I’m not even sure what I just read. Talk about unhinged. I really wanted to stop after a certain scene with a dog(if you are a dog lover like me, skip this book).

I picked the book because of the cover. It really drew me in. But I wish I would have put it down and not finished.
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Pretty much the whole book is toxic. I wanted to love it, The book description sounds way better than the actual book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Regal House Publishing for an advance copy in exchange for a honest review.

This sounded like it should have been right up my street but after getting about 20% in, I can't bring myself to carry on as there is so much else I'd rather be reading

The Vixen Amber Halloway is an intriguing book, but it can be challenging for non-native speakers due to its complex vocabulary. The story throws you right in, making the beginning a bit hard to follow. However, the time jumps are one of the book’s strengths, enhancing the narrative without adding confusion.

The downside is that the anticlimactic crime makes the journey feel like it wasn’t worth the read. Despite that, it’s a beautifully written novel, though not always easy to digest.

The Vixen Amber Halloway tells the story of classics professor Ophelia, whose husband is having an affair. It's told in alternating timelines with the past focusing on Ophelia discovering the affair and subsequently stalking her husband and his affair partner, and the present focusing on Ophelia's meeting with her prison psychiatrist. They mostly discuss Ophelia's childhood after her mother left her to move to Florida with her own affair partner, and Ophelia's fear of abandonment, which is obviously exacerbated by the situation with her husband.

The story was entertaining, although it could get repetitive at times. There were numerous references to the same scenes over and over again without expanding on them too much, which in a book this short becomes a bit tedious. Since Ophelia is a classics professor, it would have been nice if there were more references to Greek mythology as well, although I did enjoy the references to Dante that were included. Ophelia had a very unique voice in this story that did a good job of showcasing how aloof and clinical she was as a character. This will be a good one for readers who enjoy books with unlikable or unreliable narrators.

Compelling angle on the spurned wife story, with terrific writing and characterizations by LaHines. Will definitely recommend to others.

This darkly comedic novel delves into the unraveling psyche of Ophelia, a professor whose life spirals out of control after discovering her husband's infidelity. The story masterfully blends suspense and dark humor as Ophelia's obsessive surveillance and quest for revenge push her closer to the edge. A gripping exploration of betrayal, trauma, and the depths of one woman’s rage, this book is as unsettling as it is compelling.

This book was interesting. I am a fan of the unhinged trope & this read like a fever dream.
I did find it repetitive. & the ending fell flat in my opinion.
I liked Ophelia. I empathized with her while I was reading but will not think of her again.

I finally finished reading this book yesterday, and I needed a day to sit with my thoughts. Having read many thrillers this year, I found the structure of this one to be quite different. The story revolves around Ophelia, who discovers that her husband, Andy, has been cheating on her with a coworker named Amber Halloway. Devastated and filled with anger and grief, Ophelia decides to follow the two lovers, carefully watching their every move. Andy's betrayal reawakens the trauma of Ophelia's mother abandoning her when she was only eight years old, causing her to become increasingly detached from reality.

Despite its relatively short length, the book manages to pack a punch. Although there is some repetition in the narration, it's important to remember that the narrator is unreliable. This aspect, while initially jarring, adds depth to the story and makes it an enjoyable read. The narrative shifts back and forth between the past and present, a technique I'm not usually a fan of. However, the author's writing made it work for me, at least most of the time.

As you progress through the book, Ophelia's mental health becomes increasingly precarious, driven by her deteriorating relationship with her husband. Given the turn of events, I found myself disliking Andy intensely. The book delves into themes of obsession, mental breakdown, and betrayal, which could be upsetting for some readers. Proceed with caution if these topics are sensitive for you.

Overall, I enjoyed the writing and look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

All women have felt that primordial fire of rage; few get to release it. This novel will send you on a bullet train of a ride with a complicated and fascinating main character, laughing macabrely in spite of yourself.

This advanced reader's copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

Pretty neurotic i must say. Our main character spirals into madness, we witness an unreliable narrator deep in her rage and hungry for revenge.

Thanks to Netgalley, Regal House Publishing, and Carol LaHines for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed The Vixen Amber Halloway. It was a quick, easy read. I was drawn in immediately and read it in one sitting.

I loved Ophelia, even though she was clearly unbalanced. Her actions were very erratic, I wasn't sure what she was going to do next, which made for a twisty, unpredictable read.

3 stars from me. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I'm a sucker for unhinged women and female rage stories. However, The Vixen Amber Halloway felt immature to me. The characters were one-dimensional and stereotypical, lacking creativity. The only redeeming factor is the short, easy-to-read chapters.

While this story may not have worked for me, I would give the author another chance!

I loooove the Dante connection, and Ophelia was an interesting character. Largely, I found myself not being totally pulled in by the narrative. It was fine, and I don't regret reading it. But it didn't wow me. That said, this is being added to the running list of Sad Girl fiction that I pull from for the So Much For My Happy Ending shelf on the Staff Picks display!

Great concept but this one wasn’t for me. Female rage and an unreliable narrator are usually up my alley, but something just wasn’t working here. The characters were not well fleshed out and felt quite stereotypical, and the story and text felt very repetitive. I do enjoy when chapters are short, and the book is able to be easily finished in one sitting. Thank you to NetGalley and Regal House Publishing for providing me with a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Vixen Amber Halloway by Carol LaHines is a dark mysterious novel about an unhinged woman, Ophelia, who murdered her ex-husband's mistress and the events leading up to it.

I found this book to be fairly fast-paced as I feel like I sped through this book. It kept me on edge wanting to learn more about Ophelia and the events that transpired. I found myself having mixed feelings about her as a character--sometimes I'd feel bad for her & other times, I was somewhat disturbed. Ultimately, I think I pitied her even though her actions were shocking.

Her thoughts are often repeated throughout the book and come off as redundant at times, and I think some readers may get hung up on the repetition. I do feel like it makes sense narratively speaking. It shows how much Ophelia has been affected by her past and how she ruminates on it. I will admit that at times I, too, grew tired of certain obsessions (if I have to hear about Minnie Ha-Ha one more time... not really but kinda). Like I said though, I get it. It gives the reader insight about Ophelia as a character.

The ending seemed like a very literary choice, and I do admit I am a bit disappointed with it. I get it, I do, but I wanted more.

Overall, I enjoyed The Vixen Amber Halloway. It was different than other books I've read, and I appreciate it for that. Ophelia is a character I will not be forgetting anytime soon.

Thank you NetGalley and Regal House publishing for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Ophelia, a college professor and Dante aficianado, is stricken when she discovers that her husband Andy has been cheating on her with his colleague Amber Halloway. What follows is Ophelia' s figurative descent into hell as she obsessively spies on the lovers, growing more and more estranged from reality. Andy's betrayal reawakens the earlier trauma of abandonment by her mother at the age of eight. According to the blurb, the story is a jailhouse confessional, a suspenseful revenge fantasy, and a portrait of one woman' s psychological breakdown.

I'm a fan of the unhinged trope and at first Ophelia sort of reminded me of Mrs. March where we're trapped in a woman's mind as she slowly loses touch with reality. The first 25% or so of this book had me totally drawn in but as it went on Ophelia's actions got more and more bizarre and it was doing my head in. One big complaint would be the repetitive nature of certain phrases and information (soon-to-be-foreclosed-upon was used many many times and Minnie Ha-Ha pops up a lot). The author also used many words that I don't know the meaning of. I like to think it's because the words are so unusual, not because I'm dense: words like psychopomp, oeuvre, arguenda. I'm all for learning new words but it took me out of the story too often. I'm not too familiar with Dante's Inferno but I felt like Ophelia was drawing parallels between her experience and that work. It could've been a much better read if it was tightened up and shortened a bit. I'm rating it 2.5 Stars rounded down.

TW: Animal cruelty, adultery, sexual references and descriptions.

My thanks to Regal House Publishing via Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: June 11, 2024

0.25 "distasteful, disrespectful, misanthropic" stars !!

Acknowledgements to Netgalley and Regal House Publishing for an ecopy. This was released June 2024. I am providing an honest review.

I have read some horrible, terrible and shitty chicklit thrillers in my time but this one might take the cake (don't take a bite!)

The author is clearly very bright and has some promising writing chops. She also sets up a most interesting character in Ophelia who has suffered both abandonments and traumas. This could have been a most interesting and respectful character study of somebody with severe avoidant attachment injuries as well as a complex borderline/avoidant personality disorder and their attempts at living life despite very high mistrust and distress.

Instead we get a very a very over the top and sensationalistic approach to a woman's psychological disintegration and the damage she inflicts on others. The humor is not at all funny and the metacognitive musing do not at all fit in with the experience and background of this character. The metacognitive musings come across as an arrogant and glib authorial voice. If somebody tells me this is satire or dark comedy I will bop them on the nose. Just disgusting this was!

This book is in incredibly poor taste and a huge disservice to those who struggle with very difficult personality disorders as well as to the people they inadvertently (and sometime intentionally) hurt.

This novel is repellent and an epic fail !

For such a short book, The Vixen Amber Halloway is a suspenseful rollercoaster! It offers everything you could desire from a story: a cheating husband, a devoted girlfriend, and an unpredictable, vengeful ex-partner. It's a thrilling ride that you'll love!

I've read a lot of literary fiction this year, but this book floored me and left me wanting more. Ophelia's meticulous plans to exact revenge on her cheating husband and his mistress were both chilling and captivating.

Carol LaHines' writing is brilliant, balancing a lack of overt emotion with the intense emotional fragility of the protagonist. The narrative is structured around Ophelia's inner monologue, which is just what I needed. Who doesn't love an unreliable narrator? This style of writing kept me on my toes and added a layer of intrigue that made the book impossible to put down. This contrast made the story even more compelling and highlighted LaHines' skill as an author.

Overall, The Vixen Amber Halloway, a psychological thriller, is a fantastic read that I thoroughly enjoyed. If you're looking for a short yet impactful story in the genre of literary fiction and psychological thrillers, this is definitely one to add to your list.

Thank you, NetGalley and Regal House Publishing, for gifting me the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

craftily constructed tale of murder and mayhem. Her wonderfully original unreliable narrator tells a story that will make you laugh and cry