Member Reviews

I received I Will Find You by Cole Baxter as an ARC in exchange for a review. I’d like to thank NetGalley, Cole Baxter, and Inkubator Books for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

This is my first book by Cole Baxter and although I was not disappointed, there were a few things that did annoy me.
Maria is a woman living in San Francisco with her incredible husband, Cooper. She managed to leave behind a horrific husband but the memories and nightmares still follow her. And so does someone else from her past who is intent on getting his due.
Although Maria can be a bit of a weenie at times, I really enjoyed her as a character. I have to imagine that her traumatic past has had an effect on how she handles things in her present life. The one thing that drove me bananas was the husbands CONSTANT use of the word “baby”! It was almost like Cole Baxter got a bonus for every time the word “baby” was used in reference to his wife Maria. Other than that, it may be a good idea to have a trigger warming as the abuse is graphic and it deals with very sensitive subjects. Other than those two issues, I found myself really enjoying this book and I found the quick pace added to the suspenseful storyline. It’s a quick and fun read. I am definitely looking forward to my next Cole Baxter novel!

Was this review helpful?

I Will Find You by Cole Baxter is the story of Maria, a woman who has found happiness after suffering terrible abuse at the hands of her now dead former husband. Maria seems, on the surface, to deserve her hapoy ending after all that she has endured, but there is always a niggling suspicion that she is not being fully truthful with her adoring husband, Cooper.

While I did enjoy this read, I felt that the author included far too many superfluous details of the mundane, particularly with regard to food and meal preparation. That being said, I was sufficiently engaged to power through to the end in search of resolution. On that note, while the story does sustain a level of tension throughout, I did not feel that it was as fully fleshed out as it might have been. I was left with many unanswered questions, although perhaps that was the intention of the author all along. You decide. 3.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for an ARC.

Was this review helpful?

I honestly tried to finish this book, but I ended up not finishing it after about 4 chapters or so. When I first read the summary it sounded like a great mystery, but then I started reading it and it didn't seem like what was piteched to me. In my opinin there should be trigger warnings at the beginning of this book as it does talk about miscarriage, r*pe, forced marriage, spousal abuse, ect.

Was this review helpful?

Unfortunately i didn’t enjoy this book. Far too much detail for very mundane actions. For example when the mc is making food for her husband and you’re reading about her flipping over the bacon and browning both sides. I did not find one character likeable, every interaction the mc had with each character was either childish or pointless and there was no resolve for any of the relationships she had. For example her and her mum every phone call was an argument and they never had a conversation without her mum being awful and her being childish and repeating the same conversation. The relationship between her and her husband was the same thing every day she cooked cleaned they told each other they loved each other more times than I can count, it was extremely boring reading about the two.

Overall I skimmed most of the book and read the dialogue when I hit around 60% of the book because none of it really mattered.

I am grateful to have received this arc but unfortunately it really wasn’t for me.

Was this review helpful?

Very triggering and dark.
Storyline basis is good, the execution not so much.
The main characters poorly constructed with no life in them at all, nothing to pique interest.

Not an enjoyable read, but other may eat it up!

Was this review helpful?

3.5 stars. Overall I liked this book. I thought it was going one way and it went a completely another direction. I got frustrated with Maria and thought Cooper was a bit over the top. But overall a good suspense thriller.

Was this review helpful?

OMG……This book is so flipping good! If domestic abuse triggers you, you may not want to read this as the abuse is pretty graphic. Real, but graphic. Such an excellent book.

Was this review helpful?

Not for me, I'm afraid and I gave up at 40% after struggling. There was too much detail, eg describing how the main character prepared a breakfast, with each ingredient and even turning the bacon over. It's common practice to remind the reader of something in a novel but you're reminded of how much the main couple are in love on every other page. Similarly, you're reminded of past events every four or five pages. i tried to finish but I failed.

Was this review helpful?

I read this book with anticipation that something would happen that would grab my attention. Unfortunately, that never happened. I think it had the potential and the author’s style could be captivating but he just didn’t get there. Nothing really happened more than what was in the synopsis. Maria whines to herself and finally her husband throughout the entire book about the situation she is in but never does anything about it. It has flashbacks of Groundhog Day because it was just the same thing over and over again. Maria has a nightmare, Cooper consoles her, she frets about her situation and does nothing about it. Repeat, repeat, repeat. A word to the author… this scene is good one time then move on and create different scenes. This could be a good book with more work.


I received an ARC from Incubator Books through NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion or rating on the book. I am voluntarily submitting this review and am under no obligation to do so.

Was this review helpful?

Maria has a hard past that seems to affect her current life in every way. After fleeing an abusive husband and another partner, she leaves her old life behind and finds comfort in her new husband Cooper. But whats in the past can't stay there as a person from her past resurfaces and risks ruining her near perfect life...

I had a hard time with this book. I almost DNF it multiple times. I continued on because I was looking forward to the "killer twist" but unfortunately that never happened. I think there was so much potential for this story but the execution fell flat for me. TRIGGER WARNING: There is a lot of graphic mention of physical abuse and SA. I found the retelling of the abuse over and over to be too much. Now, I did like how the husband acted in this book. It was refreshing to have a marriage portrayed without some major issue taking place.

Overall, I gave this book a 2/5 star rating. It just was not for me. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for a copy of this work in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This one opened with a banger! But, hopefully you love it! Because that same scene will play out over and over and OVER again throughout the entire book.

Maria is a victim of domestic violence, forced by her father to marry the man who assaulted her and subsequently impregnated her. Finally out from under his evil ways, Maria is now married to the loving and gentle Cooper. Although she has moved across the country, her past finds its way back to her. Maria’s dreams are haunted by the abuse she suffered and we become very familiar with her nightmares. They are the exact same chapter after chapter after godforsaken chapter! It was almost as if Baxter just copy/pasted thirty times and shouted “DONE!”. Maria is weak. She cries all the time. She plays the victim. She is incapable of standing up for herself. She. Is. Insufferable!! I think I hated her by the third chapter. I cannot stand a female character who acts like her very existence relies on the presence of a man, even IF she shows redeeming qualities in the end.

There was also this weird underlying god/fire and brimstone/judgement day/thou shalt not sin theme. It was kinda creepy. This was my first Cole Baxter read so I don’t know if that is a common thing in his books.

I don’t foresee myself reading Cole Baxter again, but I am appreciative of him and NetGalley for an advanced copy of I Will Find You.

Was this review helpful?

This is one book I have to say is very predictable. This is the first time I have read a book by this author. I mean the premise of the story is there and it is a very interesting topic. I could actually guess where this book was heading and the ending didn't really leave me saying what!!!! Thanks to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Was this review helpful?

The plot initially caught my attention due to its resemblance to the movie "Gone Girl," which naturally sparked my curiosity and raised my expectations. However, as I delved deeper into the book, I realized that while there were similarities in the plot, it wasn't anything like the movie, much to my regret.

The first few chapters drew me in with their gripping narrative, but the subsequent repetition of Maria's praise for her husband, Cooper, became tiresome, making it a struggle to continue reading. Despite wanting to empathize and root for Maria considering the hardships she faced—abuse, trauma, and loss—her character became more irritating than someone to rally behind.

Around the 40% mark, I seriously considered not finishing the book, but I pushed myself forward, holding onto the hope of a killer twist, as the cover had suggested. Unfortunately, the promised twist didn't materialize, leaving me disappointed. It wasn't until I reached about 60% of the book that some significant events finally unfolded, allowing me to continue and eventually finish the story.

While this reading experience left me concerned about entering a reading slump, I won't let it discourage me from exploring other works by the same author. I've come across many positive reviews of their other books, and I'm hopeful that this one might simply not have been the right fit for me.

Thanks to Netgalley, Inkubator Books, and Cole Baxter for the opportunity to read and review this arc.

Was this review helpful?

I'm a massive Cole baxter fan and this one did mot disappoint. As always you get the twists and turns, a slow building tension and suspense, that sense of never quite knowing what's going on or who's behind it and an original plot. I find these are always quite quick and easy reads and granted, if you want to knit puck and overthink then it all falls apart a but but why bother ruining it for yourself?! Just enjoy it for what it is, a quick and easy thriller that passes a few hours and completely gets you hooked. Can't wait for the next book!

Was this review helpful?

Woah. Freaky!! This book kept me guessing and wanting more more more! I was so unsure what was happening which is everything I want in a good thriller!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you, NetGalley for a free ebook copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I tried so hard to get into this book but just could not. I ended up deciding not to finish it. I hope that others will still give it a try. What one reader doesn't get into, the next very well may get lost in the pages.

Was this review helpful?

I definitely enjoyed this quick psychological thriller by Cole Baxter. I kept expecting things to go a different route than they did by the time I got to the ending, but I was quite pleasantly surprised with how things ended. I liked the way the story goes back and forth from "present" to the past through Maria's nightmare-ish memories. I like how it shares more of those bits and pieces of what she experienced while with Glen and then Jackson, all while allowing her relationship with Cooper to grow.
I found myself consistently rooting for Maria, despite knowing the part she played in the demise of those once in her life.

Was this review helpful?

"They had me in the first half, not gonna lie" must have been written about I WIll Find You.
I was really entertained in the beginning. Girl lives a tragic life, to find her happiness, and then a stalker appears to ruin it. Sounds promising. But, it ended up being extremely repetitive and disappointing for me.
There was also zero character development, and everyone was rather whiney or over the top annoying.
I was ready for a shock at the end that never came, which further fueled the disappointment.

Was this review helpful?

This was the first book by this author, and I’m not throughly impressed. I feel some of the characters fell a little flat. It has some room for improvements but it wasn’t the worst thing I’ve read. I will still look forward to read more from this author and see how the work progresses. Thank you Cole and netgalley for this copy in return for my honest review. I look forward to reading more of your work as you continue.

Was this review helpful?

Unfortunately I did not Cole Baxter's writing style.

I found the ending of the book to have an easy-to-predict storyline. I don't think I will be reading any of Cole Baxter's work after this.

Was this review helpful?