Although I had suspected early on how the book would unravel, there was still quite a build up of anticipation. Although I liked this book, it wasn’t my favourite. Unfortunately I don’t feel like it was the most original story I’ve read recently. I did find the story moved well and was well written, but the plot just didn’t full capture me.
Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC!

Unputdownable, this book will have you shook! You won't see the twists coming, and just when you think you have it figured out. BAM you don't. A must read.

What a twisty adventure! I thought I had things figured out, but I was pleasantly surprised to find myself VERY wrong. I enjoyed the story being told through different timelines and POVs. The way it all came together in the end was incredible. Definitely recommend this one!

This was a really good one. Super interesting from beginning to end and I’ll definitely be checking out her other novels as well now.

3.5 Stars

What happens when a good marriage suddenly feels wrong. To all their friends, Erin and Will have the perfect marriage. Almost out of the blue Erin starts having conflicting emotions about Will. They agree to see a marriage therapist. Enter Maggie, who takes an odd interest in these clients. Will she help them save the marriage or unearth hurtful secrets, both past and present.

This book takes the reader on a crazy twisty domestic thriller ride. It’s important to keep in mind that I received an ARC of this book, so not the final product. For me, this book seemed about 75 pages too long. I found myself losing interest often. However, I did enjoy the story line and the plot twists were definitely different than I expected. I did have hard time connecting with and feeling empathy for the characters which I believe was the constant stop/start of my reading. I have to believe the final product would be more condensed. First time reading this author, and I would definitely read her again.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane books for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.

Reading Between the Wines book review #143/115(met goal in Sept!) for 2023:
Rating: 3 1/2 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book: For the Last Time
Author: Heidi Perks
Available Now!!

Sipping thoughts: This was pretty good. I think it was pretty easy to figure out and I hate the decision making of the main character, Erin. And Maggie's unprofessional and unethical practices had me yelling at the book. I really felt bad for Will and Erin and was hoping for a fairy tale ending.

Cheers and thank you to @CrookedLaneBooks and @Netgalley for an advanced copy of @ForTheLastTime.

#ForTheLastTime #HeidiPerks #CrookedLaneBooks #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #GeneralFictionAdult

While reading “For the Last Time” I was aware of the formula I was experienceing. I was aware of how the time switcheds woulf og in order to reveal what was being revealed. I was aware of just what point in the book I would get to that would reveal the backstory. I felt I was reading a formula instead of a book. I love fomrulas. I just thjink they have their place. I’m not sure if that place is in fiction.

Erin and Will are happily married with a little girl called Sadie and a dog called Coco. Erin doesn’t talk to her father and rarely sees her mother due to something that happened in the past. Will is very close to his mum Patricia and Erin sometimes feels suffocated by Patricia.

Will gives Erin a present on Valentine’s Day and Erin recoils and feels strange. Since that day Erin and Wills relationship deteriorates- Will accuses Erin of making things up that Erin swears are true and that they actually did happen.

They go to see a therapist called Maggie Day to try and save their marriage. Maggie’s thirteen year old sister Lily had been murdered years before and Maggie never stopped feeling guilty as she was looking after Lily at the time. As the therapy continues Maggie realises that Will and Erin are in a difficult place but she is trained not to side with either of them.

Something comes out during one of the therapy sessions that shocks Maggie and has her reluctantly revisiting her past and the time around her sisters murder. What is the link between them all and how will Maggie cope?

I loved this book and look forward to reading more by Heidi Perks.

This multi-layered story kept me glued to my Kindle until the end. It kept me guessing and thinking about what would happen next.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the new thriller by Heidi Perks - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Erin, mother to young Sadie, is married to Will, and they are seeing a therapist, Maggie, to help get their relationship back on track. Erin suddenly seems afraid of Will and is accusing him of terrible things. Maggie can't quite figure how what's going on either, but finds herself becoming too closely involved when it seems that Erin knows something about the death of Maggie's teenage sister years ago. Told from both their POV and interspersed with the present timeline where Erin .is in the hospital in a coma after a hit-and-run accident.

This book pulled me in from the beginning because you're never sure who you can trust. Is Will behaving badly or is Erin imagining things? Both seem believable but both can't be right. What connection do they have to Maggie's sister? I couldn't turn the pages quickly enough to see how it was all going to play out, and the ending was a real surprise!

I struggled with this one. I had a hard time connecting with the writing or characters. While generally enjoy multiple timelines, they were a bit confusing in this book. Some points were also too predictable or just too over-the-top. Maggie was annoying, which made it hard to care about her. The formatting in this ARC was also a challenge, but that should be fixed in the finalized copy, so I didn't take that in account with my rating.

After reading and loving all of Heidi’s previous books, I had to have this one! It sounded so interesting and I was so excited to be approved. I struggled with this one. It was mostly unbelievable. That the MC could go from not knowing anything that she experienced, then all of a sudden she has misplaced fear. It was far fetched and poorly executed. There was potential, but it did not work for me. I still look forward to reading what she comes out with next!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for the ARC #ForTheLastTime by #HeidiParks. First time author for me and I was pretty impressed. This book was full of emotion, secrets and a long hidden suppressed truth. Highly recommend.

This was my first book by this author and I really enjoyed it! The pacing was perfect - the plot never felt slow or rushed. There was good character development and just enough suspense to keep the reader interested while not seeming implausible. I definitely didn't see the ending coming, which is always a testament to the author's writing and skill.

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital copy. My review is honest and voluntary.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. This story kept me interested until the end. It kept me guessing and wondering what would happen next.

This multi-layered story kept me glued to my Kindle until the end. It kept me guessing and thinking about what would happen. It is my first book by this author and I will look into her other work. Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this eARC.

Thank you Netgalley, Heidi Perks, and Crooked Lane books for allowing me the chance to read the advanced readers copy of For the Last Time due to be published December 5th 2023.

Erin and Will decide to get help from a marriage therapist when their perfect marriage starts to fall apart. As Maggie, the therapist, tries to help them open up and mend their relationship she becomes disturbed when Erin mentions something connected to Maggie's past. Now she is obsessed with uncovering her own truth and no longer trying to fix the couple's marriage. Fast forward six months later, Erin is involved in a hit and run accident and is in critical condition. Was it a horrible accident or did someone purposefully hurt her? I mean if it was an accident then someone close to Erin must be the culprit, right?


This was such an incredible read I just couldn’t put it down. I was flying through the pages wanting to know more! This is my first read by Heidi Perks and it did not disappoint! The suspense, drama, tension, pacing, secrets, lies, dual perspectives, unique plot and unexpected twists and turns makes this a wild ride!

I’ll definitely be reading more by her in the future!

When this young couple set up an appointment for counselling with a marriage counselor, the last thing you'd expect was their connection with a traumatic event in the counselor's life. They do have some issues that need to be addressed, but why did they choose her, what do they know? Told in two voices, the wife's and the counselor's, as their sessions move them closer to answers that will put them both in grave danger. The book started a little slow as Heidi Perks builds the back story and introduces us to the characters. From that point, the story picks up pace as the tension builds and the readers move closer to the solve with every chapter but the reveal.........wow!!!

Good solid intriguing story. Trying to figure out who first in where within the dynamics of married couple Erin and Will, and counselor Maggie was part of the mystery. What does Erin know about Maggie’s missing sister? Maggie is no longer counseling, she is digging. Erin must be connected somehow….

Did anyone else feel that chill?

No?

It must be me and the permanent chill that has haunted me since concluding Heidi Perks, newest thriller...

For the Last Time

Told through dual perspectives, I was riddled with anxiety and never once bored. This book is dark, twisty, and will have you holding your breath the entire time.

Big thank you to Crooked Lane Books, Heidi Perks and Netgalley for an early copy of For the Last Time, in exchange for an honest review !

Release Date : December 5, 2023
This review will be posted on "bookstagram" @thrillbythepage_

Check out this teaser :

When Erin and Will walk into Maggie’s office for a marriage counseling session, Maggie believes they are an ordinary couple with ordinary problems: communication, intimacy, the usual. But as Maggie struggles to get the couple to open up about what brought them here, she begins to sense that not all is as it seems.

When Erin mentions something connected to Maggie’s past that she couldn’t possibly know, Maggie is disturbed and confused. Why does Erin know anything about Maggie’s long-missing sister? Erin is connected to her somehow, and Maggie is no longer trying to fix the couple’s marriage–she’s trying to uncover her own truth. Maggie knows her code of ethics as a therapist should immediately stop her working with this couple, but she’s desperate for answers about her sister’s disappearance, and she can’t resist using her position to delve deeper into Erin’s memories and what she might know. Erin and Will might not be what they seem–but neither is Maggie.

This dual-perspective psychological thriller will keep readers turning pages until every last secret comes to light.