This was a novel that I had high hopes for. Unfortunately the internal life of the main character felt a little forced and I wasn't able to fully engage or relate to him. His decision making felt irrational but not in an earned way. The writing is good, which leads me to believe that this is an author of interested in reading more from, but that this particular story didn't resonate with me.

Thank you Netgalley and Union Square & Co for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"Providence" by Craig Willse is a riveting psychological thriller that delves deep into the complexities of desire, obsession, and betrayal. Set against the backdrop of academia, the novel follows English professor Mark Lausson as his life spirals out of control after he embarks on a forbidden affair with his sophomore student, Tyler Cunningham.

From the very first page, Willse's narrative grips you with its intense portrayal of Mark's descent into chaos. As Mark grapples with his increasingly tumultuous relationship with Tyler, you are drawn into a web of deceit and manipulation that keeps them on the edge of their seats. Even though you, the reader, obviously know that the relationship between the two is extremely imbalanced and inappropriate, you still find yourself wanting to know more about them, especially when seeing Tyler’s growth as a person and an individual.

Mark makes extremely flawed decisions throughout the book, but Willse is still able to humanize even the most flawed characters, which can definitely be a challenge for many authors. I appreciated the depth of Mark’s character and the complexity of his relationship with Tyler.

However, the thriller aspect of the book was a bit lacking. There really wasn’t much in terms of thriller elements until the final chapters, which is when things really go from 0-100. The ending was also a bit abrupt, so I wish that was developed more to give you a more satisfying ending. I also wanted to experience a bit more character development in the book, especially from Tyler.

Overall, "Providence" is a captivating debut that showcases Craig Willse's talent as a storyteller. Willse certainly took a risk in showing Mark’s perspective and desires in this unbalanced and unhealthy relationship, but I think this risk definitely paid off. I, however, would not include this in the classroom due to the unhealthy professor-student relationship depicted, even though it was clearly seen as a negative and immoral throughout the book.

Okay so this book has been popping up a lot lately on my feed, and I’ve been keen to read it since seeing the first couple of posts. Let me just say that it is so worth the read.

Mark is an English professor at a prestigious college in the middle of nowhere, Ohio. He’s bored with his job, struggling to write his book on gay murders, and coasting through a relationship with another professor. That is until Tyler shows up on his class.

Right away Mark is intrigued by Tyler, bordering on obsessed. Things take a turn when they start an affair and Mark is entirely swept up into Tyler’s hurricane. What could go wrong?

Gee, I don’t think I was expecting what this book turned out to be. I mean, thinking back on it,it all makes sense. Like it plays out exactly as it should, but while reading it, the twist comes out of nowhere.

Mark’s relationships are complicated, he has a need to be around people, but also prefers the solitude. Often the way he’s written makes it feel like socialising with his friends is a punishment. Which is a shame because Safie, Colin and Priya all come across as great support characters. Stephen I’m unsure of, and that is down to Mark’s apparent indifference to their relationship.

I enjoyed watching Mark get sucked into the whirlwind that is Tyler, watching him slowly descend into obsession. Going so far as to further push away his friends and family, avoiding work, and eventually obsessing about finishing his book so that he and Tyler can escape together.

A huge part of me wishes that he never came back from New Orleans and that the story pivoted to his escape and slowly forgetting about Tyler, but of course that wouldn’t have been as gripping as what came next.

As the pieces all fall together the story made me question all I had read before, had I missed something? Was there something that was so obvious at the time? And the way it ends left me wanting more clarity. But the questioning at the end was perfect. Anything else and it would have felt wrong to me

While I enjoyed the writing style, this book really wasn't for me. I had a hard time understanding the characters motivations and felt uncomfortable through most of the book. I do think this book would be a good fit for someone who enjoys a darker story. I think with another topic or story, I could really enjoy this author.

Providence by Craig Willse tells a story of Mark Lausson, an educator at Sawyer College who’s still struggling to pay his bills despite securing his dream job. He soon meets Tyler, a mysterious student, who he falls heads over heels for almost as quickly as they meet.

It was exciting to see a psychological thriller with a LGBT lead but the story was just serviceable at best. There are a few issues throughout including the writing style (especially in the beginning), pacing, and the ending (I didn’t understand it 100%). The themes of desire and following an idea despite how wrong it is was interesting but I wish it was under better direction. I’m excited to read what comes next from Willse. Thanks to NetGalley and Union Square & Co. for the ARC.

Providence is about an unhappy in all aspects of his life professor named Mark who begins a relationship with a seemingly vivacious — but mostly just young and elusive — student named Tyler. It’s a dissection of their relationship and an event that alters both of their lives.

This is being marketed as a thriller but is not so much that until the very end. It’s more of a piece on loneliness and how deeply it affects us and how we interact with others. It’s a story of obsession, think Talented Mr. Ripley, but Mark isn’t Tom Ripley and I don’t think Tyler is either. It’s more of a meditation on being unhappy and living your life from the outside. Mark listens to and relays conversations to us as the reader but isn’t contributing to them. He’s mostly at odds with what’s happening around him with small bursts of charm when the moment calls for it, and Tyler is just there.

I wanted to be enamored with Tyler the way Mark was, but I wasn’t and I didn’t quite understand why anyone would be. The second half of this book is really where it picks up. As Mark took more actionable steps in his life, I became more interested in where it was going. It’s a weird one to review because I didn’t dislike the book, but I can’t say this one was for me. I usually love the conversational verse, but it read more like vignettes: a man at school, a man at a party, a man ruminating. It was more scene by scene, and maybe that’s just the thing for other readers, but something was missing for me.

Still enjoyable, a slow burn, a little bit of dark academia. If you pick it up, I don’t think you’ll regret it but go into it with the right expectations and the right mood. Overall: ️3/5.

Thanks so much to Union Square & Co (@unionsqandco) and NetGalley (@netgalley) for the ARC!

Normally I don't like it when an author pulls a twist that I did not see coming. But, that happens a lot so I must like it at least a bit. I read Providence straight through and did not see the twist coming. The author, Craig Willse gets kudos from me for that.
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

First -- thank you to NetGalley and the publisher (and their very kind publicity staff member!) for the eARC of this book in exchange for a review. When I read the synopsis, I was intrigued, and knew I needed to read it.

Actual rating -- 2.75 out of 5 stars. I'll round up to 3.

Providence started out very promising. There was some good work with the exposition as we eased into the main plot. Mark was being established, and we understand immediately that he's a symbol of unhappiness, stuck in a life that he once felt would be fulfilling. The themes of unhappiness, stagnancy in life, and the need to feel alive were present throughout the book, and I thought they were used well.

Unfortunately, a lot of the plot ended up falling flat. It almost felt like a collection of scenes that created a story, but weren't that meaningful.

The book was labeled a thriller, but there were honestly no thriller elements until the final 3 chapters of the book. There were some psychological thriller elements here and there, but they were minimal.

The characters were thinly developed in a book with a premise that would've benefitted significantly from stronger, more fleshed-out characters. The "gay murder" motif had so much potential, but I felt it wasn't explored as much as it could've been.

The problem I had was that the protagonist, Mark, wasn't likable or unlikeable. I was just completely indifferent towards him. And because I was indifferent toward him, I didn't care too much what would end up happening to him. I wanted more of Tyler -- he was dangerous, definitely, but we didn't get enough insight into him and what was going on his mind.

The ending was abrupt and provided minimal closure. We didn't get too much insight into the aftermath of the events, and "Part III" felt like an afterthought.

There were some good things about the book, as listed in the beginning of this review. Unfortunately, those positives felt overshadowed by the negatives.

Thanks so much for giving me access to this! What a ride. I enjoyed the storytelling so much and I cannot wait to hear about others reading it. I felt that this was such a compelling story.

Special thanks to Union Square & Co and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I hated so many characters in this book… but this book was great! The author did such an amazing job portraying the characters in this book and the situations they were in. They felt so real, were so messy, and made me so angry.

I also loved the pacing of this book. It had my attention the entire time and fleshed the MC out without romanticizing the “relationships” in this book.

There were a few grammatical errors and some wonky sentences, but I personally did not feel like it greatly impacted my reading experience.

I would highly recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Union Square & Co. for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I waited a bit before posting this one. I felt like I needed to sit with it for awhile.

I enjoyed this book and, while not one of those edge of your seat, cliffhanger chapter thrillers, I could not put this one down.

Providence follows Mark, a college professor, who becomes infatuated with one of his students, Tyler. The book takes place over two semesters and follows along as things progress.

I thought that WIllse did an exceptional job of navigating and developing Mark's character. While he consistently made idiotic decision after idiotic decision, it still fell within the confines of his character. I couldn't help thinking about the drive for more- wanting something else, when you could be - should be - content with what you have. Mark's character arc was interesting and while this was a slow burn thriller in my opinion, I couldn't help but continue turning the pages in order to get further into Mark's head.

I really enjoyed this book. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read it.

This was messy, in a good way. A story about forbidden and tortured love sign me up. I read this book in one sitting, It was fun, quick and easy read. I would recommend this book to the right audience.

This book was an introspective account a forbidden and tortured love story. It was a glimmer of need and want, a evolution of tug and pull. Such a great way to tell a story and describe a forbidden love.
I received and ARC from NetGalley.

Providence is a book that hooked me from the first few pages. The story of a professor having an affair with a student is not new but the deliver of the book was what made it stand out from the others. It was a quick and easy read with an ending that did not live up to my expectations. While I was disappointed by the ending, I think it's a worthy read for fans of queer fiction.

This author's portrayal of forbidden romance was so perfectly done. This perfectly captures that essence of passion when it comes to something our protagonist Mark Lausson knows is wrong, but is so compelled to pursue when he meets a young man in one of his classes.

Set against the backdrop of a liberal arts college in Ohio, we get this beautiful tension and suspense, which is one of the things I enjoy in a forbidden romance situation, particularly in college professor/student romances.

When new student Tyler enters the campus, Mark immediately takes notice, envious of Tyler's ability to so freely be himself. This small interest blooms into a full blown reality when the two participate in a clandestine relationship. Soon, Mark begins to question Tyler's true character, fearing there may be something darker to him, and we spend the rest of the book on this twisting and turning journey through figuring out who to trust, what is truth and what is an elaborate ruse.

I found this incredibly riveting. I loved the obsessive and darkly co-dependent aspects of this book and the chaotic atmosphere. It was perfection.

I wanted to like this one. I really did. I loved the premise and the cover so much. But when I started reading, I couldn’t get into the story. So I decided to DNF at 26%. It might be me, not the book.

Thank you to the publisher for my arc.


I really wanted to enjoy this but it wasn’t for me. The story was slow and I didn’t care for the characters

This debut was a pleasant surprise. I went into it with little to no expectations and I enjoyed it. Providence follows an introverted English professor at a prestigious Ohio university and his fall from grace when beginning a sexual relationship with one of his sophomore students, Tyler.

At first, I found the book to be very slow and a little dense in detail. But I quickly couldn't put it down. Being from Ohio myself, I loved seeing its mundaneness through Mark's eyes. I enjoyed the complexities of the characters as well. There is such beautiful and heartbreaking depth to each of them that made this story just feel so much more raw and real.

Another thing about Providence I was almost shocked to love was its mystery. Usually when I read a book and not all the questions have been answered at the end, it takes away from the experience. But I think this is a rare occasion where neatly tied ends would ruin the novel's aesthetic and overall message. It leaves you wanting more but not necessarily demanding more.

Craig Willse's debut is hauntingly atmospheric and razor-sharp. It's a heartwrenching and sexy disaster that you just can't resist. A huge thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review ♡

PROVIDENCE explores the sensitive topic of professor/teacher relationships in a university setting. It takes a look at power dynamics and how far characters will go to get what the want when the lines of right/wrong are blurred.

I think ultimately I wanted a lot more from this book. Leading up to Mark and Tyler entering their relationship, there was hardly any push/pull, will they/won't they, grappling with guilt that I would've expected from a story like this to increase the tension and make the midpoint more satisfying. Neither Mark or Tyler are particularly fleshed out. We explore Mark through vignettes of his childhood, and we see that he feels stuck and uninspired by his life before Tyler, but beyond that, he's one-note. Same with Tyler. We hardly see any on-page relationship building between the two leading up to them deciding to sleep together. The attraction is all physical. By the halfway mark, I genuinely had no idea why these two characters even liked each other when they knew nothing about the other--and I as a reader knew hardly anything substantial about them either. Very little chemistry.

Of course, I didn't expect this to be a romance, but I wanted to know WHY these characters were obsessed with each other. I wanted more of the psychology behind their thoughts and actions.

Ahh the English professor and the student. Tale as old as time.
I mean, yeah, overall I liked it but no I didn't love it. It's fun, quick, easy, a little twisty but not too many that you hate the book, with the smattering of gay sex to keep you aware of the shifts between power and sex...


received a free ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review