Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
When Liz & Tom get an dinner invitation from their "Instagram Famous" neighbour Britta, Liz does not want to go but Tom convinces her that it will help him with his career if they make friends with the neighbours. Not only that but the invitation says "no kids allowed". Liz definitely does not want to attend especially when Britta's recommendation for a babysitter turns out to be 12 yrs old. This night is not starting off very well for Liz. Once at the party, Liz & Tom start to mingle with everyone and just as the pre-dinner drinks are nearing an end and dinner is about to be served a "Red Alert" comes across the news and everyone's phones reporting some bizarre shimmering fog/haze floating around in the air. The public is told to stay indoors and not to let anyone leave or come in. Everyone is in a panic as they try to figure out how to make it out alive and to get home to their families and children. I wasn't sure about this book going into it but it surprised me and I really liked it. The story grabbed my attention right away and immediately went into panic mode. I liked the characters and look forward to reading more by Lee Kelly. Enjoy!!!

I enjoyed this audiobook. I clearly did not read the full description of the book prior to reading it as I went into it unaware of the disaster that occurs during the story. I felt that piece was a little unbelievable but the drama and tension between the neighbors made up for it. This whole story kept me on edge as a mother and I was so tense the entire time I listened to this book. I do wish we would have gotten just a little more detail on the aftermath at the end but overall I really enjoyed this audiobook. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Off the heels of COVID "With Regrets" tore deep. What was supposed to be an I stagram worthy dinner parter amongst WASP-y friends quickly turns south as the world begins to experience a glimer effect killing millions. Beginning in the UK, hitting the airports and then present right outside the mansions door the emotions of the COVID pandemic were brought right to the surface.

Beyond the COVID similarities there were other emotions at play, those like the inst-obsessed friends, fake and presenting a image, to the fears of new motherhood and leaving kids with sitters, to trying to fit in or hiding secrets of your own. Relationships are tested, conspiracies are mounted and the world is once again thrown into uncertainty.

There were a lot of dinner party individuals to keep straight and not enough husband personalities to do so, but the overall story sucks readers in as it takes on hints of "Station 11" across the span of 24 hour shock.

This book gave me anxiety! I was praying the whole time that this book will not come into fruition. The author grabs your attention right the beginning. Some of the characters were likable. I don't want to give anything away, but I didn't care what happened to them. It makes you think about what you would do in certain situations.

Imagine being in an apocalyptic situation and stuck at a dinner party, away from your kids, with “friends” that you actually can’t stand. That’s exactly what happens in With Regrets.

In this fast paced story, the POV switches around between four women who have kept a lot from one another. Throughout most of the story they’re all pretty unlikeable. I ended up likening the majority of after they bonded together to help each other.

There were also a couple things I didn’t like. Britta was insufferable and that’s okay, she was supposed to be. But all of the hashtags were pretty annoying. Another thing is something I experience all the time with audiobooks. The men’s voices were awful. And it always distracts a bit from the story.

Nonetheless, I liked this story a lot, the tension of both The Glimmer itself and the characters secrets coming out was perfect. I couldn’t wait to see how it would all end.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advanced copy of this audiobook.

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

The narration fit perfectly with this book and all the characters! It was clear, concise, and very easy to listen to for hours at a time! The story itself kind of took me by surprise. It turns from what could be neighborhood drama into a science fiction story pretty quickly! I liked how there were plenty of main characters to get many different view points of what was happening. I would definitely recommend to anyone who likes sci-fi, mysteries, and drama!

This gave me bird box vibes in the best way possible. The added social drama made it work even better in my opinion! Would love to see this made into a movie.

This is not at all what I was anticipating. It certainly wasn't horror, it wasn't thrilling, and it was vague enough that it certainly wasn't science fiction, It's like a cross between Bird Box by Josh Malerman, Severance by Ling Ma, and The Last House on the Lake by James Tynion IV, except that I hated all of the characters. The entire "apocalypse" was just a plot device to show a bunch of rich suburbanites what it means to look beyond the superficial and into what matters. Maybe it's satire, like Severance. There were a lot of similarities, but Severance was more worth my time. Also can we talk about the fact that the "twist", "secret", whatever you want to call it, had absolutely nothing to even do with the "apocalypse"? Not to mention this isn't really a dystopian/ apocalypse book either. It doesn't really fit into a typical category. I was expecting something a LOT more thrilling. It was kind of sexist too. But again, that's probably the satire. I hope, anyway.

A disappointing read. This is the last time I take pre-pub reviews to heart and jump into a book with too high expectations.

𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪

Thank you #partners @booksparks @crookedlanebooks @dreamscape_media for my #gifted copies

𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘀
𝗕𝘆 𝗟𝗲𝗲 𝗞𝗲𝗹𝗹𝘆
𝗣𝘂𝗯: 𝟵/𝟱/𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯

⭐⭐⭐⭐

📖 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁: After some major arm twisting from her husband, Liz reluctantly agrees to leave her children with an inexperienced babysitter to attend a soiree with her snooty neighbors. And as if spending an evening with these insufferable people wasn't bad enough, things are about to take a turn for the worse when a 'red alert' is issued by the government, warning everyone to stay indoors... or they'll die.

💭 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: It's like two of my worst nightmares wrapped up in one book! 😆 Dinner with snobby socialites AND being separated from my children with a mysterious threat lurking outside. I was expecting something quite a bit darker from this cover, but it's actually a great mashup of apocalyptic thriller and suburban drama. And while the soiree drama kept it a bit on the lighter side, there were definitely some goosebumps moments as I imagined being separated from my children in a situation like this. The fear and uncertainty of the characters was palpable.

🎧 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸: The audiobook is fantastic! This was my first time hearing narrator Gail Shalan, and she was most impressive! This book has a huge cast, including men and children, and it takes considerable talent to narrate them all uniquely. Well done!

Overall this was a good read that I'd recommend. ☺️

📌 Out now!

👉🏼Review posted to my IG on 9/7

With its apocalyptic, pandemic-focused premise, "With Regrets" may not have featured the most original plot, but Lee Kelly certainly did a fantastic job delivering a bone-chilling account of what it's like to live through a crisis. "The Glimmer" has struck the world full-force & is taking lives at a rapid pace. In the midst of the panic, a group of neighborhood friends have gathered for a dinner party, leaving their children in the care of sitters. As the story unfolds, the literal fear that Kelly was able to invoke in me with her writing was superb. While this pandemic may have not been Co-VID, it brought to the surface all of the fears & terror we have lived through the last three years, making it seem all the more real.

I was granted an audio book of "With Regrets" and the narrator didn't disappoint. I believe listening to her narration & voice-overs made the book that much more terrifying. So I would definitely recommend downloading the audio version if you mix in listening with your reading!

This was a an interesting story that had moments of outrageous behavior between adults, that weren't quite friends, during a world changing event. At first I felt like I was thrown into a story that had already started. It was difficult to figure out who was who and who they were all married to. The story really took off when "the event" started to happen. After that I found it quite enjoyable.

I thought at first this was going to be a story about rich people and rich people problems but no - these richies are dealing with the apocalypse. These homies are petty and honestly annoying. Can you imagine being trapped in a cellar with a lifestyle influence? I'd rather go outside and risk death.
In addition some of the parents have their kids out there with babysitters they can't reach.
The narration is perfection as well. All the distinct voices were amazing and needed for this story.
I loved it so much!

#i #loved #it. It was a crazy ride from beginning for end and I loved every page! It was a great read and I recommend!

Have you ever been to a dinner party that took a turn for the worst? With Regrets takes you on a wild ride with some very unlikable characters who have juicy secrets. Honestly this suburban drama sounded a lot like my neighborhood Facebook page. 🤣 If you like juicy secrets and part speculative fiction consider checking out With Regrets.

4.5⭐️

Just because the world is ending, doesn’t mean there isn’t time for petty grievances.

With Regrets is equal parts apocalyptic horror and Desperate Housewives, and somehow all the better for it. As a dinner party hosted by a suburban “lifestyle influencer” is interrupted by emergency news alerts reporting mass deaths from unidentified particles in the atmosphere, things quickly devolve into mass hysteria. Yet they all still find time for arguments and petty squabbles and little potshots at one another, mundane worries and frustrations and pettiness keeping pace with the worldwide emergency at hand.

It’s suspenseful, exhilarating, and filled with a perfect amount of wry humor and drama, keeping the tension at a nice level the whole way through.

I dare you not to read this in one sitting.

The audiobook is perfectly narrated by Gail Shalan.

Thank you Lee Kelly, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for providing this ALC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review! I listened to the book via audiobook.

With Regrets by Lee Kelly releases on September 5th, 2023 (Today!!!).

I'll start off by saying that the book is extremely fast-paced. It is exciting and it keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire thing. The narrator did an amazing job, as well. If you are looking for a dystopian type of book that will fulfill your need for a quick read, this is definitely the book for the job!

With Regrets takes on the topic of mass panic and family separation during an unexpected, and deadly, event. It's spooky and tense and thrilling and so easy to become immersed in the story and feel as though you are one of the dinner guests in the story. It's a story of friendship and family, of hope and survival. It explores the lengths a mother will go to for their children.

Update: Can't stop thinking about this book, upping the rating to 5 stars!

I loved this one! I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was wonderful! She had different voices for the characters and displayed so many emotions!! The storyline itself was done so well- lots of tension and plenty of twists. Highly recommend!

This is this first book I have read from Lee Kelly and it won't be my last. With Regrets had the tension, intrigue and drama I expect from this type of story. My only issue was I wanted more about the Glimmer phenomenon to be explained and I think I was expecting more sci-fi elements in the story which wasn't quite what this was. Once I realized this and became more invested in the characters I was hooked and couldn't put this down, You can really feel the desperation as time goes on and things become more dire as the characters try to navigate their unthinkable situation. The narration was fantastically done and I think added another layer to this book that I really appreciated.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Dreamscape media for my advanced audio copy!

Very entertaining read! It's like "end of the world drama" meets "the housewives of X". It's a very interesting take and I really enjoyed it. I was given an Audiobook version of the story and the narrator did a fabulous job! It was perfect for this book.

With Regrets is an unputdownable genre bending story about the end of the world coming for a group of suburban neighbors. Liz and her husband have recently left NYC and are invited to a party hosted by their new neighbor and social media influencer, Britta. Liz doesn't want to go and she's worried about leaving her kids with a relatively young babysitter, but reluctantly they head to the party. After barely a glass of champagne, the disaster begins.

In equal parts sci-fi, end of the world, and suburban drama, Kelly has crafted a story that will appeal to so many readers. I enjoyed every minute of this book, and my only quibble is that the final wrap up was a bit quick and tidy. But don't fear, the epilogue removed some of that glossy clean.

As usual, I recommend heading into this one with very little information and having a blast as it all surprises you.