight is available for preorder now and will be published August 1.

Synopsis: Catherine Sterling is ready to move away from home, begin a new career, and build a life for herself. But her mother, Ruth, has other plans. Ruth has been very carefully crafting ways to manipulate Catherine from moving away and leaving her or becoming too close to someone who may compete for her love. Will Catherine get to the bottom of her mother’s deception and gain peace or shake up a dangerous past?

Review: Oh myyyyyy, as someone with a complicated relationship with my mother this book hit hard. I was pulled into this mystery immediately. @katemara did a sensational job bringing the MCs to life in a way that kept me gripped to the end. This wasn’t super twisty but def gave me heart palpitations! I highly recommend.

TWs: gaslighting, sexu@l assault, alcohol abuse, manipulation, drugging

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ - 4.25/5

Wow, this is intense! It took a bit to get going, then it was a super quick read.

I'm trying to think of what I liked about this book. The characters were super intriguing and their development was perfect. I loved the twists/ah-ha moments even though they were not too shocking or surprising.

Thanks NetGalley and publisher for my digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

I was super excited to get this book as I have really enjoyed the books the author has collaborated on in the past. It started very slow but began to build and kept me engaged. The dual POV was well done. I would recommend this one. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book.

This is a story about identifies lost & found.

If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers that explore the dark side of human connections, “Gone Tonight” is a solid choice. Pekkanen’s has a knack for creating tension out of small interactions, and I was so worried for all intents for much of this book. Prepare to be enthralled as you unravel the mysteries & try to figure out who to believe. This novel is a perfect fit for fans of “Pieces of Her”- it captured that same mother daughter deception by way of fierce love, vibe.

Also I now want to go wander around Target 🤣. Just wait, you’ll see!

Thank you so much @netgalley @stmartinspress & @macmillan.audio - this was a great read!

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for my advanced copy of Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen. I enjoyed listening to this audiobook. I think that the narrator did an excellent job - the only thing that could have made it better to me while listening was somehow differentiating the voices of Ruth and Katherine. Perhaps more than one narrator could have made this better since the pov switches so frequently between the two characters. This is my first book by Pekkanen written by herself - I have read the others written with Greer Hendricks and this book has the same suspenseful build up. I may have been a little underwhelmed at the ending but I did enjoy the writing and I thought that the characters were well developed. I was intrigued with the story from the beginning and thought that the story was well paced and it kept me reading (listening).

This was such an interesting, slow burn, "what is going on" read! I didn't want to put it down! I enjoyed the mystery and twists throughout. The relationship between Katherine and Ruth is built so well with the multiple POVs. There were a few times it felt slow, but then something would happen that would have me on the edge of my seat. I am running to put more Sarah Pekkanen on my wishlist!

Ruth Sterling is a single mother still living with her now-adult daughter Catherine. Catherine works in the memory unit of a care home, and as her time living with her mother looks like it is coming to an end, the pair receive a diagnosis that throws a wrench into their lives. For Ruth, the Alzheimer's diagnosis means she needs to start planning how to tell her daughter about her past and where she came from. While Ruth and Catherine have been alone fighting against the world their whole lives, a cat-and-mouse game begins with both trying to uncover the other's secrets.

Sarah Pekkanen again hits it out of the park with Gone Tonight. This book was fun to read, with twists that had me so excited to keep reading and a fantastic pace that made it hard to put the book down. There are some great moments where you realize that the book you thought was about one thing is actually about a different thing entirely. Pekkanen does a great job with the dual narrators, playing them so well off of each other. Ruth's backstory is tragic and you sympathize with her desire to keep it a secret as much as you want Catherine to find out the truth. The competitive mother-daughter game was thrilling to read as it examines how much we really know about our parents.

For the audiobook, Kate Mara did a great job bringing the energy to the book and making the two characters a lot of fun to listen to. The two narrators did not sound especially distinctive, but as long as you know which character was narrating a chapter it was fine.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy of Gone Tonight in exchange for an honest review.

Gone tonight had a decent plot. However, that is the only good thing I can say. I hated the characters. Mom/Ruth is so desperate and annoying. Daughter/Katherine is childish and naive. James would have been a decent character, had he been fleshed out more. The author did not make seamless connections between events, which should be evident in hindsight as a psychological thriller. There is also not much of a twist, as the big reveal was done early in the book. I could go on. While I am not an expert on writing psychological thrillers, I have read many and know what makes them work. This one fell flat, as did the boring voice of the narrator. I do want to thank NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. I wish it was better. I am still a fan of this author, as I have liked all of her other works.

Another exciting, can't put it down read by Pekkanen.
The narrator was terrific with the perfect level of suspense.
The plot revolves around a complicated murder. The story is told from the points of view of the main characters, a mother and daughter, which adds that certain aura of perspective. There's many interesting twists but when the mother is diagnosed with Alzheimer's, it all begins.
The dialog is absorbing and the character development is compelling. The author's attention to detail contributes to the tension and apprehension of the book. The nightmarish ending and the eternal question as to "how far can an apple fall from the tree" is examined, leaving it up to us to dissect that phrase.

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillin Audio for the advanced listening copy (ALC) of "Gone Tonight" by Sarah Pakkenan. This was my first read/listen by this author and the treat of Kate Mora's narration propelled me through this book in about two days of listening. I was confused at first, until I figured out the alternating chapters of the two main characters.

The story unfolded in a fairly straight-forward manner and I realized there were lots of secrets involving Ruth. The way she told her story through the notebook writing and flashbacks created the backbone for the story.

I was invested.

The way the twist happened was a little fast and too clean, There weren't any real obstacles from him finding them. None. That would be my only issue.

Kate Mora should narrate more! She was very pleasant to listen to and I would enjoy more narrations by her.

I thought this was a thrilling book with unexpected twists and turns. It captivated me, which is sometimes hard to do with an audio book. But, I give major credit to the narrator for adding inflection to the novel which I do in my head when reading normally. The only piece of feedback I would give would be that I wish the two different points of view were read by 2 different narrators - one older (Ava) and one younger (Catherine) - to distinguish even further between the two points of view.

Reading Between the Wines book review #67/115 for 2023:
Rating: 3 ½ 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book: Gone Tonight
Author: Sarah Pekkanen
RELEASES August 1, 2023!!! Reserve your copy!

Sipping thoughts: This book is one where what you think is happening is actually not. One of the cool things is you don’t have to wait to the end. You find out right in the middle where the story takes a turn. I felt like I was reading 2 story plots in one where they collide and merge and take on a bigger story. I really enjoyed it. If you want a read full of lies, deceit, abuse and one last reveal on the last page, this is the book for you.

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley and @MacmillanAudio for an advanced copy of @GoneTonight.

#GoneTonight #SarahPekkanen #MacmillanAudio #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #GeneralFictionAdult

Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen is an exhilarating and fast-paced thrill ride that had me hooked from the very beginning. I had a hard time putting it down, especially since I opted for the audiobook version, which was skillfully narrated by a talented voice actor. As an avid reader of suspense stories, I can confidently say that this book is the best one I've come across this summer.

What sets Gone Tonight apart is its exploration of the intricate relationship between a mother and daughter. Pekkanen ventures into uncharted territory by portraying a negative mother-child dynamic that evolves into a powerful learning experience for the subsequent generation. Ruth, the mother, is determined to shield her daughter, Katherine, from the mistakes of her own past, while Katherine yearns to uncover the secrets shrouding her mother's enigmatic history.

The premise of the story is gripping, as the past collides with the present, leading to the breakdown of the protective barriers intended to safeguard Katherine. The author skillfully weaves a web of secrets that were initially meant to shield the daughter, but ultimately expose her to a world of danger and uncertainty. The tension mounts as the stakes grow higher, keeping readers on the edge of their seats throughout the narrative.

I wholeheartedly recommend Gone Tonight to fellow suspense enthusiasts and anyone interested in a compelling exploration of the mother-daughter relationship. Sarah Pekkanen's masterful storytelling has earned her a spot at the top of my to-be-read list, and I eagerly anticipate delving into her other novels.

4 stars for the latest book by Sarah!

I loved this new addition with all its twists and turns. The story follows a middle aged mother named Ruth who has just been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and her daughter, Katherine. Over time, Katherine begins to pick up on small hints that her mother is actually lying about not only having the disease, but who she actually is as a person.

The dual POV of Katherine and Ruth help narrate each of their perspectives. We also get flashbacks from Ruth as she writes in a journal to give to Katherine one day that explains her life story.

The story unravels and only gets more wild as the truth comes undone. Through the past portions, we learn that Ruth was a young girl who became mixed up with a guy who would ultimately destroy her future. You can’t help but empathize with her throughout the story as you learn what she went through in order to survive.

Since Ruth was an unreliable character from the start, I knew she couldn’t be trusted entirely. The book was a solid audiobook and I was completely captivated by it from the start and wanted to learn the truth.

Where it fell off for me was the inconsistent fear Ruth had of her daughter and her potential to be evil. Of course a mother will defend her daughter, but the sprinkled in suspicions that Katherine could be a dangerous person didn’t add more to the story for me.

One quote I loved was delivered by Katherine : “ I have never looked at my mothers as an individual. She has always been a planet that orbits around me.
…We define our mothers through the lens that they relate to us.”

Thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for this audiobook arc in exchange for my review!

Pub date is August 1st!

Well written characters and excellent use of dual POVs. Grabbed me from the start and didn't let up. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook

Gone Tonight is a story that slowly weaves and puzzles together the journeys of a mother and her daughter. There is quite a bit of background and character development at the beginning but by the middle there was a high level of psychological intensity and intrigue that took it to the next level of compulsively readable.

I listened to this one over two day and think Kate Mara did an amazing job narrating this book. However, I believe the listening experience would have been enhanced if there were two separate voices for the POV’s. I still think you can’t go wrong doing either the audio or print with this one

Pekkanen writes insanely compelling stories. I’ve read one other of her individually written books as well as multiple of her co-written ones and I enjoyed them all! Add this to your list if you love a well-developed, mind-bending, character driven mystery.

Gone Tonight

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I wasn’t sure about this thriller between a mother and daughter, but it turned out to be really good! I alternated between the kindle and audio versions when I couldn’t put it down!

Catherine is about to move out of her mother’s apartment for the first time at 24 when her mother starts to show early signs of Alzheimer’s. As the story alternates between Catherine and Ruth, we start to see glimpses of Ruth’s past that she’s working to protect them from.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one in both formats. The pacing was good and the two characters were distinct. Definitely will check out more of Sarah Pekkanen’s books!

When Catherine finds out that her mother, Ruth, isn't who she claims to be- her name isn't even Ruth- she is desperate to know everything she can about her mother's real past......but Ruth is just as dedicated to keeping it all under wraps. When a third party from said past suddenly returns, the women have no choice but to figure it out.

For me this one was way too similar to "Pieces of Her" by Karin Slaughter, but I enjoyed it! It got a little slow in the middle, I put it down for a day or so, but the back half was good and the twists at the end were really good!

Gone Tonight is told in alternating POV's of Ruth Sterling and her daughter Catherine. Ruth was a 17 year old mother and it has always only been the two of them since they moved often. But now, Catherine is a college graduate and is ready to take on life moving away for a new job.

This is when Catherine starts to notice her mother forgetting things and when they go to the doctor he suggests early onset Alzheimer. Ruth refuses to have more test done, blaming the costs but her daughter starts gets suspicious about elements of her mother's life not adding up. Catherine starts researching what she knows about her mother to find out her past.

Without giving anything away, Ruth is full of secrets and has a history that she never shared with her daughter. The mysteries kept me listening to this book, I wanted to see how it would end. But, I never liked Ruth and that didn't change s the book ended. Catherine was a sympathetic character with a good head on her shoulders who I felt deserved a mother who was honest with her.

The narrator for the book was good but I was wishing they had 2 narrators so there was a switch with the change of POV.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Well, Sarah Pekkanen has done it again….another novel that kept me on my toes the whole time I was listening to it. I got to listen to an ARC of this audiobook from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion of the book. It definitely did not disappoint.
This book is told from two points of view—a mother, Ruth, who is overprotective of her daughter, even though that daughter is an adult. The other point of view is the daughter, Catherine, who ends up realizing that her mother is a major control freak. But why is she? Why does she seemingly ruin Catherine’s relationships and lie to her?
Please read or listen to this book to find out…you’ll be so glad you did! I really liked the narrator in the audiobook version as well. Winning all around for this one!!