This is my very first book by this author & it definitely won't be my last!! I enjoyed it so much I couldn't put it down!!!

This was the first book I got via NetGalley when I signed up last fall, and it took me 8 months to finish because I just could NOT get into it.

About the first 10% and last 20% of this book was pretty good, but the rest was flat writing and predictable beats. None of the characters were very likeable and there was way more telling rather than showing. That being said, there were a lot of twist and turns that despite the end result being obvious, it was quite a ride to get there.

Might be good for new readers of thriller, and I can see so much potential, but this wasn't really my cup of tea.

I liked this book, some sadness, shock and a lot of manipulation. All's well that ends well and it did, she finally wakes up and traps her husband- payback - great!

Everyone in this family is hiding secrets! I was dying to find out what happened to Hal. I had several theories and all of them turned out to be wrong! Addictive.

This story is about a family that appears ordinary, but they definitely have secrets that they are keeping from each other. This book quickly captivated me and I was investigated from the very beginning. As a mom of 5, I found myself pondering the lengths I would go to when it comes to protecting my kids. What would I do if one of my kids looked to be a murderer?

I sped through the pages wanting to know what happened to Hal. My prediction changed multiple times throughout the story, and all of those predictions were wrong. The twists and turns had my mouth hanging open at some points and the ending wrapped things up in a great way. A few of the characters were unlikeable, but I feel like that was done on purpose. The character development was well done, and it seemed as though I truly got to know these characters. I will definitely read Brian R. O’Rourke’s other books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

Sarah loves her only son. She’s pretty sure he could never kill anyone.

When Sarah’s son, Andrew, calls her at work and begs her to come home immediately, she fears he’s being bullied again. But it’s so much worse than that.

Because when Andrew got back from summer camp, he found thirteen-year-old Hal English in their garage.

Dead. With no plausible explanation as to how he got there.

To make matters worse, Hal was one of the kids bullying Andrew at school and just recently they had a fistfight. And Andrew has a reputation for being impulsive and quick to anger.

As much as she loves him, as much as she wants to believe he is innocent, Sarah has to admit that Andrew looks guilty.

But she knows one thing for sure – no matter what she has to do, what risks she has to take, she will do anything to protect her only son.

The Only Son – the stunning psychological thriller perfect for fans of Freida McFadden, Daniel Hurst, Kiersten Modglin.

If you are a fan of the authors mentioned above, then this book is for you. It was a roller coaster of emotions and suspense. Will recommend to others.

I really don't know what it was regarding this book that just made me not able to get through, I couldn't connect with the characters and it was highly predictable.

Wow!
In this book, we’re following two families. One son is dead, one son is blamed.
Nothing is what it appears to be, and everyone’s guilty of something

I'm not quite sure what it was about this book but I actually struggled to get into, I couldn't warm towards any of the characters, I guessed straight away what was going to happen.

The Only Son by Brian R. O'Rourke.
When Sarah’s son, Andrew, calls her at work and begs her to come home immediately, she fears he’s being bullied again. But it’s so much worse than that.
Because when Andrew got back from summer camp, he found thirteen-year-old Hal English in their garage.
Dead. With no plausible explanation as to how he got there.
To make matters worse, Hal was one of the kids bullying Andrew at school and just recently they hatd a fistfight. And Andrew has a reputation for being impulsive and quick to anger.
Brilliant read. Twisty and gripping. Did not see that coming. 5*.

The Only Son by Brian R. O’Rourke A fast paced domestic thriller told with multiple POVs. Interesting premise. An entertaining read.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

I wa son the fence with this one. One one hand it started with a bang and the multiple pov kept me guessing throughout aswell as giving a really clear insight into he characters and their motivations. On tbe other hand, I felt it started with such a fast pace that the rest of the story then dragged a bit and I'm not sure how rational the ADHD as an excuse for things was. It was a decent enough read though

Wow! This is a real rollercoaster of a read. So many twists and turns, I really didn’t know where it would end! Great fast paced plot, I really recommend this one!

Great book! It was a fast-paced thriller that I couldn't put down! It switches between 3 peoples views, and really keeps you guessing on who the bad guy is! Everytime I thought I had it figured out, a curveball would be thrown and I'd have to rethink my guess! This would be a great bookclub book! I added O'Rouke's other book to my TBR, I'm a fan! Thank you NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review

I would like to say THANK YOU @NetGalley for the free ebook.

I totally enjoyed this book.So many twists and turns. I finished it in only a few days!
I really loved that this book talked about bullying.It should be more talked about topic. Some parts about how the bullying was handled made me so mad!
I loved seeing how the wife handled a stressful situation vs the husband. I kinda of went through alot of emotions when i read this book.I kinda low key got annoyed at Sarah..she came off so weak and dependent on her husband...i was like come on girl..speak up for yourself..BUT in the end it was great!I could not believe what the husband did behind the wifes back..what an ass.Did husband do this type of cover up before? He seemed to know exactly what to do.. I had a bad feeling about him from the very beginning,.It kept me wanting to keep turning the page!. I hope sometime soon i can get a physical copy.I would like to annotate it.In general it was a great book! Super easy read. I highly recommend!
One person found this helpful

3/5 ⭐️

I got this book in exchange for a review on NetGalley. Right away the book starts off with a dead body. It’s so fast paced in the beginning that I wasn’t sure how it was going to keep momentum throughout the book. And it really didn’t. I lost interest before the halfway point. It felt excruciatingly long for what it was. The book could have easily been half as long and probably would have held my attention much better. It started to pick up again around the 70% mark, when my interest was peaked again. I was highly disappointed when the killer ended up being exactly who you would expect it to be. There was no crazy twist or wow moment, just a bunch of revelations. The book wasn’t bad, but I feel like there could have been some changes to make it better. I wouldn’t read it again but I don’t hate that I did read it.

A captivating, compelling read with characters with such depth it allowed for a much deeper and in-depth plot line.

After Andrew found his former best friend unalived in their garage and a frantic call to mom — the circumstances only really point at Andrew himself. Through multiple POVs, we get to read through the tangled web that has been made as everything unravels and inevitably comes to a wild, twisted ending that I did not expect.

Sometimes, the books I enjoy the most have the most unlikable characters. While the author did write Dwayne out to be the absolute worst of everybody in the book, not one character was particularly likable. The twists, family secrets and heavy amounts of deceit leave you satisfied by the end. A wonderful whodunnit that wrapped itself up nicely, tying up all the loose ends, was a great read and kept my attention from start to finish.

I think the only thing I didn’t appreciate nearly as much was the ADHD representation. Yes, we tend to have impulsive tendencies, but the way it was written to be used as an excuse for behaviors left an unsavory taste in my mouth.


Thank you Netgalley, Inkubator Books and the author himself Brian O’Rourke for the eArc.

Enjoyed this book, had never heard of the author before but will definitely read more!! Really good plot and enjoyable xx

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"The Only Son" was a captivating read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Having read another outstanding piece by this author previously, I'm eager to explore more of their works.
The storyline was compelling, but what truly stood out were the characters. Their depth and intricacies added layers to the narrative, making it a memorable experience. I always appreciate a good twist at the end, and this book certainly didn't disappoint in that regard.
While there were moments of repetitive phrasing, they were minor and didn't detract from the overall enjoyment of the story.
A big thank you for allowing me the chance to dive into this book and share my genuine thoughts on it. I truly loved the characters! 🌟📖

Thank you to Brian R. O'Rourke, Inkubator Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sarah gets a frantic phone call from her son, Andrew, that she needs to get home right away. When she arrives, she discovers that Andrew's former best friend, Hal, is dead in their garage. Andrew swears he didn't do it but all of the circumstances lead to Andrew as the most likely culprit.

Told through multiple POVs, the story provides a lot of opportunity to see inside each character's head as things progress.

None of the characters are particularly likable. I didn't like how Andrew's ADHD is used to explain certain things he does. Yes, ADHD leads to impulsivity and things but they it shouldn't be used as an excuse for behaviors and that's how it was written.

Dwayne is total trash. He is the absolute worst kind of person imaginable. O'Rourke writes him in a way that makes him dislikable and I have to assume that was done purposely - it was a good choice. You can't help but love to hate the guy.

The ending provides some closure without it feeling like it was just wrapped up in a shiny bow at the last minute.

A thoroughly enjoyable read.