This was a slow burn but I would not call it a thriller. It was much more of a character driven story that had some suspenseful parts but overall is for the people who are okay with less plost and more just character study and thoughts. I personally enjoyed it because I love the academic setting and lgbtq representation. This is my second book in a row that is what I consider messy litfic that has a queer man as the main character and I'm really happy to be finding these books! Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the earc in exchange for an honest review!

This strange and original story is interesting enough to get you through it. The beginning did drag a bit for me, the first two chapters being a bit of a confusing information/character dump...but once we started getting into the juicy stuff, it began to pick up a bit. I'll admit, it was the spice that kept me interested until a little over halfway through, at which point the plot becomes quite intriguing, actually.

**SPOILERS**



I did think that it was a bit out of character for Mark to jump on the hide-the-body bandwagon after his estrangement from Tyler. Other than that, I thought the character build up was well done. I didn't have an issue with the ending, but I did feel the story lacked some extra details that could have made the ending feel less rushed. I enjoyed being in Mark's head for the most part. I did hope we'd get some resolution on Cassie, but we can't always get what we want, I suppose. This book would have gotten 4 stars if not for the slow bits and the feeling that there was more to tell that what the ending provided.

I'll definitely check out this author again. It's always nice to find an author that can provide plot with spice, without the spice feeling like it's just thrown in there for the hell of it. And plot there is, giving you much to ponder on while reading through this smart little pseudo-thriller. 3.5 Stars!

0.50!

This is the most honest I can get and yes this is an ARC review.

First let me highlight why it is important to market a book right. This book is marketed as a murder mystery/thriller however there is nothing thrilling about this book in the slightest and the murder part? yeah that does not happen until the 80% mark and honestly if you ask me what this book was about? I would have no answer for you because I myself am very confused as to what this book was about, the most simple way I could summarize this book would be:

"The professor gets hots for his student and the student is of course a jock, they meet they fuck, the professor thinks its too taboo, says no, fucks again, plain boring drama, Ooo murder, ends"

In the most respectful way, What. The. Fuck. Was. This. Book.
The writing style I did not mind but what I did mind was how everything was handled with the build up being too long and the climax being very disappointing to how the author failed to portray any of the characters in a manner where we would be able to understand them.

The pacing is so incredibly slow, I started this in March in hopes to finish my arcs so my ratio could go back up but this was just so goddamn slow and there wasn't even anything happening until like the 80% mark so it was all just them talking and fucking and feeling bad and scared that they would get caught and it all repeated and fell into a cycle and eventually when it did start to change or progress, I was so done with this book because it was not even worth all this wait yk? like I waited all this time for that?? like I had the same problem with a little life...it took too long to progress but when it did, it actually did hit hard but this one didnt even graze my heart. I was neither thrilled or even amused in the slightest by it.

Everything about Mark (our MC) screamed boring, he was just so boring to read about and so goddamn unlikeable that it did not help at all like?? he made bad decisions after bad decisions, told himself he would not but then did the same thing all over again and 😭 the sex scenes were so blah the characters had zero chemistry, zero angst, zero anything it was just a mixture of everything put in together excluding the flavor...in much simpler words: BLAND. Also, the fact that Mark cheated on his boyfriend?? just because he saw a student all sweaty after a match?? and him trying to explain himself gave me second hand embarrassment because honestly nO.

Tyler (the student) was so toxic 😭 I cannot. It was shown that he actually liked Mark?? but it felt like he was only there for the sex because we literally get zero crumbs let alone spoons of them doing anything together besides (mind my language) fucking. He treated Mark like shit and honestly Mark deserved it, and the doormat that mark was ended up right back at him. Both the characters were so poorly written.

I would write something about the plot but there was nothing interesting or basically anything to write about.

One of the worst books that I have read this year or maybe the worst book that I read, it right alongside Credence or maybe slightly above it. Also, believe me if I could give it a zero I would.

I had not heard much about Providence before receiving my ARC from Union Square & Co, but felt that it was right up my alley after reading the synopsis- a gay English professor falls for his young attractive sophomore student? I’m in!

Craig Willse instantly puts the reader into the mindset of what life can be like at a private university with privileged students. From the get go, we see Mark become almost obsessed with Tyler, and we know it is only going to become more and more unhealthy. I felt really connected throughout the story having gone to a private university in New Orleans, and now living in Florida- both of which are mentioned/visited in the book.

Did Tyler have a million red flags from their first encounter? Yes. Was Mark smart enough have known better SO many times throughout the book? Yes. But I think that’s the point. And what Willse has done an excellent job of here is showing how strongly sexual desire and needs can supersede even the strongest logic. The angst and desire Mark felt for Tyler came across very clear on the page, even with his relationship with Stephen and friendship with Sadie. He prioritized Tyler above all else, and the flippancy and disregard Tyler showed him in return is so typical of a spoiled 19 year old.

Overall, I felt like the ending was a bit rushed. But if you are looking for a suspense about lusting after the unattainable, and never being satisfied with what’s in front of you, be sure to grab a copy of Providence on 4/23!

Thank you to Union Square & Co. for the ARC of Providence in exchange for an honest review!

Set at Ohio’s Sawyer College, Providence follows professor Mark Lausson and a tangled infatuation with one of his students, Tyler. Finding both his coveted position at the college and on-going something-ship with fellow faculty Stephen both lackluster, Mark is a willing player when a chance meeting between Mark and Tyler sets off a game with only losers. The sense of foreboding is palpable from the very beginning: there’s no way this can end well for anyone, but still we watch as if to survey the damage and search for survivors. Mark is floundering to write his first novel on gay murderers throughout time, fascinated by great misbehavior, dismissing any sanitized presentation of the trauma and taboo of LGBTQIA+ culture. Tyler is riveted by Mark’s research, and his years of experience, and the two begin a secret, fumbling affair.

Mark is at times greedy, jealous, possessive, almost in reaction to the knowledge that he can’t ever really have Tyler, that nothing healthy can flourish between them. What’s special about Craig Willse’s writing is that bad decision after bad decision didn’t make me abandon Mark. I rooted for him as the weary protagonist, making ill-advised but understandable missteps. I wanted him to make it from his messy preoccupation and escape unscathed.

Providence is a thriller, a romance, and a character study. It concerns itself with what one does for love, and where love meets obsession. What’s captured in words so brilliantly is the way many members of the LGBTQIA+ community seek to relive their youth, to somehow wipe clean the shortcomings of their childhoods or teenage years, a task that often fails. There’s something inherently wonderful about being queer–the increased empathy, the celebration of self, the bravery of a claimed identity. Yet there’s something lonely, and sad, and lost, too. And it’s left to members of the community to reconcile the two and make something beautiful out of it, or be doomed to chase the intangible and just out of reach.

I enjoyed this one! It was definitely more suspense than thriller, but I really felt unease and tension throughout the entire book and scared for Mark. I really liked and identified with Mark’s character and rooted for him throughout the book. My only complaint is that I wish the ending had more closure, but overall I liked it and I’m excited to read more from the author in the future!

Providence follows a professor, Mark, who enters into an affair with one of his college students, Tyler, and becomes so captivated by him that it essentially destroys his life, all before he gets caught up in a murder that Tyler has committed. The major struggle I had with this book is the pacing, it's VERY slow and the characters are not captivating enough to make up for a distinct lack of plot. Instead, it's just a slow car crash as Mark makes bad decision after bad decision only to spring into action in the last 80% of the book, but those decisions are even worse and feel completely unmotivated by everything that happened beforehand.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Have I mentioned I love a professor - student trope?

Have I mentioned that I love a psychological thriller?

Thanks to @unionsqandco and the author #craigwillse I was able to read this incredibly well written twist and turn thriller.

If you enjoy secrets, a college atmosphere, quirky and peculiar lead characters, a drab environment spiced up by drama and misfortune, the movie Talented Mr. Ripley, LGBTQ+ representation and twists around every corner, please check out PROVIDENCE.

This book had me hooked from early on. I never knew what was coming. It had me audibly yelling at the main character for poor choices, it had me clenching my fists in certain parts. It was devastating and wonderful all in the same breath.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves suspense! Grab a blanket and cuddle up!

Thank you to @netgalley for the opportunity.

3.5*
This was an... Interesting experience and I shall need some time to come up with a decent review, but the one thing I will in fact say at this moment is WHERE THE FUCK IS THE ENDING?!?!?!
Like, what was that?!

You know, when I first saw this book on Netgalley, I was instantly taken in by the cover because like, just look at it, and the synopsis really sounded intriguing to me.
A dark academia story set in college, with a student teacher relationship that simply spelled trouble and I couldn't help but request it from the publisher.
Now that I've read it, I still don't exactly know where this book falls for me, but thank you to the publisher for sending me this ARC in exchange for one of my signature honest reviews.

The pros:
- The writing was genuinely incredible in this book.
It read like a literary fiction sort of book which is not something I have always enjoyed, but it totally worked in this one. It wasn't flowery or purple prose-y, specifically, but it carried more depth and meaning than your usual suspense novel, and I quite liked that.
It was also shockingly addictive, so much so that I gobbled up the whole book in less than two days.
- The dark academia aspect of the story was done very well, in my opinion. The way the elite private college was described, the classes, lectures, etc, were quite intriguing and I really enjoyed them.
- I guess I can also say that I really had a strangely good time reading about this very much toxic relationship between Mark, the professor, and Tyler, the student.
It was clear from the get go that there's something off about Tyler, that I can say for sure, and when they initially fucked, I was instantly sucked in because I knew this was gonna be a hella toxic and intriguing dynamic and I can definitely say that the author delivered on that.
Their sex scenes were hella fucking intense as well, so there's that.
- The plot twist/reveal towards the end... Holy fuck, that was so fucking good.
I kid you not, I did not even see it coming until very late in the game, but it worked out so well and it left me flabbergasted, to be honest, so that was really well done in my opinion.

The cons:
- I'll start by saying that even though I loved how intense and borderline violent their sex scenes were, and while I can respect the author for writing a more realistic than not sex scene, I really don't wanna hear about the blood and shit and mucus coming out of Tyler's behind after Mark finishes fucking him.
- I hated the ending, genuinely speaking.
And by that I don't mean that I hated the plot twist, I hated what came after that, or lackthere of.
I don't know if that's what they call an open ending, but what the fuck?!
I finished the book and was like wait, where's the rest of it? Is that it?! But I don't know anything and nothing has been resolved and you left me with some very BIG questions unanswered, where's the rest of it?!
That's never really happened to me before with a book ending because it's not exactly a cliffhanger, there was just nothing there, and I can't say I appreciated it.
- Oh, the marketing for this book is talking about it as if it's a thriller, but it's very clearly a mystery suspense novel, nothing thrilling about it.

Would I recommend Providence? Keeping in mind that the ending is nonexistant and you'll be left with many an unanswered questions, I'd say that I do recommend it, mainly because it's one of those strange and slightly off-putting books that you'll gobble up in two days because you won't be able to put it down, and we like those kinds of books.

I have very mixed feelings about this book. First and foremost, it's very well written. I certainly found myself enjoying the author's skill in turning a phrase. I think the problem I had was that I found all of the characters ranging from a bit dislikeable to considerably so. For a college professor, Mark certainly isn't a very bright man. When he first meets Tyler he is hooked immediately ... and I'm sorry but I could already see it wasn't going to turn out well.

I think I liked the idea of the book, the end was far more interesting than the building up. I just really wanted there to be a character that I liked. I'm not sure most of the characters were depicted as even having a real friendship and I found that a little disconcerting.

Mark Lausson is a professor at an Ohio college who is unsatisfied with his job, is currently writing a book on homicides committed by gay men and strikes up a connection with one of his students, Tyler, who seems to have a particular interest in Mark. Then, Mark's life begins to unravel as the quiet obsession with his enigmatic student grows, wondering if he can trust Tyler when their relationship becomes intimate, fearful of getting caught and guilt-ridden for cheating on his boyfriend, Stephen. Burdened with the secrets of a double life, his relationships crumpling away and Tyler's behavior becoming erratic, Mark will reach a point of no return.

This book was really something. At first I thought the novel's concept wasn't all that original but the author finds cunning ways of sparking up the reader's interest. So there is a romantic relationship of sorts between the two main characters, albeit a very suspicious one. The main character's POV is also intertwined with childhood memories of his life before his sister went missing inexplicably, him trying to reconnect with his parents and trying to find his way out of Sawyer College. At some points I felt like some of the subplots didn't add much to the story, at others it felt like they pulled focus from the main plot line as some of them felt like they went on for longer than I would've wanted. Also I wish Part III was a bit longer, but overall I found "Providence" a very fascinating read, it just takes a while to pick up a pace. 4/5

Thank you to NetGalley and the author's publishing team for the advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for allowing me to read this good book! I always enjoy stories in the M/M universe where secrecy is a big component of the relationship and the professor/student roles in this one didn't disappoint. There were a few parts in the middle that dragged a little for me, but after finishing I will say it added to the slow burn atmosphere the book had established. I was really looking forward to this book and wasn't disappointed!

Thanks for the opportunity to read and review this book ahead of publication. My review will appear on my blog on April 5, 2024 and I'll also do a feature on Instagram that same day. The review will also be posted to Goodreads, The Storygraph, Fable and retail sites.

Review:

I love a gay thriller ("Bath Haus" was the first I read and still pops into my head now and then), so I was really excited when I saw "Providence" by Craig Willse on NetGalley. When I saw that it was described as being similar to "The Talented Mr. Ripley," I knew I had to read it, and I'm happy to say that I was not disappointed! This book is a gripping exploration of desire, betrayal, and the consequences of giving in to temptation. In this novel, Willse delves deep into the complexities of human relationships and the power dynamics that come into play when one is unsure of their path in life and becomes consumed by lust and longing.

The book is told from the first-person point-of-view of Marc Laussen, a handsome but somewhat awkward 30-something professor who teaches at a fairly prestigious university in Ohio. Growing up gay and Jewish in conservative Florida, Mark is no stranger to loneliness. It was easier to fly under the radar and avoid taunting at school when he shrunk into himself. After graduation, he went to college and eventually graduated with a Ph.D, but the problem is, Mark never really formed any close friendships in college; it always seemed safer to be alone.

Now he's teaching a bunch of rich kids at Sawyer while working on writing a book about gay murderers and dating a fellow professor. Mark isn't exactly happy, but he isn't exactly miserable either. He just feels stuck and unsure of where his life is taking him. But then in walks Tyler, a blonde, 19-year-old soccer player who grabs Mark's attention. Mark knows it's against the rules to get involved with a student, but Tyler is persuasive, and soon Mark finds himself entangled in a dangerous game that could end his career, and the deeper he gets, the more he knows he shouldn't trust Tyler, but he can't stay away - even if it means losing everything he has.

This book is a slow burn, and while I didn't find it particularly tense, I was absolutely captivated by Mark's journey - mostly because I saw a lot of myself in Mark. Growing up gay in rural Idaho in the 80s and 90s was very difficult for me. Like Mark, I, too, shrunk into the scenery as best I could to keep attention off of me. It was a survival tactic, and it worked most of the time, but the problem is, I carried that behavior with me through at least my first two years of college, but then finally met a group of friends who helped bring me out of my shell. But even though I had a group of friends, there was always that underlying sense of loneliness, and to an extent, it's still there (I think it always will be), so I understood Mark's thought processes and why he approached things the way he did. While I didn't understand what he saw in Tyler (I'm not at all into twinks or guys younger than me) or why he continued to see him after he started to doubt Tyler's ability to tell the truth (I don't trust anyone, so the first red flag would have sent me running) I understood why it excited him. Tyler is definitely Mark's type, making his allure undeniable, and it's easy to see why Mark becomes so enamored with him. However, as the layers of Tyler's deception are peeled back, it becomes clear that there is a darkness lurking beneath his suave exterior.

Willse's prose is both elegant and haunting, drawing the reader in and refusing to let go until the very last page. His exploration of the complexities of desire and the ways in which our perceptions can be distorted by sexual attraction is both thought-provoking and unsettling. The way in which he portrays the gradual unraveling of Mark's life is both heartbreaking and mesmerizing. We know Mark is on a collision course with tragedy, but we can't look away. We want everything to be okay in the end, but the deeper he gets into the shitstorm, the less likely that appears. The novel serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of giving in to temptation and the consequences of allowing ourselves to be consumed by our desires. Use your head, peeps! If that little voice says to run, then get your ass out of there!

I found this to be a riveting and thought-provoking read that will stay with me for a while. If you're a fan of psychological thrillers and character-driven narratives, "Providence" is a must-read. Just be prepared to be taken on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. You'll get frustrated, and you'll yell at Mark to smarten up and stay away from Tyler, but you won't be able to look away as his life unravels.

Craig Willse's dark academia gay thriller, PROVIDENCE, was a total blast—infusing The Talented Mr. Ripley, Saltburn, and Micah Nemerever's These Violent Delights into one wildly entertaining experience.

The story is centered around Mark Lausson—an English professor at an elite liberal arts school in the middle of Ohio, who becomes infatuated with a sophomore soccer player, charismatic and handsome Tyler Cunningham. Tyler draws Mark in with his personality and looks in ways that Mark can't describe. Mark starts centering his life around Tyler's every move, becoming more and more ingrained into Tyler's world. Knowing that this relationship is unprofessional, Mark tries to fight back, but can't seem to let Tyler go. As the two forge a sexual relationship, Mark starts seeing that Tyler can't be trusted. However, once Mark is locked into Tyler's world, it's hard to escape.

This book was so much fun and I read it in two sittings. I normally don't prioritize dark academia books, but the cover and synopsis drew me in immediately. This book will turn in ways you won't expect and its steamy in all the right ways without going over the top. At its core, PROVIDENCE is a mystery/thriller, but there's moments in which we get social commentary on LGBTQ+ culture as well. I absolutely loved how the story ended and was surprised to see it go that direction (in a good way). I can't wait to see what Craig Willse has in store for readers next.

Unofficial Synopsis:

Mark’s life come crumbling down at the start of his second year of college. It’s not long after that Tyler enters his life and seems to have everything that Mark wants. Mark finds Tyler magnetic and ignores the lingering thoughts that he can’t be trusted.

By the time Mark comes to his senses, the damage has been done and you can’t come back from everything.

Review:

This book is a slow burn with pacing to match. I often struggle with slower books and that was the case here. I find my mind wandering and I struggle to focus so it takes away from my enjoyment of the story. However, around the 80% mark, things started to wrap up and become resolved, though I wasn’t entirely satisfied with the resolution either. For all the buildup and tension that was created, it just seemed to fall flat to me. While I understand that suspense is a subgenre of thriller, it is important to me that books like this get labeled as suspense rather that just thriller, so readers can have clear expectations. The characters were also unlikeable, which isn’t always something I need in the book, but with the plot lacking I was looking for something to hold onto and enjoy. This is just one of those books that didn’t live up to the premise for me though I think had it been marketed slightly different results might have differed. I do think that this is a talented author as he had a way with invoking emotions, which is important, so I will read their work in the future.

While I was initially intrigued by the synopsis, I think the book fell a little flat for me. There just wasn't enough tension between the characters for me to realistically believe any of the events of the story would have actually played out.

I did like the last fourth of the book but it felt a little 'too-little, too-late' for me, as the rest of the book dragged way too much.

I was intrigued right away and was drawn in immediately but ultimately the pacing didn’t work for me and I didn’t feel compelled to finish, thank you to the publisher for the eARC.

The words will not come easy for this book.
I’m really struggling to piece together what I just read.

I will say, this book takes 78% to even get slightly interesting. That is too long for a build up, especially when the events during that first 78 % BARELY get redeemed because the ending was pretty average imo.

(I was HOPING the whole way through reading this, that maybe this book would be like bear town or a little life, where you need all that build up to make the story go ✨POW✨ at the end. But, it was not like that at all for me, it was all just blah blah blah before the book was over)

The first 78% was babbling, long-winded, had way too much academic talk, and was filled with interactions with people and side characters that… once you got to the end of the book, you realise we’re completely unimportant. Maybe about 1 of 10 interactions really had any point.
I assume it was more to build up Mark’s (the main MC) personality as a bit of a loner professor at a prestigious uni, but holy hell did it drag.

I’ve seen some marketing for book as a “thriller” but there is absolutely NOTHING thrilling about that first 78%… nothing even ELUDING to a thrill… and when it did get “thrilling”… it just wasn’t?

*****slight spoiler ahead, stop reading now if you plan to read this****






The two MC’s are both very unlikable. Mark being a complete idiot (examples: he cheats on his boyfriend who is an absolute SAINT and did not deserve that, mark ignores every single one of Tyler’s red flags AND FUCK ME THERE ARE SOME RED FLAGS 🚩🚩🚩, gets himself into a stupid life ruining situation that literally could have just been avoided, ect.)

And Tyler, being a lil fuck boy with minimal personality,
He literally shows no interest in mark EVER, except for in ONE scene… one….

The way mark was portrayed as this lil love sick dude, was so pathetic. Maybe that’s good writing? Because I was like… eye rolling at how dumb mark was the whole book??
Tyler gave him absolutely nothing, maybe ONE CRUMB of attention, and mark was eating that shit up like a starving dying man… why?? WHAT WAS THE REASON?

The friendships between Mark and his friends feels flat, even when he was in conversation with people who actually liked him, I’d question… why? He is literally such a boring person who never shows up for you? Why do you like this human??
He doesn’t do anything to be worthy of friendship 98% of the time?

Also, it did get interesting there right at the end… to completely fall flat on its face and end terribly. I guess the ending was to kind of show/prove that mark had always been a bit of a numpty and not good at seeing signs maybe???

I DON’T KNOWWWWWW. I just wanted more thriller. More gay crime. Less fucking talking. More Tyler being insane. More mystery. More. This had the potential to go very salt burn, or very dark, or very evil? I think I wanted that. It just felt like silly goose’s doing silly goose behaviour, and even though it’s like 310 pages or something, it felt never ending.

I did really enjoy the sentence structures and language and such throughout. Maybe I’m just not smart enough for books like this 🤷‍♀️💖 I actually think that might be why 😂 maybe educated people will enjoy this book. I feel like it would make an AMAZING movie?????

I did enjoy this book but it has its flaws.

It starts of promising but does fall flat. The premise was interesting and was the thing that drew me to the book, unfortunately it takes more than half the book to actaully build to something good. For the fact that it is being marketed as a psychological thriller there isn't much thrill but until the last few chapters and I had truly expected more.

I didn't really ginf Mark to be a compelling character to follow and I wanted to strangle him more often than I didn't but I really woul dhave liked to see more of Tyler. I think both characters could have used more flesh and development.

I did enjoy the storyline of Mark being discontent with his life and Tyler coming in and becoming an interesting aspect to him - the descend to this is obsessive, I don't know if its right to say, co-dependent and overall toxic relationship. I'm not the biggest fan of affair stories and this was one of those things that made me hate Mark becuase his boyfriend was a SAINT that deserved better!

Overall, I think there is room for improvement and I would love see how Craig Willse grows and author.

[Thank you to Netgallet, Union Square & Co. and the author for giving me a e-arc in exchange for an honest review]

First, I want to say thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read this advanced copy.
The book has very good premise, a dark academia about a relationship between a teacher and a student. I picked this to read as it relates to The Secret History, which I enjoy reading books based off it. Sadly, it does not live up to this dark academia, but I believe with a few edits it can get there shortly. My first critique is about Mark's ex-boyfriend Stephen. I wish he was more developed, so that way I can understand their relationship. Mark is not a good boyfriend to Stephan and I don't understand the point of this relationship since it is mostly negative. Next, Tyler was a very interesting character, although with the open-minded ending, I wish there were more seeds planted in the story to understand Tyler's true motives. This would allow more interesting story along with developing him more as a character. My last issue has to do with Mark, as he seems to be not a good person and ends nearly every relationship he is in (friendship/romantic). I understand some of his issues, but I wish they were presented more throughly, maybe evening more background with Cassie. Overall with these edits I think the book will turn out great. I will say that the ending was very enjoyable to read and really puts a new perspective on the story as a whole.