4 🌟

Where were the twists or 🎢 ride?

When I saw this book compared to Where the Crawdad's Sing, I couldn't get my hands on it quick enough. I really enjoyed the premise of this book, the execution fell a little short. I did enjoy it, I just wish the ride had a little more 😳😳 moments.

Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

Traditional format (digitial) 📕. This book is a slow burn romance, character study and a little mystery all rolled into one. Elijah and Nakita are high school sweethearts. Elijah, an inspiring writer, leaves their small town to pursue his dreams and returns many years later to his family cabin. The town Doctor is found hanging in a tree on Elijah’s land and the mystery unfolds

What I liked:
🌲The setting: I’m always a fan of homesteading and this book had plenty of it
🌲The chemistry btwn the two main characters
🌲 great character development
🌲the book was just the right length. Sometimes I find books like this go on and on but this one was perfect in pacing and length

What could have been better
🌲The plot twist ending was pretty anti-climatic and a little disappointing.
🌲 The plot of the book was super predictable right from the get go. It didn’t take away from the book for me though.
🌲 I was a little puzzled on the context of Indian reserved in the book. That area of the plot/setting was not developed well and seemed irreverent

If you enjoy slow burn type book that are well written I would recommend this book. Overall I really enjoyed this book despite the list of areas for improvement. I give this debut novel a solid 4/5.

Thank you to Atria books and Net Galley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for a review.

🌲 murder mystery
🌲 off the grid-ish living
🌲 a little bit of romance with zero spicy scenes
🌲 cabin by the woods
🌲 small town

If these are your vibes, this is the book for you! I absolutely loved it. I loved how the author described the scene perfectly. It really painted a picture of what the area looked like and the atmosphere. I enjoyed all of the characters. The chapters were told in alternate timelines and then eventually at the end it goes into present day. This book reminds me of Where The Crawdads Sing and Stillwater Girls. All different stories but that off the grid vibe with a little mystery added in is there, which I love!

I absolutely adored this book! From the captivating cover to the atmospheric setting in the woods, "MIDDLETIDE" had me hooked from the start. The dual timeline format and the intertwining of the main character's book with the real-life mystery added an extra layer of intrigue that kept me engaged throughout. I appreciated the balance of romance, drama, and suspense, all woven together with realistic characters navigating traumas and redemption. Even when I wasn't reading, I couldn't stop thinking about it. I could easily envision this story on the big screen with stunning visuals and a compelling soundtrack. However, my only gripe was the use of a diary as a narrative device, which felt a bit unrealistic for the character's age. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the ending and would highly recommend this book to fans of slow-paced mystery tales set in the wilderness. Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC of this captivating novel.

Wonderful debut book for Sarah Crouch! The plot had some interesting twists to keep the reader engaged.. The book was well written and easy to read. The descriptions of the weather and the scenery made the reader feel as if they were there. Well done!

I was so excited to read this since I love in Seattle and very familiar with the area. Love a good PNW thriller. But I was so bored by this "thriller". It wasn't captivating and I just wanted it to be over.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

Atmospheric, mysterious and overall a good read.

3.5☆

Thank you Atria and Netgalley for the ARC. Dr Erin Landry is found hanging on a tree by 2 fisherman early on a January morning. However, the way the crime scene is set up seems too simple, more homicide rather than suicide. The sheriff and deputy receive an anonymous book at the station by the title of Middletide. The book practically lays out a murder that looks like a suicide just like Erin's. The author of the book is Elijah who actually had a relationship with Erin. All signs point to him being the murderer, but is he?

Read this if you like:
•atmospheric books
•small town
•mystery

This book had beautiful writing. I just don’t think I was quite in the right mood to read this one

3.5 stars -- a solid debut that encapsulates the PNW well!

Elijah always knew he wanted to get out of his tiny town of Point Orchards. He left his high school sweetheart behind to attend college but more than thirteen years later he has no choice but to return. His dreams of making it as a writer were dashed when his single book flopped and the only way he can afford to support himself is to move back into his father's cabin and work his father's old job at the auto shop. But the last thing Elijah wants is to inherit his father's life. He's ready for a reset and he's ready to win back the woman who's heart he broke many years ago.

What he isn't ready for is to be accused of murdering a beloved young local doctor. But all the evidence points directly to him -- including her death being eerily similar to the plot of his one novel that has limited readership. His recounting of the brief month they dated is completely different than the one left in the diary she left behind -- but without the technology of DNA the local sheriff's department does not have much to prove, or disprove, his involvement in her death.

This was a slow build but filled with tension and deep emotion. I didn't know who to believe for most of the plot, but it was beautifully written and a steady flow. I would not call it a thriller or a mystery but more of a small town drama centered around a mysterious death. I look forward to more from this author!

My goodness. First time reading this Author and will not be the last. Run....don't walk....to get this amazing book!!!
Thank you to Netgalley for providing this digital copy in exchange for a review.

This book tells the story of suscpious death of the towns doctor. Starts off a little slow but picked up towards the middle. Very interesting ending to the book.

Thank you NetGallery and Atria Publishing for the ARC.

Hold tight, friends, because I have things to say.

This was a stunning literary thriller debut – and I feel this point must be reiterated: it’s a literary thriller. This isn’t your summer night popcorn thriller under the stars. This is your snuggle under the covers with a candle and some kind of warm drink with whipped cream on top literary thriller. There IS suspense and murder and twists and turns – but there is also rich, descriptive, atmospheric language and dark nights of the soul. There is depth here – and slow burn – and you must go in knowing this.

Personally, I always connect better with deeper writing on audio, and if this is you, I definitely recommend this format. The narration by @kaleogriffith is so well-done, and he really brought the story to life for me.

I finished this book over twenty-four hours ago, and here I am still thinking about it and uncovering new layers. This book isn’t done with me yet, and I can’t read anything else until it is. That’s unusual for me.

I think this is going to be a big hit this summer, and I hope you will read it and love it as much as I did.

This is @sarahcrouch1989’s debut novel, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next. I will be first in line to read it.

🌿Read if you like:
✨Books within books
✨Literary thrillers
✨Pacific Northwest settings
✨Atmospheric natural settings
✨Revenge tales
✨Redemption tales

I really enjoyed this book that felt like a combination of Where the Crawdads Meet, 28 Summers, Every Summer After, and Outer Banks on Netflix. Is it a love story? Is it a murder mystery? Is it a legal drama? I loved that it was a bit of all three. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for my ARC of this excellent debut novel by Sara Crouch. This was also one of the May 2024 BOTM options. Trigger warning for content around the loss of a child.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and Sarah Crouch for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Middletide.
This is a well written, very descriptive mystery about a suspicious death in the Pacific Northwest. The setting is so elaborately embellished that I felt I was right there observing the action taking place. I would have liked more backstory to Erin Landry as she is quite important to the plot. She is rather predictable and maybe needed more bizarre behaviors to make this story more thrilling. The multiple timelines could have been confusing but the story was easy to follow as the number of characters was limited.
I enjoyed this story as I always like books about authors and their struggles to publish books and be successful. There are always events in life that we regret and should have done differently. It was refreshing to see a character be honest with himself and take the blame for mistakes he made.

Middletide is a beautifully written literary mystery/thriller. The suspicious death of a beautiful young doctor turns a small town upside down. The evidence points to a reclusive young man who moved back to Point Orchards after his writing career failed to take off.

This is not a fast-paced popcorn thriller. It is a quiet thriller that completely sucks you into the character’s emotions. Where Middletide really shines is the wholly immersive setting. Sarah Crouch creates an atmosphere of complete seclusion and loneliness deep in the woods. The time jumping was a little disorienting in the beginning, but once the characters are established it becomes easier to keep track of the years.

Spoiler/Trigger: Middletide deals heavily with grief and child loss. As a mom who has also lost a child, I really resonated with Erin. It is incredibly heart wrenching that she didn’t get the help she needed in her grief for her daughter, it can be all consuming to try to figure out the “why” and to need something to blame for the unimaginable loss. Why my baby? Why not me? Overall, I was really really sad for Erin. I think Sarah did a good job not framing Erin’s character as an unhinged person but a person very deep in grief. I appreciated Elijah’s final thoughts about the situation. “I Hope wherever you are, that you’re together. That you’re with her again.”

I found this book thoroughly enjoyable. The timeline takes place before and after the crime.

When two fisherman found the town doctor hanging from a tree, the hunt began for the murderer. It quickly became obvious to the sheriff that Elijah Leith was the guilty party. He wrote a book with the exact same plot line as this crime, he lived near the site of the murder, and the victim’s car was found on his land. Once Elijah was arrested, he knew he had an uphill battle to prove his innocence.

This book has everything I love in a novel - suspense, romance, an atmospheric feel and a great plot. As a debut author, Sarah Crouch does an amazing job with characterization. It’s not hard to fall in love with Elijah and Nakita’s love story and their battle to save Elijah.

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria books for the advanced reader copy of this 4-star novel.

Sarah Crouch's remarkable debut novel captivates readers with its compelling storyline. Elijah Leith, a writer whose dreams are shattered in San Francisco, finds himself back in the picturesque Pacific Northwest. The shocking death of the talented and alluring doctor, Erin Landry, sends shockwaves through the community, and Elijah becomes the prime suspect in her murder. Through skillful storytelling, Crouch weaves together multiple timelines, crafting a gripping thriller that held me captive from start to finish. This page-turner consumed my attention in a single day, leaving me eagerly anticipating future literary offerings from this promising new author.

Thank you to Net Galley and Atria Publishing for the ARC to read and review.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my e-ARC of Middletide.

Unfortunately, this one was a miss for me. So many readers raved about this one, and I wanted to see what it was all about, but I’m DNFing at 44%. It just felt like nothing much was happening, and I didn’t love the back story as much as the present (which we didn’t get nearly enough of). I’ll definitely be checking out other books from this author in the future though!

Having left the love of his life behind for San Francisco, pursuing his dream to write the great American novel, Elijah slinks home defeated fifteen years later. He never showed up when he and Nikita were going to meet back up and now she’s married another. He did write his novel but one bad review had him leaving his dream forever behind. Instead he returns to the cabin he grew up in learning to love and live from the land, and finding himself again. But his book has an impact more than he can ever imagine and it’s the key to solving a mystery that could destroy his life. An impressive debut with wonderful characters and a can’t put down plot.