I thought this was fine. It had a lot of pieces of her vibes and the last thing he told me. I liked the ending and the characters were interesting enough. It just was meh.

This book! I was thinking about it all the time when I wasn't reading it. It starts out as a slow burn and reads like just about any other contemporary fiction novel...until we learn that we don't know the whole truth. From that point on, it's hard to put down and full of suspense and anticipation.

The story alternates in point of view between Ruth and Catherine, and the truth slowly begins to leak out as one actively seeks the truth and the other takes pains to hide it. This isn't your typical thriller - it can go long stretches without real action - but it's still a page turner.

I didn't love that the narrator didn't seem to change their voicing or cadence or anything when reading the two separate characters' points of view. This book would have been a great candidate for a two-person cast.

Thanks to NetGalley for early access to this book!

This was a FABULOUSLY narrated auto book - i really loved the narration.

They story itself was good - it didnt feel overly fresh or unique, but it was a compelling slow burn.

I found the twists rather predictable, but i still enjoyed the novel.

CONTENT - 3 STARS
NARRATION - 5 STARS

OVERALL - 4 STARS

Title: A Captivating Thriller That Leaves You Breathless

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Review:

Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen is an absolute triumph in the world of psychological thrillers. From the very first page, Pekkanen grabs hold of your attention and refuses to let go until the final, heart-pounding conclusion. This novel deserves nothing less than a solid five-star rating.

The story revolves around Catherine and her mother Ruth. Alternating view points bring many secrets to light.
What sets Gone Tonight apart from other thrillers is Pekkanen's ability to craft multi-dimensional characters who feel like real people with genuine emotions. Each chapter offers a glimpse into the minds and hearts of the characters, and their perspectives add layers of complexity to the story. I found myself deeply invested in their lives, anxiously turning the pages to discover what would happen next.

Pekkanen's writing style is impeccable, effortlessly blending vivid descriptions with taut dialogue that keeps the narrative flowing smoothly. Her attention to detail creates an atmosphere so palpable, I could almost feel the characters' anxiety and tension coursing through my veins. The pacing is flawless, building up the suspense with every twist and turn until it reaches a crescendo that left me breathless.

Moreover, the plot of Gone Tonight is expertly crafted, with meticulously placed clues and surprises that kept me guessing until the final revelation. Pekkanen skillfully weaves together different threads, exploring themes of trust, secrets, and the lengths people will go to protect those they love. The intricate web of deception and the moral dilemmas faced by the characters make this a thought-provoking and deeply satisfying read.

Gone Tonight is a tour de force that showcases Sarah Pekkanen's exceptional talent as a writer. With its well-drawn characters, gripping storyline, and impeccable pacing, this book is an absolute gem for fans of the thriller genre. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone seeking a riveting, page-turning experience that will leave you wanting more.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC

I received an audiobook copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Catherine’s mother is showing signs of early onset dementia, and Catherine delves into Ruth’s background in order to help her stave off symptoms with memories. She discovers that neither she, nor Ruth, may really be who she’s believes they are.

Ok, I’ve read other reviews that call this a “slow burn” and I agree. It’s so slow that when it finally catches fire at the end it seems to resolve itself so fast that it feels rushed. The premise is cool, but boy, it dragged. Obviously others have really enjoyed it, but it just didn’t grab me like I had hoped it would.

I really enjoyed this book and the back and forth of mother and daughter. I wish the mom had been more honest when she became an adult. I also wasn’t sure who to believe at times.

I liked the book but it wasn't the best one I ever listened to. The narrators voice was a little monotone but the story was intriguing and had me interested the entire time.

This was just a fine book for me. There wasn’t anything that I was overly gasping at, just very middle of the road.

I LOVED this book and really enjoyed listening to it. The narrator had excellent pacing and was able to differentiate the voices of the two narrators without it feeling forced or overdone. She was good at portraying male voices as well and conveyed the internal feelings of the characters quite well.

The story was fast paced but not over the top action forward, which I appreciated. This thriller is more psychological in nature and while some familiar tropes were used, they were done in a new fresh manner. I enjoyed both POVs as well as the dual storyline and was surprised quite a few times. I didn’t want to stop listening and I devoured this audiobook quickly. A great listen!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the advance listen. All opinions in this review are my own.

Ruth and Catherine, mother and daughter, have always been close. As Catherine’s career progresses and she accepts a job that would take her away from home, Ruth goes to great lengths to stop her. Catherine becomes suspicious and begins to look into Ruth’s past and uncovers what she has been hiding.

I have read a few of Sarah Pekkanen’s book that she co-wrote with Greer Hendricks, and this one is my favorite. I loved the dual POVs and was instantly interested in the backstory. When the past caught up to our mother-daughter duo I had to keep listening to find out what would happen next. I thought the ending was great, but parts were a little over the top. Overall it left me wanting more, which is never a bad thing!

I really enjoyed Kate Mara as the narrator.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook ARC.

I love Sarah Pekkanen's books. This one I found to be kind of weird at the beginning and took me awhile to get into. I would still recommend it to others though!

I have just finished reading the Audio version of Gone Tonight, by Author Sarah Pekkanen, Narrated by Kate Mara.

Thanks to NetGalley, the Author and Macmillan Audio for my advanced copy to listen to.

I have read a couple of books before by this author, and must say I thoroughly enjoyed this new book by her.

The two main characters are a mother Ruth Sterling, and her daughter Catherine Sterling.

These two woman find out that there are a great many secrets in their lives that neither truly know about.

The story is never boring, and keeps my interest till the last page.

I highly recommend this new book.

#netgalley
#macmillan.audio
#sarahpekkanen

TW: Sexual Assault

Catherine and her mother Ruth have always had each other for support. But when Ruth starts exhibiting signs of early onset Alzheimer’s, Catherine’s hopes and plans come crashing to a halt. Ruth has always avoided discussing anything from her past, and with her memory degrading, Catherine tries to learn as much as possible about her childhood. But when she notices some inconsistencies in Ruth’s stories, Catherine begins to wonder if her mother has been telling her the truth and what exactly she is so desperate to leave in the past.

I quite liked how the author chose to tell this story. It is told from the dual POV of Catherine and her mother, Ruth. Both POVs were intriguing and in combination told an interesting and well-fleshed out story. The characterization was good between the two and there was minimal overlap between their sections, which kept the story moving at a good pace.

There were several times where I thought I knew where a subplot or hint was going to lead, but I ended up being wrong. These red herrings were skillfully incorporated and made the plot and characters feel well rounded without leaving any unfulfilling dead ends. That being said, the larger plot was relatively predictable towards the end, but I still quite enjoyed how it was executed. The author also did a great job at incorporating tension throughout the read, especially during the second half of the book. Even with the dual POVs and the portions told in the past, the story never felt slow.

What sold me on this one was how different it is from so many of the mystery/suspense books I’ve read recently. It didn’t have me on the edge of my seat, but it did keep me entertained from beginning to end. I listened to the audiobook version of this work, and I’d recommend reading it rather than listening – only one narrator is used for both POVs, which made it difficult to distinguish which narrator was which, and the narrator was generally monotone, making it less engaging than it could have been. My thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to read this work, which will be published 1 August 2023. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Pub date: 8/1/23
Genre: domestic thriller
Quick summary: Catherine Sterling and her mom Ruth are a team - but as Catherine plans to start her own life, her mother will do anything to keep her by her side - and keep Catherine from learning her secrets.

I've really enjoyed Sarah Pekkanen's co-written books with Greer Hendricks, and this solo project GONE TONIGHT lived up to the twistiness I've come to expect. Ruth is...not the perfect mom she appears to be, and I loved following along as Catherine discovered her secrets. This is a super fast and compelling read- you have to suspend your disbelief a bit, but I enjoyed the wild ride.

Both audio and text were enjoyable - I think I slightly preferred the text because it let me turn the pages faster. But narrator Kate Mara did a great job capturing the action, and the dual POV format was easy to follow on audio.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for my e-ARC and Macmillan Audio for my audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Huge fan of this story. So many secrets and twists. I loved the alternating point of views. I was enthralled with this book and loved how the pieces fit together. Excellent narration. Very entertaining. Thank you for the opportunity to listen to and review a copy of this audiobook.

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillian Audio for this book. Let me start by saying that Kate Mara does a brilliant job narrating. Pekkanen does not disappoint with this latest book. Ruth Sterling is a single mom to Catherine, a 24 year old nurse, who has dreams of working at Johns Hopkins hospital. She currently works at a memory unit and is starting to notice that her mom, only 42 years old, is displaying alarming symptoms of Alzheimer’s. Ruth is a waitress and doesn’t want to spend money on tests and doctors. Catherine finds out that her mom is lying about the disease and a lot of other things. Ruth has been on the run ever since something bad happened in high school. She will go to any lengths to protect her daughter, even if it means running some more. Or will she stay and fight? This would be an amazing book club read, lots of discussion points. It’s also a great beach read. I found that I couldn’t wait to get things done so I could get back to the book. Trust me, you’ll love it

Thank you @netgalley @macmillan.audio for the #gifted audiobook!

Holy moly friends when this one is released you need a copy of it! This was the perfect heart pounding story I didn’t know I needed. I went in blind and absolutely devoured this. I accidentally listened to in two sittings. 😝

Catherine is the daughter of Ruth and for their whole lives it’s been just the two of them. Catherine has always lived with her mother and she’s finally wanting to branch out and move away for her job. Ruth however has different ideas and will stop at nothing to keep her daughter close.

Ruth is becoming more forgetful and Catherine thinks maybe now isn’t a good time to expand her horizons. As time goes on and Catherine thinks about her situation she ponders why she really doesn’t know more about her mom. In fact, she knows almost nothing. Piece by piece Catherine puts clue’s together and realizes she just isn’t so sure she really knows her mother. At the same time, Ruth carefully plots all of the pieces to keep their very careful life she has created exactly right where she needs it to be. Something gives and their world comes tumbling down. I don’t want to spoil anything but trust me when I say this you need a copy of this page turner! It will have you second guessing even your closest relationships!

I LOVED this book! It was such an awesome thriller that was the perfect cat and mouse with a dash of just the perfect amount of suspense. I found myself constantly questioning all of the characters. I have never been disappointed by any of Sarah’s books and will continue to read them!

I had read a few books that Sarah Pekkanen co-wrote with Greer Hendricks, so I was excited to read my first solo book by Pekkanen. I felt this was more of a dramatic suspense than a true thriller, but I loved the story, and I got hooked right away!

A mother’s love is like no other. They want to protect their child at no cost. Ruth and Catherine’s bond is inseparable. Ruth has always been a single mother, and Catherine is her world. Ruth has been protecting Catherine by not staying in the same place too long and not letting anyone else come close to them. Now Catherine is in her twenties, and Ruth is more desperate than ever to keep her safe. How far would Ruth go, and what will it cost her?

I got hooked early on. The switching between the past and present and between Ruth and Catherine’s POVs was accomplished flawlessly. The suspense leading up to learning more about Ruth’s history and why she is overprotective of Catherine even as an adult was perfect and kept me interested in the story. The ending was very clever, and the character development was on point until the end. Gone Tonight is a gripping, suspenseful read about how a mother’s love for their daughter knows no bounds.

Also, I had access to both the audiobook and Kindle versions of this book. I loved listening to the audiobook better than reading the book. Kate Mara kept the suspense while creating a different ambiance for both characters. Being a single narrator with multiple characters is hard but Mara did a terrific job.

Thank you to NetGallery and to St.Martin Press and Harper Audio for giving me a copy of the book and audiobook.

This book started off with such a great introduction. After the first few chapters I had a really hard time putting it down. The characters are very easy to relate to and keep you on the journey with them. I look forward to seeing more from Sarah Pekkanen in my future.

I received a Audiobook ARC copy from St Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own!

This is the story of Catherine Sterling and Ruth Sterling. Catherine is Ruth's daughter. Catherine thinks she knows her mother extremely well. However, when Catherine decides that it is time for her to leave the nest and begin a new career. Ruth will go to any length to stop that from happening. Just as Catherine thinks she knows Ruth. Ruth thinks she knows her daughter. Ruth feels like Catherine would never rebel against her. However, when Catherine begins looking into Ruth's early life. There are some secrets and such that just may be uncovered. Both will go at great lengths to make sure the other does not find their secrets. However, the truth always comes out right?

This book keeps you on your toes all the way through. There were some great twists and turns that I did not expect coming. The narrator did a fantastic job with this book. I was intrigued all the way through. There were a few times where I felt like it went on for a little to long. Overall, a fantastic read!