The premise of this book sounded really interesting and the writing was…fine.

However, the main character is such a frustrating and deeply unlikeable character that I really struggled to read this. I really can’t go into details as to why she’s this way without spoilers. But honestly I was so disappointed in the way she was written and the fact that instead of escaping the island after some shit went down, she ran out into the rain to scream and then pained a mural of some mermaids.

This was clearly written to be a TV show of some sorts and that’s very clear.

Also, I love frustrating and deeply unlikeable characters. Normally. Beatrice had absolutely zero depth to her.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this one so much! I found it unique and authentic.

Upon starting this book, I found myself infuriated by the protagonist Beatrice and her knowledge of her husband’s affair. An affair that resulted in a child. I was baffled at how this strong, vibrant and capable woman would allow this kind of thing to go unaddressed.

When a little boy is kidnapped during an explosion, the little boy turning out to be the son of the woman who her husband Josh is having the affair with, likely his child, Beatrice becomes certain that it is all connected to her and her dark past.

I hated Josh. I want to make that clear. I hate cheating and I hate cheaters. There is no excuse and I couldn’t get past that, but I still found myself so intrigued, and still, while I couldn’t understand her logic, I didn’t dislike Beatrice for her feigned ignorance.

As I got deeper into the book and secrets reveal themselves, I found myself more involved in the story. And the pacing in which the mystery unravels was perfect, leaving me on the edge until the very end.

Beatrice was a fantastic character. The backdrop of this book is my home state of Maine and I loved all of the references. The mystery surrounding the story was well executed, and the constant feeling of “what could happen next” was superbly done. The narration was done so well. I loved the voice and what she gave to each of the characters, creating the ideal suspense in every situation.

This was a wonderful debut, by an author I cannot wait to read more of!

I loved the setting for this story and the author did a great job creating the eerie atmosphere. The coast of Maine is a beautiful place and I could really feel myself there while reading.

I found this to be a compulsive read. I really wanted to find out how the author was going to pull the two story lines together. Sadly, I didn’t feel like the story ended well. None of the story really meshed well together and so many details were left unexplained. The ending was abrupt and anticlimactic. It’s hard to explain without spoiling the story. It all just fell really flat for me. It also felt very unrealistic.

I’m giving the book three stars because I did enjoy the atmosphere and found the book to be very bingable. But overall it was lacking in depth and believability. I switched off between the audiobook and the ebook. If you are going to read this book and enjoy audiobooks, then I’d recommend listening to the story. I thought the narrator did a nice job.

Thank you to NetGalley, Liv Andersson and Dreamscape Media for an audio ARC of Leave the Lights On in exchange for an honest review. This review is wholly my own & may not be reproduced (except quotations).

Dreamscape was my here on this one. I was declined for the e-ARC and had not had success requesting from the publisher. So, Dreamscape made my day! Plus, audio is my favorite format!

“Cape Morgan, Maine, is the utopian ideal for a charmed life, and Beatrice Wicker knows it. The multi-million-dollar house on the sea coast. The joint bank accounts. The safety and security that go along with being married to an esteemed architect and community leader. The scenic coastline, perfect for her ambitious plan to turn an abandoned asylum into an artists’ retreat. So what if her husband sneaks off to see his second family now and again? Beatrice is willing to look the other way. It’s simply the price she must pay to keep their life together.

Josh doesn’t realize that Beatrice knows about his other life. That’s just one of Beatrice’s secrets. And now, that truth—along with a deadly host of other secrets from the past—is about to upend their false paradise.

When there’s an explosion at the local elementary-school playground and a two-year-old boy is abducted, it doesn’t take Beatrice long to make the connection between the missing boy and her husband. It was the son from Josh’s other life who was kidnapped, and Josh can’t do anything about it without revealing the truth.

Helping Josh find his son would destroy the façade of her perfect marriage and could put more children’s lives in danger. But that’s not all. It would reveal her deeper secret: Beatrice Wicker is not who she claims to be.”

I really enjoyed this story. It was a quick & easy listen that I give a 4-star rating to. My “thriller brain” had the “villain” figured out pretty early on. I enjoyed the alternating chapters between Beatrice’s past & present.

I was super intrigued by the synopsis (quoted above), but was pleasantly surprised when the story ended up being something I didn’t expect.

This was a solid thriller that I will definitely be recommending. My only qualm is the title “Leave the Lights On” - - in actuality, that phrase was never uttered in this story. Instead, the phrasing that was used, more than once, was “Keep the Lights On.”

There is no way in a million years I could know my husband has a secret child and I wouldn't go up to him like "how is your son?" or immediately blurt it to everyone when the kid was kidnapped.
I would have an ad in the paper, a billboard, and I'd be telling everyone.
But our girl is willing to risk her own freedom to not admit she knows. Why?
So anyway, our girl is rich and married to an important pillar of the community. They have a foundation for the arts and they have bought a private island that used to be an asylum to be an artists retreat.
A baby is kidnapped and he is later found on their island.
Our girl has a secret past and someone has found her. They are tormenting her.
Anyway, this is pretty okay. It just couldn't be me.